iQue
Native name | 神游科技 |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Shényóu Kējì |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 6 December 2002[1] |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | Suzhou, China[2] |
Key people | Wei Yen (CEO) |
| Services | Software translation and localization Game development |
| Parent | Nintendo (2013–present) |
| Website | www |
iQue, Ltd. (simplified Chinese: 神游科技; traditional Chinese: 神遊科技; pinyin: Shényóu Kējì) is a Chinese video game localization and development company located in Suzhou. It was founded in 2002 as a joint venture between Taiwanese-American engineer Wei Yen and Nintendo to manufacture and distribute Nintendo hardware and software for mainland China.
iQue released the iQue Player in 2003 and went on to distribute several Nintendo handheld systems under the iQue brand. By 2013, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo and later shifted its focus away from hardware to localization, technical support, and internal development work.
Its Chinese name, Shényóu, is a double entendre meaning "to make a mental journey".
History
Nintendo established iQue in December 2002 as a joint venture with Wei Yen, a veteran of earlier Nintendo hardware collaborations. Yen had previously served as senior vice president at Silicon Graphics, where he contributed to Project Reality, the hardware project that became the Nintendo 64. After leaving SGI, Yen founded BroadOn, which developed the cryptographic security system used in the iQue Player to deter piracy.[3]
The company introduced its first product, the iQue Player, in 2003. The system adopted a handheld TV game format in part to comply with a 2000 Ministry of Culture ban on the sale of traditional home video game consoles.[4] In the following years, iQue distributed official Nintendo products for the mainland Chinese market, focusing primarily on handheld systems, which were not subject to the same ban. While Nintendo and iQue initially planned to release the Wii across mainland China, these plans were ultimately scaled back, and the iQue Player was the company's only home console released in China.
By 2013, iQue became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nintendo.[5] During the early 2010s, iQue contributed to emulator development for Nintendo's Virtual Console services, including NES and Game Boy emulation on Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 64 emulation on Wii U. The company later supported development of the Nintendo 64 emulator used for Nintendo Switch Online.[6]
Starting from 2017, Nintendo wound down distribution of older hardware under the iQue brand. Nintendo partnered with Tencent to introduce the Nintendo Switch in mainland China in 2019.[7] iQue shifted to providing customer support for legacy products and began localizing Nintendo titles into simplified Chinese, while Nintendo Hong Kong handled traditional Chinese.[8][9]
In 2019, iQue began hiring programmers and developers, signaling a broader transition toward internal development support for Nintendo EPD.[10]
Consoles
iQue Player
The iQue Player is a handheld TV game variant of the Nintendo 64. It was designed to bypass China's ban on home consoles at the time and to combat game piracy in the market. A total of 14 games were released for the console.
Game Boy Advance
An iQue variant of the Game Boy Advance was released on 8 June 2004. Its revisions were also released under the iQue brand; the Game Boy Advance SP was released in October 2004,[11] and the Game Boy Micro was released in October 2005.[11]
Eight games were released for the Game Boy Advance.[12][13] Twelve more games were planned, but cancelled due to high piracy of the system.
| English title | Chinese title | Pinyin | Release date | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wario Land 4 | 瓦力欧寻宝记 | Wǎlìōu Xúnbǎo Jì | June 2004 | Platformer |
| Super Mario Advance | 超级马力欧2 | Chāojí Mǎlìōu 2 | 30 June 2004 | Platformer |
| Metroid: Zero Mission | 密特罗德：零点任务 | Mìtèluōdé: Língdiǎn Rènwù | 15 June 2005 | Shooter |
| WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! | 瓦力欧制造 | Wǎlìōu Zhìzào | 4 July 2005 | Minigames |
| Metroid Fusion | 密特罗德 融合 | Mìtèluōdé Rónghé | 2 March 2006 | Shooter |
| Yoshi's Island – Super Mario Advance 3 | 耀西岛 | Yàoxi Dǎo | 2 March 2006 | Platformer |
| Super Mario World – Super Mario Advance 2 | 超级马力欧世界 | Chāojí Mǎlìōu Shìjiè | 15 March 2006 | Platformer |
| F-Zero: Maximum Velocity | 极速F-ZERO未来赛车 | Jísù F-ZERO Wèilái Sàichē | August 2007[14] | Racing |
| Advance Wars | 陆海空大战 | Lùhǎikōng Dàzhàn | Unreleased | Strategy |
| Densetsu no Starfy | 斯塔非的传说 | Sītǎfēi de Chuánshuō | Unreleased | Platformer |
| Densetsu no Starfy 2 | 斯塔非的传说2 | Sītǎfēi de Chuánshuō 2 | Unreleased | Platformer |
| DK: King of Swing | 摇摆森喜刚 | Yáobǎi Sēn Xǐgāng | Unreleased | Puzzle |
| Famicom Mini Collection | 红白机合集 | Hóngbái Jīhéjí | Unreleased | Compilation |
| Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade | 火纹战记: 封印之剑 | Huǒwén Zhànjì: Fēngyìn Zhījiàn | Unreleased | Role-playing |
| Kuru Kuru Kuruin | 转转棒 | Zhuǎn Zhuǎn Bàng | Unreleased | Puzzle |
| Kuruin Paradise | 转转棒天堂 | Zhuǎn Zhuǎn Bàng Tiāntáng | Unreleased | Puzzle |
| Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga | 马力欧与路易吉RPG | Mǎlìōu Yǔ Lùyìjí RPG | Unreleased | Role-playing |
| Mario Kart: Super Circuit | 马力欧卡丁车超级赛道 | Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē Chāojí Sài Dào | Unreleased | Racing |
| Polarium Advance | 通勤一笔 | Tōngqín Yī Bǐ | Unreleased | Puzzle |
| Tomato Adventure | 番茄酱王国大冒险 | Fānqié Jiàng Wángguó dà Màoxiǎn | Unreleased | Role-playing |
iQue DS
The iQue DS is a variant of the Nintendo DS. It was released on 23 July 2005. Six games were released for the console.[13] Unlike in other regions, iQue DS games are region locked, preventing them from being played on DS systems from other regions.[15] Some DS revisions were released under the iQue brand; the Nintendo DS Lite was released on 26 June 2006,[11] and the Nintendo DSi was released in December 2009.[16] The latter was bundled with Nintendogs and a gift card with 1,000 DSiWare points, allowing users to download software.
| English title | Chinese title | Pinyin | Release date | Genre | Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polarium | 直感一笔 | Zhígǎn Yī Bǐ | 23 July 2005 | Puzzle | Physical |
| WarioWare: Touched! | 摸摸瓦力欧制造 | Mō Mō Wǎlìōu Zhìzào | 23 July 2005 | Minigames | Physical |
| Yoshi Touch & Go | 摸摸耀西-云中漫步 | Mō Mō Yàoxi – Yún Zhōng Mànbù | 14 February 2006 | Platformer | Physical |
| Super Mario 64 DS | 神游马力欧DS | Shényóu Mǎlìōu DS | 21 June 2007 | Platformer | Physical |
| New Super Mario Bros. | New 超级马力欧兄弟 | New Chāojí Mǎlìōu Xiōngdì | 2 July 2009 | Platformer | Physical |
| Nintendogs | 任天狗狗 | Rèntiān Gǒu Gǒu | December 2009 | Simulation | Pre-installed on iQue DSi |
| Big Brain Academy | 大脑科学院 | Dànǎo kēxuéyuàn | Unreleased[17] | Edutainment | Unreleased |
iQue 3DS XL
The iQue 3DS XL is a variant of the Nintendo 3DS XL. It was the only version of the 3DS offered by iQue. Unlike the Nintendo 3DS XL from other regions, the iQue 3DS XL cannot access the Nintendo eShop, transfer save data between systems, or play DSiWare. Only two games were released for the console, both of which were pre-installed on every console made. No physical game cards were ever made.
| English title | Chinese title | Pinyin | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario 3D Land | 超级马力欧 3D乐园 | Chāojí Mǎlìōu 3D Lèyuán | 7 December 2012 |
| Mario Kart 7 | 马力欧卡丁车7 | Mǎlìōu Kǎdīngchē 7 | 7 December 2012 |
Due to its regional lockout, the iQue 3DS XL is only compatible with games that were localized in simplified Chinese. As a result, an additional 14 games can be played on the console.
| English title | Chinese title | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D | 塞尔达传说 时光之笛 3D | Sàiěrdá Chuánshuō: Shíguāng zhī Dí 3D |
| Nintendogs + Cats | 任天狗狗+猫猫 | Rèntiān Gǒugou + Māomāo |
| Star Fox 64 3D | 星际火狐64 3D | Xīngjì Huǒhú 64 3D |
| Mario Tennis Open | 马力欧网球 公开赛 | Mǎlìōu Wǎngqiú Gōngkāisài |
| New Super Mario Bros. 2 | 新超级马力欧兄弟 2 | Xīn Chāojí Mǎlìōu Xiōngdì 2 |
| Brain Age: Concentration Training | 脑科学专家 川岛隆太博士监修 突破极限 脑的5分钟魔鬼锻炼 | Nǎokēxué Zhuānjiā Chuāndǎolóngtài Bóshì Jiānxiū Tūpò Jíxiàn Nǎo de 5 Fēnzhōng Móguǐ Duànliàn |
| Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon | 路易吉洋馆2 | Lùyìjí Yángguǎn 2 |
| Paper Mario: Sticker Star | 纸片马力欧 超级贴纸 | Zhǐpiàn Mǎlìōu Chāojí Tiēzhǐ |
| Pokémon Sun and Moon | 精灵宝可梦 太阳/月亮 | Jīnglíng Bǎokěmèng Tàiyáng / Yuèliang |
| Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon | 精灵宝可梦 究极之日 /究极之月 | Jīnglíng Bǎokěmèng Jiūjí-zhī Rì / Jiūjí-zhī Yuè |
References
- ^ "神游科技（中国）有限公司 – 天眼查" (in Chinese).
- ^ "tewaswork" (in Chinese). iQue. Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ H, Marshall (6 May 2018). "iQue technical information". retroactive.be. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
- ^ "Nintendo iQue Player: A Beginner's Guide – RetroGaming with Racketboy". racketboy.com. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ "関係会社の状況" (PDF). Nintendo. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ^ luigiblood. "The oddities of Nintendo Switch Online retro service". Tumblr. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ "Nintendo Switch's Chinese Edition Only Supports Three Games". Hype Beast. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ Iggy (5 March 2018). "Official iQue Website Updated After 6 Years". NintendoSoup. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Iggy (1 December 2017). "iQue Is Now Localizing Nintendo Switch Games Into Simplified Chinese". NintendoSoup. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "工作 | iQue | 神游科技官方网站". Archived from the original on 4 March 2018.
- ^ a b c "iQue Ltd". ique.com. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "iQue Ltd". Ique.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ a b "iQue Ltd". Ique.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ "iQue Ltd". ique.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
2007年8月 iQue GBA 极速F-ZERO未来赛车
- ^ "Touch!Ique Ds". Ique.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ Ashcraft, Brian (23 December 2009). "DSi Launches In China". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 26 December 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "Introducing the iQue DS Lite". YouTube. 13 February 2018. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
External links
- Official website (in Chinese)