Velan Studios, the developer behind high-profile projects for both console and live-physical hybrid games, says its collaboration with Nintendo is the product of decades of consistent delivery.
In a recent interview with industry outlet The Game Business, founders Guha and Karthik Bala outlined how working on Nintendo hardware and third-party releases since the Game Boy Color era helped the studio build trust with Nintendo.
The studio framed its relationship as the result of a long-term track record.
According to Guha, Velan’s work dates back to the Game Boy Color generation and the studio (or members of the team) first began appearing on Nintendo hardware in that era.
Guha told The Game Business that Velan’s approach has been simple: make promises, keep them, and try to exceed expectations.
Over time, he said, that consistency builds trust and creates opportunities to collaborate with platform holders like Nintendo.
Karthik Bala expanded on that point, describing the Nintendo partnership as "special and unique," and noting that the quality bar for projects with Nintendo has always been high.
Bala said that even when the team worked as third parties on Nintendo platforms, producing games Nintendo liked helped open doors to future conversations and joint projects.
Velan highlighted key moments in the studio’s platform history.
The team referenced a first crossover onto Nintendo hardware during the Game Boy Color generation (the Game Boy Color launched in 1998), and later noted involvement with Nintendo IP integration during their time at Vicarious Visions and in other studio roles.
The interview also cited Skylanders SuperChargers (released in 2015) as a milestone where Nintendo characters were part of the broader conversation around platform and IP collaboration.
On the Nintendo Switch, Velan Studios is best known for launching Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit in October 2020, a project developed in partnership with Nintendo that blended physical remote-controlled cars with Switch-based augmented reality racing.
Separately, Velan’s Knockout City, released in 2021, demonstrated the studio’s continued presence in competitive multiplayer design across modern platforms.
Taken together, Velan’s statements and track record underscore a recurring industry pattern: repeated delivery across hardware generations—Game Boy Color to Nintendo Switch—can translate into deeper strategic partnerships.
The studio’s interview with The Game Business provides a window into how developer reputation and consistent execution remain central to long-term collaborations with Nintendo and other platform holders.
In a recent interview with industry outlet The Game Business, founders Guha and Karthik Bala outlined how working on Nintendo hardware and third-party releases since the Game Boy Color era helped the studio build trust with Nintendo.
The studio framed its relationship as the result of a long-term track record.
According to Guha, Velan’s work dates back to the Game Boy Color generation and the studio (or members of the team) first began appearing on Nintendo hardware in that era.
Guha told The Game Business that Velan’s approach has been simple: make promises, keep them, and try to exceed expectations.
Over time, he said, that consistency builds trust and creates opportunities to collaborate with platform holders like Nintendo.
Karthik Bala expanded on that point, describing the Nintendo partnership as "special and unique," and noting that the quality bar for projects with Nintendo has always been high.
Bala said that even when the team worked as third parties on Nintendo platforms, producing games Nintendo liked helped open doors to future conversations and joint projects.
Velan highlighted key moments in the studio’s platform history.
The team referenced a first crossover onto Nintendo hardware during the Game Boy Color generation (the Game Boy Color launched in 1998), and later noted involvement with Nintendo IP integration during their time at Vicarious Visions and in other studio roles.
The interview also cited Skylanders SuperChargers (released in 2015) as a milestone where Nintendo characters were part of the broader conversation around platform and IP collaboration.
On the Nintendo Switch, Velan Studios is best known for launching Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit in October 2020, a project developed in partnership with Nintendo that blended physical remote-controlled cars with Switch-based augmented reality racing.
Separately, Velan’s Knockout City, released in 2021, demonstrated the studio’s continued presence in competitive multiplayer design across modern platforms.
Taken together, Velan’s statements and track record underscore a recurring industry pattern: repeated delivery across hardware generations—Game Boy Color to Nintendo Switch—can translate into deeper strategic partnerships.
The studio’s interview with The Game Business provides a window into how developer reputation and consistent execution remain central to long-term collaborations with Nintendo and other platform holders.
