Nintendo Pictures’ name flickering across the credits of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach came as a genuine surprise to fans who associate the studio almost exclusively with Nintendo’s own franchises. Under its new banner, several members of Nintendo Pictures are credited for directing, advising, editing and coordinating the game’s motion-capture sequences, marking the first time the subsidiary has officially appeared in a non-Nintendo project since its 2022 acquisition and rebranding.
Long before donning its current name, the studio was founded in Tokyo in 1991 as Dynamo Pictures by Hiroshi Hirokawa. Over three decades, it carved out a reputation as a premier provider of CGI animation and motion-capture services, eventually catching Nintendo’s eye. On October 3, 2022, Nintendo completed its purchase of Dynamo Pictures, renaming it Nintendo Pictures to strengthen its in-house planning and production of visual content tied to Nintendo’s intellectual properties.
Even prior to joining Nintendo’s family, Dynamo Pictures lent its talents to a wide array of high-profile titles. The studio produced the full-motion cutscenes for Metroid: Other M, animated the Pikmin short films on Wii U and 3DS, and provided motion-capture expertise for blockbuster third-party games such as Final Fantasy XIII-2, Persona 5, Monster Hunter World and NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139….
Since becoming Nintendo Pictures, its work has been woven deeply into Nintendo’s first-party lineup. The studio has contributed animated sequences and cinematics to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Another Code: Recollection and the remake of Super Mario RPG, showcasing a seamless integration with Nintendo’s creative teams while further honing its cinematic craft.
Beyond video games, Nintendo Pictures has quietly stepped into the world of anime, with its first credited appearances in the CG animations of Hirogaru Sky! Precure and the Ensemble Stars! short film “Wish.” These projects reveal the studio’s ambition to expand its visual storytelling across mediums well beyond gaming, hinting at an oeuvre that may soon include original animated series or even feature-length films.
The presence of Nintendo Pictures in a PlayStation 5 exclusive underscores the increasingly collaborative nature of today’s entertainment landscape. Given that much of the work on Death Stranding 2 may have begun under Dynamo Pictures prior to Nintendo’s takeover, this crossover highlights how pre-acquisition contracts and longstanding partnerships can transcend corporate borders. It also raises the tantalizing possibility that Nintendo’s cinematic arm could one day facilitate even more ambitious cross-platform ventures, from Switch 2 ports of blockbuster titles to joint film projects that blend gaming and cinema in unprecedented ways.
