Ambrella
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Defunct | 2021 |
| Fate | Acquired and dissolved by Creatures Inc. |
| Successor | Creatures Inc. |
| Headquarters | Japan |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Pokémon Rumble series, Hey You, Pikachu!, Pokémon Channel, Pokémon Dash, My Pokémon Ranch |
| Parent | Marigul Management (former), Creatures Inc. (final) |
was a Japanese company specializing in video game development that operated under a publishing contract with Nintendo. The studio gained recognition primarily for producing spin-off titles within the Pokémon franchise, most notably the Pokémon Rumble series. Previously, Ambrella was affiliated with Marigul Management. In 2021, Creatures Inc purchased Ambrella and subsequently dissolved it.
Overview
Among Ambrella's prominent creations are the Nintendo 64 voice-interactive game Hey You, Pikachu! (1998), Pokémon Channel for the GameCube (2003), and Pokémon Dash for the Nintendo DS (2004). Additionally, the company developed My Pokémon Ranch for WiiWare, which debuted in Japan in March 2008 and later in North America in June 2008, as well as Pokémon Rumble, released in North America in November 2009.
The Pokémon Rumble franchise was further extended by Ambrella with titles such as Pokémon Rumble Blast for the Nintendo 3DS, Pokémon Rumble U on Wii U, Pokémon Rumble World also for Nintendo 3DS, and Pokémon Rumble Rush designed for mobile platforms. These subsequent releases were distributed through the Nintendo eShop and incorporated microtransaction elements; specifically, Pokémon Rumble World employed conventional microtransactions, whereas Pokémon Rumble U utilized NFC figurines that preceded the introduction of Amiibo.
On October 16, 2020, after the discontinuation of Pokémon Rumble Rush, Creatures declared its acquisition of Ambrella, securing all associated intellectual property rights. Following this takeover, Ambrella was disbanded and its personnel were absorbed into Creatures.
Games
| Year | Title | Genre | Platforms | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Hey You, Pikachu! | Life-simulation | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo |
| 2003 | Pokémon Channel | Adventure, digital pet, Simulation | GameCube | Nintendo The Pokémon Company |
| 2004 | Pokémon Dash | Racing | Nintendo DS | Nintendo The Pokémon Company |
| 2006 | Pokémon PC Master | Edutainment | PC | The Pokémon Company |
| 2008 | My Pokémon Ranch | Digital pet | WiiWare | The Pokémon Company |
| 2009 | Pokémon Rumble | Action role-playing, beat'em up | WiiWare | The Pokémon Company |
| 2011 | Pokémon Rumble Blast | Action role-playing, beat'em up | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo The Pokémon Company |
| 2013 | Pokémon Rumble U | Action role-playing, beat'em up | Wii U | Nintendo The Pokémon Company |
| 2015 | Pokémon Rumble World | Action role-playing, beat'em up | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo The Pokémon Company |
| 2017 | uVu - yoU versus Universe | Arcade | Mobile | Ambrella |
| 2019 | Pokémon Rumble Rush | Action role-playing, beat'em up | Android, iOS | The Pokémon Company |