Nintendo selected Namco Bandai as the developer of the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS Super Smash Bros. title. That coveted contract could have gone to a number of different publishers, so why did Namco Bandai get it?

“I think Nintendo chose us just because Smash Brothers is a fighting game. We have over 17 years of continuously developing titles in our franchise [Tekken], I think they felt we were a choice for that,” answered Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken series producer.

“Also, we’ve continually developed a very good relationship with Nintendo,” Harada continued. “Maybe not necessarily in the public spotlight but kind of behind the scenes. We have established a very good working relationship with them. Not just Nintendo, but as a company, we have a very good relationship with Sakurai-san at Sora as well. I think that we are in very good position to make a great game for the Smash Brothers series.”

Earlier this year Namco Bandai released Tekken 3D: Prime Edition for the Nintendo 3DS and have a Wii U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 with Nintendo gimmicks like the Mega Mushroom.