was a Japanese video game developer that was a 50/50 joint venture between

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

and

Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...

established in October 1999. Mobile21 primarily concentrated on creating

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...

games, with a particular focus utilizing the

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

linking features of the Mobile Adapter GB accessory. The company was led by Masaki Yoneoka and its headquarters were located within Nintendo's offices in the

Asakusabashi is a district of Taitō, Tokyo. It is historically known for many wholesale stores, and recently known for its large stores selling traditional Japanese dolls (although some of the largest doll stores, such as Kyugetsu and Shugetsu, are located ...

district of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

History

On September 2, 1999, Nintendo and Konami announced the establishment of Mobile21, a joint venture focused on developing software for Nintendo consoles with network connectivity. As part of this initiative, Nintendo planned to release an adapter the following year to connect the

Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...

and

to cell phones, enabling online interactions. The company also had plans to develop software for the future

GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...

console. Operations began on October 7, 1999, with an initial capital of , evenly split between Nintendo and Konami. However, each company retained only 15% of the stock, leaving 70% available to grant to employees in anticipation of an early

public offering A public offering is the offering of securities of a company or a similar corporation to the public. Generally, the securities are to be publicly listed. In most jurisdictions, a public offering requires the issuing company to publish a prospectu ...

, part of an aggressive talent recruitment strategy. The Mobile Adapter GB and the Mobile System GB service were unveiled at the

Nintendo Space World formerly named and was an annual video game trade show hosted by Nintendo from 1989 to 2001. Its three days of high-energy party atmosphere was the primary venue for Nintendo and its licensees to announce and demonstrate new consoles, accesso ...

event in August 2000. At the time, Nintendo planned to release them in December, however, delays establishing the service pushed the launch back to January 27, 2001, for a

MSRP The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer ...

of . The Mobile Adapter GB was not a commercial success, selling 80,000 units in its first year on the market, leading the Mobile System GB service to be discontinued after less than two years on December 14, 2002. The end of the Mobile Adapter GB also led to the end of Mobile21.

Games

Mobile21 produced twelve games during its time in existence, six of which used the Mobile Adapter GB.

Notes

References

External links

Official website
(Archived, in Japanese)

{{Authority control Video game companies established in 1999 Defunct video game companies of Japan Video game development companies 1999 establishments in Japan Nintendo divisions and subsidiaries Konami