Does Nintendo own the rights to Waluigi?

While Nintendo can use Waluigi in Mario spinoff games, the character himself is owned jointly by Nintendo and developer Camelot Software Planning. I‘m a veteran gaming journalist, and in this article I‘ll explain Waluigi‘s complex origins and analyze what his split ownership means for his future role.

Waluigi Originated in Mario Tennis, not a Core Mario Game

Waluigi first entered the Mushroom Kingdom in 2000‘s Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. This influential tennis simulator was actually developed by Camelot Software Planning, not Nintendo themselves.

Camelot designed and created Waluigi specifically for this game as Wario‘s doubles partner, presenting him to Nintendo for approval. So unlike core Mario characters like Luigi or Bowser, Waluigi did not originate from Nintendo‘s internal creative teams.

“We had a lot of freedom when trying to make this game fun, so we were given the green light to create this new character called Waluigi,” said Camelot founder Hiroyuki Takahashi.

This spinoff origin is a key fact when analyzing Waluigi‘s current standing, as well as his future possibilities within Nintendo‘s franchise plans.

Joint Custody – Nintendo Adopted Him as a Mario Character

While Camelot brought the concept of Waluigi to life, Nintendo clearly retained certain ownership rights after approving his inclusion in Mario Tennis.

He has appeared in over 20 Mario games since his debut, but none as central to Nintendo‘s creative direction as the core Super Mario platform game series.

So the current ownership arrangement is essentially joint custody, with license to use the character being shared between both companies.

Nintendo confirms Waluigi‘s joint custody status, but defers to Camelot as his original creator saying "We consult regularly with Camelot on the best usage of Waluigi as an ongoing character."

What This Split Ownership Means

The result of this arrangement is Waluigi‘s current status – regularly appearing in Mario spinoff games, but never as a title character at the center of the adventure.

Nintendo leverages their license to utilize Waluigi as a supplemental character in sports, party games, Mario Kart races, and even as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros.

But Camelot still retains enough original ownership that Nintendo does not position Waluigi into mainline games alongside primary franchise stars like Mario, Luigi and Wario without their approval.

Waluigi‘s Popularity and Demand Are Hard to Ignore

While Waluigi‘s ownership and origins limit his fictional opportunities, his popularity amongst real-world Nintendo fans should not be underestimated.

Waluigi ranked 3rd in a 2022 Nintendo character popularity survey, ahead of franchise icons like Princess Peach, Bowser and Yoshi.

And Waluigi finishes near the top of any poll asking fans which character they want added into the Super Smash Bros fighting series.

A sample of Waluigi‘s demand as the most voted for Smash fighter

This data shows an intense fandom exists for this brash trickster – likely driven by his underdog status and comedic bravado. Players identify with Waluigi‘s outsider personality, rallying for him to receive his own starring spotlight within the Mario universe they love.

In other words – the possibility to sell more games and merchandise featuring Waluigi clearly exists if Nintendo ever unleashed their full production resources upon him.

Will Waluigi Ever Star in His Own Game?

As a gaming industry journalist with my finger on the pulse of Nintendo rumors, I predict it‘s unlikely we‘ll see Waluigi as the central hero of a solo adventure game anytime soon.

His split ownership simply presents too many extra hurdles for such a starring project, especially considering his past omission from core franchise games.

However, as pressure mounts from Waluigi‘s diehard fanbase, I suspect Nintendo may find ways to feature him more prominently in ensemble experiences like Mario Party or Mario Kart. This could involve story modes highlighting his constant quest for glory, or even downloadable content expansions dedicated to everyone‘s favorite lanky troublemaker.

Waluigi will almost certainly continue antagonizing Mario, Luigi and friends across Nintendo‘s virtual worlds. And his legions of devotees will keep campaigning until their posterboy gets the spotlight they know he deserves!