Nintendo has been granted 3 patents across 2 categories: Game Mechanics (2) and Hardware (1).
The Game Mechanics patents cover flexible multiplayer systems, including technology that preserves individual mission progress when players switch between solo and co-op sessions, and a method for letting players choose competitive or non-competitive modes within the same level by interacting with shared trigger objects. The Hardware patent discloses a controller rail design that conceals electrical terminals between a protruding slide member and the controller body for streamlined attachment and detachment from a game main unit.
Nintendo's 2 game mechanics patents both rethink how players move in and out of multiplayer sessions. The first lets each player maintain their own mission progress regardless of whether they're playing alone or with others, storing advancement independently so that joining a party or returning to solo play never resets objectives. The second introduces an in-world choice mechanism where players decide between cooperative and competitive modes by interacting with a trigger object during the level itself, with a timed window ensuring everyone agrees before the race begins and holding participants in place until the timer expires to keep things fair.
The Hardware patent describes a controller rail that tucks electrical contact points into a protected space formed between a sliding component and the main controller surface. This design shields the terminals while still allowing the controller to attach and detach from the console unit, with features like chamfered edges and insulation layers helping the connection stay reliable and resist moisture.
All data sourced from USPTO patent filings. Google Patents may take several weeks to index recent publications. If a link is unavailable, search for the patent number at USPTO Patent Public Search.