STUDIO
Next Level Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd.
We’ve been passionate about video game development for 20 years now, shipping award-winning games for fans across the world and still going strong. Some of our titles include Super Mario Strikers, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out!!, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Metroid Prime Federation Force, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and most recently Mario Strikers™: Battle League.
At NLG, we believe that a project finds success when we all work together in harmony. Therefore, we place careful consideration to building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels welcome and has fun in the process of achieving our shared goals.
SENIOR GAMEPLAY ANIMATOR
NLG’s award-winning team is known for its dedication to creating beautiful, high-quality animation. We welcome candidates who can join an experienced crew and share our commitment to creativity, communication, and compassion.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The ideal candidate is a gamer and animator with a focused interest in the medium of video games and who has developed an instinctive, opinionated understanding of what makes animation feel great in the hands of a player. You understand that implementation is as important as keyframing ability, and that a love for working with gameplay engineers and designers is fundamental to implementing animations that are unique, responsive, and consistent with the project vision. You’re a toy-builder.
The ideal candidate will also:
- Be a learner, unafraid to ask questions and grow their skills with the support of the team.
- Be a teacher, helping equip their teammates with new strategies and tools.
- Demonstrate an enthusiasm and passion for creative collaboration.
- Be highly motivated, organized, and reliable.
- Embrace and provide constructive feedback.
- Think ahead and understand how small decisions fit into a larger plan.
KEY QUALIFICATIONS:
- Must have shipped a minimum of one game in the role of gameplay animator, or 5+ years games industry experience.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Proven ability to create high quality, hand keyed animation.
- Proficient in Maya.
- Familiarity with gameplay design and mechanics.
- Solid understanding 3D pipelines, technical systems, and best practices.
YOU SET YOURSELF ABOVE WITH:
- Experience with Python
- State machine design
- Rigging experience
- A positive attitude and a great sense of humour!
Please include a link to your demo reel in either the cover letter or your resume. Applications without a demo reel will not be considered.
We wish to thank all applicants in advance; however, only those under consideration will be contacted.
We are currently only considering applicants who already have work eligibility in Canada.
