Editing HAL Laboratory (section)

{{Short description|Japanese video game developer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Expand Japanese|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = HAL Laboratory, Inc.
| logo = HAL Laboratory Logo.svg
| logo_caption = Logo since December 1998
| image = KANDA SQUARE 2023-05-18.jpg
| image_caption = Headquarters in [[Chiyoda, Tokyo]]
| native_name = 株式会社ハル研究所
| native_name_lang = ja
| romanized_name = Kabushiki gaisha Haru Kenkyūjo
| former_name = 
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| genre = {{Unbulleted list
  | [[Video game development]]
  | [[Game engine|Game engine development]]
  | [[Merchandising]]
  }}
| fate = 
| predecessor = 
| successor = 
| founded = {{Start date and age|1980|02|21}} in Kanda, [[Chiyoda, Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
| founder = Mitsuhiro Ikeda
| defunct = 
| hq_location = Kanda Square, 2-2-1 Kandanishiki-cho
| hq_location_city = [[Chiyoda, Tokyo]]
| hq_location_country = Japan
| num_locations = 2 studios{{Efn|Tokyo R&D Center and Yamanashi R&D Center}}
| num_locations_year = 2019
| area_served = 
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list
  | Shigefumi Kawase ([[President (corporate title)|president]] and [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
  | [[Shinya Kumazaki]] ([[Board of directors|director]])
  | Nobutoshi Kuroki (director)
  }}
| products = {{Unbulleted list
  | ''[[Eggerland]]'' series
  | ''[[Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' series
  | ''[[Mother (video game series)|Mother]]'' series
  | ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series
  | ''[[BoxBoy]]'' series
  }}
| owner = 
| num_employees = 242
| num_employees_year = 2024
| parent = 
| subsid = Warpstar, Inc. {{small|(50%; with [[Nintendo]])}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.hallab.co.jp}}
| footnotes = <ref name="Company profile">{{Cite web |date=2 November 2020 |title=Company Profile &#124; COMPANY &#124; HAL Laboratory |url=https://www.hallab.co.jp/eng/company/profile/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627195715/https://www.hallab.co.jp/eng/company/profile/ |archive-date=27 June 2020 |access-date=25 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="Company history">{{Cite web |date=2 November 2020 |title=Our History &#124; COMPANY &#124; HAL Laboratory |url=https://www.hallab.co.jp/eng/company/history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629233808/https://www.hallab.co.jp/eng/company/history/ |archive-date=29 June 2020 |access-date=25 June 2020}}</ref><ref name="Inutamago">{{Cite web |date=2 November 2020 |title=Inutamago &#124; COMPANY &#124; HAL Laboratory |url=https://www.hallab.co.jp/eng/company/symbol/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006101019/https://www.hallab.co.jp/eng/company/symbol/ |archive-date=6 October 2020 |access-date=25 June 2020}}</ref>
}}

{{Nihongo foot|'''HAL Laboratory, Inc.''',|株式会社ハル研究所|Kabushiki gaisha Haru Kenkyūjo|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} formerly shortened as '''HALKEN''', is a Japanese [[video game developer]]  based in [[Chiyoda, Tokyo]]. It was founded on February 21, 1980 by Mitsuhiro Ikeda. The company started out developing games for [[home computers]] of the era, but has since established a strong relationship with [[Nintendo]], and is often referred to as a [[second-party developer]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahey |first=Mike |date=21 February 2015 |title=The Studio Behind Smash Bros. And Kirby, HAL Laboratory Turns 35 Today |url=https://kotaku.com/the-studio-behind-smash-bros-and-kirby-hal-laboratory-1687219609 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106052019/https://kotaku.com/the-studio-behind-smash-bros-and-kirby-hal-laboratory-1687219609 |archive-date=6 November 2021 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref> In 1991, a second office in [[Kai, Yamanashi]] was established.<ref name="HAL Company">{{Cite web |title=Corporate Info |url=http://www.hallab.co.jp/eng/company/profile/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105164937/https://www.hallab.co.jp/eng/company/profile/ |archive-date=5 January 2022 |access-date=17 September 2007 |website=HAL Laboratories}}</ref> The company is best known for its work on the ''[[Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' and ''[[Mother (video game series)|Mother]]'' series, and the first two ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' games.

Its logo, {{nihongo foot|Inutamago,|犬たまご|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes|extra="Dog Eggs"}} which depicts a dog incubating eggs, is meant to represent "an unexpected bond [...] one that brings the birth of something new."