What is Nintendo's relationship to Game Freak and HAL Laboratories?

[jarrod]

Nintendo owns Game Freak iirc (or owns Pokemon, who owns Gamefreak).

Nintendo doesn't own HAL afaik, but they have a close relationship (Iwata came from HAL) and Nintendo owns their biggest hits (Kirby & Smash Bros). HAL also owns a controlling stake in the Kirby licensing company (Warpstar Inc.)