There’s a reason that Nintendo is easily the most beloved of the video game publishers; they have so much to offer gamers, and they almost have a child-like whimsy about them that allows them to think big and attempt to put their gaming properties in all sorts of places. And we’re not just talking about Hollywood or even theme parks. They are totally fine with decking out areas that you might go through every day with their stuff to remind you of their charm. For example, in Kyoto, they decided to deck out an entire underpass with art from Mario’s various titles and worlds!
Specifically, they decked out the Shijo-Dori underground passage in Kyoto. As you can see in the video below, they not only put art from the 2D pixel and 3D model versions of Mario’s games, but they also ensured that music played as people went through the passage! If you wait until the end of the video, you’ll even see a set of cameos from another franchise!
So why did Nintendo do this? Well, there are likely a few reasons. First, there will be a shop opening from The Big N in Kyoto next week, and the store looks very pretty. Plus, a museum will be dedicated to the company opening up next year in Kyoto. So, if anything, The Big N is trying its best to convert Kyoto into a billboard for itself! Not that the people mind, we’re sure.
Seriously, though, the company has been making big strides to try and improve its range and get more people to view their products. Decking out an underground passage that people go through all the time is a clever way of doing that. If you think about it, if adults bring their kids through the passage all the time, that would get them “ingrained” with the knowledge that Mario and his friends are really special, and that might entice them to get their games.
That would be quite poetic, as Mario has two different games coming out very soon. One of them is a 2D platformer, much like the artwork shows in the tunnel, and the other is a remake of a classic RPG! So they’ll have plenty of options soon. Plus, Japan has made it clear they love the Switch because they’ve been buying plenty of the systems in recent times.
So, if anything, the question really is, “What will Nintendo do next?”
