In May 2015, Nintendo revealed an ambitious partnership with Universal Parks & Resorts to develop theme parks featuring their beloved game characters—a strategic move to extend Nintendo's influence into new entertainment realms. Now, after ten years, that vision has materialized as Super Nintendo World, an immersive theme park destination with attractions, interactive experiences, merchandise shops, and character-themed dining across locations in Japan, Los Angeles, Florida, and soon Singapore.

Ahead of the grand opening of Universal's Epic Universe theme park in Orlando (which will introduce the first U.S. version of the Donkey Kong Country expansion), I spoke with Shigeru Miyamoto—the legendary game designer behind Mario, Donkey Kong, and other iconic Nintendo characters. We discussed the creation of these parks, his collaboration with Nintendo's next generation of developers, and his enthusiasm for the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2.