Latest news with #DonkeyKong
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
New Universal Studios Japan chief eyes expansion of park attractions
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 12:00 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism The new head of the operator of Universal Studios Japan has expressed eagerness to expand the park's themed areas, building on the success of attractions such as Super Nintendo World based on the universe of iconic video game character Mario. "We will develop in accordance with the market," said Taku Murayama, 53, who assumed his new leadership post at USJ LLC, which operates the theme park in Osaka in western Japan, effective Sunday. Universal Studios Japan will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026, having regained popularity after 2014 when it launched The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an area centering on the British boy wizard series. It broadened the zone featuring characters from gaming giant Nintendo Co. last year with the introduction of the world's first attraction area based on the popular Donkey Kong series, aiming to garner more visitors from abroad as well as Japan. Murayama, who joined USJ in 2000 after receiving a master's degree from a U.S. university, added that the World Exposition in Osaka, which opened in April, is an "extremely good touchstone" for the growth of the area around the amusement facility. "I want to help enliven" Osaka together, Murayama said, referring to the integrated resort facilities, including a casino, taking shape next to USJ. He voiced hope that their proximity would be mutually beneficial in attracting visitors. With the service industry struggling to secure human resources as part of Japan's nationwide labor shortage trend, Murayama said, "We will actively adopt digital services and operate efficiently," adding he would also strive to improve the work environment. Originally from Tokyo, Murayama succeeded JL Bonnier, who had led USJ since 2015. Related coverage: Shanghai to open Harry Potter theme park in 2027 Ghibli Park to exhibit anime director Hayao Miyazaki's beloved car Disney-themed Shinkansen trains to begin service in Japan from Feb. 21
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
New Universal Studios Japan chief eyes expansion of park attractions
OSAKA (Kyodo) -- The new head of the operator of Universal Studios Japan has expressed eagerness to expand the park's themed areas, building on the success of attractions such as Super Nintendo World based on the universe of iconic video game character Mario. "We will develop in accordance with the market," said Taku Murayama, 53, who assumed his new leadership post at USJ LLC, which operates the theme park in Osaka in western Japan, effective Sunday. Universal Studios Japan will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026, having regained popularity after 2014 when it launched The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an area centering on the British boy wizard series. It broadened the zone featuring characters from gaming giant Nintendo Co. last year with the introduction of the world's first attraction area based on the popular Donkey Kong series, aiming to garner more visitors from abroad as well as Japan. Murayama, who joined USJ in 2000 after receiving a master's degree from a U.S. university, added that the World Exposition in Osaka, which opened in April, is an "extremely good touchstone" for the growth of the area around the amusement facility. "I want to help enliven" Osaka together, Murayama said, referring to the integrated resort facilities, including a casino, taking shape next to USJ. He voiced hope that their proximity would be mutually beneficial in attracting visitors. With the service industry struggling to secure human resources as part of Japan's nationwide labor shortage trend, Murayama said, "We will actively adopt digital services and operate efficiently," adding he would also strive to improve the work environment. Originally from Tokyo, Murayama succeeded JL Bonnier, who had led USJ since 2015.
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
New Universal Studios Japan chief eyes expansion of park attractions
KYODO NEWS - 14 minutes ago - 12:00 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism The new head of the operator of Universal Studios Japan has expressed eagerness to expand the park's themed areas, building on the success of attractions such as Super Nintendo World based on the universe of iconic video game character Mario. "We will develop in accordance with the market," said Taku Murayama, 53, who assumed his new leadership post at USJ LLC, which operates the theme park in Osaka in western Japan, effective Sunday. Universal Studios Japan will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026, having regained popularity after 2014 when it launched The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an area centering on the British boy wizard series. It broadened the zone featuring characters from gaming giant Nintendo Co. last year with the introduction of the world's first attraction area based on the popular Donkey Kong series, aiming to garner more visitors from abroad as well as Japan. Murayama, who joined USJ in 2000 after receiving a master's degree from a U.S. university, added that the World Exposition in Osaka, which opened in April, is an "extremely good touchstone" for the growth of the area around the amusement facility. "I want to help enliven" Osaka together, Murayama said, referring to the integrated resort facilities, including a casino, taking shape next to USJ. He voiced hope that their proximity would be mutually beneficial in attracting visitors. With the service industry struggling to secure human resources as part of Japan's nationwide labor shortage trend, Murayama said, "We will actively adopt digital services and operate efficiently," adding he would also strive to improve the work environment. Originally from Tokyo, Murayama succeeded JL Bonnier, who had led USJ since 2015. Related coverage: Shanghai to open Harry Potter theme park in 2027 Ghibli Park to exhibit anime director Hayao Miyazaki's beloved car Disney-themed Shinkansen trains to begin service in Japan from Feb. 21
National Geographic
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
These real-world destinations inspired the most popular video games
At least 35 percent of U.S. travelers are inspired to book a trip overseas based on a video game they've played, according to Skyscanner's recent survey As technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, video games continue to gain points other traditional media can't quite reach. May Naidoo is not surprised. He's a filmmaker and Pokémon Partner who travels for video game content, and he sees the clear benefits. 'Movies are influential because they take you back to a specific scene, but video games are more interactive. They place you in the moment with the character and story. You're engaging far more with the sensory experience,' he says. Gamer Didier South agrees, 'Games are reaching new levels of realism, with both graphics and storytelling. It raises the excitement of seeing it in real life, but it also raises the expectations of authenticity.' (Related: For travelers with disabilities, video games are windows to the world.) South is one of a growing number of travelers diving into video game tourism. His current game of choice is Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, a 2025 role-playing game set in 15th-century Bohemia. He has more than 100 hours of gameplay, but he's not just playing a video game; he's also taking notes on locations and cultural sites within the game and planning to see them in Czechia later this year. Now, you can join this growing trend by exploring the real places that inspired game developers, and you can immerse yourself in video games brought to life as tourist attractions like Super Nintendo World™. Here are seven next-level, real world experiences for gamers. (Related: The real history behind the legend of Sun Wukong, China's Monkey King.) 1. Ultimate game day in Orlando The recent opening of Super Nintendo World™ at Universal Epic Universe Orlando will certainly attract gamers who are fans of video game franchises, such as Super Mario and Donkey Kong. Photograph by Sipa USA, Alamy Stock Photo Take the family to the recently opened Super Nintendo World™, one of five new immersive worlds in Universal Epic Universe Orlando. Ride Yoshi's Adventure repeatedly while searching for glowing eggs or careen through the jungle in Donkey Kong's Mine-Cart Madness. Let the grown-ups show the kids how it's done with Orlando's retro arcades, like Arcade Monsters. One entry price allows gamers to play more than 200 pinball machines and arcade games. Discover the science behind video games at the Orlando Science Center, meanwhile, the 'DC Super Heroes' exhibit, on-site through September 7, 2025, will test your superhero skills and allow you to step into the iconic worlds of legendary superheroes, including Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. (Related: The ultimate guide to visiting Orlando.) 2. Tokyo's electric town Pokemon's Pikachu is on display in front of a store in the Akihabara District of Tokyo, Japan. Photograph by Sipa USA, Alamy Stock Photo The first stop for any gamer is the famous Akihabara District (also known as Akiba) in Tokyo. This is the heart of gaming with high-end tech stores, fan-favorite collectibles, and arcades. Grab a bite at nearby Monster Hunters Bar, which features a menu straight from the game, including Kirin's Lightning Strike Parfait G. Walk it off with a visit to Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, and watch out for rare Pokémon along the way. For a bonus level of culture, visit the Tokyo National Museum for pottery from the Jōmon period. It's the real-life inspiration for key scenes in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. (Related: Don't leave Tokyo without these must-do experiences.) 3. Valhalla and the Northern Lights Gamers who enjoy playing God of War: Ragnarök can visit Jotunheimen National Park in Norway to walk along Besseggen Ridge, which is featured in the popular video game. Photograph by Steve Taylor ARPS, Alamy Stock Photo Prepare for Valhalla with immersive high-tech displays at The Viking Planet, Oslo's first digital museum dedicated to the Viking Age. The interactive exhibits include a digital walkthrough of the historic Viking ships (the Oseberg and the Gokstad) as well as virtual reality (VR) experiences of a Viking Raid. Then test your survival skills at Jernaldergarden, a living museum set during the Iron Age in the Stavanger region—inspiration for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Explore the landscape of the Besseggen Ridge (including glaciers) within Jotunheimen National Park, which gamers may recall as part of the video game God of War: Ragnarök. And if you travel as far as Tromsø for the Aurora Borealis, refuel at Burgr with a gaming-inspired meal before heading out to chase the Northern Lights. (Related: Was the Oseberg Ship a tomb for a Viking Queen?) 4. Escape to Montana The Logan Pass Visitor Center and St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park inspired the scenery in Far Cry 5 and Far Cry: New Dawn. Photograph by Danita Delimont, Alamy Stock Photo In addition to Far Cry, Ghost of Tsushima has used Glacier National Park's landscape and nature as inspiration for elements in the games. Photograph by Michael Wheatley, Alamy Stock Photo Head to Big Sky Country in Montana to visit Glacier National Park, where key points of interest like Logan Pass Visitor Center and St. Mary Lake, inspired the scenery in the video games, Far Cry 5 and Far Cry: New Dawn. When you're ready to return to civilization, head to Bozeman for the American Computer & Robotics Museum, which covers 4,000 years of human history from original cuneiform tablets to the first personal computers. Parents can take their kids along the Montana Dinosaur Trail to follow Dr. Alan Grant and his dinosaur digs featured in the video game LEGO Jurassic World. Make this fictional game a real-life, family-friendly adventure. (Related: Everything you need to know about Glacier National Park.) 5. Luxor's path to the pharaohs In Luxor, Egypt, travelers can visit the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which pays homage to Ancient Egypt's only female pharaoh, who was also a gamer. Photograph by Reinhard Dirscherl, Alamy Stock Photo While we don't recommend leaping from rooftop to rooftop as seen in Assassin's Creed: Origins, the video game offers showstopping graphics for Egypt's temples. Travel to Luxor to see the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, in honor of Ancient Egypt's only female pharaoh and 'Gaming Queen,' with her own Senet board game. Across the River Nile, Karnak Temple is instantly identified by its towering walls. Then head to nearby Luxor Souk in the Haba Raba district, where street vendors serve ful medames, an Egyptian stew recipe seen in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. In the video game, Indy also recommends the hamam mahshi (stuffed pigeon). Travelers with adventurous palates can taste it at Sofra Restaurant & Cafe, one street from the East Bank. Cooking classes are also offered to round out your authentic Egyptian experience. (Related: The last missing tomb from this wealthy Egyptian dynasty has been found.) 6. Melbourne's playable city A photo of the interior of ACMI, formerly the Australian Centre for the Moving Image) in Melbourne, Australia. Photograph by Brian Smith, Alamy Stock Photo A mother and son watch Gentoo Penguins swimming at SEA LIFE Aquarium. While visiting, guests should also see the Animal Crossing: New Horizons exhibits. Photograph by Jason Edwards, Nat Geo Image Collection Local indie games like Eastern Market Murder are the best way to explore Melbourne's famous laneways, using the true crime murder of Frank Stevens in 1899 to unlock the history of Melbourne's CBD (Central Business District). Gamers can dive into the development of other video games like Hollow Knight: Silksong on display at ACMI (formerly the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Grab a tavern lunch at Fortress, where patrons will find gaming consoles at their table. Chill with penguins at Sea Life Aquarium and the Nintendo Switch game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons exhibits. Secret bonus level: Catch Tram 96 from the Aquarium to St. Kilda Pier for the city's Little Penguin Colony. Although the viewing boardwalk is currently closed, you may spot penguins from the end of the pier. Remember to give them their space and no flash photography. (Related: March of the penguins: meeting the feathered locals of Phillip Island, Australia.) 7. Paris: Space Invaders tour and Pokémon events Gamers should plan a tour of the Catacombs of Paris when visiting the City of Light. The bone-chilling tomb was the inspiration for the final scene in the video game Assassin's Creed: Unity. Photograph by Konstantin Kalishko, Alamy Stock Photo Grab your comfy shoes for a walking tour in Paris to discover its street art and modern history. The tour's route is marked with hidden graphics and icons from the retro-video game, Space Invaders. It's just like exploring Parisian-inspired Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends: Z-A! Paris also plays host to real-life Pokémon events such as Pokémon GO Fest as well as special in-game features like Furfrou's La Reine Trim costume design. Furfrou's La Reine Trim. Gamers have an opportunity to catch rare in-game Pokémon in the gardens of Parc de Sceaux, too. Finish your journey with a tour of the Catacombs of Paris, the inspiration for the final scene in Assassin's Creed: Unity. The massive crypt holds the remains of six million people and just as many untold stories. (Related: Want to see the real Paris? Walk this way.) 8. Peruvian clues for treasure A stela, a stone column or slab, is seen on display as a collection in one of the gallaries at the National Museum of Archaeology and History in Lima, Peru. Photograph by Suzuki Kaku, Alamy Stock Photo Gamers can live out their dream as an adventurous archaeologist like fictional character Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Legend by discovering historic gems like this gold pin of Chimu culture found at the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History. Photograph by Suzuki Kaku, Alamy Stock Photo Before you live out your Uncharted dreams, take survival notes at the Botanical Gardens in the Parque de las Leyendas in Lima. Look for the Kantuta bush (Flor de la Cantuta), Peru's national flower and star of Inca myths and legends. Learn more about these stories at the Casona of the National University of San Marcos, home to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Its extensive collection of pottery and artwork provides clues to treasures found in the Gold Museum of Peru and Weapons of the World Museum—like Lara Croft in the video game Tomb Raider: Legend. It all comes together with a visit to the ancient Chachapoyas citadel Kuelap; the carved stone walls and buildings hidden in the Amazon Forest directly inspire the opening scene in the PlayStation game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. (Related: Go on a luxury rail journey through the Peruvian mountains.) Fortunately, most developers take creating virtual worlds seriously—some often based on real destinations—because they respect the culture and their fans. Creative Director at MachineGames , Axel Torvenius is part of the team behind the new game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person adventure game set in the 1930s across numerous destinations: the Vatican, Egypt, Thailand, Iraq, and China. Part of the design process included team members traveling to places like the Vatican Necropolis, consulting with local specialists, and referencing historic black-and-white photos for time-specific details. It's more than just visual cues; it is an immersive experience with culture-specific puzzles, references to real artifacts, taking photos to find clues to solve puzzles, and more. At some companies, it's important to encourage gamers to be good travel stewards and responsible travelers, too. 'We have been working with external consultants to make sure that the time and period were right for certain assets, and we also treated each culture and nation with respect. We do, for example, never harm any temples in the game,' says Torvenius. Local tourism bureaus and operators are catching up. For example, Visit Czechia worked with media outlets and local tour operators to promote how the country's famous attractions and locations are featured in the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Some researchers even argue that this can encourage cultural heritage preservation, conservation and restoration . It's a win-win situation: fans get an authentic video game connection, and cultural heritage unlocks a new level of awareness and support. ( Related: The real history of Yasuke, Japan's first Black samurai .) Ann-Marie Cahill is a travel writer who loves to connect contemporary pop-culture with historic travel adventures—follow her on Instagram.
NZ Herald
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
This is Miyamoto. And it's Nintendo's world
Miyamoto created the original Mario, Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda games, the foundations of the 135-year-old Nintendo's rebirth as a video game company. Nintendo and 'Super Mario Bros' are often cited for rejuvenating the industry after the video game crash of 1983, when the nascent industry imploded after a flood of poor-quality products. His attention to quality control and play formed the nucleus of countless video game genres and lifted the industry out of recession and into one of the planet's dominant entertainment mediums. His imprint on the medium is immeasurable. In 1998, he was the first person inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. In France, he was honoured as a Knight of Arts and Letters. In Spain, he is the first video game creator honoured with the Princess of Asturias Award. In 2019, he was the first game creator to receive Japan's Person of Cultural Merit award. Now he is one of the few people to have theme parks built from his creations. Just as one could walk around the Jurassic Park world of Orlando and hear John Williams' iconic score, Super Nintendo World echoes with the indelible jazz pieces of Koji Kondo's Mario themes. Even the bathrooms play the water-level waltz of the classic games. 'I don't think in a million years when he was sketching out Donkey Kong and Mario … that he would've ever imagined they would be a centrepiece of a major international theme park,' said Roger DiLuigi, a 35-year-old content creator from Los Angeles with more than 550,000 subscribers on his Nintendo-focused RogersBase YouTube channel. The lifelong Nintendo fan was among hundreds of influencers and creators invited to cover and promote the Orlando Epic Universe launch. 'And yet here we are.' Today as an executive and representative director, Miyamoto's fingerprints are most evident in Nintendo's expansion to other mediums, including the Super Nintendo World theme parks, the billion-dollar box-office blockbuster Mario movie released in 2023 and the recently opened Nintendo Museum in Kyoto. Nintendo's origins in the US began with a lawsuit by Universal City Studios. In 1982, the media conglomerate sued Nintendo over Miyamoto's first hit game 'Donkey Kong,' claiming infringement on the King Kong property. Nintendo hired veteran Washington, DC-based civil rights attorney John Kirby and won the case. Nintendo would honour Kirby, who died in 2019, by naming a character after him as thanks for helping the company regain foothold in the US market. Nintendo and Universal Studios announced their plans to partner in creating theme parks in 2015, with the first park opening in Japan in 2021. Universal's Epic Universe in Orlando, including Super Nintendo World featuring the Mario brand, is the first in the US to include an expansion for Donkey Kong Country. 'The world really does work in mysterious ways,' Miyamoto exclaimed, laughing. 'It was really fun to be able to jokingly talk about what if we put Donkey Kong on the other side of King Kong in City Walk!' Nintendo's decision to fight the lawsuit was seen as a sign that the company, and video games as a medium, had arrived. Miyamoto keenly remembers when people would look down their noses at video games. 'When I first created Mario, it was a time where Mom or Dad might look at their kids playing a video game and be worried, concerned about what's going to happen,' he said. 'I was expecting there will come a time when even the parent will have experience playing video games. That was something I was hoping to see. Now I'm over 70 years old, and we're finally at a time where multigenerational families all have this common shared experience of having played video games. It's really great to see that come to realisation.' His dream is fully realised. Millennial parents teaching their children the history of characters like Princess Peach or the villainous Bowser are as plentiful as the power-up blocks and green warp pipes that populate the park. Children squeal in delight riding through the immersive Donkey Kong mine cart ride that includes fake jumps and scares, much like the game it's based on, 'Donkey Kong Country.' Little girls crowd around to talk to Princess Peach with her wide set of recorded responses. Robert Martinez Jr, the 43-year-old executive chef at the park's Toadstool Cafe restaurant, understands the generational love of Nintendo. He's a 25-year veteran of Universal Orlando, a job passed on from his chef father who worked at the park. 'It's surreal to see myself as a young kid with my Nintendo, blowing the cartridges as we all did back in the day, to being here. Nintendo as a brand touches so many generations,' Martinez said. 'It's something I can share with my kids today. In many cases, you probably know the IP way more than your kid.' Seeing those families enjoy the park is 'something that really brings me joy,' Miyamoto said. 'At the same time, it makes me feel a little old too.' Advertise with NZME. Miyamoto hasn't misplaced his youthful sense of play. During a photo shoot for The Post, Miyamoto struggled to offer a 'business' face when posing. He couldn't help but crack cherubic smiles as he posed with his fists up like Mario. That playfulness translates throughout the park, which Miyamoto helped design. Each visitor receives wristbands that keep score of activities and secrets discovered, including coins collected by punching blocks. 'I created this theme park with the hope that people will be able to experience Nintendo characters with their entire body,' he said. 'There was a time where I was thinking, 'I wish we could create an interactive experience where people can roll around and hang out.' ' Nintendo is a famously stubborn company. It started in the 19th century as a producer of playing cards and later as a toy company. Miyamoto's work transformed its focus to video games and consoles, a formula it has strictly followed until recent years. It is the only major platform holder that does not publish its games in competing platforms, unlike PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox, which now both publish games on Nintendo's Switch consoles. That strategy has helped keep Nintendo unusually profitable. So for years, Nintendo was precious with its intellectual property, keeping Mario and crew away from multimedia projects, outside of the first attempt at a Mario movie, which was a notorious box-office bomb. 'Our thinking was that we don't use characters in media other than games so we're not limited or restricted when we create the next game,' he said. That freedom encouraged creativity: depicting Mario flying with a raccoon tail in 'Super Mario 3', or in the following game, riding the dinosaur Yoshi. 'Over the decades, that thinking has changed inside of me, in that I've come to realize there are limits to the reach that these Nintendo characters can have when we are just focusing on games,' Miyamoto said. 'For example, there are countries where maybe there aren't games available. It really translated into being able to expand through different media.' Miyamoto said he guided Universal on creating a more interactive experience that's approachable and family friendly, while keeping the spirit of his games. The puzzle series Pikmin, which began in 2001, is one of the last properties Miyamoto helped create, and it remains among his most beloved. The plantlike Pikmin creatures are meant to be ethereal and spiritual, and it was Miyamoto's idea to place them all over the park as part of a hide-and-seek game. 'When you look at characters like Mario or Splatoon, I made it a point to make sure they only exist within the IPs they are a part of, but Pikmin have this unique quality in that they can be right next to you as we speak,' Miyamoto said. 'They can, at least in my mind, interact and mingle with any kind of IP. I thought the easiest and quickest way to really convey what Pikmin is was to just drop Pikmin in that world.' The magnitude of Nintendo and Universal's achievement only hit Miyamoto when he walked out of the warp pipe and saw the park envelop him. It's the real-world equivalent of hero Link stepping out into the world of Hyrule in the groundbreaking 2017 Nintendo Switch game 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'. 'I've been obviously looking at everything from the schematic and planning stage,' he said. 'When it comes to finally taking the blocks we so painstakingly created and stacking those up, recreating Mount Beanpole, adding the moving Piranha Plants or Goombas and having them all synchronised together … and then walking out of Peach Castle and looking ahead at the world, that was when I found myself thinking, 'Wow.'' Despite Nintendo's expansion into other mediums, Miyamoto said it's important for the firm's employees to remember that they are entertainers. It's why he helped open the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, not just as a visitor attraction but as a document to inspire employees. 'I wanted to make sure it's clear Nintendo isn't trying to compete with competitors as a game company, but as an entertainment company, looking for new technologies, to expand and create new experiences,' he said. Miyamoto said when it comes to his legacy, he's not sure if 'satisfaction' is exactly the right word for it. His first real dream was to become a manga artist and storyteller. 'Through manga, I wanted to create a unique world. Obviously I didn't become a manga artist,' he said. 'But I really can't help but feel very fortunate that through my involvement with creating games, I've been able to expand that process to something like the theme park you see today.'
