Forget Princess Peach, it’s Nintendo that might need rescuing as it battles tariffs, inflation and its Switch 2 pricing backlash, writes Will Cooling

Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves were in Bedfordshire last week to celebrate their clinching of a deal with Universal Studios to build a theme park and resort there by 2031. While all involved were keen to highlight the possibility of theme park rides built around British-created intellectual property such as Lord of the Rings, James Bond and Paddington, gamers such as myself were instead hoping this might mean the arrival of our own Super Nintendo World.

As shown by his successful theme parks in Japan and America, Super Mario is to modern audiences what Mickey Mouse was in the 1950s and 1960s. The 2023 Super Mario film broke box office records, as children, teenagers and adults who all grew up playing his games flocked to the cinema. And, unlike his arch-rival Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario has managed to stay not just a commercial powerhouse but a critical darling, as seen with beloved blockbusters such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario........

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