Nintendo is changing things up with a new museum that embraces nostalgia and celebrates gaming history

The time has finally come! The first official followed on October 2 Nintendo Museum opens in Kyoto, Japan and invites fans to delve into decades of gaming history.

The iconic Japanese company has been around since 1889, when it sold playing cards. Housed in a renovated factory, the new museum is a shrine to his beloved games and characters.

“Of all the gaming companies that needed a museum to document their extensive history, it would be Nintendo,” writes ForbesOllie Barder. “Having just celebrated its 135th anniversary, Nintendo’s history is uniquely long and varied.”

He adds that he had “a thoroughly magical experience” at the museum.

According to the museum, the museum consists of three main sections Wired‘s Asuka Kawanabe. The first, “Learn”, is dedicated to the history of the company, while “Experience” includes a series of interactive exhibitions. The third, ‘Create and Play’, is a workshop where visitors can make their own creations.

Nintendo has always embraced a unique style – whimsical, dreamy and accessible rather than raw or realistic – and the museum celebrates that instinct. Renowned video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, known for creating Nintendo products such as ‘Super Mario,’The Legend of Zelda‘ and ‘Donkey Kong’, says the New York TimesZachary Small says this spirit is ingrained in Nintendo’s DNA.

“It may seem like we’re just going in the opposite direction for the sake of going in the opposite direction, but it’s really trying to discover what makes Nintendo special,” says Miyamoto. Times. “For example, there is a lot of talk about AI. When that happens, everyone starts to move in the same direction, but that’s where Nintendo would rather go in a different direction.”

Upon entering the museum, guests are given a ten-coin card with which they can play with one of the interactive exhibits. There are eight exhibits in total, with names like ‘Zapper & Scope SP’, ‘Ultra Hand SP’ and ‘Big Controller’. Guests must choose their own adventure, because ten coins are not enough to try everything.

“The ‘Big Controller’ was probably my favorite, where you had to work with someone to control a game,” Barder writes. “I played parts of ‘Zelda: a link to the past‘, which involves rescuing the princess and a few boss battles. The size of the controller makes the whole thing very charming.”

In the workshop, guests can make their own creations Hanafuda playing cards-one of Nintendo’s first products. Afterwards, visitors can learn and play the game with real hanafuda cards.

The history area is expansive and features displays of previous Nintendo models, including a clay likeness of the N64 controller and vintage cartridges from breakout games.

“This is a museum of products, but Nintendo knows that these games and consoles are more than just objects,” writes the Guardian‘S Keza McDonald. “They are portals, both to different moments in our own lives, and to gaming experiences that we cherish for decades afterwards.”

The museum contains little written material about Nintendo’s history and does not offer guided tours. The goal is to make the space accessible so that gamers of all backgrounds can enjoy a similar experience, as Miyamoto explains. Times.

He adds: “We wanted to make sure this is a place where people, regardless of language or cultural barrier, can communicate and understand.”