Nintendo's Mario woos new lovers

Once confined to rectangular screens, chirpy plumber Mario and pointy-eared Princess Zelda are popping up in theme parks and toy stores as Nintendo goes all out to win non-gamer fans.

It wasn't always this way: for many years, the Japanese company shied away from promoting products or creating media other than video games.

But its push for broader brand recognition over the past decade has reached the point where even Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto describes Nintendo as something of a "talent agency" for its colourful characters.

A new area based on the "Donkey Kong" games was unveiled at the Universal Studios Japan amusement park yesterday, expanding Nintendo's zone at an already major tourist draw.

Its doors will open on 11 December, following last month's launch of the first ever Nintendo museum in a renovated factory in Kyoto.