The Japanese gaming giant announced its plans to repurpose an old factory site in Kyoto, where the firm is based, to exhibit its history and beloved gaming products.

“Nintendo has been discussing the possibility of building a gallery, as a way to share Nintendo’s product development history and philosophy with the public,” the company said in a statement. The facility is expected to be completed by March 2024.

There was little detail on what fans of the company behind legends such as Super Mario and Donkey Kong can expect from the museum.

It will be built on the site of a plant located in Kyoto’s Uji city, which was built in 1969. The facility used to produce Western-style playing cards as well as the Japanese playing cards called “hanafuda”, which were Nintendo’s original bread and butter.

The plant also served as a video game console repair centre, but operations were transferred elsewhere in 2016, and Nintendo said it had been brainstorming ways to use the plant ever since.
Super Nintendo World, the company’s first theme park, opened in March after months of pandemic delays. It is part of the Universal Studios Japan complex in Osaka, and features a Mario Kart ride with a real-life Bowser’s Castle.