Nintendo rides to appear in Universal theme parks

In what could be a lucrative move for both parties, Nintendo has reportedly signed a deal with Universal Studios, which will see the Japanese game company's characters appear in rides at the Hollywood studio's theme parks.

The deal's still in its very early stages, but according to a Nintendo press release, it will see a number of Nintendo-themed "immersive experiences" appear at Universal's parks in Los Angeles, Orlando, Osaka and Singapore.

"The immersive experiences will include major attractions at Universal’s theme parks and will feature Nintendo’s most famous characters and games," the release states. "More details will be announced in the future, as the Nintendo and Universal creative teams work to create specific concepts."

There are all sorts of ways Nintendo could recreate its ideas in a theme park setting - imagine being able to stumble about on a level from Super Mario 3D World, for example, or drive little karts around in a real-world recreation of Super Mario Kart.

The announcement comes as Nintendo makes a number of forays into different business areas; its intention to move into the mobile gaming space was announced earlier this year. It was revealed in late 2014 (albeit unofficially) that Nintendo was seeking partnership with Sony to make a movie based on its characters. Then there's the toys-to-life amiibo range and Nintendo's as-yet unannounced "quality of life" device.

Could Nintendo be paving the way for a series of movies based on its characters with its Universal theme park deal? We'd happily buy a ticket for a Star Fox movie if so.