Part 3 of the Disney and Video Games Series
What happens when the kings of the Mushroom Kingdom meet the masters of the Magic Kingdom? In this episode of Synergy Loves Company, Eric explores the fascinating, unexpected, and sometimes chaotic history of Disney and Nintendo—two global icons that share more than you think! From their surprising 1959 card game collaboration to the cult-classic chaos of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie (yes, Disney helped bring THAT to life!), discover how these titans have influenced each other through innovation, storytelling, and family-friendly fun. Plus: Did you know Nintendo once put Mickey Mouse on their first big handheld hit? Or that Bowser crashed the world of Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph? The connections run deeper than you think! What You’ll Learn In This Episode:
- How Mickey Mouse and Mario’s origins are more alike than you’d ever guess
- The truth behind Nintendo’s first Disney deal (and what it meant for their future)
- Behind the scenes of the infamous Super Mario Bros. live-action movie—Disney drama included!
- Why Universal got Super Nintendo World instead of Disney Parks
- Where these two family entertainment giants overlap—and fiercely compete!
Games & Movies Mentioned:
- Nintendo Game & Watch: Mickey Mouse, Mickey & Donald
- Super Mario Bros. (the 1993 movie & the 2023 animated hit)
- Wreck-It Ralph
… and so much more nostalgia!
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00:01 --> 00:55 Synergy Loves Company. We have this coterie of rich franchises, the company now that people want to engage with. I came here to try and continue what Walt Disney and his associates set in motion 50 years ago, which is to experiment with every new and innovative kind of entertainment possible. It's what we hope to do here is to really develop something that, well, just more than an entertainment enterprise, it's something that contributes in many other ways.
01:05 --> 30:57 Disney and Nintendo, two of the biggest names in family entertainment. One built its empire on animation, unforgettable stories and pioneering in theme parks. The other redefined video games for the whole family with plumbers, princesses, adventures and innovative game consoles that span generations. On the surface, they seem like they were made for each other. Both are global icons. Both create experiences the whole family can enjoy together. And both are anchored by iconic company mascots that are instantly recognizable the world over. Mickey Mouse and Mario. You'd think with so much in common, these two titans would have a long history of collaboration. After all, who wouldn't want to see Disney magic and Nintendo innovation come together? But the truth is, the one major project that brought them into the same orbit turned out to be a complete disaster. It should have been a match made in heaven. Instead, it became a cautionary tale. But that's not the whole story. Because while Disney and Nintendo never teamed up the way you might expect, their paths have crossed in fascinating ways through shared philosophies, technological innovation, and even competing visions of family entertainment. Hey, this is Synergy Loves Company, where we explore how Disney connects to everything. So you can feel connected to Disney even when you can't be at the parks. I'm Eric, and today we're powering up like Mario grabbing a superstar because we're diving into the connections between Disney and new Nintendo. This is part three of our Disney and video game series. So if you missed the first two episodes where we looked at Disney's work with Capcom and Sierra Online, definitely go back and check those out. And of course, make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss anything else coming up. Then give this video a thumbs up if you are excited to see how Disney and Nintendo's worlds have collided. And a quick shout out to friend of the show Sean Jacks in his fantastic book Dreaming in the World of Disney Video Games. It's been a huge inspiration and resource for this series and if you're a Disney fan or a gamer or both, you'll definitely want to pick it up. I've got a link in the description where you can find it. All right, let's press start. Disney and Nintendo Nintendo's story begins in 1889. Not with video games, but with cards. Founded by Fusajiro Yamaguchi, Nintendo first made Hanafuda playing cards, the kind even popular with Japanese organized crime syndicate, the Yakuza. Hanafuda cards have designs with flowers and symbols, sometimes even fireballs. And you could kind of see Nintendo's influence from those cards even in their current video game symbology. By the early 1900s, Nintendo was already adapting and mass producing western style cards thanks to a distribution deal with Japan tobacco. By the 1920s, they were one of the largest card manufacturers in all of Japan. That adaptability would become a Nintendo hallmark under the leadership of Hiroshi yamauchi. In the 1950s, Nintendo modernized with plastic backed cards. And in 1959 they struck a game changing licensing deal with Disney. Suddenly, Mickey Mouse and his friends were on Nintendo products and they sold in the hundreds of thousands. Mickey and friends were on Nintendo cards and toys, sparking a surge in sales. Mickey was popular in Japan in the 50s. For the first time ever, Nintendo's fortunes were tied to the power of Disney characters. Still, Yamauchi knew the card business had its limits. In the 1960s, Nintendo tried everything to diversify. Instant rice taxi services, even reportedly love hotels. But most of it failed. Bankruptcy loomed over Nintendo until a young tinkerer, Gunpei Yokoi, caught Yamauchi's eye. Yokoi had built an accordion style grabber claw toy gadget thing in his spare time and Yamauchi loved it. So he moved him over into research and development. The result was the Ultra Hand, which sold over a million units. This story I can't help but think of Walt Disney's own eye for talent at the Disney studio. Just like when Walt elevated animators to imagineer status like Roly Crump, whose whimsical whirly gigs caught Walt's attention and eventually led to the tower of the four winds. At the 19641965 New York World's Fair. Yamauchi empowered Yokoi to reshape Nintendo's future. Through the 1970s, Nintendo leaned into electronics with hits like the beam gun light shooting toys and its ambitious laser clay shooting system. It was like a whole arcade thing that took over old bowling alleys. And it's hard not to think of Disneyland's own Frontierland shooting arcade, which updated to a very similar light gun technology in the early 1980s. Maybe inspired by those shooting ranges of Nintendo's, Nintendo was already blending play with emerging Technology and by 1980, Gunpei Yokoi struck gold again with the Game and Watch handheld. These were inspired by a pocket calculator. He watched someone on a train fiddling with and he thought what if that could be more fun than just a calculator? These slim devices paired simple video games with a functioning clock. That Game and Watch. The Game and Watch sold more than 40 million units worldwide. Here too, Disney returned to the Nintendo story the Game and Watch release Mickey Mouse where players help Mickey catch falling eggs before they hit the ground. Today you can play a variation of this Mickey Mouse game called Egg on the Game and Watch simulator on the Nintendo Switch. Later dual screen Game and Watch titles expanded the Disney Game and Watch roster with Mickey and Donald where the duo worked as firefighters. It had to put out a fire in a burning building that featured some other Disney characters, more of Mickey's friends. Long before Kingdom Hearts or Disney Dreamlight Valley, Mickey was literally in gamers hands for the first time ever thanks to Nintendo. And just like Nintendo put Mickey on the Game and Watch devices, you can carry a little bit of Synergy Loves Company Magic with you every day. Like with this Synergy Loves Company aloha shirt I'm wearing today. If you like what we do here and you want to support the show, you can grab your own merch or even leave a donation@shop.synergylovescompany.com every purchase helps us keep exploring the magic of Disney and more. And it's a fun way to show your synergy love. Now let's get back to it. Nintendo's innovation of the Game and Watch from the pocket calculator mirrors Disney Imagineering's genius for reimagining outside technology like turning Cold War missile guidance systems into the synchronized control for audio animatronics. Or adapting flight simulators into a ride system like like in star tours. In 1983, Nintendo launched the Famicom in Japan, followed by the NES Nintendo Entertainment System in America. With some clever marketing peripherals like the Zapper and the must have game tit Super Mario Brothers, Nintendo revived the US gaming industry after the 1983 crash. And then in 1989 came another Yokoi innovation, the Game Boy. It wasn't the most advanced handheld, but it was rugged, affordable and bundled with Tetris. Now you've heard of Disney adults. I mean there's one right here. But the Game Boy made tons of Nintendo adults at the time. It became a world worldwide phenomenon and laid the groundwork for franchises like Pokemon. From cards to toys to video games, Nintendo's first century was all about reinvention, a trait shared with Disney. Both companies built legacies on the bold use of technology to make play feel magical. But it's really the storytelling and iconic characters that both of these companies truly share. In the late 1920s, Walt Disney found himself in a crisis. His creation, Oswald the Lucky rabbit, had become a hit in theaters. But when Disney tried to negotiate for a bigger budget, distributor Charles Mintz revealed a devastating truth. Universal, not Disney, owned Oswald. Even worse, most of Walt Walt's animators had been lured away to help keep making the Oswald shorts. Without Walt, Disney was left with practically nothing. No character, barely a team, and no rights to his own creation. But out of that setback came a pivot that would change entertainment forever. Walt and his right hand animator, Ub Iwerks quickly reworked the design of Oswald, giving the rabbit shorter ears, a rounder face, a mischievous personality. The result was Mickey Mouse. What could have been a disaster instead became the very foundation of the Disney empire. And decades later, on the other side of the Pacific, Nintendo found itself facing a strangely similar crisis. By 1981, Nintendo desperately needed a new arcade hit. Their latest title, Radar Scop, have flopped in America, leaving thousands of unsold cabinets sitting around in warehouses. To salvage the company, a young designer named Shigeru Miyamoto was asked to create something brand new. Miyamoto's first idea was to make a game based on Popeye the Sailor man. It was a natural fit. Familiar characters, Popeye, Olive Oil and Bluto had a simple, recognizable love triangle dynamic perfect for an arcade game. Players would instantly understand the stakes, but the licensing rights to Popeye proved complicated and slow. Ironically, it may have been Disney themselves that helped block Nintendo's original plan. Around the same time, Paramount and Walt Disney Pictures were busy releasing their own live action Popeye movie, leading to a little Popeye resurgence. However it happened, licensing the sailor proved slow and complicated. Nintendo suddenly realized they couldn't move forward with the character that they wanted. So Miyamoto pivoted, sketching out new creations. Instead of Bluto, a giant ape inspired by King Kong. Instead of Olive Oil, a damsel in distress named Pauline. And instead of Popeye, a short mustached carpenter in red OV overalls simply known as Jumpman. The game became Donkey Kong, and it was a revolution. Donkey Kong introduced something groundbreaking. A character that could jump from platform to platform, kicking off the entire platformer genre. The red cap and mustache weren't stylistic flourishes, but practical solutions to arcade hardware limitations. It's a lot easier to Render than hair and a mouth. Put a mustache there and a hat on and it's easier shapes. And when Nintendo of America localized the game, Jumpman got a new name, Mario, after Mario Segale, the landlord of Nintendo's Seattle warehouse. Suddenly, Nintendo's accidental hero had an identity just like Mickey rose from the ashes of Oswald. Mario was born from the failure to license Popeye. Two icons created not by careful planning, but by necess and constraint. Mario's popularity exploded. Sequels like Donkey Kong Jr. And Mario brothers introduced gameplay. And of course, his brother Luigi, a color palette swap sibling whose name also nodded to the Japanese word ruigi, meaning similar. Then came the leap to the Nintendo Entertainment System in Famicom in 1985. Bundled with the NES in America, Super Mario Bros. Became the game that not only defined a console, but rescued the entire American video game industry after its crash. Like Mickey Mouse, Mario wasn't just a character in a hit. He was a symbol of a new era. Super Mario Brothers shifted games away from simple high scores toward story and world building and theme. The intuitive design of World one, Level one, taught players everything they needed to know without words. While Koji Kondo's music and sound design made every coin jump and pipe unforgettable. By the late 1980s, Mario was everywhere. Lunchboxes, pajamas, cartoons, even breakfast cereals. He wasn't just Nintendo's mascot, he was its identity. Just as Mickey Mouse stands as the smiling face of Disney, Mario became the joyful ambassador of video games worldwide. Both Mickey and Mario proved something powerful. When companies lose control of one character, the next one just might define their legacy. And while Mickey became the emblem of Disney magic, Mario became the emblem of Nintendo's playfulness. Two characters born decades in continent apart, yet united by the same story. A lost opportunity transformed into an icon. Mickey first became that household name on the movie screen and then made the jump into video games without missing a beat. After Nintendo's game and watch introduced him to handheld gaming, Soon Atari, Sierra Online, Capcom and Sega all had successful Mickey Mouse video game titles on shelves by the end of the 1980s. And there have been so many great Mickey Mouse games over the years. Leave a comment, let me know which one was your favorite. But in the 1990s, Nintendo tried the opposite experiment. If Disney's star could go from film to games, could Nintendo's star make the jump from games into film? It was Mario's turn to test whether the path Mickey had paved could run both ways. In 1993, Hollywood attempted something bold. The very first feature length video game Adaptation. And that movie was, of course, Super Mario Brothers. But instead of becoming the blockbuster launch of a new franchise, it became infamous, remembered less for its story and more for its chaos. And in the mix with that chaos was Disney. It began when producer Roland Joff traveled to Japan and convinced Nintendo to license him the rights to Mario. The deal was actually pretty modest by Hollywood standards. Just $2 million. And Nintendo cleverly kept all the merchandising rights. The filmmakers behind the project would be Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, known for creating a character pretty iconic in the 80s, Max Headroom. They didn't see Mario as a cartoony adventure. Instead, they envisioned something darker, stranger, almost like a prequel origin story to the games. A story about brotherhood set in a dystopian parallel dimension ruled by dinosaurs. And then Disney stepped in. After all, they had practically invented the video game movie with Nightmare 1982's Tron, because by this time, Light Motive, the small studio that was producing the film had already run out of money. They needed another production company and a distributor. And Jeffrey Katzenberg, through Disney's subsidiaries Hollywood Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution, was the only Hollywood executive who was willing to take a gamble on this movie. Katzenberg personally visited the set in June of 1992 to evaluate the project, and his decision to pick up the film would definitely have an impact on its creative direction. Disney's involvement was a part of a broader strategy tied to Hollywood Pictures, a label that they created in the late 1980s, much like Touchstone Pictures that would take on edgier or more experimental projects that didn't quite fit the classic Disney brand, like 1990s Arachnophobia and 1993's Tombstone. The Hollywood label provided an outlet for younger, up and coming producers to create experimental and moderately budgeted movies. So the Super Mario Bros. Movie project seemed perfect in that sense. And it was also a beloved, globally recognized brand with massive merchandising potential. And in 1993, the video game angle was definitely an experiment for Katzenberg and Disney. The focus was clear. The film had to appeal to children. This mandate directly clashed with Morton and Jankel's original darker, hyper realistic vision, which had drawn inspiration from Blade Runner and Robocop and Batman. To satisfy Disney stipulations, the producer brought in writer Edition Ed Solomon to rewrite the script, make it appeal to kids and families, and add in a whole bunch of gags. Disney's influence on the story marked another major turning point in the chaos and created more deep tension between the studio, the directors, the cast, everyone involved. Disney's interest in the movie, though, wasn't just about the movie itself. It was more about the ancillary revenue that could be made from a project like this. Katzenberg reportedly viewed the Mario Brothers as to computers what Mickey Mouse was to animation. See, you even saw it back then, seeing the potential for merchandising, tie ins and even maybe theme park attractions. At the time, Disney was experiencing enormous success with films like who Framed Roger Rabbit, which had inspired whole lands in Disney park parks like Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland. Super Mario Brothers was seen as a similar opportunity, a chance to transform a video game property into a broader, synergistic entertainment ecosystem. But let's get back to the film itself. Filmed in an abandoned cement factory in North Carolina, conditions were miserable, hot, unsafe and far removed from the whimsical mushroom kingdom that fans expected. The cast, which included John Leguizamo as Luigi, Dennis Hopper as the villainous King Koopa, and Bob Hoskins as Mario. Yep, the same Bob Hoskins who had just starred a few years earlier in Disney's who Framed Roger Rabbit. All of the cast quickly grew disillusioned. Scripts were rewritten daily, scenes were improvised on the the frustration boiled over. Dennis Hopper reportedly screamed through the takes. Hoskins and Leguizamo began drinking between the shots, and accidents were common. Hoskins even broke his hand in a stunt gone wrong. Directors Morton and Jankel clashed with the producers and were eventually locked out of reshoots and editing. When Super Mario Bros. Hit theaters in May of 1993, just two weeks before the release of Jurassic Park, I know it never stood a chance. On a budget of around 45 million, it grossed less than 39 million worldwide. Critics called it incoherent, ugly and joyless, a disaster for both Disney and Nintendo. In the years since, though, the film has found a small copy cult following, with fans admiring its bizarre production design and practical effects. But in its own time, the movie was seen as a failure. For Disney, it was a missed opportunity to turn Mario into something bigger within their company. And for Nintendo, it was a lesson learned the hard way. Their characters maybe weren't safe in Hollywood's hands. After the chaotic experience of the 1993 live action Super Mario Bros. Film, both companies largely returned to their core expertise. Nintendo refocused on gaming, continuing to innovate with each new console generation. And by the mid-2000s, the company was exploring how to make gaming more accessible, social and family friendly, ultimately creating waves with the Nintendo Wii, a consol designed for bringing players of all ages together, much like the goal of Disney's parks to bring families together in play. Meanwhile, Disney mostly stepped back from video game films, instead concentrating on their strengths and of course their animated features, their theme parks and interactive experiences. But the two companies worlds briefly intersected again in 2008 when when Disney developed and field tested an interactive in park map system for the Nintendo ds. It was kind of a clever precursor to what would eventually become the My Disney Experience app. Guests could navigate the park with their Nintendo ds. Blending Nintendo technology with Disney storytelling and park logistics, Nintendo characters would also go on to make a big cameo in Disney's Wreck it Ralph. In 2012, Bowser, Goombas and other familiar figures and symbols appeared in the arcade world, creating a nostalgic nod for longtime gamers while introducing younger audiences to Nintendo's iconic characters. Wreck It Ralph became a critical and commercial success, grossing over $470 million worldwide and demonstrated the enduring appeal of Nintendo's characters in storytelling beyond the games, and it showed us a glimpse of what a successful Disney Nintendo cinematic collaboration could look like. However, Nintendo ultimately chose Disney's main competition, Universal, as its partner for theme park attractions and movies, turning the Mushroom Kingdom into tangible experiences for fans. Super Nintendo World locations now exist in Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood and Epic Universe in Orlando, each bringing Nintendo games to life with cutting edge rides and interactive play areas. Guests can race through Mario Kart Koopa's challenge, collect coins with interactive power up bands and explore richly detailed environments straight from their favorite video gaming world. On the cinematic side, Universal's Illumination released the Super Mario Brothers movie in 2023 and it leaned into that family friendly storytelling, celebrating the character's history while engaging brand new fans as well as the ones who grew up with the games. The film combined vibrant animation, humor and heartfelt narratives. It achieved strong box office results, proving that Nintendo's work worlds thrive outside consoles when handled with care. In the end, both companies return to what they do best. Nintendo continues to innovate gaming experiences that captivate families and gamers worldwide. And Disney continues to weave stories across movies, theme parks and merchandise. The story of Disney and Nintendo is a fascinating tale of two entertainment giants, sometimes aligned, sometimes divergent, but always shaping the experiences of generations of fans. If you're just joining us, this episode is part three of a series exploring Disney's collaboration with major video game companies over the years. Make sure to check out the earlier episodes on Sierra Online and Capcom to see how Disney's games shaped the industry and connected to their broader strategy. Don't forget to check out Sean Jeck's Dreaming in Digital for the full story on these Disney games mentioned here and so many more. Thanks for joining me for this look into Nintendo and all things Disney. I'd love to stay connected with you online and you can follow me on social media to keep up with everything I'm working on. On Bluesky, I'm rickhsynergy on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. I'm Eric at SynergyLovesCompany wherever you're tuning in, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever, click, follow or subscribe and you'll never miss an episode. If you're enjoying the show, please please share it with someone who loves Disney just as much as we do. Send them a link, tag me on social, or just bring it up the next time you're talking about your favorite Disney video game. You can send them to synergylovescompany.com and one last thing. Synergy Loves Company is supported by listeners like you. If you like the show and you would like to help it keep going, check out my new shop. You can buy shirts inspired by Episodes and Synergy Loves Company branded merch. You can also just donate if you want to give back. For the content that I share that you Enjoy, visit shop synergylovescompany.com every little bit of support helps me to continue making something special for fellow Disney fans like you. And remember, sometimes the most magical Disney experiences happen all around you. You just need to know where to look. Until next time, keep discovering the magic in everything.