Nintendo Links Mario Movies to Star Fox and Yoshi Games

Nintendo is using its blockbuster Mario films to bring forgotten characters back into the spotlight, with Star Fox and Yoshi already showing how the strategy works.

Nintendo's Mario movies might be doing more than filling theaters—they could also be helping shape the company's future game lineup. Nintendo has been quietly connecting its film projects with game development, using movie appearances to decide which characters deserve a comeback.

Fans have suspected this for a while. After the first Super Mario movie introduced characters like Donkey Kong to a much wider audience, Nintendo released a brand-new Donkey Kong game not long afterward. The timing sparked plenty of speculation that the movie wasn't just entertainment—it was also a way to rebuild excitement around other Nintendo franchises. Now, it seems there was more truth to that theory than many expected.

Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto recently explained that the company often discusses games and movies together during development. While he said he doesn't personally decide every game in Nintendo's lineup, he confirmed that conversations regularly happen about how characters can appear across both projects.

One of the biggest examples is Star Fox.

Nintendo talked about including Star Fox in the latest Mario movie, and those discussions also led to the desire for a new Star Fox game. Reports suggest that project is currently taking the form of a remake, showing that the character's appearance on the big screen wasn't simply a fun cameo—it may have helped kick-start development.

Yoshi's return followed a similar path. Nintendo had already planned for Yoshi to appear in the latest Mario movie, and according to the sources, that decision encouraged the team to begin work on Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. The company also coordinated Princess Peach's portrayal in the film with Princess Peach: Showtime!, making sure her energetic personality matched across both the game and the movie.

It paints a picture of Nintendo thinking much bigger than individual releases. Instead of treating movies and games as separate projects, the company appears to be building them side by side. A movie introduces characters to millions of viewers. A game that comes out at the same time keeps that excitement alive long after the credits roll.

It’s a smart move, and one that’s already paid off elsewhere in the entertainment industry. Successful TV or film adaptations can give a tremendous boost in popularity to games like The Last of Us, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3, as the sources note. Nintendo seems to be following a similar playbook by letting its movies strengthen interest in its gaming franchises.

Could this mean more forgotten Nintendo series are about to return?

That's certainly the exciting part for longtime fans. If a character resonates with movie audiences, Nintendo may see that as the perfect opportunity to revive a franchise that has been sitting on the shelf for years. It also gives newer players a chance to discover characters they may have never experienced before. 

Of course, Miyamoto made it clear that there isn't a fixed formula. Not every character who appears in a Mario movie will automatically get a new game.  Each project is considered individually, depending on what makes sense for Nintendo's plans. But it’s getting harder to ignore the link between Nintendo’s films and games.

The corporation isn't just revamping its current franchises, but rather leveraging its films to create buzz for future releases and to extend the reach of its biggest characters. If that's the plan going forward, Nintendo fans may have plenty to look forward to. After all, if Donkey Kong, Yoshi, and Star Fox are already benefiting from the movie strategy, who might be the next forgotten Nintendo hero to get a second chance?