Kyoto –
Players line up inside Nintendo’s booth at a Japanese game fair to try upcoming Switch 2 titles, but, for once, the company’s chirpy red-capped mascot Mario is nowhere to be seen.
The three games on display are all made by smaller-scale, independent developers seeking to impress users of the device that became the world’s fastest-selling console after its launch last month.
But with Nintendo game sales long dominated by in-house franchises — from “Super Mario” to “Donkey Kong” to “Animal Crossing” — it can be hard for outsiders to break through.