Last week, gaming giant Nintendo and theme park behemoth Universal Parks & Resorts . Iwata and his team got to "learn precisely" how Universal built that park, and this gave Nintendo assurance that the company would be able to pull off a similar plan for Nintendo.

In addition, Iwata said Universal--which is owned by Comcast--possessed the kind of corporate culture Nintendo was looking for in a partner. He said he was inspired by this initial meeting, and returned to Japan to inform Mario creator and Nintendo director Shigeru Miyamoto that he wanted to move forward. After more meetings in Japan and the United States, which Nintendo game producers and the people tasked with creating the actual attractions attended, it was decided that the deal would go through.

"We confirmed that we share a lot of common ground between our corporate cultures, and because parts of the proposal made us really excited, we have decided to work together on a long-term basis," Iwata said.

What Nintendo theme park attractions would you like to see at Universal? My vote is for Mario Kart go-karts or a Pokemon Snap ride. Share your ideas in the comments below.