VIDEO game publisher Nintendo is looking to get into film, with company mascot Mario among a roster of characters that could make the transition.

Company president Tatsumi Kimishima told Japanese daily newspaper Asahi that Nintendo is already talking to potential partners about turning Mario and some of its other video game characters into the stars of computer-animated cartoons.

Those could be feature films or other forms of video entertainment, anticipating the first fruits of any collaboration in two or three years, according to media reports;

The announcement was made after Nintendo launched a first ever smartphone app in March and reported its annual financial results in May

It had celebrated the launch of April game "Star Fox Zero" with animated short "Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins", made in collaboration with "Ghost in the Shell" and "Attack on Titan" powerhouse Production I.G.

A new console project, codenamed the Nintendo NX, is to be revealed later in the year, ahead of a March 2017 launch.

Star Fox Zero – The Battle Begins