Nintendo has set its sights on the educational market

Shigeru Miyamoto, the game designer behind the “Super Mario Bros.,” “Legend of Zelda” and “Donkey Kong” franchises, is looking toward educational gaming as the next field to conquer.

Miyamoto said that the Nintendo DS console has already found a home in Japanese Museums, galleries and aquariums and that the company is looking to roll out the handheld consoles in elementary and middle schools in Japan.

Japan’s Western Fine Arts Museum is one location that has harnessed the handheld consoles capabilities.

Guests at the museum can borrow a DS, which comes with a special cartridge preloaded with information about the museum. Visitors get information on the artwork as they move from room to room.

Miyamoto made the comments during an interview with the Associated Press (News - Alert) while in London where he was honored on Friday at the GAME British Academy of Video Game Awards as the Academy’s Arts Fellow, the organization’s highest honor for creative work.

Miyamoto, Nintendo’s general manager, classified the move as part of the company’s efforts to broaden their audience.

The move by Nintendo is in contrast to how many Americans’ view video gaming, but it falls in line with a recent challenge from first lady Michelle Obama.

In a speech earlier this month to the national Parent Teacher Association, Obama announced a contest for video game designers to create programs that would help children learn how to make healthier choices when it comes to food and exercise. The contest is part of Obama’s Healthy Kids’ Challenge.