This speculation persists on pinside. Just because Nintendo pursues people illegally using their license, somehow that equates to "impossible"? Did Roger Sharpe say so in an interview?

The piles of Nintendo themed crap at Old Navy, Gamestop, WalMart and Target say otherwise.

Also - Universal has bulit one Nintendo theme park section in Japan. Another in Florida is coming in a few years.

Not untouchable. Reality is that Stern licensing has a very masculine "adult" bias. And I mean that in a 1990's playstation vs Nintendo fashion, not a 2020s political fashion. It's the same logic that kept them from securing Rick and Morty.