80s and 90s babies, it’s time to prepare accordingly.
It was recently revealed that a Super Nintendo world will make its way to Universal Studios Japan, Hollywood, and then Orlando.
The park will be all things centered around one of the most popular video games systems to date. The Japan park is set to open this summer, just in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The Hollywood park is slated for 2021, and the Orlando park later around 2023.
Visitors to the park will be able to purchase special wristbands dedicated to their favorite characters from the brand. With these special bands, you can use “your arms, hands, and entire body” while exploring the park. You’ll also be able to collect digital coins, participate in “Key Challenges” and even battle people around you via a smartphone app or Nintendo Switch. If you’ve ever dreamed of punching those blocks like Mario and Luigi, you’ll finally get your chance.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTSA709zNzY&w=560&h=315]The question that’s on everyone’s mind, will there be Mario Kart? Yes! According to the team in Tokyo, there will be dual tracks that will set up four-person karts to ‘race’ one another alongside your favorite Nintendo characters. In the end, there’s a final showdown against the game’s villain, Bowser. The experience will all happen via augmented reality headsets.
Other things to look forward to:
- Heavy Mario theming: Nintendo isn’t calling the place “Mario World,” it seems the name would fit. The Japanese park is built around the Mushroom Kingdom, much as The Wizarding World hangs on detailed rendering of Diagon Alley. Expect a land littered with warp pipes, floating question blocks, chomping Piranha Plants, and recreations of Peach’s Castle and Bowser’s Fortress.
- Enter the game: Attendees will be able to purchase one of six Mario-themed “Power Up Bands” that will turn wandering the park into an interactive experience. Pound question blocks, collect coins and take part in “Key Challenges” allowing visitors who have located enough virtual keys to team up for boss battles. All of this interactive content will be tracked in a downloadable app and uploadable to a Nintendo Switch, indicating the adventure might continue outside the park.
- Real-Life Mario Kart: No longer merely the stuff of viral videos or your road rage fantasies, Super Nintendo World promises to utilize “cutting-edge technology” to put you in the driver’s seat in a high-speed attraction based on the addictive racing game.
- Yoshi’s Adventures: If you always dreamed of exploring the world from the back of a dinosaur with a weird tongue, this family-friendly ride will reportedly allow visitors to climb into Yoshi’s saddle and high-tail it through the Mushroom Kingdom. Gulp!
- Snap a selfie with Peach: It wouldn’t be a theme park without costumed cast members wandering about. Nintendo has confirmed the Japanese park will feature visits from like likes of Toad, so it’s a safe bet you’ll be able to collect autographs from your favorite Mario all-stars in the U.S., too.
Are you ready to take your childhood to the next level?