Thu. Mar 28th, 2024


Your life-long dream of driving your own Mario Kart is about to come true.

Universal Studios Hollywood announced today that their long-anticipated area based on Nintendo and its popular characters will open next year. The press release promises that Super Nintendo World “will transport theme park guests and Nintendo fans into the world of Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach to become part of their compelling universe.”

They describe the area as an “immersive land” that’s “a visual spectacle of vibrant colors and architectural ingenuity located within a newly expanded area of the theme park, featuring a groundbreaking ride and interactive areas, to be enjoyed by the whole family. Themed shopping and dining will enhance the entire experience.”

While Super Nintendo World won’t debut in the U.S. until 2023, a similar area has been open at Universal’s Japanese theme park since 2021. In Japan, the land includes an interactive dark ride based on Super Mario Kart, a second ride based on the Super Mario Bros. character Yoshi, along with various restaurants and shops all themed to look like Nintendo games and characters. Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamoto worked with Universal on designing Super Nintendo World, and capturing the feel of his classic games.

You can get a sense of what it looks like in videos like this one.

If Super Nintendo World captures even a small fraction of the fun of vintage Nintendo, the area should be a huge boost to Universal. Another Super Nintendo World is planned for Universal’s Orlando resort, where it’s supposed to be part of an entirely new theme park that’s currently in development called Epic Universe.

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By Dave Jenks

Dave Jenks is an American novelist and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Between those careers, he’s worked as a deckhand, commercial fisherman, divemaster, taxi driver, construction manager, and over the road truck driver, among many other things. He now lives on a sea island, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with his wife and youngest daughter. They also have three grown children, five grand children, three dogs and a whole flock of parakeets. Stinnett grew up in Melbourne, Florida and has also lived in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico. His next dream is to one day visit and dive Cuba.