Featured Image Credit: Bianca Weber
Topics: Nintendo, Super Mario
Mamma Mia. Yesterday was MAR10 Day (March 10, y'see), and this year we weren’t slapped with a plethora of new game announcements, or mercilessly deprived of any eShop titles, for some reason. We didn’t even get hit with a Mario movie trailer featuring Chris Pratt’s fabled Mario voice, which is what I’d personally been physically and emotionally preparing myself for. No, instead, we found out that the US will be getting its very first Super Nintendo World theme park, and it’s opening next year. Exciting!
As reported by IGN, the park will be a newly expanded area of Universal Studios Hollywood, complete with interactive areas, themed shopping and dining, and a “groundbreaking” ride to boot. It aims to bring “exhilarating entertainment with innovative technological achievements inspired by characters and video games that have appealed to generations of Nintendo fans for over 40 years”.
For a taster of what we might be able to expect from the new location, check out the video below to see Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan in all its glory...
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Prior to the opening, Universal is set to unleash a whole host of Mario-themed merch, including plushies, apparel, and of course character hats. Fans will be able to find it all at the Universal Studio Hollywood's Feature Presentation retail store.
The first Super Nintendo World opened in Universal Studios Japan last March, after facing some delays due to the pandemic. As you’d imagine, it’s certainly not the cheapest day out, but if you’re a big fan, it’ll probably be worth it. We paid it a visit and described it as “a breathless, faithful, gorgeously realised physical manifestation of 40 years of video game magic,” adding that “every aspect, from the biggest castle to the smallest paving stone, is meticulously designed and considered to both preserve the integrity of the intellectual property while simultaneously enhancing it to make sense in the real world.”
It’s not going to stop there, either. According to IGN, the Japanese location is set to get even bigger, with a Donkey Kong-themed expansion opening in 2024. It’s not yet known exactly what this will contain (other than lots of bananas, presumably), but it’ll apparently increase the overall size of the park by 70%, so it’s pretty chunky. Hopefully, chucking barrels at unsuspecting guests isn’t part of the plan.