Universal Studios in Japan is partnering with Nintendo to open their first Nintendo attraction: Super Nintendo World. This theme park will be located in Osaka, Japan and will hopefully be completed by the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The anticipated cost is an estimated $4.5 million. So far, the park has already begun advertising the concept for a Mario-themed attraction, which looks like it’ll feature castle, dungeon, and forest-themed areas.
Mario and company have played a huge role in the advertisement campaign so far, but the two companies reassure fans that lots of other beloved Nintendo characters will be featured in the park. Their initial press release gave a few details, promising that Nintendo attractions would be coming to the parks in the States as well. For now, the park in Osaka is the most tangible Nintendo attraction to look forward to, and there are a lot of characters and rides we’d like to see; here are a few of them.
Real Mario Kart
Similar to bumper cars, but on a larger scale. Nintendo and Universal could recreate a few fan favorite maps with varying levels of difficulty. Maybe visitors could even ride like in Mario Kart: Double Dash, where two players work together in the same cart. Obviously, stringent safety precautions must be taken, in order to attempt anything similar to Rainbow Road.
Next Level Pokemon Go
With the recent craze that swept the world, it’s almost a must that the park features some kind of virtual reality section where fans can finally become the Pokemon trainers they’ve always wanted to be. It could be a Safari-type experience where visitors are given special goggles once they enter, in order to see the Pokemon, and then use their Pokemon Go application to catch them all.
Legend of Zelda quest
This attraction would be located in its own section of the park, much like the Pokemon attraction. Visitors are assigned a specific task they must accomplish. They’re given gear for their adventure and characters help them along the way. No matter how it’s done, Universal and Nintendo must make sure there are real pots to smash at some point!
Metroid Ride
Shooting space aliens is something everyone enjoys, so that could be utilized in this attraction. While it might not be as close to actual Metroid gameplay as some people would like, visitors would ride through the attraction in a cart, equipped with laser guns to shoot targets with, allowing them to feel a little bit like Samus Aran.
Donkey Kong Ride
A nod to the classic Donkey Kong game, it would be a ride with a platform design and various obstacles. Visitors could sit in some kind of cart and travel along the course, with Donkey Kong to the side, preparing to throw a barrel. Obstacles could hurl toward the cart, to create an authentic experience.
Although the theme park is still a long ways off, we can continue to add to our wish list of attractions and rides. Fans the world over are extremely excited to see what the creative geniuses at both Universal and Nintendo can muster up.
