In 2016, Universal Studios Hollywood was the most visited theme park in the world. This year, visitor numbers to the park increased by 13.9% to 8,086,000 visits according to the EA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index. What happened? The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, that’s what.
This year, Universal Studios Hollywood may launch another mega-attraction stemming from the hugely popular IP. With Harry Potter, Universal Creative – the division of the company responsible for theme park experiences – has done a great job of building interactivity into the wizarding world, which is a big part of what sets it apart. This time they use an IP address that visitors are already used to communicating with. Universal’s challenge is to live up to it. And with Nintendo’s help, they might have made it.
Universal Parks Brass understands the possibilities and the stakes.
“The arrival of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood reinforces our commitment to expanding entertainment beyond traditional film and television properties and cultivating new untapped territories that will appeal to future generations,” Tom Mehrmann, President and COO, Pacific Rim, Universal Parks & Resorts announced Deadline in a statement. “We are very excited to welcome Super Nintendo World to our theme park and bring our guests a whole new level of interactive and immersive experiences, and we can’t wait for them to experience the land.”
Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood officially opens on February 17, roughly coinciding with the release of Universal and Illumination on April 7, 2023 Super Mario Bros Movie. A larger Super Nintendo World opened at Japan Park last year with its own Mario Kart ride and one is also planned for Orlando. Spertyd got a taste of the new country in the US a few weeks ago. For those familiar with Universal Studios Hollywood, the experience is carved out of where the spirit of the opera sound image.
Although fitting, the location is well chosen as it means the park now has its two anchor attractions on opposite sides: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Plaza, which guests encounter at the entrance, and Super Nintendo World at the entrance . end of the bottom plot.
Visitors enter the new experience through a shimmering version of the famous green whistle. This leads to Princess Peach’s Castle and through it to Super Nintendo World. The world is too big a vision of those in the games: there are giant gold coins, mushrooms, piranha plants, ? Blocks, green shells, Goombas, Power-Up Mushrooms, and POW Blocks everywhere. Everything comes to life with sounds and music familiar from the games.
There are also some augmented reality telescopes to give visitors a better view of the land, a gift shop and the Toadstool Cafe, and courtyard meet-and-greets with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach.
Four challenges are scattered throughout the park that allow players to find a golden mushroom that is found by Princess Peach at Bowser Jr. stolen, reclaim it and use it to earn points.
“It’s not just about earning points,” said John Corfino, vice president of Universal Creative, “it’s really a game.” His team has been involved in the project since it was announced in 2016 (actual construction began about three and a half years ago). . .
Completing each of the challenges listed above earns a player a key. The four main interactive challenges include defeating Piranha Plant, Goomba, Koopa Troopa and Thwomp to finally gain access to the climactic boss battle with Bowser Jr. In this final boss fight, the player is projected in silhouette on an LED screen. The screen exaggerates the player’s jumping ability, making it easier for them to dodge bob-ombs.
Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood Photo Gallery
All challenges can be played with or without the $40 Power-Up Band. When participants purchase one, they can use the Universal Studios Hollywood app to track how many points they’ve earned for each task. Of course, points can also be earned by hitting POW blocks and in Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. These points can then be transferred to Nintendo game consoles using Amiibo.
While there are elements that lend themselves to discovery, most of the interactivity will be intuitive to those who have played the games. For a perspective of how big this market is, the Mario video game franchise is the best-selling of all time. Award-winning creator Shigeru Miyamoto was involved in every step of the process for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Given the limited space in the park, Super Nintendo World is not huge. The large lot comfortably seats several hundred people, with maybe 2-4x that many queuing for Mario Kart. But the demand will probably far exceed these numbers. As a result, Universal announced that “Reservations may be required to enter Super Nintendo World. Capacity is limited and subject to availability during the day.”
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is hidden in the bowels of Bowser’s Castle. To get there, you wind your way through what is probably the longest rail maze in North America. Crowds will NOT be a problem here, but the wait might be, except that the entire habitat is littered with intriguing elements from Mario Kart and related Nintendo properties like the Bob-ombs, as well as gameplay previews.
It’s a selfie-ready ride, which might be one of Super Nintendo World’s most popular features. The line for Mario Kart is filled with photo-ready visuals like Bowser’s giant statue, Yoshi’s neon and pastel colored walls Land, books, costumes and an impressive gallery of paintings reminiscent of the gallery in Disneyland’s Haunted House. Naturally, the guests leave the gift shop.
The ride itself uses layered visuals through a fusion of augmented reality, projection mapping technology and real-life set pieces powered by data from participants’ startup tapes. The participants each receive a red “Mario” screen on which special glasses snap into place magnetically. In the attraction, drivers will compete with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach against Team Bowser on iconic Mario Kart tracks by collecting coins and throwing shells to win the coveted Gold Cup. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, with a power ribbon, constantly evolves and uses data from a participant’s previous rides to determine the course of subsequent experiences. So the drive is repeatable and has different possible outcomes depending on how each team plays.
While the term “gamification” is often used in reference to interactive rides, with Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Universal Creative has “enlarged” the game, Corfino said. The build was about bringing great interactive elements that have been in Nintendo’s games for decades to life and making them engaging in the real world.
“This is really a revolution for us,” he said.
Author: Tom Tick
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
