Super Nintendo World Opens at Universal Studios Hollywood

By Paige Cornell

A wondrous new theme park awaits fans of Nintendo video games. Super Nintendo World opened on February 17 to great fanfare from gamers. The park, which encompasses the world of Mario and friends, was presented with a ribbon cutting by Shigeru Miyamoto, the representative director of Nintendo.

Guests are welcomed into the park through the classic green pipe Mario jumps into to start a new adventure. They can then activate a wearable Power-Up band, which syncs in time with the Universal Studios Hollywood app to further enhance the visitor’s experience. The band enables guests to collect digital coins and earn keys to help gain access to a final boss battle with Bowser Jr.

Inspired by the franchise Mario Kart, the featured ride is “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge”. This ride melds augmented reality with projection mapping technology and set pieces along a track. The ride has a variety of outcomes making it a ride fans will want to go on again. Visitors can’t miss the entrance for Bowser’s Castle, Toadstool Café which serves up delectable Mario-themed dishes and the 1-Up Factory for merchandise.

The opening of the theme park pairs well with the upcoming animated feature film, Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Movie’ which opens in theaters on April 5, 2023. The film stars Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Seth Rogen and Keegan Michael-Key portraying the characters of the Mushroom Kingdom.

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