The first Super Nintendo World theme park will be located in the United States, according to Universal Studios Hollywood and Nintendo. They’ve now pushed out the opening date to “early” 2023, along with a few images and a video preview of the main ride, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.
The augmented reality on rails ride at Super Nintendo World in Japan, which we visited early last year, is already a highlight of the experience, offering an interactive experience where riders in four-seat Mario Kart vehicles can steer to collect coins and also throw shells to defeat Team Bowser, which allows for different outcomes to the ride.
Riders don plastic Mario helmets with HoloLens-like wired visors on the front, which combine with the ride’s movement, projection mapping on the walls, and genuine physical set elements to provide action that makes the karts feel faster than they are.
The experience was characterised by Sam Byford as “overwhelming but a whole lot of fun,” which motivated riders to ride it numerous times in order to improve their score. It’s feasible that this ride may improve on the last endeavour, which engineers described as “upgradable and modular” to adapt for technological advancements. However, based on the description and trailer, it appears to be similar.
When you visited the Japan park, there was only one other attraction, Yoshi’s Adventure train ride, which included other interactive zones and the Power Up band, which couples with users’ phones to track their progress. Another region centred on Donkey Kong is supposedly being constructed. The little information we have about the US theme park is that it would feature “the groundbreaking ride, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, and interactive areas, to be enjoyed by the whole family, along with themed shopping and dining to enhance the entire experience,” according to the press release.