Super Nintendo World Announced For Universal Studios Japan

Nintendo and Universal Studios Parks and Resorts have been talking about their partnership a lot of late and with good reason, it has the potential to be something amazing.

They recently released a video, that talks about their plans, but without actually showing anything off, though now that has changed.

The rendered image above is the first concrete details that we have about the new land, now called Super Nintendo World and that it will first open up in the Universal Studios Park in Osaka, Japan in 2020. Universal have announced that they will spend around 50 billion Yen, or about $550 million Australian dollars on building it and it will take up existing car parking space and theme park land, but what does that mean.

Above is a satellite view of the Universal Studios park in Osaka and the spaces outlined in red, yes enjoy my mad Paint skills, are their opened air car parks, the large white one in the corner is the multistory. Now as the press release states the following:

Super Nintendo World will be developed mainly using the park’s current parking area and part of an area designated for future expansion.

It is hard not to imagine the larger red box as being the planned location, the undeveloped land as part of that is usually the sign of an expansion pad. However, there is the chance for the smaller red space and the blue space to be used, as currently the blue space holds the Waterworld Stunt Show, yes, the Kevin Costner movie may not have done well, but the stunt show has been running at Hollywood for 20 years and in Osaka since 2001. I have not read any rumors to state its going away, but it is prime real estate, so the chances are there.

But now that lands is accounted for, what about rides, because we all go to theme parks for the rides, well they mention that as well.

Super Nintendo World will be comprised of expansive and multilevel environments filled with unprecedented, state-of-the-art rides, interactive areas, shops and restaurants, all featuring Nintendo’s most popular characters and games.

Now this is where things can get fun, speculation about what rides can be expected are going to be as endless as the times the planet moves around the sun, but Universal recently revealed some ride patents in America that may just point out what might happen.

The first ride patent is the one people are likely to get excited for the most, as it takes a rollercoaster car, but raises it off the track, giving the illusion of being suspended in the air. This would let the track that riders see, have noticeable breaks in it, which could be a good thing.

 Now, it should be noted that Universal or Nintendo have not detailed any rides, but looking at the patent above you can't help but think Donkey Kong Mine Kart and speaking of karts.

Another patent that was revealed shows a two person vehicle that is capable of simulating drifting, something that most Mario Kart players will know very well. Again, this is not confirmation of that being a ride, but it does provide a good direction to aim, the other patents revealed recently do point towards water rides, not something we are likely to see in a standard theme park.

The rest of the press release points out that the land will be entirely Super Mario themed, so don't expect any F-Zero, Metroid, Pikmin, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Splatoon or other Nintendo franchise just yet.

Super Nintendo World will feature characters and themes from the “Super Mario” series, which has continued over the years to win the hearts of devoted fans around the world. The attraction area will also feature a variety of other globally popular Nintendo characters. Nintendo characters and the worlds they inhabit will be re-created at the highest level of quality through the strong partnership between Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto, Creative Fellow at Nintendo, and Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative, renowned for creative and technical excellence. Super Nintendo World will allow guests to fully immerse themselves and all five senses in the worlds of Nintendo, and is expected to attract guests from Japan and the world over.

While 2020 is a number of years away, I for one can't wait to see what Nintendo and Universal are able to create, given the success of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando, there is a lot of hope to be had with this new land.