To say that I’m not a gamer would be an understatement. However, I did spend countless hours of my youth playing Nintendo games, and specifically Super Mario Bros. and a variety of other Mario Bros. games, so I’ve been excited ever since the announcement that there would be a Super Nintendo World coming to one of my local theme parks, Universal Studios Hollywood. I’ve been waiting, I’ve been watching the progression of the ongoing construction, and I’ve been highly anticipating the day that I could finally enter the land myself, and that day finally came when I recently got the chance to be one of the first to preview the land and snap some photos for Collider.
With the first Super Nintendo World open since 2021 at Universal Studios Japan, I have to admit that I’ve done my fair share of research to satisfy my curiosity, watching videos from park guests to get a general idea about what to expect from the new land. Officially opening at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 17, 2023, crowds are expected to be big, so you will need to obtain a reservation for timed entry for the foreseeable future, which means there is a chance that you won’t get in during your day at the park, at least until the initial demand lessens.
Located in the Lower Lot next to the Transformers ride, there’s something truly special about getting to walk through a giant green Warp Pipe and straight into Princess Peach’s castle. Once you head out into the Mushroom Kingdom, you are fully immersed in a 360-degree experience of sights and sounds that feels much bigger than you would expect, considering the relatively tight space it’s in. Similar to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, when you’re inside the Mushroom Kingdom, everything in the outside world falls away
While not exactly the same as the land in Japan, the main thing that the lands do have in common is just how interactive it all is. Inside of Princess Peach’s castle, you’ll learn that everything starts with a story. According to Jon Corfino, vice president of Universal Creative, who gave us our tour, “Princess Peach has a golden mushroom that’s been stolen by Bowser Jr., and one of our missions is to help her get it back,” and that narrative will play into some of the games around the land.
As you walk around the Mushroom Kingdom with all of its constantly moving parts, Thwomps and Piranha plants loom while yellow blocks demand to be punched, and you’ll feel like you’re living inside a video game. Demonstrating how the blocks work, Corfino explained that guests can buy a Power-Up Band (they retail for $40 each), either in the land itself or at any of the retail stores, and you can link that to the app, in order to fully be immersed in the game.
Everything you do, from every punch block you hit to every key challenge you complete, registers with your Power-Up Band. “Even your points on the ride itself are collected there and, at the end of the day, you can check your score against the highest score of the day, as well as the highest score of all-time,” added Corfino. It will also tie back to your Nintendo gaming console at home, so that you can take your points with you.
When guests are interacting with the elements, they’ll discover that some blocks you can only punch once, while others can be punched multiple times, adding up points on your Power-Up Band along the way. Additionally, there are several areas in the land, called 8-Bits, which are lit elements that magically appear, and you’ll get points for them when you discover them. And if you complete four key challenges, which are a bit more complicated than the punch blocks and are meant to be played with your group, you’ll get to play in the final game to get the golden mushroom back for Princess Peach.
In case you’re wondering, yes, you can experience the land without a Power-Up Band. In fact, if you’re not much of a gamer, it might make more sense for you to spend your time there without one. But if you are a serious gamer, you want to have a little fun competition with your friends and/or family, or you just want to kick things up a notch, then it seems like the Power-Up Band really is the way to go. As an added bonus, the bands will even let the characters in the land, i.e. Mario and his brother Luigi, in on everything you’ve recorded from your participation, and they’ll be able to respond to guests accordingly.
Mount Beanpole is the entrance to the super-cool augmented reality attraction, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. Just as an FYI, we were not able to experience the ride as part of this preview, but we’ll definitely be back later to take a spin. The first parts of the queue line are Yoshi-themed, and then you’ll head into Bowser’s Castle, where guests will find Bowser-themed environments in the queue, including a giant Bowser statue (naturally!), workshop and library, giving you a bit of insight into Bowser’s kingdom.
After learning about how to put on and adjust the visor the AR goggles will snap onto, along with how to play the game and throw the shells that you’ll use to wrack up points, guests will board four to a car. You’ll steer and throw as you move along a track, aiming wherever your eyes are looking. The ride itself blends physical sets with AR, as you participate in the racing challenge as part of Team Mario, alongside Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and other Nintendo characters, with the mission to defeat Mario’s arch-nemesis Bowser. You won’t know until the end of the experience whether you won or lost, and then you’ll also get your individual scores for the ride.
“Like with any game, the more you play it, the better you’re gonna get at it,” explained Corfino. You aren’t expected to understand everything, but you’ll get enough of a foundation to engage with it and really enjoy it. Additionally, if you have a Power-Up Band, there are a couple additional elements that will be shown to you, but if you chose not to get a band, you’ll still get to experience the same ride and learn your score.
If you want to take a break from all the gameplay, you can participate in a meet and greet with Princess Peach in the gazebo, or with Mario and Luigi in the center of Mushroom Kingdom. You can hang out in the land’s signature restaurant, Toadstool Café, and pick up any combination of the Toadstool cheesy garlic knots, Super mushroom soup, Piranha plant caprese, Mario bacon cheeseburger, Luigi pesto chicken burger, ?-block tiramisu, or the Princess Peach cupcake. And you can commemorate your visit with a trip to the 1-Up Factory retail shop, if you’re looking to pick up something from the collection of merchandise.
Super Nintendo World opens officially at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 17, 2023. You can check out more exclusive photos below:
