Super Nintendo World is almost open and Comicbook.com got the chance to take part in a tour ahead of the big day. During the walk around, we got to see more Mario Bros. moments that you could shake a stick at. Walking through the big green Warp Pipe that serves as an entrance to the park was a trip. In the same breath, The first lobby is basically Peach’s Castle from Super Mario 64 and looking up to the sky in the middle of the room was surreal as well. But, that’s just the first taste of everything to come in the park on February 17.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Universal Creative Vice President Jon Corfino showed us around and the entire area of Universal Studios Hollywood is pretty staggering. You really feel like you’re in a video game. (And that’s before you step into Bowser’s Castle to ride the Mario Kart Challenge…) While you can still enjoy Super Nintendo World without a Power-Up Band that keeps your score on the attractions, adding that wrist band makes the entire thing into one big video game. Read more of our impressions down below!
Check out Comicbook.com’s Super Nintendo World Section for more information about the park. Will you be visiting? Let us know in the comments down below!
So Many Secrets To Discover
What’s Bowser Planning?
Tons of Familiar Faces
Real Magic Walking Around
It’s absolutely true and honestly, getting all these elements to meld in a satisfying way is the real magic of Super Nintendo World as well. There’s more than enough for younger fans and people who have been waiting to see a moment like this for decades. It’s all real. Only time will tell how the section of Universal Studios Hollywood will level-up in the future. But, Nintendo and Universal managed to grab the top of the flagpole with what we saw in our preview.
How Do The Mario Kart Visors Work?
“Universal designed the whole experience. What you’re look at is entirely next level. It is an actual moving ride, you will go through a series of environments where there is video mapping. There are LED screens, there is physical animation, and there is special effect,” Corfino explained. “How you manage to get all of that seamlessly together and make it feel like it’s one thing? That’s really the art of the whole thing. You’re going to see Super Mario with a green light over your right shoulder. Hoppingoff into space, he goes into the LED screen and the light follows him all the way through.”
Mario Kart Hype
Mario Kart fans have a lot to look forward to at Bowser’s Challenge inside the castle. Corfino made it clear that King Koopa doesn’t like losing to Mario and his friends. The path to the ride itself s stuffed with nods and Easter eggs for all of the plumber’s adventures on Nintendo platforms. Super Mario Galaxy, Sunshine, and a host of others get shout outs that we identified. But, the big dance is the ride itself. Ir’s a mixture of a traditional ride, AR, LED screens, and practical effects that is going to be an immediate favorite in the park.
Little Surprises Everywhere
If you’re a huge fan of the Mario brand, there’s so many hidden details or subtle inclusions that will put a smile on your face. In the line for a Bowser Jr. attraction in Super Nintendo World, the soft notes of Flower Garden from Yoshi’s Island wafted through the hallway. And it wasn’t just the in-game version, there was a new composition that sounded like it was re-recorded for the park with an orchestra. (It sounded similar to the Super Smash Bros. Brawl arrangement but even more plaintive.)
The Quest For The Golden Mushroom
There are challenges you can play to help Princess Peach get back her Golden Mushroom that has been pilfered by Bowser Jr. All of those little instances around the part link up with your Power-Up Band. The digital element enhances the experience in so many different ways. There are small secrets that appear when you wave your hand near points around the park. Surprises await when encounter a POW block or Mystery Block in the connecting areas between attractions.
