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Nintendo is powering up a jaw-dropping world of immersion into the world of Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, and more at the upcoming Universal Epic Universe theme park.
Universal Orlando Resort and the iconic video game company finally unveiled details about the new Super Nintendo World area set to open in 2025 as one of five themed lands inside the Florida destination's fourth overall park. Combining rides, retail, and dining locations, Super Nintendo World will fully immerse guests inside physical recreations of their favorite Nintendo titles. Characters like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Diddy Kong, and Donkey Kong will make appearances within the land — including via a new Mine Cart Madness roller coaster that simulates jumping over rickety tracks straight out of the Donkey Kong game series.
Universal Orlando Resort; Nintendo Entering through one of the iconic green pipes from Super Mario, Super Nintendo World first greets guests with a large-scale replica of Peach's Castle, while Piranha Plants, Goombas, spinning coins, blocks, and other interactive elements will hover around the perimeter. Within the ominous Bowser's Castle structure will be the augmented-reality ride Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge that will put guests in the driver's seat of a vehicle from the games.
Guests in the area's entry plaza will also see the Yoshi's Adventure ride moving along overhead, with riders sitting on the backs of Yoshis as they make their way through the course.
Universal Orlando Resort Just beyond that, Donkey Kong Country invites riders to board Mine Cart Madness, which utilizes unprecedented roller coaster technology to simulate the Donkey Kong video games' mine cart levels, in which the tiny cars leap over broken sections of track.
The ride accomplishes its visual gag by using "fake" rails visible to riders that are modeled after the in-game track, while a long arm fixed to the coaster car extends downward, out of the guests' view, to the "real" track underneath the facade.
The Mine Cart Madness story follows riders "through the jungle to help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong protect the coveted golden banana," according to the official description.
Epic Universe's attraction marks the United States' first Donkey Kong roller coaster, though a similar attraction is set to open at Universal Studios Japan later this year.
Universal Orlando Resort Universal Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World follows the opening of two prior Nintendo areas, one at the aforementioned Universal Studios Japan, and the other at Universal Studios Hollywood in California. The latter does not include the Yoshi ride or the Donkey Kong roller coaster.
The development also follows the studio's theatrical success with the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie blockbuster, which earned nearly $1.4 billion at the global box office in addition to earning a Best Animated Feature Film nomination at the Golden Globes.
Universal Orlando Resort Elsewhere at Epic Universe, lands themed to How to Train Your Dragon (Isle of Berk), classic Universal monsters (Dark Universe), Harry Potter (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic), and astrology (Celestial Park) are in the works.
Universal Epic Universe is scheduled to open sometime in 2025. See new concept art for the Nintendo land and its Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong-themed rides above and below.
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