Super Nintendo World preview: A fantastical, immersive homage to Mario and pals

With a walk through a Warp Pipe, plus a light show and a classic jingle, I’m whisked from my everyday life, and into the magical land of Super Nintendo World.

Super Nintendo World opens on February 17 at Universal Studios Hollywood. It is like being in a cartoonish and otherworldly Super Mario Bros. world. Immense rolling hills are populated with Mario’s pals and enemies: Koopas dart back and forth, Piranha Plants peek out of plumber pipes and open their toothy maws. The beloved characters of Mario’s universe are constantly in motion. Yoshi is circling a tree under the shade while Yoombas move back and forth.

These charming tables are set on massive sets and have soundtracks. The park is easy to navigate and you can take a complete spin without losing immersion. Bowser’s enormous castle looms over the scene, and Toadstool Cafe beckons in hungry guests. You can see the colors in it. It looks almost like you are playing a video game. There is a lot of coin blocks scattered throughout, as well as deserts and snowy set-pieces that remind us of classic Mario Worlds. This is an amazing visual feast that will bring back memories for all Nintendo fans.

Photo: Hamilton Pytluk/Universal Studios Hollywood

Super Nintendo World arrives at Universal Studios Hollywood after it debuted at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka last year, and boasts much of the same scenery — along with the centerpiece attraction Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge — though as Polygon learned during a press preview of the area, it occupies a smaller physical footprint. You’ll also have to go to Universal in Japan in order to ride Yoshi’s Adventure, which isn’t in the Hollywood version of the park. The expanded Super Nintendo World will arrive at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida in 2025.

Bringing Nintendo’s worlds to life is a watershed moment for an amusement park whose identity was historically intertwined with moviemaking. Universal Studios Hollywood is well-known for their movie-themed attractions such as Jurassic World and Transformers. The Studio Tour, which features recognizable sets from old films and uses practical effects, is also a highlight of Universal Studios Hollywood. Jaws (1976). This is Universal Studios’ first amusement park section dedicated to a series of video games.

“Having a higher level of immersion is where we always want to take it, and going inside of a game is clearly another step up for us,” said Jon Corfino, Vice President of Universal Creative, highlighting the importance of “interactivity” throughout Super Nintendo World.

It makes perfect sense. Both amusement parks and video games embody the notion of play. A player/visitor navigates through an area, discovering its hidden secrets and then leaving their mark to move the story along. This sense of exploration lives at the park.

Playfulness is a feeling of joy

Photo: Nicole Clark/Polygon

Super Nintendo World tells a classic story: “Peach has had her Golden Mushroom stolen by Bowser Jr.,” Corfino said. To help Peach win her mushroom back, guests must complete a series four mini-games plus one boss battle.

The park delivers on its “game come to life” promise beyond the spectacular scenery. You will find interactive coins blocks all over the park. And for $40, guests can buy Power-Up Bands that play a similar role to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s wands. Tapping a band in a spot marked with the Mario “M” will trigger an Easter egg or a mini-game. Six bands are available, each one inspired by Mario and Luigi as well as Peach, Peach, and their friends. Each of these is also an amiibo, though we don’t yet have information on whether these will work with at home consoles.

The unique twist is in the band’s points system. Your total score will increase if you interact with elements or play mini-games. It’s similar to a Mario game score. Guests’ totals are all synced to the Universal Studios Hollywood app.

Photo: Nicole Clark/Polygon

Cute interactive elements are hidden throughout the park’s nooks and crannies. A single spot can be used to create a Mario in NES-style from the original Super Mario BrosThe stone wall is above shows pixel art. Hit the coin block’s underside to hear the distinctive tinkling sound. It will still respond if you don’t have a band, but it will make a distinct sound.

In order to get a key, one of the main mini-games is for guests to target a huge Piranha Plant. And in the park’s final boss fight, Bowser Jr. Boss Battle, my group piled into a room with a large screen, each of us standing on top of a number from one to 15. The screen projected our shadows and allowed us to move through the game. I leapt to get coins blocks and swatted away Bobombs from the sky. Bowser Jr. flew past me as I waved my arms wildly and hurled fireballs at him. The Golden Mushroom was ours.

Each of these Easter eggs is a particular joy for Nintendo diehards, from the nods to Mario’s origins to beloved enemy designs that have shown up in numerous games since, like a wobbly Goomba stack. Super Nintendo World also has a restaurant. Toadstool Cafe is an extension of this playful charm, with screens that show off a kitchen full of bustling Toads — it seems culinary exploits are Toad’s next adventure — taking and making your orders. Though the cafe wasn’t formally open yet, just seeing its interior was a delight.

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

Photo: Hamilton Pytluk/Universal Studios Hollywood

The centerpiece of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is the new ride, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. This park will have the first ever ride that combines augmented reality and classic dark track elements. The four-person Mario Kart team wear AR glasses and can throw bananas and shells. to their hearts’ content. They’ll ride through underwater courses, zoom through the clouds, and compete for the Golden Cup. According to Universal, it’s worth multiple rides: You might get a different ending, depending on how you play.

“It is an actual moving ride and you will go through a series of environments where there’s mapping, there are LED screens, there are physical animations with special effects, and there’s AR goggles,” Corfino said. The way that it blends “all that together to make it look like it all goes away and becomes one thing is really the art of the whole thing,” he added.

Photo: Hamilton Pytluk/Universal Studios Hollywood

I wasn’t able to test the ride, as it is still undergoing safety runs in the lead up to opening. But I was impressed by the level of detail even in the queue; the ride welcomes guests with an homage to Super Mario World games — complete with the classic scores, which immediately took me back to long afternoons trying to prevent baby Mario from floating away in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island — and fluffy, crayon-art style clouds and trees right out of Yoshi’s Crafted World. A second section takes you through an ice world-like region. This is the heart of Super Mario Bros.’ level design.

Photo: Nicole Clark/Polygon

Guests then move through Bowser’s Castle, getting an inside look at the mind of Mario’s infamous nemesis and his cronies. You will find a lot of books, such as self-help to talk with princesses and a guide about the dangers associated with bananas. There is also countless care manuals for Piranha Plants. Peach is seated on a huge Bowser-sized stool. You can see the games referenced if you pay attention. Reminder: A floating diorama representing a planet can be found on the internet. Super Mario GalaxyThe 2007 paradigm-shifting Mario game, ‘The Game That Changed Everything. It not only placed him in a 3D environment, but also reimagined space and perspective. You can witness the evolution of Nintendo in just 20 years.

The Merch

Photo: Nicole Clark/Polygon

Super Nintendo World’s 1-Up Factory wasn’t open to press during the time I visited, but a shop dedicated to the new park section is already open in Universal Studios Hollywood’s CityWalk, the strip of stores and restaurants that form a mini downtown in front of the theme park’s entrance. I took a peek inside and was delighted by the plushies, keychains, and clothes to commemorate even the smallest of Mario’s friends and foes.

Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser exist in plush form, but there are also Goombas, Bob-ombs, and Toad — including a Toad in a dashing chef’s outfit (this one was tempting.) You can find coin-block throw pillows and matching Mario or Luigi shirts with Player 1 and 2 written on them. There is also a lot of mini keychains and a Shy Guy. We’ll have to wait until the park opens to see what’s in the 1-Up Factory, but the existing options already look promising for any Nintendo devotee.

Super Nintendo World is now available for pre-sale at Universal Studios Hollywood Their website.