A Photo Tour Of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Super Nintendo World

Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan was Osaka, Japan last October. It was an incredible experience for me, as I have been a long-time fan of Nintendo. When the Super Nintendo World in America was opened at Universal Studios Hollywood I knew that I needed to visit Los Angeles in order to compare the experience.

Universal Studios granted me a day pass for Super Nintendo World. Although the images don’t show how amazing Super Nintendo World was, check out the gallery to see what I experienced.

Universal Studios Hollywood was open at 8:00 AM. I immediately made my way to Super Nintendo World. The park is located in the corner near attractions such as Jurassic World, The Mummy and Transformers. There are a few steep steps that lead to the Simpsons area. The Super Nintendo World portion of the park feels way out of the way.

You can actually see the Hollywood version from up above, which is quite different to the Osaka version. Although I wouldn’t be able to see all the sights in person, this bird-eye view gave me a great taste of what Super Nintendo World looked like.

You must reserve your place in advance, just like the Japanese version. You can take the same picture in front the Super Nintendo World sign once you are inside the Super Nintendo World area. As it was my natural instinct, I needed to slip behind the pipe in order to photograph the sign. 

After you have taken the obligatory photos, you will be able to go through the enormous warppipe that takes visitors to Peach’s Castle. The length of the Peach’s Castle pipe and its lobby are shorter than those in Universal Studios Japan. This set the stage for my Super Nintendo World experience at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Once I exited Peach’s Castle, I was bombarded with the same feeling of excitement that I had when I emerged in Japan. It all works flawlessly in concert. You can hear the famous Mario music just before you leave and see the entire park. The second time you visit the park, it is a wonderful experience.

Super Nintendo World’s various areas are meticulously designed and crafted in such a way as to make you feel transported into the Mushroom Kingdom. Mount Beanpole still amazes me, but Bowser’s Castle is my favorite. It is also full of small details you will only see after you spend hours exploring the park. They are among the best animatronics I have ever seen at a park.

Super Nintendo World is packed with people and attractions, as you can probably tell from the photos. This is likely due to several factors – it opened just over a month ago, my visit happened during spring break, and it’s the current most popular attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. But it is impossible not to acknowledge the fact that this version of Osaka’s version is smaller than its counterpart.

Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood, is still an hypnotically amazing experience for Nintendo lovers like me. However, the Universal Studios Japan version is a little less impressive in some areas. The area is smaller than the Japanese multi-level version. This means there are less views and less dimensionality to an exploration experience. The Yoshi’s Adventure ride, and Underground-themed Bobomb Kaboom Room minigame, are missing. As a result, Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood’s best ride, Mario Kart Bowser’s Adventure, is now the only one (more about that later). There are slightly less activities in this version, as the Note Block Rock activity and Slot Machine are missing. 

The other big downside is that the snack stand, which sells things like drinks and popcorn, is outside of the park, meaning that if you can’t get a reservation at Toadstool Café (as I couldn’t due to how busy it was), you have to leave Super Nintendo World to get any kind of food – and you can’t get back in unless you make another reservation. It’s easy to spend hours upon hours in Super Nintendo World, particularly with how long all the lines are, so this put me in the predicament of needing to leave the area and being unable to come back in or just being hungry and thirsty. Although Super Nintendo World has many great features, it was disappointing that I didn’t like the interactive elements.

You can participate in minigames starring Koopa Troopa and Thwomp. These quick-and-fun activities are carried over to the Hollywood park. To be able to fight Bowser Jr. in the boss final battle, you must complete at least 3 of these. You’ll spend hours waiting for the keys if you arrive at the station when it is busy. The $40 character-themed Power Up Bands are necessary if you wish to participate in these minigames.

Mario Kart Bowser’s challenge is without doubt the Super Nintendo World star. After navigating through Yoshi’s Island’s queueing area, the line eventually leads to Bowser’s Castle. You will find many fun details, as well as amazing opportunities to take photos. You’ll be shown how the ride/game works and then taken to Bowser’s Castle’s basement where the Mario Kart races take place. The AR visor will be held by the Mario visor you receive.

You can ride the exact same route as Osaka’s, but there are a few more details thanks to an introduction video. After you get in your kart you are thrown into an enhanced-reality ride with all of your favourite Mario Kart drivers. The goal of your ride is to collect as many shells as possible to eliminate as many enemy occupants as possible. Your kart will then whip you across multiple biomes. The ride provides a great sensory experience and is still one of my favourite rides.

After exiting Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, I explored a bit more, collecting coins and finding hidden Easter eggs to add to the profile on the nifty Universal Studios Hollywood app, but with Toadstool’s Café completely booked prior to my arrival, I eventually needed to leave the area in order to get some food. Super Nintendo World was fully booked by the time I had finished my meal. Thankfully, I had already done most of what I wanted to do, but I’m disappointed I couldn’t get into Toadstool’s Café.

Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Hollywood might not be quite as amazing as Universal Studios Japan’s counterpart but it is still an incredible experience. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is an amazing ride. Just the act of visiting the interactive Mushroom Kingdom makes it memorable and rewarding. It’s worth visiting if it is possible to visit the Japanese version. However, if Hollywood is more convenient, you will still have a wonderful time.