The first Super Nintendo World theme park in the US will open at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023, with themed merchandise making their way to shelves before Earth debuts.
Next year, Universal Studios announced that theme park guests will be able to visit a newly expanded area of Universal Studios Hollywood. The themed land brings visitors into the brightly colored world of Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach, including a “pioneer” ride and interactive areas. Shopping and dining aim to enhance the experience.
Super Nintendo World poster. (Image credit: Universal)
The park is a partnership between Nintendo and Universal Creative, and aims to provide “delightful entertainment with innovative technological advances inspired by the characters and video games that have attracted generations of Nintendo fans for more than 40 years.”
Before the 2023 opening, Universal will release related merchandise such as Mario and Luigi outfits, character hats, and a selection of plush characters (including Yoshi, Mario, Bowser, and Luigi). All of this will be stored in Universal Studio Hollywood’s retail store, which will open soon with the new Super Nintendo World theme.
The first Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Japan in 2021. IGN Japan visited the grounds and took photos of the new theme park area as well as the food and merchandise available on-site, summarizing the entire experience in a review that praised it for providing “a theme park experience like no other.”
Super Nintendo World is set to become part of other Universal Studios locations around the world, including Orlando and Singapore, but the opening of the Orlando attraction has reportedly been delayed until 2025. Meanwhile, the Mario-themed land at Universal Studios Japan is set only To expand further with a Donkey Kong themed area, it will open in 2024.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.