The Rumor Queue: Super Nintendo World will use augmented reality
Super Nintendo World was perhaps the most anticipated theme park event of 2020. Due to the worldwide pandemic, the land’s opening was delayed in Japan with no set grand opening date. But now, rumors have arisen about this expansion to Universal Studios Japan, Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore.
Editor’s Note: This is not confirmed and should be taken at face value. While we believe this is likely legitimate, we don’t know for sure and consider it rumor for now.
Prepare for a Mario Kart race like never before at Super Nintendo World! We have been watching the construction of this land for months and have seen major leaps in its progress. Yesterday, numerous photos and videos were accidentally posted online. While they have since been taken down, we were able to take a quick look before they disappeared.
In one photo, we saw guests in a four-seater vehicle. Each seat had a leg-and-thigh style restraint with a steering wheel. The picture showed guests flying by a Chain Chomp character, and each rider was also wearing one of the interactive Power Up Bands.
In another image, we saw that riders were holding shells above their heads, with each rider having a different colored shell. The riders weren’t wearing any type of 3-D or augmented reality (AR) glasses in the images, but that doesn’t mean that the riders won’t when the ride opens. It was also quite clear this section of the ride is in Bowser’s Castle. Bowser’s Castle is the entrance to the Mario Kart ride, so perhaps this is how the attraction will begin.
If these rumors are real, the planned name of the main attraction is “Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge.” We also know that the ride is about five minutes long and can fit four riders per vehicle. Since the very beginning, AR glasses have been rumored to be a part of the attraction. Our best guess is that it will amplify the experience by allowing riders to virtually hold the shells we looked at earlier. The AR glasses could also put obstacles in the road that couldn’t actually be placed in the physical world.
We know the land will be “gamified” with punchable ? blocks and ways to unlock different rewards in a mobile app. Perhaps going on a ride while having the app open will unlock that section in the virtual map.
The rumored name of the family-friendly Yoshi attraction is “Yoshi’s Adventure.” This treasure hunt storyline for the ride will take guests on the back of Yoshi-themed vehicles around the top floors of the Super Nintendo World land.
The Mario Kart attraction is rumored to have multiple tracks for numerous re-rides with different results. With the advanced AR glasses and projection effects, the ride may be able to take guests to many more worlds than we previously expected. The same room could look different for multiple riders if effects and projections were altered per vehicle.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios executes this flawlessly with the grand finale scene in the factory, which transforms into a serene park scene before your eyes.
We believe these rumors to be true for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, the first of multiple Super Nintendo World locations at Universal theme parks around the globe. However, nothing is official until confirmed by Nintendo or Universal Parks and Resorts. Even if they are legitimate, things like the ride names and more can change before they are officially announced.
Let us know your thoughts on these leaks and Super Nintendo World in the comments below.
