Are the Incredible Hulk ride and the Revenge Of the Mummy rollercoaster just not videogame related enough for you? Good news. Universal Parks and Resorts is now working with Nintendo to build the world’s first-ever theme park rides based on “Nintendo’s beloved games and characters.”
Yes, this is just as ridiculously exciting as it sounds with the press release stating that Nintendo and Universal will be “creating spectacular, dedicated experiences based on Nintendo’s wildly popular games, characters and worlds.”
“Nintendo has created remarkable and imaginative worlds filled with captivating stories and beloved characters,” continues the press release. “Now, for the first time, those stories and characters will be brought to life in entirely new ways. The immersive experiences will include major attractions at Universal’s theme parks and will feature Nintendo’s most famous characters and games”
Theme parks, Universal Studios especially, have been dipping toes in the world of games, allowing guests to hurtle through scare zones based on the Resident Evil and Silent Hill series’ but this is a huge move on Nintendo’s part and it has chosen well. Given that Universal Parks has Jurassic Park, the Simpsons and Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, this is a company that, in the words of John Hammond himself, spares no expense.
There are no rides confirmed as yet. More news will arrive “as the Nintendo and Universal creative teams work to create specific concepts” but even just looking at Islands Of Adventure with its Harry Potter and Spider-Man experiences that merge digital tech with reality, Nintendo is in safe hands. It’s going to be very interesting to see what the teams come up with.
It's also worth noting that Universal still has Marvel rides in its Islands Of Adventure park despite Disney now being in charge of the Avengers and co. Contractually Marvel can stay but Nintendo might make a perfect replacement if the comics giant is being replaced in the future.
Nintendo is definitely branching out. First revealing Nintendo games on mobile and now this massive step into global theme parks. I’m already calling a Mario Kart coaster and a Luigi’s Mansion haunted house experience, complete with Poltergust 5000. And, oh no, just think of the merchandise...
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