Super Nintendo World, which is opening in Universal Studios Osaka this summer, is officially also rising in Orlando, Florida.
Executives of Comcast, the parent company of Universal Studios, confirmed in a fourth-quarter earnings call that a second Super Nintendo World will be part of the Epic Universe, a new park that is scheduled to open its doors in 2023 as an expansion of Universal Studios Orlando.
There has been speculation that Super Nintendo World, after Osaka, would also arrive at the Orlando, Hollywood, and Singapore locations of Universal Studios. This is the first official confirmation from Comcast that the Nintendo-themed attraction will be made available outside of Japan.
Comcast executives also discussed the potential of Super Nintendo World to draw big crowds, according to Orlando television station, WESH.
“I think the next big thing on the horizon is Nintendo. Nintendo, based on our research is one of the biggest potential drivers of attendance that you could have of any kind of IP. It’s up there with Harry Potter,” said an executive.
Massive hype is already building up for Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Osaka, especially after Nintendo released a music video, in collaboration with Charli XCX Galantis, that that promoted the theme park’s upcoming summer opening.
Nintendo confirmed that Super Nintendo World visitors will wear a Power Up Band, which essentially transforms the theme park into a giant video game. Through the wearable device, visitors will be able to collect coins and perform other tasks.
Universal Parks & Resorts chairman and CEO Tom Williams previously said that Super Nintendo World will somehow integrate the Nintendo Switch into the experience, but how exactly that will work remains unclear. What is confirmed, meanwhile, is that the first phase will offer two attractions, namely Super Mario Kart Ride and Yoshi’s Adventures, and it appears that the music video offered glimpses of both.
It has not been officially confirmed that the attractions and features of Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Osaka will be the same in its version in Universal Studios Orlando’s Epic Universe. However, for Nintendo fans in the U.S., this is already great news as they will not have to travel to Japan to enjoy the theme park.
