![]() ![]() That’s also the only way you can uncover hidden 8-bit characters that glow on walls or enter a shadowy showdown with Bowser Jr. You can actually keep track of all of those coins on your phone and collect digital stickers if you purchase a Power-Up Band, essentially a smart slap bracelet ($40) available in a half-dozen character themes. (For those curious about the differences between Hollywood and the Osaka originator: Japan’s version is configured across multiple levels, features a few extra merch and snack stands, and has a Yoshi ride that’s absent in L.A.-otherwise things look largely the same.) Photograph: Time Out/Michael Juliano Photograph: Time Out/Michael Juliano Photograph: Time Out/Michael Juliano Photograph: Time Out/Michael Juliano Photograph: Time Out/Michael JulianoĪ level of interactivity is baked into almost every block-shaped corner of the land: You can partake in four minigames dubbed Key Challenges pose for photos with Mario, Luigi and Peach peer through digital binoculars with a Yoshi ambling along in the distance and punch ? and POW blocks to hear that familiar coin sound. But there are, of course, plenty of theme park-style activities to attract you, too: Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, an augmented reality-enhanced ride that finds you competing on some of the chaotic racing series’ courses Toadstool Cafe, an adorable restaurant where animated mushroom-capped Toads toil away in the kitchen and the 1-UP Factory store, where you’ll find exclusive merchandise themed to the franchise’s core characters. Since the land doesn’t officially open until February 17, Universal has been using that time to hone operations-from the restaurant to crowd flow-but otherwise the Mushroom Kingdom is already complete, save for some Easter eggs that Corfino says will sneak in soon.įor Mario fans, the vivid environment-full of familiar characters and settings from all eras of the nearly four-decade-old video game franchise-may be reason enough to visit. There are far more tangible secrets to uncover inside of Super Nintendo World, which abruptly began to welcome visitors in mid-January for a mix of technical rehearsals and pass member previews. (When we ask if Mario has a canonical height, we’re told that he indeed does-but it’s a secret.) Photograph: Time Out/Michael Juliano Photograph: Time Out/Michael Juliano Photograph: Time Out/Michael Juliano “Well, you’re the same size you would be in the game-let’s just put it that way,” Corfino tells us during a tour of Super Nintendo World. The Mushroom Kingdom’s larger-than-life qualities also leave us positively reassessing the heroism of Mario’s adventures as Goombas and Piranha Plants appear way less stompable than they do on screen. Through the foyer of Peach’s Castle the music begins to swell, familiar sound effects chime, captivatingly colorful characters dance back and forth along the horizon-filling hilltops and Bowser’s Castle beckons you inside. On the other side of that warp pipe, you’ll enter the newest iteration of Super Nintendo World, the second to open following a similar one in Japan in 2021 (a third is planned for the company’s Orlando theme park). “Once you come through the warp pipe and come into the land, you’re totally immersed in this game experience that is so kinetic, it’s almost like you’ve kind of forgotten about that other part ,” says Jon Corfino, vice president of creative at Universal Studios Hollywood. ![]() ![]() ![]() That and nearly every other detail at Universal Studios Hollywood’s newest area caters to longtime and recent Mario players’ wish fulfillment. Though Super Nintendo World has only been announced since 2016, Super Mario players have been crouching down and jumping up into the recognizable green plumbing fixtures for decades. It’s a big deal to come through that warp pipe for the first time. ![]()
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