Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios opens February 17, and we've already visited it and seen what it has to offer. Specifically, the IGN social team visited, and I hate them for it. Just kidding, of course, they're wonderful people and I'm happy for them. Mostly.
As it currently stands, Super Nintendo World's attractions revolve around Nintendo's most recognizable character, Super Mario. And honestly, yeah. It makes complete sense to build a theme park around a character as popular as Mario. The timing is great, too, with the Mario movie coming later this year. There's probably never been a more Mario-centric time in history. It helps that the original Super Nintendo World in Japan is also Mario-based, but that park is slated to get its first expansion, based on Donkey Kong.
The existence of Super Nintendo World and the upcoming Japanese Donkey Kong expansion tells us Nintendo and Universal have bigger plans in store for the parks, but what possible expansions could Super Nintendo World see in the future? That's what I'm planning to explore in this week's NVC column: what franchises make the most sense, what attractions will they have, and what themes will they explore?
Super Nintendo World: Hyrule
While Donkey Kong may ultimately be the more recognizable Nintendo character, the worlds of The Legend of Zelda would make for an incredible theme park experience. Instead of visiting a restaurant to order Hyrule-themed food, you could collect ingredients throughout the park and toss them into a giant frying pan to make your own creations.
After getting your fill from randomly assorted foodstuffs, you'd set out to explore the rest of the park's rides, like a Hook Shot-themed roller coaster that slings you around recklessly, or try your hand at archery on the archery range (keep in mind each arrow costs $1). It could also serve as a waterpark attraction, with a real-life water temple level to both cool you down in the hot California sun and frustrate you and make you question your motivation to continue.
Super Nintendo World: Fire Emblem
For many people, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the Fire Emblem game that brought them into the series, so it would make sense to have theme park attractions focused on that entry into the series. Thirsty guests could enjoy tea parties with their favorite characters before heading out into a grid-based field to bash one another with foam weapons. It would basically be LARPing, but with an anime twist. Also… pegasus rides.
Super Nintendo World: Metroid
A section of Super Nintendo World based on and around Metroid would personally thrill me. As a Metroid Prime champion, I preordered Metroid Prime 4 the second the logo was announced, so the idea of visiting an attraction in the real-world based on the solitary, sometimes gloomy world of the Metroid series really excites me.
To best simulate the experience of Metroid, upon entering the area, guests would immediately lose their wallets and cell phones and have to spend the rest of their day trying to regain them in order to leave. Once they finally do recover their possessions, they have only 5 minutes to get out.
All guests will also be able to wall jump right at the start of the attraction, but none of the park attendants will inform them of this.
Super Nintendo World: Star Fox
While fans of this part of Super Nintendo World will constantly revisit it, they'll only do so by first mentioning the many caveats, like how only 1 or 2 sections of the park are actually any good.
This is, of course, a completely serious and accurate imagining of what the future holds for Super Nintendo World. As such, everything I've said here should be treated as fact. Super Nintendo World is a magical theme park, a sparkling real-life homage to the many worlds created by Nintendo, and while we only have Super Mario for now, that's more than enough for most people. My question to you is: what Nintendo franchises do you want to see adapted for Super Nintendo World, and how would you like to see them adapted?