Get ready to bounce with Mario in a whole new, in-real-life way: Nintendo is teaming with Universal Parks and Resorts to bring video-game-themed areas to parks in Japan, Orlando and Hollywood, the companies announced Tuesday.
Under the deal, the companies promise to create “larger-than-life” Nintendo experiences that will be “expansive, immersive and interactive” and are set to include multiple attractions, shops and restaurants.
Each Universal theme park — Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood — will announce details of its specific Nintendo areas at a later date. The Nintendo areas will open separately over the next several years. “We’re always looking for the next great idea and the next great place to take people, and Nintendo fit the bill — I mean, it’s a natural,” Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative, said in announcing the deal.
Characters and elements from Nintendo’s globally popular “Super Mario Bros.” video game will be prominently featured in the parks, with the companies saying that “Mario and all his friends are there to pull you into a brand-new world.”
“There will be something for everyone – regardless of their age or gaming experience level,” Universal Parks and Resorts and Nintendo said in a joint statement.
Watch the official announcement video with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario, and Universal’s Mark Woodbury:
Pictured above: Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo
