Super Nintendo World will be inaugurated on May 22 as part of the new Universal Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, Florida
Today, the Kingdom of Mushrooms officially receives the theme park visitors in Orlando, Florida, with the inauguration of the Super Nintendo World. One of the five areas that make up the new Universal Epic Universe – which also includes celestial Park, the Dark Universe with monsters, and worlds based on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and How to train your dragon– Super Nintendo World is the latest expansion of the Japanese company on physical parks in partnership with Universal.
Before the inauguration day, the creator of Mario and legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto He traveled the red carpet to welcome fans at Nintendo’s latest venture in real life. Miyamoto was strongly involved in the design of Super Nintendo World and, as a notoriously detailed creative, wanted to ensure that everything inside the park remained true to the central essence of his games.
“From a technical point of view, this area has a lot that has never been done before and, from the point of view of quality, realism, the sense of satisfaction to see the world of video game come to life,” Miyamoto told Rolling Stone through a translator.
“It’s really the idea of being able to enjoy it, [para] The whole family, from grandparents, parents to grandchildren. This is the most important. ”
Officially revealed in May 2025, the Orlando version of Super Nintendo World is the third theme park of Nintendo to be inaugurated, following the steps of the Universal Studios Japan In Osaka and Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, inaugurated respectively in 2021 and 2023.
Inside the park, visitors can walk through physical manifestations of Nintendo games, including the Kingdom of Mushrooms and Donkey Kong Country. Everywhere, animatronics give life to characters such as carnivorous plants, gombas and koopas. In Donkey Kong Country, the elder monkey Crinky Kong comes to life outside the attraction Mine-cart Madnessa family roller coaster.
But it would not be a Nintendo park without totally playable experiences, and the Super Nintendo World bets on the gamification of just about everything, with attractions like Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challengewhich uses augmented reality resources to allow visitors to get involved in the track experience and gain coins. Visitors can also purchase bracelets that interact with blocks of items and reveal secrets around the world.
Making everything playable was fundamental to Miyamoto, which contrasts between the experience of playing a video game and visiting a theme park.
“One thing to see about video games is that when you buy a game, you take it home and play it several times,” he says. “This is one of the attractions of what a video game is. But when you’re in the theme park, it has to be fun. You play once, and have to be fun. This was a big challenge to face.”
Miyamoto notes that the park’s designers were real fans of Mario, which was essential to bring Super Nintendo World to life.
“It really seemed that it was built by fans, and that really made me happy and brought me a joy like no other,” he says.
The developer is well known for seeking inspiration in his childhood when creating games, with series like The Legend of Zelda and Pikmin evoking the aesthetics of forests and gardens of your hometown, Kyoto. But in Universal Epic Universehe reveals that his favorite attraction is based on a film classic within the Dark Universe.
“All portals are great, but personally I have a special affection for Frankensteinwhich I watched when I was small. ”
Miyamoto has been working at Nintendo since 1977 and is one of the most influential figures in games history. Having created titles as Super Mario Bros. (1985) and The Legend of Zelda (1986), he led Nintendo’s software and hardware development for decades and currently supervises many of the company’s major projects in other areas of entertainment. He was the producer of the movie The Super Mario Bros. Moving (2023), made in partnership with Illumination, and currently acts as a consultant in the sequence, scheduled to debut on April 3, 2026.
Later this year, Miyamoto will celebrate another milestone: the 40th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros. Original, in September. On June 5, Nintendo will launch its newest device, the Switch 2which marks the eighth generation of domestic consoles developed with the direct participation of Miyamoto.
Source: Rollingstone
Emma Jack is a writer at Gossipify, covering fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and pop culture trends. She stays current on the latest trends and offers readers up-to-date information on what’s hot in the industry. With a background in fashion journalism from Parsons School of Design, she offers a unique perspective and analysis of current trends.
