Six years after its announcement, Super Nintendo World has finally – after significant delays related to the coronavirus – opened its doors at Universal Studios Osaka (albeit not quite officially). As a result, video footage of the park is starting to appear online – including a full first look at the Mario Kart ride, which has remained a mystery until now.
We know Mario Kart from Super Nintendo World: Koopa’s Challenge ride would be thrown into the park’s imposing Bowser’s Castle for quite some time, but virtually nothing has been seen of the experience that lies behind the mighty stone jaws of the facade. Thanks to fansite Universal Parks News Today, those unable to visit the attraction in person can now enjoy an immensely in-depth tour of the ride itself, as well as the beautifully detailed queue.
In fact, most of the 20-minute video is spent exploring the winding line that leads to the Mario Kart ride, but it’s a fascinating journey nonetheless, packed with Easter eggs and iconic landmarks from the start. It’s around six minutes when things pick up significantly, when the queue snakes into Bowser’s beautifully realized library, where Mario’s nemesis brushes up on his racing knowledge.
Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge FULL DRIVE WITH AR & QUEUE TOUR.
There are strategy sheets pinned to the walls, elaborate models of famous tracks, animated ghost paintings and even shelves full of books with comedic names like “Sibling Rivalry and How to Exploit Them”. And from there we’ll be guided through a Bob-omb factory to witness a Mario Kart TV show explaining the rules of the ride, and more.
Finally, around 3:30 pm, it’s time to board the ride itself, and it’s an impressive piece of engineering work, if nothing else, combining high definition projections, physical sets, motion-equipped karts, plus AR-compatible goggles of seamlessly overlapping Mario and his friends on the scene as they blaze in and out of sight – and it’s all tied together with a grenade-throwing, point-scoring mechanic that turns the ride into a full-fledged game.
Official Super Nintendo World trailer.
Granted, its fairly pedestrian speed and claustrophobic sets are more or less the opposite of the massive adrenaline thrills I envisioned when the ride was announced, but there’s no denying that it’s done with remarkable style – that Rainbow Road – series, for example, is a wonderful capper. And if you’re curious about the rest of Super Nintendo World, Universal Parks News Today has a wealth of additional material to showcase its other attractions.
Of course, those who can’t make it to Osaka don’t have to feel too downcast. Additional Super Nintendo Worlds, each with different row selections and layouts, are currently in development and will eventually open in Orlando, Hollywood and Singapore – although there is no clear word when these other parks will be completed.