Universal Epic Universe Super Nintendo World: Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country Review
When we crossed through the portal into Universal Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World and then jumped into Super Mario's iconic green Warp Pipe, went up an escalator, and emerged into Super Mario Land, my mind was genuinely blown. Super Mario Land didn't just feel like another section of a theme park; it genuinely felt like a new park all its own. There was so much to look at and try to take in, it was nearly impossible to know where to turn your head.
From inside Super Mario Land, you can't see any other parts of Epic Universe. It's just you and a metric ton of irresistible Super Mario Easter eggs, complete with bright, appealing colors, familiar sound effects, and life-sized moving versions of your favorite game mechanics. We haven't even mentioned the wonder of Super Nintendo World's Donkey Kong Land. Super Nintendo World was totally overwhelming, in the best way. Let's take a look at everything it has in store for Nintendo fans of every kind.
Mt. Beanpole? Check. Princess Peach's Castle? Check. Piranha Plants, Goombas, Spinning Coins, Question Mark Blocks, Pow Blocks (oh my!)? Check. We could not stress any harder that walking into Super Mario Land is literally like walking into a living, breathing version of your favorite video games. Everything is so detailed, and so vibrant, and so interactive, you're immersed beyond belief.
As you stroll through the land, you start to see that Piranha plants are really moving all around you, opening their red and white maws in preparation for their dinner. And the Question Mark Blocks, well, if you have a Power-Up band from Universal Epic Universe, then you can actually earn coins in real time by punching the blocks as they float by you throughout the park. There's even a huge Bowser's Castle looming over everything and hidden eggs for you to spy around every corner. What more could you want?
Well, we imagine you'll want to know about the rides that await you in the Super Mario Land section of Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World. In this section of the park, there are two rides to look out for: Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge and Yoshi's Adventure.
In Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, an immense amount of technology comes together to put you right into the middle of a Mario Kart game. Yes, you'll actually get to sit in a Mario Kart during this ride. Throughout the gamified adventure, which fuses augmented reality, projection mapping technology, and elaborate environments, you'll be collecting coins, tossing shells at Team Bowser, dodging obstacles, and trying to steer your cart. If it sounds like it's a lot… well, it is! But like the rest of Super Mario Land, in a good way. You'll actually get to wear a Mario hat and a visor that displays AR visuals right in front of your face. On top of that, you'll be experiencing input from all around you. So get ready to hit the Rainbow Road hard.
Meanwhile, Yoshi's Adventure is a much chiller experience, think The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! in Universal's Islands of Adventure. This train-like ride will take you on an adorable adventure searching for glowing eggs with Yoshi. It's good for all ages and offers stunning views of Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World.
But wait, there's more! Cross through yet another portal and you'll find yourself in a whole new part of Epic Universe's Super Nintendo World, Donkey Kong Country. Oh yeah, Donkey Kong is King here and he's not shy about it. Bananas, let me say, are everywhere. Iconic Super Nintendo landmarks such as The Golden Temple dot this landscape, and the whole affair has a much different tone to Super Mario Land. Everything feels tropical, golden, and lush.
Though we love tropical food offerings and merchandise, it's Donkey Kong Country's Mine-Cart Madness that really captured our hearts. It might be one of the most unique rides in Epic Universe. As promised, Mine-Cart Madness abandons the traditional track to jump gaps, go careening sideways, and really play mind games on you in the best way.
Of course, you're not really leaving the track behind; the track just isn't actually how this Donkey Kong roller coaster operates. But it still feels really thrilling to 'jump the track,' as they say, and suddenly go lurching off what looks like safety. If you can keep your wits about you, you might spy special Easter eggs hidden in the ride as well.
We feel this is exactly the kind of thing Donkey Kong would cook up.
Of course, Super Nintendo World opens up a vast number of possibilities for other lands in Universal Epic Universe. And we saw some teases for other properties that might come join Mario and Donkey Kong in the theme park. For instance, a gorgeous stained glass display highlighted The Legend of Zelda's Zelda and Link. And we couldn't help noticing that the Triforce was prominently displayed on the ground of the Nintendo Super Star Store.
All of that gets us very excited for Super Nintendo World, everything it delivers to us now and everything we could see in the future.
Fans can visit Super Nintendo World, Super Mario Land, and Donkey Kong Country when Universal Epic Universe opens on May 22.
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