Latest news with #Yoshi'sAdventure
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
8 real-world destinations for people who love video games
At least 35 percent of U.S. travelers are inspired to book a trip overseas based on a video game they've played, according to Skyscanner's recent survey As technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, video games continue to gain points other traditional media can't quite reach. May Naidoo is not surprised. He's a filmmaker and Pokémon Partner who travels for video game content, and he sees the clear benefits. 'Movies are influential because they take you back to a specific scene, but video games are more interactive. They place you in the moment with the character and story. You're engaging far more with the sensory experience,' he says. Gamer Didier South agrees, 'Games are reaching new levels of realism, with both graphics and storytelling. It raises the excitement of seeing it in real life, but it also raises the expectations of authenticity.' (Related: For travelers with disabilities, video games are windows to the world.) South is one of a growing number of travelers diving into video game tourism. His current game of choice is Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, a 2025 role-playing game set in 15th-century Bohemia. He has more than 100 hours of gameplay, but he's not just playing a video game; he's also taking notes on locations and cultural sites within the game and planning to see them in Czechia later this year. Now, you can join this growing trend by exploring the real places that inspired game developers, and you can immerse yourself in video games brought to life as tourist attractions like Super Nintendo World™. Here are seven next-level, real world experiences for gamers. (Related: The real history behind the legend of Sun Wukong, China's Monkey King.) Take the family to the recently opened Super Nintendo World™, one of five new immersive worlds in Universal Epic Universe Orlando. Ride Yoshi's Adventure repeatedly while searching for glowing eggs or careen through the jungle in Donkey Kong's Mine-Cart Madness. Let the grown-ups show the kids how it's done with Orlando's retro arcades, like Arcade Monsters. One entry price allows gamers to play more than 200 pinball machines and arcade games. Discover the science behind video games at the Orlando Science Center, meanwhile, the 'DC Super Heroes' exhibit, on-site through September 7, 2025, will test your superhero skills and allow you to step into the iconic worlds of legendary superheroes, including Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. (Related: The ultimate guide to visiting Orlando.) The first stop for any gamer is the famous Akihabara District (also known as Akiba) in Tokyo. This is the heart of gaming with high-end tech stores, fan-favorite collectibles, and arcades. Grab a bite at nearby Monster Hunters Bar, which features a menu straight from the game, including Kirin's Lightning Strike Parfait G. Walk it off with a visit to Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, and watch out for rare Pokémon along the way. For a bonus level of culture, visit the Tokyo National Museum for pottery from the Jōmon period. It's the real-life inspiration for key scenes in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. (Related: Don't leave Tokyo without these must-do experiences.) Prepare for Valhalla with immersive high-tech displays at The Viking Planet, Oslo's first digital museum dedicated to the Viking Age. The interactive exhibits include a digital walkthrough of the historic Viking ships (the Oseberg and the Gokstad) as well as virtual reality (VR) experiences of a Viking Raid. Then test your survival skills at Jernaldergarden, a living museum set during the Iron Age in the Stavanger region—inspiration for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Explore the landscape of the Besseggen Ridge (including glaciers) within Jotunheimen National Park, which gamers may recall as part of the video game God of War: Ragnarök. And if you travel as far as Tromsø for the Aurora Borealis, refuel at Burgr with a gaming-inspired meal before heading out to chase the Northern Lights. (Related: Was the Oseberg Ship a tomb for a Viking Queen?) Head to Big Sky Country in Montana to visit Glacier National Park, where key points of interest like Logan Pass Visitor Center and St. Mary Lake, inspired the scenery in the video games, Far Cry 5 and Far Cry: New Dawn. When you're ready to return to civilization, head to Bozeman for the American Computer & Robotics Museum, which covers 4,000 years of human history from original cuneiform tablets to the first personal computers. Parents can take their kids along the Montana Dinosaur Trail to follow Dr. Alan Grant and his dinosaur digs featured in the video game LEGO Jurassic World. Make this fictional game a real-life, family-friendly adventure. (Related: Everything you need to know about Glacier National Park.) While we don't recommend leaping from rooftop to rooftop as seen in Assassin's Creed: Origins, the video game offers showstopping graphics for Egypt's temples. Travel to Luxor to see the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, in honor of Ancient Egypt's only female pharaoh and 'Gaming Queen,' with her own Senet board game. Across the River Nile, Karnak Temple is instantly identified by its towering walls. Then head to nearby Luxor Souk in the Haba Raba district, where street vendors serve ful medames, an Egyptian stew recipe seen in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. In the video game, Indy also recommends the hamam mahshi (stuffed pigeon). Travelers with adventurous palates can taste it at Sofra Restaurant & Cafe, one street from the East Bank. Cooking classes are also offered to round out your authentic Egyptian experience. (Related: The last missing tomb from this wealthy Egyptian dynasty has been found.) Local indie games like Eastern Market Murder are the best way to explore Melbourne's famous laneways, using the true crime murder of Frank Stevens in 1899 to unlock the history of Melbourne's CBD (Central Business District). Gamers can dive into the development of other video games like Hollow Knight: Silksong on display at ACMI (formerly the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Grab a tavern lunch at Fortress, where patrons will find gaming consoles at their table. Chill with penguins at Sea Life Aquarium and the Nintendo Switch game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons exhibits. Secret bonus level: Catch Tram 96 from the Aquarium to St. Kilda Pier for the city's Little Penguin Colony. Although the viewing boardwalk is currently closed, you may spot penguins from the end of the pier. Remember to give them their space and no flash photography. (Related: March of the penguins: meeting the feathered locals of Phillip Island, Australia.) Grab your comfy shoes for a walking tour in Paris to discover its street art and modern history. The tour's route is marked with hidden graphics and icons from the retro-video game, Space Invaders. It's just like exploring Parisian-inspired Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends: Z-A! Paris also plays host to real-life Pokémon events such as Pokémon GO Fest as well as special in-game features like Furfrou's La Reine Trim costume design. Furfrou's La Reine Trim. Gamers have an opportunity to catch rare in-game Pokémon in the gardens of Parc de Sceaux, too. Finish your journey with a tour of the Catacombs of Paris, the inspiration for the final scene in Assassin's Creed: Unity. The massive crypt holds the remains of six million people and just as many untold stories. (Related: Want to see the real Paris? Walk this way.) Before you live out your Uncharted dreams, take survival notes at the Botanical Gardens in the Parque de las Leyendas in Lima. Look for the Kantuta bush (Flor de la Cantuta), Peru's national flower and star of Inca myths and legends. Learn more about these stories at the Casona of the National University of San Marcos, home to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Its extensive collection of pottery and artwork provides clues to treasures found in the Gold Museum of Peru and Weapons of the World Museum—like Lara Croft in the video game Tomb Raider: Legend. It all comes together with a visit to the ancient Chachapoyas citadel Kuelap; the carved stone walls and buildings hidden in the Amazon Forest directly inspire the opening scene in the PlayStation game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. (Related: Go on a luxury rail journey through the Peruvian mountains.) Ann-Marie Cahill is a travel writer who loves to connect contemporary pop-culture with historic travel adventures—follow her on Instagram.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
That new Universal Epic Universe theme park in Orlando? An MTSU graduate helped build it
Universal Orlando has opened the nation's first major theme park in more than 20 years — and a Tennessean had a big part in creating it. Susan Cummings — from Spencer, Tennessee, about an hour east of Murfreesboro — is the executive producer for the Super Nintendo World section of the buzzy new Epic Universe park in Orlando. Cummings, 57, a 1990 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, led a team that designed the part of the park that brings decades of Nintendo games to life. Super Nintendo World includes areas like Super Mario Land, Yoshi's Adventure and Donkey Kong Country. Cummings is even featured in Universal Studios' promotional video for Super Nintendo World. In a phone interview with The Tennessean, Cummings said she has been surprised at how emotional some of the park's first visitors got when they saw their beloved Nintendo games in 3D. "Oh, my gosh, I saw people wiping away tears and saying, 'I can't believe I'm here,'" Cummings said. "People have strong multi-generational ties to these games. They are places you'd never expect to actually visit. You just them on screens large and small, but you'd never expect to be there." Cummings, who has been working on Super Nintendo World for six years, said she loves seeing visitors' strong reactions. "That's the good stuff," she said. "You forget all struggles with construction and budgets when you see someone experience it. That's why you do it." Cummings moved to Orlando after graduating from MTSU to pursue her dream of becoming a stand-up comedian. A friend's brother, comedian Joby Saad, was working in Orlando, and Cummings started opening for his shows and serving as emcee. While trying to launch her own comedy career, Cummings started working for theme parks in Orlando to pay her bills. Soon, Cummings found herself working at higher and higher levels in the Universal Studios theme park world. Cummings credits her time as a theater major at MTSU with launching a career in entertainment. In addition to being part of student productions, Cummings performed stand-up for the first time in Murfreesboro after one of her professors, Deborah Anderson, got her a slot at an open mic night. "I also remember getting a lot of parking tickets outside Schardt Hall where I lived for a few semesters!" she said. Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: MTSU grad helped build that new Universal Epic Universe theme park
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Mario, Yoshi and Donkey Kong take over Orlando in Universal's biggest new theme park land
Mario, Yoshi and Donkey Kong take over Orlando in Universal's biggest new theme park land Show Caption Hide Caption Early look at Universal Orlando's Epic Universe's SUPER NINTENDO WORLD Universal Orlando's Epic Universe park will include five new themed areas including SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Here's an early look inside. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD includes themed lands, rides, dining, and interactive experiences based on popular Nintendo franchises. The Orlando version is the third SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, larger than Hollywood's, and features unique attractions like Yoshi's Adventure. Mamma Mia! Mario, Luigi and the entire crew arrived in Florida this week. Universal Orlando's new theme park, Epic Universe, opened to the public on Thursday, May 22. It consists of five new lands for parkgoers to explore, including the highly anticipated SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Epic Universe is located in Universal's new south campus, about 15 minutes away from its other parks. The official address is 4700 E. Sand Lake Road in Orlando. Here's what theme park junkies and avid gamers need to know about SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Universal's Epic Universe. What is SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Epic Universe? The new world features rides, dining and immersive attractions based on the Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong franchises. It will feature two specific lands — Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country. Universal described the new world as a 'multi-sensory environment where guests can experience the fun and adventure of Nintendo games in a whole new way" in a previous news release. 'As guests emerge from the pipe, vibrant scenery and exciting kinetic energy surround them as they are greeted by the familiar sights and sounds that they've experienced on their Nintendo game consoles – from the towering Mt. Beanpole and majestic Peach's Castle to swaying Piranha Plants, pacing Goombas, spinning coins, '?' Blocks and more,' according to Universal. See map of Universal Orlando's Epic Universe What is the difference between Hollywood and Orlando SUPER NINTENDO WORLD? SUPER NINTENDO WORLD first opened at Universal Studios Japan in 2021, with Universal's Hollywood location getting its own in 2023. Orlando's land is the third in existence. Orlando's version resembles Japan's land and will be larger than Hollywood's. It has the first Yoshi's Adventure and Donkey Kong Country in the U.S. How many rides are in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD Orlando? SUPER NINTENDO WORLD has three rides for guests to experience. Gamers can experience some of their favorite Mario Kart courses in real life on Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. You will also throw shells and collect digital coins to beat Team Bowser. Universal also shared that the ride has multiple different outcomes, meaning it will be different every time you ride it. Over at Mine-Cart Madness, guests will enter the majestic Golden Temple and take off on the family coaster to help Donkey Kong protect the Golden Banana. Yoshi's Adventure will give guests 'breathtaking views of Super Mario Land as they join Yoshis and travel through Mushroom Kingdom landscapes in search of glowing eggs – encountering many familiar characters along the way,' according to Universal. What are the restaurants at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Epic Universe? SUPER NINTENDO WORLD has four different eateries, allowing guests to dine like their favorite video game characters. Its main quick-service restaurant is Toadstool Cafe, which is already a hit at other Nintendo parks worldwide. "Fuel up at Toadstool Cafe, where you can watch Chef Toad cooking up some of his favorite recipes and see playful scenes of the Mushroom Kingdom through the windows," Universal writes online. "Enjoy tasty creations prepared daily, including soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as delicious entrees and delectable desserts." There are also three different snack and beverage kiosks in the themed world: The Bubbly Barrel - Located in the heart of Donkey Kong Country, you'll find the perfect refreshment for your adventures in the jungle - Located in the heart of Donkey Kong Country, you'll find the perfect refreshment for your adventures in the jungle Yoshi's Snack Island - Enjoy a variety of juices and fruit-based specialty beverages, inspired by Yoshi's favorite food: fruit! Enjoy a variety of juices and fruit-based specialty beverages, inspired by Yoshi's favorite food: fruit! Turbo-Boost Treats - Guests can take a pit stop at Turbo-Boost Treats for some Mario Kart race day snacks. First taste of Universal Epic Universe: Trying its highly themed food, drinks Will there be shops at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Epic Universe? There are two souvenir shops — The 1-UP Factory and Mario Motors stores. Guests can also purchase a wearable Power-Up Band for additional interactivity across SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. 'With the Power-Up Band, guests can collect digital coins by punching '?' Blocks and playing interactive activities; collect digital stamps on attractions; earn digital keys to unlock an exclusive showdown against Bowser Jr.; and discover other hidden surprises,' Universal said last year. 'Guests can also access Leaderboard screens in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD to see where they rank amongst fellow guests.' Are there character meet-and-greets at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD? Yes! Guests can say hello and pose for photos with some of their favorite characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad. What are the other four portals at Universal's Epic Universe? Celestial Park – The first world guests encounter when they arrive, features relaxing gardens, a 'wet play area,' a grand carousel, and a dual-launch racing roller coaster with 5,000 feet of track and speeds up to 62 mph. Celestial Park will also be the gateway to Epic Universe's four other worlds, accessed by themed portals. The first world guests encounter when they arrive, features relaxing gardens, a 'wet play area,' a grand carousel, and a dual-launch racing roller coaster with 5,000 feet of track and speeds up to 62 mph. Celestial Park will also be the gateway to Epic Universe's four other worlds, accessed by themed portals. How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk gives fans of the 'How to Train Your Dragon' franchise a chance to finally soar like Hiccup, Astrid and their fellow Dragon Riders do on screen. gives fans of the 'How to Train Your Dragon' franchise a chance to finally soar like Hiccup, Astrid and their fellow Dragon Riders do on screen. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic blends "1920s wizarding Paris from Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Fantastic Beasts' films with the iconic British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series,' according to Universal Orlando, which is already home to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley blends "1920s wizarding Paris from Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Fantastic Beasts' films with the iconic British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series,' according to Universal Orlando, which is already home to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley Dark Universe – Guests can expect to 'encounter everything from the experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein to the shadowy landscape where monsters roam in a world of myth and mystery," according to Universal. Can I buy tickets to Epic Universe? How much are tickets to Epic Universe? Yes. Guests can purchase single-day admission or multi-day ticket packages to Epic Universe. Single-day tickets are available for visits starting Sunday, June 1. These tickets start at $139 and can go up to $199 during peak periods. Annual pass holders can purchase single-day tickets at a discounted price. May dates are unavailable unless you choose the multi-day ticket packages announced last year. The packages include one or more days at Universal's other parks and a single-day admission to Epic Universe. Universal has also announced other products guests can add onto their admission, including express passes, VIP Tours, photos and costume experiences.
