Super Nintendo World is filled with secrets (pic: Metro.co.uk)
New rumours suggest theme park attractions based on Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, and Luigi’s Mansion are planned for Universal Orlando in the coming years.
With Super Nintendo World set to launch at Universal Orlando in Florida next year, it seems more rides based on video game properties could be in the works at the resort.
Following parks in Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood in L.A., Super Nintendo World is set to open at Universal Orlando in 2025 – complete with Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, an outdoor Yoshi ride, and the planned Donkey Kong expansion.
Nintendo, however, isn’t the only the company to have announced a partnership with Universal in recent years. In 2021, The Pokémon Company partnered with Universal Studios Japan to bring a ‘uniquely Pokémon experience’ to the park – although no details of the attraction have emerged since.
As reported by Orlando Park Stop, however, plans for a Pokémon-themed area look set to be replicated at the Orlando resort. The outlet notes that a ride based on The Simpsons, which is expected to close over the next couple of years, could be replaced with the new Pokémon area.
While the outlet notes that is speculation, it is commonplace for rides at the Japanese resort to be cloned at Universal’s other parks around the world.
The Pokémon ride in the works for Japan is rumoured to use augmented reality, much like Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge at Super Nintendo World. It’s claimed it would replicate a Pokémon battle in a vehicle, with players giving orders for attacks through hand gestures.
It’s believed this ride could be connected to a general Pokémon-themed area, where attendees can purchase an interactive pokéball to catch pokémon, all connected to an app (like the Power Up bands at Super Nintendo World).
According to the outlet, this Pokémon land in Orlando was speculated to be opening by 2030, but new rumours suggest it could ‘open several years sooner than expected’.
Elsewhere, it’s rumoured that an attraction based on The Legend of Zelda could be planned for Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. It’s speculated to feature an indoor boat ride and a small outdoor roller coaster, along with a restaurant themed after the Deku Tree.
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Perhaps more surprisingly, an extension to Super Nintendo World based on Luigi’s Mansion is also rumoured. According to the outlet, the ride would see attendees ‘traversing rooms of a haunted mansion, using a new version of the Poltergust ghost vacuum’ using interactive shooter technology.
While it’s best to take these rumours with a grain of salt, the success of Super Nintendo World will certainly inspire other theme park attractions based on video games. Nintendo also has a Zelda movie in the works too, so an attraction to coincide with its release in the coming years is a possibility.
There’s been no sign of a new Luigi’s Mansion game in a while but perhaps Universal has secret information that Nintendo has another one cooking – beyond the remaster of Luigi’s Mansion 2 coming later this year.
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Super Nintendo World could receive a Luigi’s Mansion expansion too.