The rides at Universal Studios Hollywood make you feel like you’ve entered a blockbuster movie or TV series—think Jurassic World or The Simpsons™—but the park’s SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ throws you into a real-life video game populated by Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach, as well as their friends and foes Bowser, Toad, and Yoshi.
Once you walk through the rainbow-lit, green warp pipe that marks the entrance of the area at the Los Angeles park, you feel pretty transported into a video-game village that will feel familiar to fans of games like Mario Kart and Super Mario Brothers. You’ll walk past Princess Peach’s Castle, Bowser’s Castle, and Mount Beanpole, the whole area dotted with toadstools, piranhas, and other characters from the video games’ world. And what if you don’t know a Goomba from a Koopa Troopa? Worry not. The mix of hands-on activities and high-tech special effects—using augmented reality and projection mapping technology—will make this zone appealing even if you’re never played any of the video games before.
Consider Buying a Power-Up Band
To make the most of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, consider getting a Power-Up Band™, a snap-on wristband that interacts with the area’s ride and most of its other activities. You certainly don’t need a band to enjoy the main ride, but if you want to collect points from the ride and the other interactive stations around the zone, you’ll want the band.
You can purchase bands at the shop inside SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, the Universal Studio Store near the park entrance, or the Super Nintendo World Store on Universal CityWalk. Then, sync your band with the free Universal Studios Hollywood Mobile App to track your points on your phone, so you can compare scores with your companions, or check where you stand on that day’s leader board.
Steer Your Go-Kart and Collect Points
The premise, or storyline, of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is that dragon nemesis Bowser Jr. has stolen a golden mushroom, and it’s your mission to help get it back. Start by riding Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge, an indoor ride where you push buttons from your go-kart seat to “throw” shells at Koopas, Bullet Bills, and other obstacles as you race through different courses to collect points and compete for the Golden Cup. If there happens to be a line for the ride, you will have plenty to entertain you while you wait: The queue winds through a labyrinth in the interior of Bowser’s Castle, lined with his trophies, his throne, and plenty of Easter egg–inspired memorabilia. Once you board the ride, you put on augmented-reality goggles that add another dimension to your view—you can suddenly see both your video game–style targets and your changing score. If you have a Power-Up Band, be sure to tap it on the steering wheel’s “M” to collect your points.
Play at Interactive Stations
Beyond the ride, the band also lets you collect digital coins and “keys” throughout the SUPER NINTENDO WORLD area. Stop at the interactive stations, marked with “pow” blocks (you punch the bottom of the blocks to collect points), then complete the hands-on games—like spinning a crank or hitting the snooze buttons on giant light-up alarm clocks—to collect digital “keys.”
Once you’ve collected three digital keys, head to the Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown, located next to Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge. In this impressive high-tech room, your shadow projects onto a motion tracking wall so that you can jump, throw, and punch at fireballs and falling bombs to rack up more points.
Where to Eat and Shop
The restaurant inside SUPER NINTENDO WORLD offers its own take on the Mushroom Kingdom, and is certainly more than just a place to sit down for theme park cuisine. The menu at Toadstool Café offers a range of creative crowd-pleasers, such as Mario Bacon Cheeseburgers (the bun is decorated with an edible-ink moustache), Toadstool Cheesey Garlic Knots, or a Piranha Plant Caprese salad plated to look like a piranha. Drinks and desserts are vividly colorful, such as the Super Star Lemon Squash—with honey lemon soda and tropical boba—and the rainbow-layered Mount Beanpole Cake.
Gaze out the restaurant windows (which are actually video screens showing more Mushroom Kingdom characters) and take note of how, when the restaurant lights dim and thunder can be heard, it’s clear that Bowser must be passing by. Pick up some merch next door at the 1-Up Factory™ store, including a wide variety of t-shirts, Mario and Luigi hoodies, and Yoshi and Bowser plushies. Keep an eye out, meanwhile, for meet-and-greets with strolling characters including Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach.
Before You Go
Since the area is new, be sure to download the Universal app so that you can make a Virtual Line reservation for a timed entrance to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. The area, of course, is just one part of a full day at Universal Studios Hollywood. For more immersive experiences, don’t miss park attractions such as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, Jurassic World: The Ride, and the behind-the-scenes Studio Tour. To plan your day at the park, check out our tips on visiting Universal Studios Hollywood and how to skip the lines at California theme parks.
