Nintendo Coming to Universal Parks

[devinp267]

Hopefully they Jampack the two existing parks before a third park.

yes, but leave the big hitters of Nintendo for park3, I agree with that.

 

[Mike S]

Remember not everything has to be a ride because people on here like to complain about rides with height limits. I can see the Kokiri Forest training camp and maze, a interactive dungeon crawl, a majora mask based shows (the abilities of the masks), and then for rides you have the boats, horses, and dragons which all can be ride vehicles exploring the land and the world of Hyrule.

I see them doing the Koroks instead and the Lost Woods. I’d like to see a Happy Mask Shop but I doubt they’d do any more than that. For ride vehicles they have a perfect excuse with Breath of the Wild’s “ancient technology” which is versatile enough to have made a motorcycle thematically appropriate for the series.

All they have to do is introduce an all terrain “horseless carriage” for the big E Ticket

 

[MLevell]

I still think all versions of Nintendo World that I've seen are missing a Super Mario ride. Unless that's what the Yoshi ride ends up being, all the proposed rides are based on spin-offs but the main franchise is weirdly absent. I'm not saying there shouldn't be say a Mario Kart ride but it feels weird that that very unusual take on the Mario Mythos is what they are focusing on. It's like if the Spider-Man ride was based on Spider-Man 2099 or set during the era when Spidey had 4 extra arms, they are perfectly valid takes of Spider-Man but not the iconic version, you know.

There should be a ride where we see Bowser capture Princess Peach and we have to go with Mario through a series of various lands to rescue her. It should be family friendly and would serve as a good introduction to the mythology for the uninitiated.

I just think that when this opens a whole lot of people are going to be confused when they walk into Mario land and there isn't a Mario ride.

 

[Viator]

I still think all versions of Nintendo World that I've seen are missing a Super Mario ride. Unless that's what the Yoshi ride ends up being, all the proposed rides are based on spin-offs but the main franchise is weirdly absent. I'm not saying there shouldn't be say a Mario Kart ride but it feels weird that that very unusual take on the Mario Mythos is what they are focusing on. It's like if the Spider-Man ride was based on Spider-Man 2099 or set during the era when Spidey had 4 extra arms, they are perfectly valid takes of Spider-Man but not the iconic version, you know.

There should be a ride where we see Bowser capture Princess Peach and we have to go with Mario through a series of various lands to rescue her. It should be family friendly and would serve as a good introduction to the mythology for the uninitiated.

I just think that when this opens a whole lot of people are going to be confused when they walk into Mario land and there isn't a Mario ride.

Mario Kart, isn't something that can be glossed over in the Mario franchise. It's one of the most popular aspects of the series, has been seen in multiple iconic interpretations, and has a lot of ride potential, more-so than the Donkey Kong Mine-carts.

If you want something where Bowser captures Princess Peach, and Mario goes to save the day, we will probably see that in the Illumination/Nintendo project. But what makes Mario Kart stand out, especially with what I've seen in past talks with sources, you don't need to know what a lot of it is. It's something unique for Universal, and that while it may not seem like that right now, it will once people see the Osaka version.

 

[Alicia]

I still think all versions of Nintendo World that I've seen are missing a Super Mario ride. Unless that's what the Yoshi ride ends up being, all the proposed rides are based on spin-offs but the main franchise is weirdly absent. I'm not saying there shouldn't be say a Mario Kart ride but it feels weird that that very unusual take on the Mario Mythos is what they are focusing on. It's like if the Spider-Man ride was based on Spider-Man 2099 or set during the era when Spidey had 4 extra arms, they are perfectly valid takes of Spider-Man but not the iconic version, you know.

There should be a ride where we see Bowser capture Princess Peach and we have to go with Mario through a series of various lands to rescue her. It should be family friendly and would serve as a good introduction to the mythology for the uninitiated.

I just think that when this opens a whole lot of people are going to be confused when they walk into Mario land and there isn't a Mario ride.

The main land and play areas and facades are all based on the original Mario bros franchise’s Mushroom Kingdom. And do not underestimate these play areas. We’re talking pipes, underground areas, floating coins, question mark and brick blocks you actually punch to redeem special items and stars, and more.

Why ride through a Mushroom Kingdom Ride, when you can experience it all yourself?

 

[Imperius]

Yeah I feel like Mario Kart is a much better ride option than a single Mario ride.

 

[Viator]

The main land and play areas and facades are all based on the original Mario bros franchise’s Mushroom Kingdom. And do not underestimate these play areas. We’re talking pipes, underground areas, floating coins, question mark and brick blocks you actually punch to redeem special items and stars, and more.

Why ride through a Mushroom Kingdom Ride, when you can experience it all yourself?

...as an honest question, if people are going to be able to punch the bricks, will they use a texture similar to the Krusty the Clown tongue from Simpsons Ride?

...i feel ashamed.

 

[Alicia]

...as an honest question, if people are going to be able to punch the bricks, will they use a texture similar to the Krusty the Krab tongue from Simpsons Ride?

I honestly have absolutely no idea what texture they will use. But hoping it is something durable and safe. Expect lots of interactive elements and moving figures throughout the entire land though.

 

[GadgetGuru]

I honestly have absolutely no idea what texture they will use. But hoping it is something durable and safe. Expect lots of interactive elements and moving figures throughout the entire land though.

I’m really happy that Nintendo is an outside IP. I feel like Universal is still a little hit-or-miss on maintenance unless they have an outside company making demands. I would hate to see all those elements die after the first summer.

 

[Viator]

I honestly have absolutely no idea what texture they will use. But hoping it is something durable and safe. Expect lots of interactive elements and moving figures throughout the entire land though.

I'm just curious to know what exactly will be included in the interactive elements, as it sounds like they are going all in on that, even more than the Diagon approach.

 

[Paulio]

I’m really happy that Nintendo is an outside IP. I feel like Universal is still a little hit-or-miss on maintenance unless they have an outside company making demands. I would hate to see all those elements die after the first summer.

That's true, but it still means you have to abide by their conditions and have to fork over half of the money to the 3rd party company. I really wish Universal uses its own IPs for once instead of relying on others, like Disney is doing with its Marvel and Lucasfilm movies. The two properties that used to be 3rd party properties in its parks are now owned by the House of Mouse. Universal still has its own distinct feature that makes its parks great in the first place. Relying on it too much makes me think you need to come up with a better franchise on your own because the parks are part of Universal's identity. Otherwise, Universal might go into an identity crisis.

 

[Ashhanbre]

I've seen Luigi's Mansion pop up here a couple of times in the last several pages. Can someone tell me where that came from? I wasn't aware of a Luigi's Mansion rumor anywhere (even in old plans) other than just us asking for it. I mean, a Luigi's Mansion ride would be a dream come true so I'd like to know as much about it as possible. (That being said, I would rather have a version of it that does not replace ET)

 

[Viator]

I've seen Luigi's Mansion pop up here the last several pages. Can someone tell me where that came from? I mean, a Luigi's Mansion ride would be a dream come true so I'd like to know as much about it as possible. (That being said, I would rather have a version of it that does not replace ET)

@Disneyhead brought it up on Magic.

 

[Mad Dog]

That's true, but it still means you have to abide by their conditions and have to fork over half of the money to the 3rd party company. I really wish Universal uses its own IPs for once instead of relying on others, like Disney is doing with its Marvel and Lucasfilm movies. The two properties that used to be 3rd party properties in its parks are now owned by the House of Mouse. Universal still has its own distinct feature that makes its parks great in the first place. Relying on it too much makes me think you need to come up with a better franchise on your own because the parks are part of Universal's identity. Otherwise, Universal might go into an identity crisis.

Probably one of the main reasons Comcast bought Dreamworks. There should be lots of Dreamworks & Illumiation IP's in the parks during the coming years. ...Even F&F, which may not end up as more than an average attraction, is sure to sell lots of merchandise.

 

[quinnmac000]

The main land and play areas and facades are all based on the original Mario bros franchise’s Mushroom Kingdom. And do not underestimate these play areas. We’re talking pipes, underground areas, floating coins, question mark and brick blocks you actually punch to redeem special items and stars, and more.

Why ride through a Mushroom Kingdom Ride, when you can experience it all yourself?

Special items...

I've seen Luigi's Mansion pop up here a couple of times in the last several pages. Can someone tell me where that came from? I wasn't aware of a Luigi's Mansion rumor anywhere (even in old plans) other than just us asking for it. I mean, a Luigi's Mansion ride would be a dream come true so I'd like to know as much about it as possible. (That being said, I would rather have a version of it that does not replace ET)

It was in the old Mario Kart concept art. It looked like it was part of the queue for MK.

 

[zg44]

Nintendo honestly feels more like an author collaborating with Universal than having a different media company as an IP owner. It's different from working with another media company for example.

The Simpsons deal with Fox and the Harry Potter deal with Warner both featured those media companies as the studios producing original media content for the IPs.

In this case, Universal is making Detective Pikachu and Illumination is making Mario movies (and potentially Zelda as well if the Mario movies are big successes).

So it really feels like a much more complete deal between Universal and Nintendo than the Simpsons or Harry Potter deals where the original authors/creators weren't handing over the IP as completely as the Universal-Nintendo collaboration.

 

[Mike S]

Nintendo honestly feels more like an author collaborating with Universal than having a different media company as an IP owner. It's different from working with another media company for example.

The Simpsons deal with Fox and the Harry Potter deal with Warner both featured those media companies as the studios producing original media content for the IPs.

In this case, Universal is making Detective Pikachu and Illumination is making Mario movies (and potentially Zelda as well if the Mario movies are big successes).

So it really feels like a much more complete deal between Universal and Nintendo than the Simpsons or Harry Potter deals where the original authors/creators weren't handing over the IP as completely as the Universal-Nintendo collaboration.

I don’t think Illumination would be the right choice for Zelda. It should be a more serious movie and I doubt they could do that justice.

 

[Paulio]

Probably one of the main reasons Comcast bought Dreamworks. There should be lots of Dreamworks & Illumiation IP's in the parks during the coming years. ...Even F&F, which may not end up as more than an average attraction, is sure to sell lots of merchandise.

Theme park wise, the animation department isn't really a strong point, as it's considered secondary. Universal parks started strong with its live-action franchises (without them, Universal parks would never happened and would likely license out its IPs to Disney, like many other non-Disney studios, thus eliminating competition in the theme park arena) and it seems they almost starting to run out. JW and F&F might not be around any longer and F&F might be running out of steam in a few more years, so it seems like an emergency situation within the next year.

It's one of the many reasons why Comcast is aggressively pursuing 21st Century Fox out of all the suitors aside from Disney, hoping that Fox properties would allow them to expand its future Universal park expansions and HHN mazes (such as AHS, Predator, and Alien), without the hassle of paying money to other companies and abiding by their conditions. Some of the Fox properties like Simpsons and Alien would fit better and survive longer at Universal than you would have from Disney. That would help keep both Comcast and Disney very competitive not just the film/TV industry, but in the theme park arena as well. Win and win for both Universal and Disney theme park fans.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

^^Aside from DM1, Illumination is horrible.

 

[zg44]

Theme park wise, the animation department isn't really a strong point, as it's considered secondary. Universal parks started strong with its live-action franchises (without them, Universal parks would never happened and would likely license out its IPs to Disney, like many other non-Disney studios, thus eliminating competition in the theme park arena) and it seems they almost starting to run out. JW and F&F might not be around any longer and F&F might be running out of steam in a few more years, so it seems like an emergency situation within the next year.

It's one of the many reasons why Comcast is aggressively pursuing 21st Century Fox out of all the suitors aside from Disney, hoping that Fox properties would allow them to expand its future Universal park expansions and HHN mazes (such as AHS, Predator, and Alien), without the hassle of paying money to other companies and abiding by their conditions. Some of the Fox properties like Simpsons and Alien would fit better and survive longer at Universal than you would have from Disney. That would help keep both Comcast and Disney very competitive not just the film/TV industry, but in the theme park arena as well. Win and win for both Universal and Disney theme park fans.

@Mad Dog's point though is that Universal's movie studio is shifting their emphasis towards animated features.

By 2019, when DreamWorks and Illumination are releasing a combined 3-4 movies each year, we should start to see those 3-4 movies always among the top 6-8 worldwide Universal films in terms of box office grosses.

That means a half of Universal's blockbusters will be animated movies.

That emphasis will shift to the parks is what @Mad Dog is pointing out; when your biggest box office movies are animated franchises, expect those animated franchises to take over the parks. (This will apply to Nintendo as well given that Illumination will be making Mario movies).

That's Comcast's grand plan.