Super Nintendo World (Osaka)

[JungleSkip]

Here is a review of Mario Kart, taken from the comments on this link. It is from someone with zero knowledge of the video games, but is an honest first impression. No pics or video is included, just text.

Spoiler: Mario Kart Review

So, about the Mario Kart ride. You enter via the impressive facade of Bowser's Castle. When we entered, it said "wait time 15 minutes". Most of that time was spent walking, nonstop, to the actual ride's start. The holding queue is just INCREDIBLE. Huge room after huge room after huge room of snaking queue. We didn't have to actually walk the majority of it because they had huge parts of each room bypassed, but it was just AMAZING how many people could be funneled in there. I have no experience in judging crowd sizes, but I guessed that the queue could hold 2,000 people. My friend's guess was 3,000 people.



Before you get to the huge holding-pen rooms, you walk down a wide hallway (made un-wide by railings to keep you at most two abreast, likely a COVID thing) with the trophies seen in the video.

There's a lot of Mario-world detail to enjoy along the whole queue, though perhaps in the big holding-pen rooms, where you're snaking back and forth and back and forth and back and forth for likely a big chunk of time in each room, the views would get a bit stale until you moved to the next room.



Eventually you move past the big holding-pen rooms and into some much-more-elaborate areas with less queue-snaking, with some really amazing ambiance. I don't know the details of the game, but it was really nicely done and I found myself wanting to go slower to try to take it in. (Remember, we weren't waiting in a line, we were just walking there.) I remember a large Library area that was super interesting. Again, very, very well done.

I can imagine that on a busy day, when you've waited an hour or two just to get to this point, it'll really get a fan's heart racing.



Then the queue moves downstairs, where again, you're enveloped in a really-well-made vibe. You're in some big kind of reactor room, with glowing lava rocks. (It felt to me like Half Life meets Minecraft). The lighting is subdued to perfection. Adrenaline will be flowing.



At one point you're given a rubber-and-plastic visor thing. This was at a set of doors, prior to entering whatever came next, and this was the first time that we had to actually wait. I inspected the visor thing carefully.... just rubber (to make it fit painlessly) and plastic. No electronics of any kind. We finally decided that it was just an accessory to help people feel the part.

When the doors opened, we went into a room with a lot of monitors on them, showing stuff. I didn't realize it right away, but eventually realized that they were instructions. No words, just language-neutral presentation (like Lego instructions, but without instilling the desire to kill yourself).



What I got from the instructions is that when we got to the kart, we would be given AR goggles that snapped onto the visors we already had. We could look around in three dimensions and see things to shoot at, and shoot at them with two buttons on either side of the steering wheel. (I imagine that the two buttons had identical function, but not sure).

Also, at times, we'd see an indication in the AR goggles that we should turn right or left, and if everyone in the car did, you'd get some coins. [After having actually ridden, I got the feeling that the steering wheel had no influence on the kart's actual movement... just on your kart's score, but it's not impossible that if all four people did the turn correctly, the kart's movement would be impacted... perhaps made smoother?]

The karts seat four. The rear seats are quite a bit higher than the front seats, so nothing is blocking your view. You sit down, pull the safety bar to yourself. It has the wired AR goggles sitting on them... they snap into the visor on your head via magnets (so I guess they have metal as well as rubber and plastic). It was quite dark and things were moving fast so I didn't have a chance to really inspect them, but the lenses were attached only at the top to the unit (that clicked onto the headband), and had no side or lower rims. I seem to remember that they were a bit yellowish, like the goggles of an X-Wing pilot.... but mostly flat... just slightly curved.

There are two separate tracks, and so you face off in some kind of competition with the kart opposite you.

 Once you start, the AR kicks in and you are OVERWHELMED by stuff for a short while. Things flying here and there, all kinds of stuff I couldn't really understand, and can't remember. It was overwhelming only for a short while, I guess until the competition actually started, then it seemed to calm down to normal game-play level. Maybe they wanted to impress you with the AR via shock and awe? It worked.



If you look down, you see an AR dashboard with two numbers, one being your coins, and the other your ammo. If you looked out and about and up, even behind you, you saw all kinds of AR stuff (things you're supposed to shoot, or that are supposed to startle you, or just entertain you, I guess)

The head/AR accuracy was very good, as was the spacial awareness in the entire space. Your shots were aimed via where you pointed your face, and if I looked at the kart next to us (~5-10 meters, depending) and shot, the shot would splat off the car. But a little up or in front and it would go off into the distance until it hit the wall or some AR item.

It took me a while to realize that I had to aim my *face* and not eyes. This came naturally for everything except the dash board, which I soon forgot about because it wasn't there when I *glanced* down. I had to actually bow my head down to see it. Once I did, I saw the ammo count and realized why sometimes I could shoot and sometimes I couldn't.

I don't quite understand the ammo count. At one point I noticed that it was in the 30s, but 10 shots later it was zero. It could be that each shot takes more than one unit (?), or maybe you get new ammo for each sub-section of the ride, and I looked at it when it had just reset to zero? Dunno.

Besides the AR, there's a lot of practical stuff as well, and at times some HUGE screens covering the walls that make some incredible visuals.

The video that Sam mentioned in his reply to me suggested that there were sections of the ride based on different parts of the game. I have no idea whether this was true because it was all the same to me. And things were going very fast, most of which I didn't understand. And I was shooting everything I could look at.... I didn't have time to try to understand it. Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a game reviewer.



I imagine that if I tried it a couple more times, and learned exactly what I'm supposed to shoot and not shoot, it'd be quite fun in a competitive way, but as it was, it was just fun in an overwhelming way. I suppose it'll be like that for most people the first time.

Near the end, the cars align and you stop for a moment at some screens and apparently they showed our scores, and you could presumably compare your car's four people's scores with that of the car you were playing against. But by the time it registered what I was looking at, we were whisked away so I never even figured out which display showed my car and my score and the scores of my friends. Again, a few more times through and I'd probably have it down pat.

In looking at the ride-specific video that Sam shared, a few comments come to mind. Yes, it's a tracked ride. I don't think "Nintendo Characters in other cars will ride up beside you" happened, unless it was in AR. A lot of stuff was happening in AR.

The kart ride was the only AR that I noticed in Super Nintendo World.
 While the karts where moving, I don't recall any feeling of going faster than we actually were. (If there were any of the visual tricks that were mentioned in the video, they didn't work on me, but I don't think there were). There was lots of spinning and sudden lurches and bumping and stopping, so it's throwing you around quite a bit. Maybe if everyone's steering a the right times, it goes smoother?

When you're back at the loading dock, you exit via a gift shop.

Of course our first “review” comes from someone who had no idea what was going on

 

[GAcoaster]

Of course our first “review” comes from someone who had no idea what was going on

Probably the best way to review it. The typical guest who rides may be in the same boat with just casual knowledge of the Super Nintendo franchise (like me), so if they enjoy it coming from that place, it means it should be enjoyable to most of the GP, and even more enjoyable to fans.

When we took my brother in law to Wizarding World he loved it despite having no interest and limited knowledge of the Potter franchise. A good attraction should be enjoyable to anyone without having to study for it in advance.

 

[JungleSkip]

Probably the best way to review it. The typical guest who rides may be in the same boats with just casual knowledge of the Super Nintendo franchise (like me), so if they enjoy it coming from that place, it means it should be enjoyable to most of the GP, and even more enjoyable to fans.

When we took my brother in law to Wizarding World he loved it despite having no interest and limited knowledge of the Potter franchise. A good attraction should be enjoyable to anyone without having to study for it in advance.

Yea, but I'm not looking for a GP POV. I'm looking for the nitty gritty. Like are there really no AAs or was he just completely lost in AR that he missed them? It's weird that there was no mention of characters at all.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Just saying people, I learned to love Potter FROM Hogsmeade at IOA, so this guys opinion isn’t worthless and could open him up to a whole new world for himself.

 

[JT308]

My thing is if you were going to make a MIB 2.0 ride, I'm not sure that Mario Kart would've been the best IP to choose. Do Pokemon or something else for that and make Mario Kart more of a speedy "wow we're racing through the game" ride. I understand there are technical issues with making that work, but the original concept art that leaked years ago with ramps and drops looked way better than what we're likely going to get. Don't get me wrong, I still think it will be a great ride, but it was different than what I was expecting.

Kind of like Smugglers Run, the front two pilot seats are fun to pull the hyperdrive, but for the back four seats it's almost better to let the tasks be on auto and enjoy the ride instead of playing the "game".

 

[JungleSkip]

Just saying people, I learned to love Potter FROM Hogsmeade at IOA, so this guys opinion isn’t worthless and could open him up to a whole new world for himself.

Not saying his opinion is worthless in the grand scheme of things.

It's just worthless for me. lol

My thing is if you were going to make a MIB 2.0 ride, I'm not sure that Mario Kart would've been the best IP to choose. Do Pokemon or something else for that and make Mario Kart more of a speedy "wow we're racing through the game" ride. I understand there are technical issues with making that work, but the original concept art that leaked years ago with ramps and drops looked way better than what we're likely going to get. Don't get me wrong, I still think it will be a great ride, but it was different than what I was expecting.

Kind of like Smugglers Run, the front two pilot seats are fun to pull the hyperdrive, but for the back four seats it's almost better to let the tasks be on auto and enjoy the ride instead of playing the "game".

I don't think there's a way for the ride to be speedy and interactive, and I think interactive is more important overall. People want to feel like they're living the game, not just passing through it.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

That was a poorly done review and I wouldn't jump to conclusions based on it... *reads thread* ... oh y'all do you I guess.

 

[HandsomePete]

Hopefully they did their research to determine if the public wants a Mario Kart ride that‘s fast or a Mario Kart ride that’s like playing a video game, since the two are pretty close to mutually exclusive.

 

[Alicia]

Hopefully they did their research to determine if the public wants a Mario Kart ride that‘s fast or a Mario Kart ride that’s like playing a video game, since the two are pretty close to mutually exclusive.

It's going to be this weird paradox where some will complain the ride isn't fast or that they wanted "real go-karts," but the line will always be long and it will garner re-rides from people that love how much there is to see and how the interactive elements make you want to ride again and again.

You can ride go-karts anywhere. Despite all the comments from people on my youtube videos saying they wished Universal made a "real" Mario Kart go-kart course, in practice that would've been quite literally the cheapest way to do this, and would've stripped away everything that makes the video game series special.

People don't know what they want.

 

[JungleSkip]

It's going to be this weird paradox where some will complain the ride isn't fast or that they wanted "real go-karts," but the line will always be long and it will garner re-rides from people that love how much there is to see and how the interactive elements make you want to ride again and again.

You can ride go-karts anywhere. Despite all the comments from people on my youtube videos saying they wished Universal made a "real" Mario Kart go-kart course, in practice that would've been quite literally the cheapest way to do this, and would've stripped away everything that makes the video game series special.

People don't know what they want.

Also how would "real go karts" even work? You wouldn't be able to use weapons or power ups or do things like simulate the karts "flying"/"going underwater"/etc.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

It's going to be this weird paradox where some will complain the ride isn't fast or that they wanted "real go-karts," but the line will always be long and it will garner re-rides from people that love how much there is to see and how the interactive elements make you want to ride again and again.

You can ride go-karts anywhere. Despite all the comments from people on my youtube videos saying they wished Universal made a "real" Mario Kart go-kart course, in practice that would've been quite literally the cheapest way to do this, and would've stripped away everything that makes the video game series special.

People don't know what they want.

I’ve sent my sister your videos and she is still convinced it’s a rollercoaster.

 

[Alicia]

Also how would "real go karts" even work? You wouldn't be able to use weapons or power ups or do things like simulate the karts "flying"/"going underwater"/etc.

Hope you can hold your breath real good!

 

[Parkscope Joe]

People don't know what they want.

QFT

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Hope you can hold your breath real good!

“you may get wet on this ride”

 

[shiekra38]

People don't know what they want.

Also they have no concept of how capacity works

 

[Pacific]

Yeah, after doing some re-reads on that review, it just wasn't very good. It was kind of all over the place and he sounds "too" confused. I'm going to reverse comments until we get official info on the ride from Universal.

The important thing is that he had fun.

Edit: The people who want Mario Kart to be just go-karts seen this video one too many times:

 

[Nick]

I would be surprised if we get ride-throughs of MK any time soon. Universal has a whole team dedicated to online surveillance and basically any time certain key words that they are monitoring get mentioned on twitter or even here, they will find out about it. That's why I expect any youtube videos posted to be taken down quickly.

 

[ParkExplorer9513]

I would be surprised if we get ride-throughs of MK any time soon. Universal has a whole team dedicated to online surveillance and basically any time certain key words that they are monitoring get mentioned on twitter or even here, they will find out about it. That's why I expect any youtube videos posted to be taken down quickly.

Looks like Universal hired Nintendo's ninjas after all. XP

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I would be surprised if we get ride-throughs of MK any time soon. Universal has a whole team dedicated to online surveillance and basically any time certain key words that they are monitoring get mentioned on twitter or even here, they will find out about it. That's why I expect any youtube videos posted to be taken down quickly.

Between this and the only review we have saying it’s more AR heavy imma try and wait if I can, imma follow this thread but I’m thinking I’ve waited long enough that I can wait for Hollywood.

Can I ask a stupid question though? Why SO strict on leaks? Part of me understands they may still tweak things so they don’t want their unfinished projected out, but it all seems so secretitive. Maybe it’s a killer way to build up hype but for me, I’d wanna show off even just a tiny bit of my newest E ticket I’m building 4 times across the globe.

If this were Disney we’d have a full ride thru, and with Universal we’ve legit not seen the ride haha, it’s funny how these companies operate sometimes.

 

[JungleSkip]

I would be surprised if we get ride-throughs of MK any time soon. Universal has a whole team dedicated to online surveillance and basically any time certain key words that they are monitoring get mentioned on twitter or even here, they will find out about it. That's why I expect any youtube videos posted to be taken down quickly.

I watched basically the entire Endgame climax the week before it came out.

Something will always slip through the net