If you’ve been paying attention to Nintendo for a bit, you’ll know that it’s been on a mission to “expand its reach.” Specifically, they’re not content with just doing the “gaming thing” anymore; they want to show people from all over the world that The Big N can do more than just make video games. In fact, that’s part of the reason that the Nintendo Museum recently opened, to show how the company has evolved considerably over the decades. Another way that Nintendo has expanded its reach is through Super Nintendo World, the amusement park that was made alongside Universal Studios.
Even with the Kyoto, Japan location opening up during the global pandemic, the park has been a huge success. It was such a success that it was eventually brought over to the United States via the Universal Studios park in California, which led to the announcement of the Orlando location also getting a park. That’s where our story picks up because we finally know when Super Nintendo World in Orlando will open, and it’s May 22nd, 2025!
The reason this is important is that it’s not just Nintendo’s park that’s opening up; it’s the entire “Epic Universe” that Universal has been crafting for a while. They’ve reorganized the park so that they could have five specific parks in one location, each with its own universe based on things like the character of Harry Potter, or the universe with Hiccup and Toothless, and, of course, Nintendo’s prized gaming lineup. Undoubtedly, the “Epic Universe” is trying to create an experience unlike any other, where people from all over can come and be a part of some of the best franchises around.
Sticking with Nintendo for a bit, the image dropped in the reveal above indicates that when Nintendo’s park opens in Orlando, the Mario section won’t be the only thing there. Instead, we’ll also likely have the Donkey Kong part of the park open, which means that there will be all-new rides to go on and places to go to.
That’s important because Nintendo made it clear early on that they really wanted to keep adding sections to the park based on the many IPs they had. Mario kicked things off, with Donkey Kong being announced close behind. There are already rumors about either Hyrule or the Pikmin being next in line for the expansion.
Either way, when May 22nd arrives, more people will be able to experience Nintendo’s franchises in new ways.
