The Mario-themed amusement park based in Japan will drastically increase in size once a new Donkey Kong section has been constructed in two years’ time.
Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan first opened its doors on March 18, 2021, and already a significant expansion to the theme park has been given the official go-ahead.
In 2024, a Donkey Kong themed area will be opened, comprising “a roller coaster, interactive experiences and themed merchandise and food” that will be set in “lush jungles.” You can see the official announcement image for the expansion below:
This sprawling new area will apparently increase Super Nintendo World’s size by “approximately 70%”, and like the Super Mario location, it will combine technology with the more traditional aspects of a theme park for a particularly immersive experience.
Related: After Super Nintendo World, here are the video game theme parks we really want to see
In its official press release, Nintendo claims that the Donkey Kong franchise had sold over 65 million units of video games since its launch as an arcade game all the way back in 1981, with subsequent titles appearing on the SNES, Wii, and Nintendo Switch.
While the character may now be best known for his cameo roles in the likes of MarioKart, or even from his looming presence in the compelling documentary The King of Kong, about the quest to beat the high score on the original arcade platform, he could be reimagined for an entirely new generation in the upcoming Super Mario Bros: The Movie, scheduled for release in 2022, in which he will be voiced by none other than Jack Black.
Whereas a cacophonous crash seems inevitable in that upcoming film (thanks to the casting of Chris Pratt in the leading role), we hope that will not be the case on the new rollercoasters.
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