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Universal's Epic Universe | Orlando USA | Theme Park

Shame that they've already planned in Nintendo World, looking at how they've executed it in Japan I'd rather they plonk something else there, in my opinion anyway. Excited to see how this progresses though!
Universal is a strange place! You look at Islands of Adventure which is possibly the best theme park in the world and you could argue that half the lands are garbage!
 
Shame that they've already planned in Nintendo World, looking at how they've executed it in Japan I'd rather they plonk something else there, in my opinion anyway. Excited to see how this progresses though!
Nintendo World looks awful (apart from the theming) and I'm possibly one of the biggest Nintendo fans on this board. I've been playing and completing all Mario games since 1989, have owned all their consoles. What a terrible idea for a theme park to just make an extension of more video games. It makes no sense. It all looks like hard work and not even as enjoyable as just playing the Switch at home. The Mario Kart ride moves at the speed of Gangsta Granny with a see through TV.

I wanted Mario themed steel coasters, a Yoshi ride coaster and a massive Zelda themed woodie.

What a complete and utter waste of time and money. Perhaps it finds an audience but I don't get it at all to be honest.
The combination of Nintendo and a new theme park should have meant Disney quality rides, at least 6 or so big ones with at least a few big roller coasters surely.

Mario kart is a shooter? that doesn't even look as good as Maus au Chocolat or Buzz Lightyear. What the hell is going on? Truly lost their minds. And don't give me crap that they cannot create immersive experiences with a coaster, if Universal can do it with Harry Potter and Jurassic Park and Disney can do it with Snow White, Tron or seeing a Yeti on Mount Everest then Nintendo and certainly Mario and Zelda can have coasters. These two franchises can be anything they need to be to create that: Flying, hanggliding, racing (car or bike), a Donkey Kong mine cart coaster. SO MANY possibilities.
What a disgrace and patronising towards kids. Not least forgetting the millions of adults who play Nintendo and would happily pay handsomely for a thrilling physical Nintendo experience.

And if it is truly a question about money I would argue that a single Cars like Radiator Springs Mario Kart racer ride that can capture many Nintendo themes in one go plonked at an existing Universal park would have been far better and more fun than an entirely new theme park with no thrilling rides and no room for future expansion.

***goes back to playing on the Switch..
 
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Nintendo World looks awful (apart from the theming) and I'm possibly one of the biggest Nintendo fans on this board. I've been playing and completing all Mario games since 1989, have owned all their consoles. What a terrible idea for a theme park to just make an extension of more video games. It makes no sense. It all looks like hard work and not even as enjoyable as just playing the Switch at home. The Mario Kart ride moves at the speed of Gangsta Granny with a see through TV.

I wanted Mario themed steel coasters, a Yoshi ride coaster and a massive Zelda themed woodie.

What a complete and utter waste of time and money. Perhaps it finds an audience but I don't get it at all to be honest.
The combination of Nintendo and a new theme park should have meant Disney quality rides, at least 6 or so big ones with at least a few big roller coasters surely.

Mario kart is a shooter? that doesn't even look as good as Maus au Chocolat or Buzz Lightyear. What the hell is going on? Truly lost their minds. And don't give me crap that they cannot create immersive experiences with a coaster, if Universal can do it with Harry Potter and Jurassic Park and Disney can do it with Snow White, Tron or seeing a Yeti on Mount Everest then Nintendo and certainly Mario and Zelda can have coasters. These two franchises can be anything they need to be to create that: Flying, hanggliding, racing (car or bike), a Donkey Kong mine cart coaster. SO MANY possibilities.
What a disgrace and patronising towards kids. Not least forgetting the millions of adults who play Nintendo and would happily pay handsomely for a thrilling physical Nintendo experience.

And if it is truly a question about money I would argue that a single Cars like Radiator Springs Mario Kart racer ride that can capture many Nintendo themes in one go plonked at an existing Universal park would have been far better and more fun than an entirely new theme park with no thrilling rides and no room for future expansion.

***goes back to playing on the Switch..

So you're not too keen on it then?
 
So you're not too keen on it then?
That's the short answer indeed instead of me babbling on. :p

Like VR I'm not convinced AR will ever be as entertaining as riding a coaster or experiencing a good drop tower etc. And with Nintendo having the Mario Kart AR thing for at home, this just seems weird in a way and perhaps pointless.
Unless a trackless ride can move at 40-50mph minimum I think it even being suggested for Mario Kart is also just bizarre.
 
Nintendo World looks awful (apart from the theming) and I'm possibly one of the biggest Nintendo fans on this board. I've been playing and completing all Mario games since 1989, have owned all their consoles. What a terrible idea for a theme park to just make an extension of more video games. It makes no sense. It all looks like hard work and not even as enjoyable as just playing the Switch at home. The Mario Kart ride moves at the speed of Gangsta Granny with a see through TV.

I wanted Mario themed steel coasters, a Yoshi ride coaster and a massive Zelda themed woodie.

What a complete and utter waste of time and money. Perhaps it finds an audience but I don't get it at all to be honest.
The combination of Nintendo and a new theme park should have meant Disney quality rides, at least 6 or so big ones with at least a few big roller coasters surely.

Mario kart is a shooter? that doesn't even look as good as Maus au Chocolat or Buzz Lightyear. What the hell is going on? Truly lost their minds. And don't give me crap that they cannot create immersive experiences with a coaster, if Universal can do it with Harry Potter and Jurassic Park and Disney can do it with Snow White, Tron or seeing a Yeti on Mount Everest then Nintendo and certainly Mario and Zelda can have coasters. These two franchises can be anything they need to be to create that: Flying, hanggliding, racing (car or bike), a Donkey Kong mine cart coaster. SO MANY possibilities.
What a disgrace and patronising towards kids. Not least forgetting the millions of adults who play Nintendo and would happily pay handsomely for a thrilling physical Nintendo experience.

And if it is truly a question about money I would argue that a single Cars like Radiator Springs Mario Kart racer ride that can capture many Nintendo themes in one go plonked at an existing Universal park would have been far better and more fun than an entirely new theme park with no thrilling rides and no room for future expansion.

***goes back to playing on the Switch..
All of this.

While I'm far from being a target customer since I haven't played video games for years, I'm still familiar enough with Nintendo/Mario to see the whole thing as a massively wasted opportunity.

A Mario Kart ride with a Universal budget, especially a Japanese budget, had the potential to be a huge game changer.

No, I haven't ridden it. Yes, it will be better than the POVs show. No, that doesn't stop it being a terrible waste.
 
I'm not totally negative on this, but as a huge nintendo fan, it certainly does feel like a waste. I always imagined a Nintendo theme park having an F-Zero rollercoaster or a Metroid dark ride or something. Honestly there's potential to make a Disney-sized theme park out of JUST nintendo properties.

Given how Nintendo uses (or doesn't use) their IP's, it doesn't surprise me that they just landed on that homogeneous Mario theme for everything, but it's still kind of lame.
 
Keep in mind that there are plans for a DK mine cart coaster thing. I won't judge the Mario Kart ride before I actually tried it but yeah... I would have loved to see a faster paced attraction for that franchise, as well. I understand why Nintendo partners up with another company with experience but there is definitely enough material for a full sized Nintendo park. I'd love to see one. They should have enough money, as well. But I guess that won't happen.
 
It's like the top gun stall but you get to be both sides each time! I didn't know you could patent an element though 🤔
 
As said by @CSLKennyNI in october, Roland Mack confirmed that Mack Rides has recieved an order from Universal well over 20 millions euros, to build the largest roller coaster in the world. It was planned for 2023, but Universal cancelled the order. Roland Mack thinks that the order will come, but he can't predict when.

The patent really looks like the element on the concept art, so i think that's another clue:

The layout:

SpaceCoaster03b.jpg

SpaceCoaster03.jpg


Mack's patent:

imgf0001.png


Universal Park Stop has done a Planet Coaster pre-creation (it's not smooth and not really at scale 😅)


The Splash Battle which is located next to the racing coaster is rumored to be a Mack's one.

 
I am actually kind off surprised Universal would go for another launch coaster after Hagrids and Velocicoaster. Especially the latter.

Oh and isn't the How to train your dragon supposed to be a launch coaster aswell?
 
I am actually kind off surprised Universal would go for another launch coaster after Hagrids and Velocicoaster. Especially the latter.

Oh and isn't the How to train your dragon supposed to be a launch coaster aswell?
Thing is, the alternative way to get a train up to speed is to use a very tall lift hill. Those tend to stick out a lot and are difficult to theme. It's simply more convenient to speed up trains using launches these days.
 
Not only that, a launch works much better narratively for a ride with a story. A ride with a lift hill means that guests spend a lot of time being able to look out at the surroundings (and therefor ruin the immersion) as they ascend a normal lift hill. This is solved with a quick acceleration.

For example, Hollywood Dream has a huge tunnel surrounding it’s lift hill so that guests arn’t spoiled by views of the backstage.
 
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