Image: Nintendo
With a faltering Wii U console and free-to-play mobile games encroaching on its dedicated handheld gaming device business, it makes sense for Nintendo to diversify its portfolio. In March, the legendary gaming company announced it's starting the sad but inevitable shift to free-to-play mobile games itself. Today, it announced a surprising but potentially delightful new business venture: theme parks.That's right. Nintendo, which more or less has a monopoly on your childhood gaming memories with iconic game series like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid, today announced it partnered with Universal Parks & Resorts to create "spectacular, dedicated experiences based on Nintendo's wildly popular games, characters and worlds," the company said in a press release."The immersive experiences will include major attractions at Universal's theme parks and will feature Nintendo's most famous characters and games," the company said. "More details will be announced in the future, as the Nintendo and Universal creative teams work to create specific concepts."Aside from being a huge movie production studio, Universal operates theme parks based on its biggest movie properties in California, Florida, Japan, and Singapore. We don't know at which of these locations Nintendo rides will pop up, but Universal already has some attractions in Japan based on games like Monster Hunter and Resident Evil.If you're a little older, you probably know Universal theme parks as the place that's not Disney World/Land, where the animatronic Jaws shark jumps out of the water. If you were young enough to get caught up in Harry Potter-mania, you probably know Universal Parks & Resorts for operating The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a generally well-received Potter section of the theme park.The Nintendo and Universal partnership actually makes sense in the light of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Both Nintendo and Potter are Big Brands which continue to appeal to news kids and create life-long loyalties.It also makes sense aesthetically. Nintendo has a catalogue of colorful worlds and characters with Disney-like timelessness. But what kind of rides will we see? Mario Kart Karting? The Legend of Zelda live stage shows? A Space Mountain-esque Metroid roller coaster with excruciatingly long lines? Concession stands selling 1UP mushroom burgers?I don't know, but I can't wait to overpay for all of it.
Advertisement