Super Nintendo World still is a work in progress that will be opening in Universal Studios theme park in Japan, with plans to later open up in Hollywood, and Universal Orlando Resort. The park within a park will contain details from Super Mario, and recent images captured a full-scale replica of Bowser’s Castle, Yoshi, and so much more.
Now that we’re seeing this land come to life, it makes for a good idea to think what other video game universes should also get the same treatment. What other franchises would be amazing to be seen brought to life in a park? Here are some suggestions of games worthy of that treatment.
Sonic the Hedgehog
With the movie’s most recent success, Sonic the Hedgehog is a game universe that would benefit from this treatment. The park could feature all the characters running around different memorable levels from various games such as Green Hill Zone from the first game, City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Chemical Zone from Sonic 2, and many more.
A roller coaster themed with a race against Sonic, or an indoor ride to grab the seven Chaos Emeralds with Knuckles could be some of the thrilling rides to sink your teeth into. Journey into Eggman’s Lab to see his creations - an interactive tour where some of the exhibits could jump out and attack you.
Minecraft
Minecraft, since its release in 2009, has had amazing growth over the years - remaining a relevant title throughout 11 years. With a diverse fanbase and dedicated creators, a theme park would be a great way for people to get more immersed in this universe. An AR dungeon crawling experience featuring Minecraft Dungeons would also be a great way to tie-in their newest game.
Crash Bandicoot
Considering that a new title was just announced, Crash Bandicoot has been seeing a lot of success since the release of N. Sane Trilogy. A Crash theme park would be a huge hit for families with obstacle courses reminiscent of the levels, a tour of Cortex’s Lab, a roller coaster around the island would be the makings of an entertaining park.
Splatoon
There is so much potential for a Splatoon theme park. It can certainly have some traditional rides like an indoor coaster through a special story, a live show with Pearl and Marina to name a few.
The real fun lies in the possibilities to recreate their Turf-War game mode in real life. Bringing some of those levels into a full-scale replica, add some water guns and paintball? It would bring in both fans of the game and general paintball enthusiasts to really dive into the experience.
Pokémon
A Pokémon theme park has the largest amounts of possibilities. Replicating a giant stadium so people can go into rooms and experience battles in VR or AR from a selected team, a tie-in to Pokémon Go, finding a way to link it to the Pokéball Plus controller, connecting it to the Nintendo Switch are valuable resources the park should have.
A Pokémon Snap indoor ride with a combination of practical effects, animatronics, and AR would make for an immersive experience like no other. Some Pokémon-themed cafes, a lab tour featuring a rotation of the game professors, a Pokémon Safari so you can catch Pokémon with unique moves and take them home. Plenty can be done with a Pokémon theme park and considering how large the Pokédex is, a Pokémon rotation would be the best way to continue to refresh the park on a consistent basis.
These are just some suggestions for universes that deserve the theme park treatment. As new games continue to release, there are more contenders out there. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see something come to life beyond Super Nintendo World.
