Since its opening in March 2021, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Universal Studios Japan has been immensely popular. In Spring 2024, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD will expand by 70% its current size with an all-new area, DONKEY KONG COUNTRY, based on the globally beloved and popular Nintendo franchise, Donkey Kong. On Mine-Cart Madness, a first-of-its-kind thrilling family coaster, it will seemingly jump across gaps in the track and perform other stunts from the Donkey Kong Country games.
Created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo’s creatives, Donkey Kong has been a world-known video game franchise. Recognized around the world for his personality and action, “DK” has been beloved by multiple generations, from kids to adults. DONKEY KONG COUNTRY will feature its own exciting, highly energetic, family-friendly attractions with fun surprises around every turn. Guests with a SUPER NINTENDO WORLD Power-Up Band (available for purchase) can monkey around even further by tracking their scores and more!
Universal Studios Japan’s President and CEO, J.L. Bonnier spoke at the kick-off event saying, “Thanks to the strong partnership with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and the many talented people at Nintendo, we are confident DONKEY KONG COUNTRY will deliver an amazing, one-of-a-kind Donkey Kong experience to fans across the globe. Through the collaboration between Nintendo, Universal Destinations & Experiences and Universal Studios Japan, we are preparing a theme park experience that will once again awe the world. I look forward to the day we can bring these newly enhanced experiences to all.”
Universal Studios Japan’s Executive Officer and CMO, Taku Murayama talked about the impact of the area’s expansion saying, “SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, created in partnership with Nintendo, welcomes many guests from not only Japan but from overseas every day. The number of visitors from regions outside of Asia, namely North America and Australia is increasing dramatically. By enhancing the experiential value with the DONKEY KONG COUNTRY expansion, we are confident that we will continue attracting guests from around the world. This new area will create jobs and attract inbound tourism, impacting not only Japan as a whole, but the world. We hope to make those who experience this new area super energized.”
Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Universal Creative, Brian Robinson announced some of the new experiences at DONKEY KONG COUNTRY.
“We are delivering the ultimate wish fulfillment by transporting fans to places they only dreamed and in doing so igniting the thrill of feeling alive. In SUPER NINTENDO WORLD you can jump like Mario, punch blocks, collect digital coins and battle on Rainbow Road. In DONKEY KONG COUNTRY, we’ve greatly expanded interactivity and gameplay. And just as we brought a first-of-its-kind augmented reality attraction, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, we are bringing that same level of innovation to DONKEY KONG COUNTRY with a first-of-its-kind thrilling family coaster. A new vision of coaster design that isn’t visually or viscerally bound to a traditional coaster track. This innovative design allows us to present the mine cart ride experiences of the Donkey Kong games, like jumping broken tracks. It is a coaster innovation that could only be born out of DONKEY KONG COUNTRY and I cannot wait for fans to experience it!”
With the expansion of DONKEY KONG COUNTRY in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, Universal Studios Japan will not only increase the park’s overall experience offerings, but also the park’s guest capacity and employment. In addition, the expansion will further increase inbound tourism while contributing to the revitalization of Osaka and the nation’s economy. Look out for more information about the new area between now and the opening.
Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter @iamcg83