Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
This year was expected to be a big holiday season for Universal Studios in Hollywood. In addition to perennial annual attractions like Grinchmas and Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, this was billed as the first-ever holiday celebration at Super Nintendo World. Almost two years after it first opened, the small section of Universal Studios that houses the Mushroom Kingdom could have been home to an epic holiday celebration.
Sadly, Super Nintendo World's holiday celebration is a disappointment. There's a Mario and Luigi snowman outside the entryway and some holiday wreaths, trees, tinsel lining Peach's Castle, and minor knickknacks inside the Mushroom Kingdom. Unfortunately, that's about it. There wasn't much else to indicate that the holidays were here, at least in comparison to other sections of the park that go all out.
That got me to thinking about the multitude of practical ways that Universal Studios could improve the experience. The holidays should be celebrated in a big way and, fortunately, doing so within the walls of Super Nintendo World shouldn't be too difficult. Here are some suggestions.
Mario's world is filled with imaginative, winter-themed friends and enemies. Bring out some small penguin animatronics to evoke the spirit of Super Mario 64's Cool, Cool Mountain. Bring out some high-powered air blowers and decorate them to look like Ty-foos. Add an Ice Pokey somewhere. Bringing Mario's colder foes out for some visual flare should be doable.
As for character experiences, that should be simple, too. Put together powder blue overalls for Mario and Luigi and make it look like they've been powered up by an Ice Flower. Heck, give Peach a blue dress to remind park-goers of this scene from The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Don't make these the same meet-and-greets that people get throughout the year. This is the time to do something different, which also extends to the next point.
This one can be a little trickier, because the physical Mario Kart track basically is what it is. That's evidenced by the fact that the Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge is unchanged for the holidays.
To add a customized holiday theme would mean giving one of Universal Studios' most popular rides some downtime for maintenance. Of course, it's always possible to keep things simple. Again, some penguins and some themed decor within the ride itself would go a long way.
However, the AR experience that riders see through the ride's headset should be much simpler to work with. With Mario Kart having a rich history of winter-themed tracks like Frappe Snowland and Sherbet Land, why not present players with simulated snowfall, Mario Kart characters dressed in winter parkas, and some of the classic music tracks from some of the series' best ice stages?
Granted, the whole ride can't stay in the winter. Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road should still be the climax of this epic journey. With that said, the Mario Kart holiday experience should deliver something special and give people even more of an incentive to come visit Universal Studios during the month of December.
This was one of the bigger disappointments of my time at the park over the weekend. Part of the marketing blitz for the holidays at Super Nintendo World included "special holiday treats" at Toadstool Cafe. Unfortunately, this hasn't really panned out as the menu was the same as it was during the rest of the year.
While holiday-themed snacks would be a big boost for Super Nintendo World in December, there's something else that could use an upgrade. For those who have never been to Toadstool Cafe, a major part of the experience involves sitting at a table and witnessing life in the Mushroom Kingdom and the Toadstool Cafe kitchen unfold via a video projection that spans the entire dining area. Diners can watch civilian Toads go about their day and worker Toads prep dishes inside the restaurant kitchen, all set to classic tunes from the Mario library. Occasionally, Bowser will attack in his airship, sending the Toads scattering about as they flee incoming Bullet Bills. It's a fun show and gives dinner more life.
For the holidays, why not change up that presentation? Have snow cover the Mushroom Kingdom? Let the Toads be joined by Super Mario 64 penguins. When Bowser attacks, put some holiday hats on those Bullet Bills. Give this more of a wintery feeling and make it feel like the season has arrived.
The last point I want to make is that Super Nintendo World makes the most of Mario's music library throughout the year. Songs from the original Super Mario Bros. all the way through Super Mario 3D Land can be heard throughout this section of the park. With that said, I noted it earlier, but Mario's library is full of jaunty winter-themed jams.
Imagine entering the park and hearing the ice world themes from games like Super Mario Bros. 3, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 64, and Super Mario 3D World. Heck, even Super Mario Maker 2 added some fun ice-themed tracks. Music greatly enhances any experience. Anybody who takes part in Grinchmas can attest to this, so give Super Nintendo World that same kind of attention to detail.
The holiday experience at Super Nintendo World had some positives. The merchandise at the 1up Factory was top-notch and the holiday decor that lined Peach's Castle expressed the foundation of what December in the Mushroom Kingdom could be. As someone who grew up with Nintendo, however, I know this could be better and I believe that Universal's theme park engineers realize this too. Hopefully, more steps will be taken in the future to turn Mario's home into a whimsical winter wonderland.