Universal Studios Japan Will Open Its Super Nintendo World Area Next Year

The Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka will welcome its long-awaited Nintendo-themed area, which includes a Mario Kart ride, next year.

As the official Twitter for the theme park revealed on Monday, Super Nintendo World is set to open on Feb. 4. Featuring tributes and loving recreations of Nintendo’s franchise, but specifically the Super Mario series of games, the area will launch with a Mario kart ride that utilizes augmented reality headsets. To coincide with the announcement of the opening date, Universal Studios also shared a few images of what fans can expect to see when it opens.

Bloomberg reporter Kurumi Mori detailed the Mario kart attraction further on Twitter, revealing that it's called Koopa's Challenge and is inside Bower's castle. While guests line up for the ride, they will be able to see more of the castle, which will undoubtedly include many references to the Mario games.

Each kart for the ride has four seats, and riders will have some control through the steering wheel but it'll also be on rails. The AR headset will give users the opportunity to collect items and throw shells at other karts on the track. Nintendo and Universal is already rumored to be building an additional area next to the Mario Kart zone, with it expected to focus on Donkey Kong.