‘Nintendo theme park videos’ seemingly confirm an augmented reality Mario Kart ride
Videos allegedly leaked from a developer’s Vimeo
New Imagery and details for Nintendo’s Universal Japan theme park have seemingly been uncovered, via the portfolio of a web developer.
The details were uncovered on Vimeo, where a user had uploaded videos claiming to show an upcoming Super Nintendo World website. These videos were later removed, but archived by Twitter users.
The most significant new detail uncovered in the leak, if accurate, is confirmation that the park’s Mario Kart ride will be based around augmented reality elements, as was previously reported late last year.
According to the videos, “Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge” is billed as “the ultimate Mario Kart experience,” with AR technology bringing “your favourite Nintendo characters… to life like never before.”
Theme Park Shop claimed in December that the Mario Kart Ride would feature AR goggles and cars that can ‘drift’ around corners.
https://twitter.com/TVManiaco_tvps2/status/1290875051101872129?s=20
https://twitter.com/ThomasPussyCat/status/1290910155845120004?s=20
It was claimed that the Mario Kart ride would utilise LED screens, projection mapping and moving objects to create an impression that passengers were travelling faster than they actually are.
Most significant is the suggestion that the ride could utilise augmented reality goggles, with passengers able to collect and use items from the Mario Kart series on other users.
At the end of the ride, visitors would then be able to compare their score to other passengers, Theme Park Shop said.
Nintendo World Japan is set to put an emphasis on the interactivity of its experiences, with each visitor using a wearable wristband in conjunction with a mobile phone app to gamify the park.
It was recently confirmed that Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World theme park would no longer open this summer as planned, due to the pandemic. However, it could still open this year if the situation improves.
Following the Japan opening, Super Nintendo World is scheduled to come to Universal’s Orlando, Hollywood and Singapore parks. However, construction at the Orlando park was recently suspended indefinitely due to the pandemic.
