Today, Universal Studios announced a new theme park will be coming to the UK in 2031, with the deal closed by UK prime minister Keir Starmer after years of planning.
But will this new Universal Studios include a Super Nintendo World like its Japanese and US equivalents?
The new park will be a multi-billion-pound investment located in Bedford, though as of yet its themed areas are unknown beyond concept art released alongside the announcement.
That concept art shows an entrance area with a giant Universal globe (typical of the parks), with a number of areas around a central lake containing roller coasters and other rides.
Beyond the fact it all looks far too bright and sunny to really be in the UK, it’s hard to ascertain exactly which Universal franchises the areas represent, leading to plenty of speculation among theme park enthusiasts.
If the UK part were to match Japan and the US, we could see areas based on Jurassic Park, Minions, Harry Potter, and Super Mario.
Of these, Harry Potter certainly seems like the most likely contender considering its UK basis.
Nintendo is yet to acknowledge the news. Eurogamer has requested comment.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, culture secretary Lisa Nandy said: “This is not just about bringing great American creations to Britain, this is also about showcasing great British creations to the world.
“These are things like James Bond, Paddington Bear, these are things like Harry Potter. We’ve got so much to be proud of.”
Whether we’ll see areas based on these properties remains to be seen.
Fans online have been intensely scrutinising the concept area, with guesses including Wicked and The Lord of the Rings, alongside those mentioned above.
When it opens, the park will rival the likes of Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor, as well as Disneyland Paris.
Super Nintendo World in Japan opened its Donkey Kong expansion at the end of last year, including the Mine-Cart Madness coaster that simulates a mine cart going off the track.
In the US, Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023 but is a much smaller iteration. An equivalent in Orlando has just opened in the brand new Universal Epic Universe to rival the park in Japan with both Mario and Donkey Kong areas.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 line-up also mirrors the theme parks, with Mario Kart World at launch in June and the new Donkey Kong 3D platformer a month later.
