Reports Point to a 'Nintendo Land' Universal Studios Theme Park Area for 2020 in Osaka

I hope their work with Universal in North America is a fraction as ambitious. I've been dreaming of this since playing NintendoLand.

I was hoping some sort of Nintendo theme would be at the park in Orlando by 2017 when I take the kids on the Disney vacation.....even if it is just a store and some mascots. The boys would dig it.

I don't think it will be difficult to make a Nintendo theme for US since Universal Park exists. Al they would have to do is to add a small section where the Nintendo stuff is there which probably shouldn't take that long to make.

I wonder if Europe will also get a NintendoLand eventually

That is the trouble listening to rumours. If I had not read this I would be wandering around Universal Florida this year looking for the Mario Kart ride.

@Zanark We in the UK have a Lego Land but Paris got the Disney Park.

I hear in this "Nintendo Land" you'll get a Pokeball with your own holographic Pokemon but I don't know how true this is, the source was from a lil while back.

Nintendo is recreating itself. Which is very good! Now we need a Fire Emblem and Kid Icarus anime, and we need it now!

I think they are going to have a tough go with this. Their brand image isn't nearly as strong as it once was and they haven't really added any big mascots in a long time.

This better still be coming to Orlando... I have no plans to fly to Japan. I wish Nintendo was based over here sometimes. (I know it doesn't say it's not coming before someone points that out)

Man, I even forgot how close we're to 2020. It sounds like a very futuristic year.

Damn, I was hoping that they were gonna build it in Orlando. Well to bad now. Gotta save up for Japan.

Pretty funny how time changes things! Thirty five years ago, the leaders of Universal were trying to ruin Nintendo by claiming that King Kong was theirs, and by extension Donkey Kong was ripping off King Kong. Everyone else in the gaming industry at the time backed down. Howard Lincoln and Minoru Arakawa did not, while pointing out that King Kong was actually in the public sphere at that point, while Universal was just using it as if it were their own. The then-tiny Nintendo won the case against a giant. The leaders of Universal hated Nintendo's guts for it! They wouldn't have allowed a Nintendo Land to exist while they were still around.

Different management, different time period, different relationship, I guess.

But will it have Giovanni's Wild Ride?

@Vinny Nah, we're still going to be stuck with the same 20th century baggage we're still hanging onto now.

@Gerbwmu @Whopper744 @Sauron75 GUYS! they are still making a Nintendo themed area in Orlando! My brother frequents theme park leak websites who sources that have been 100% accurate since they started leaking, they have confirmed its coming to Orlando and it will have rides.

@Frank90 Fire Emblem, Kid Icarus, Zelda, and Bayonetta crossover anime.

@Gerbwmu If you or anyone else with asthma do not go there it is horrible for asthma.

@amiiboacid i wonder if they was experimenting in that area with the kid Icarus anime shorts awhile back.

@3MonthBeef disney is huge in japan so no surprise there

Mynintendonews has a rumor regarding Orlando

@NintyMan

I'd like to point out that the Florida/Hollywood stuff are only rumors and the Japan report is the only concrete information about the projects as of yet, but the timelines do match up.

They better be coming to my neck of the woods. Orlando is only 4 hrs away and I go to a park at least twice a year. That would be so awesome. They better get crack a lacking.

@NintyMan

Oops, didn't see that. But my post can still be used as clarification.

If anyone wants to hear the details I've made a thread here:
https://www.nintendolife.com/forums/news/first_nintendo_attractions_at_universal_studios_set_to_open_by_2020

Any plans for the Florida Universal Studios?

welp time to start planning that japan trip!!

Just in time for the Olympics is such a smart move.
I'll go back to Japan before that date but I'm definitely going back again 2021 or 2022.
Going during the olympics is something only **tards do.

@cleveland124 really? You think it is going to be tough for them? Tough to convince kids into buying Mario and Pokemon? Have you ever been to Nintendo store? Selling Marios or Pikachus is easier than selling Mickey Mouses , that's how strong that brand is.

But they're doomed so...
Ha.
Please let Nintendo Land return in actual game-form, too. Under-rated game of the gen.

@dumedum

Filling a store is a little different than filling a theme park. If Pokemon and Mario are such big sellers why are Wii U and 3DS on such negative trends?

I also would like to clarify that it may start big but I don't think Nintendo creates enough new stuff to keep excitement up. You look at disney and they create new ips all the time. Frozen is big thing for them and it was just created a couple of years ago. And you can be certain they'll be pushing some other new princess series. They just bought star wars which is huge. Mickey may be their mascot but hes responsible for very little of their current success.

Nintendo Im sure would try to make a new exhibit with each mario game. But how is it different than the last 5 exhibits? The initial mario exhibits may bring excitement, but I don't see how they are going to be able to keep the excitement over time without a shift towards new ips.

There is a big difference in buying a $30 game and selling a $4,000 family vacation surrounding Pokemon.

Just for reference, the last Pokemon game sold 11.5 million for the 2 versions. Disney world sees 17 million a year.

This would be fun to visit.

But having theme park stuff like this, has a very real chance of solidifying the "casual" and kiddie image that Nintendo has had for 30+ years.

"hardcore" gaming companies and Western gamers won't like this one bit, since it shows that Nintendo isn't serious about them.

@Xenocity yeah, like what happened with Star Wars, King Kong, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Aerosmith... people stopped liking them and thought they were kiddie because of their amusement park rides... and don't forget about how super hero entertainment completely tanked once there were amusement park rides about them. /s

@aaronsullivan

I don't think theme parks are kiddy. But Nintendo makes some odd decisions sometimes that turn people off like no voice support on online games. Disney does well because they target adults as well. Nintendo needs to have spas, bars, adult only activities. This is how you draw families. Sure kids may want to go to see a Pokemon exhibit but this is the adults vacation too and they are the ones with the money.

My wife and I just went to USJ last year, but she understands that if they do indeed open a Nintendo Land, USJ will become an annual pilgrimage in our family.

Cool! Nintendo and theme parks totally work well and there are already a few game related attractions at US Osaka, like Resident Evil and MonHun.

@aaronsullivan
It's not the same thing.
The Western gaming industry is really hell bent on being mature and "hardcore".
This is why none of the "hardcore" gaming companies have amusement park properties or anything that could be considered kiddie and "casual" in the eyes of the gaming world.
It would literally kill Sony's sales with the Western gamer, if they opened an amusement park property (Microsoft too).

@xenocity
Probably have to agree to disagree on this one. There's not a lot of precedent to go by, but I simply don't see a relationship between riding a cool ride about your favorite "core" game at an amusement park and somehow losing respect for the game or deciding suddenly that it must not be for them anymore. Amusement park rides aren't inherently "kiddie".

I don't presume to know your experience but your perception makes me feel like you haven't spent much time in these types of amusement parks. I've been as a kid and an adult without kids and as a parent with kids. They do it all, and while Nintendo could make the mistake of pushing for some sort of 6 and under kiddie park, I don't think Universal would be interested in that.

@cleveland124 This is about a Nintendo themed section of Universal Studios which does a fine job of mixing up attractions that appeal to adults and teens.

edit: reread cleveland124's post