Nintendo Coming to Universal Parks

[ChrisFL]

I didn't know Spongebob was that popular

 

[BallyNerve]

If Spongebob were going to go anywhere, wouldn't it make sense to have it as part of the water park? It immediately gives the water park that big draw that will see kids force their parents to add it to their trip.

 

[Dinoman96]

I didn't know Spongebob was that popular

Before Mr. Hillenburg left, Spongebob Squarepants was a masterpiece of a comedy cartoon show. It hasn't been at its best for the past 10 years, but I found the second move released earlier this year pretty enjoyable, which was probably because Stephen returned to write the story.

 

[chocotaco]

Before Mr. Hillenburg left, Spongebob Squarepants was a masterpiece of a comedy cartoon show. It hasn't been at its best for the past 10 years, but I found the second move released earlier this year pretty enjoyable, which was probably because Stephen returned to write the story.

I didn't know Hillenburg stopped writing but I guess that would explain the dramatic drop in quality (imo) of the later seasons. I'm in my twenties and to this day I enjoy the older episodes of Spongebob, but it really started going downhill after 2005 or so. Most who are unfamiliar with Spongebob probably think of it as a mindless children's show, and I'd say that is an accurate description of Spongebob today, but the older seasons were clever, witty, and humerus. Even my mom was laughing at some of the things that went on in that show and she is the last person you would think to find any sort of enjoyment out of a cartoon.

Now back to topic, it seems by far the most desired attraction out of this partnership from comments I've read around the web is for a Mario Kart attraction. That seems to be the one consistent thing that keeps coming up no matter where you read about the news. It's personally what came to my mind as soon as I heard about the news as well. I'd imagine a Mario Kart attraction would take up quite a bit of space however, so I wonder how they would do it, if they even do decide to do it. I know there were some suggestions in this thread already. Other than that though, I think my most wanted attraction, which has also been expressed by others, would be a mine coaster themed to Donkey Kong Country

 

[JungleSkip]

I mean, there are some corporate Universal employees who also think this too lol. It's not a far-fetched scenario outside of this website.

No, it really is super far fetched.

 

[neoshinok]

My fear is this ultimately becomes Universal's version of DisneyQuest. I hope for the best :homer:

 

[quinnmac000]

I hope they keep ET and get rid of MIB just to see some meltdowns on this thread for nintendoland.

 

[Andy]

My fear is this ultimately becomes Universal's version of DisneyQuest. I hope for the best :homer:

No try Universal's version of Fantasyland / Tomorrowland

 

[rozfan]

zelda/link… which stylized version do you think we will get if it is one of the selected IP's? i would love to see something twilight princess/skyward sword but feel it would clash with the style and colors of mario and donkey kong. i see them going wind waker/spirit train/phantom hourglass or maybe majora/ocarina style just for palate consistency if its all going to be one cohesive area. thoughts?

on another note i could see a cute as hell yoshi experience similar to the tow mater attraction at DCA. yoshi could pull you behind him in a egg. it literally was my favorite ride in the carsland and i am a grown arse adult. so simple but i laughed so much. even if they only used mario characters for the entire land they have so much to work with. call it 'super marioland' :doggie: i just see this being epic and i am so excited as it represents so much of my childhood.

 

[shiekra38]

My fear is this ultimately becomes Universal's version of DisneyQuest. I hope for the best :homer:

DisneyQuest is a glorified Celebration Station...this will be an immersive world...

 

[Parkscope Joe]

zelda/link… which stylized version do you think we will get if it is one of the selected IP's? i would love to see something twilight princess/skyward sword but feel it would clash with the style and colors of mario and donkey kong. i see them going wind waker/spirit train/phantom hourglass or maybe majora/ocarina style just for palate consistency if its all going to be one cohesive area. thoughts?

This is something I've been wondering about and talked to some friends about. The Zelda franchise isn't one character, it's mostly a title through timelines and visual styles. I prefer Wind Waker, but I can see them going to OoT concept art route since that seems to be the most baseline 'Zelda' out there. Me typing this feels insane because I still remember the alpha screen shots of the game in Nintendo Power from 1996 with Link grabbing a piece of the Triforce...

 

[quinnmac000]

skyward sword/wind waker works best if they did Zelda....the colors and brighter and more kid friendly compared to the originals.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I'm thinking a more Twilight Princess look.

 

[cameronw99]

I'm hoping for Ocarina of Time. I don't have a good reason, I'm just extremely biased. Thats my favorite game ever. Honestly id be happy with any style. i mean a Zelda ride blows my mind.

With so much material where do you even start? Theres a temple for almost any theme. I can't really see it based on one temple. Ideally it would be something more widely recognized like Hyrule castle. I would assume Mario would get the castle though…Idk as long as its not just a simulator or some kind of 4d show ill be happy. Please UC…no simulator...

 

[Miketheboss]

 

[grizzlybarely]

I had a little blue sky session of my own last night, and here’s what I came up with for a signature Mario attraction. Disclaimer: I'm not a great artist. I just wanted to illustrate my ideas so they would be easier to understand.

EDIT: Moved the story treatment here -- Super Mario Adventure -- so as to not distract from the news/rumor discussion.

 

[KevyB]

Why get rid of Toon lagoon and keep Kid Zone first? Toon Lagoon at least has amazing water rides. The Kid Zone doesn't have jack crap. What I'm saying is they're better off keeping TL for the moment and deciding later on what or if they want to replace it with something else. That old Kid Zone is in the most NEED for something exciting, new and fresh(hence Nintendo).

Because Toon Lagoon has way more space for shops and restaurants which, in case you haven't noticed, tends to be Universal's obsession lately. KidZone is a tiny area - basically the size of Diagon Alley minus the ride building and the London waterfront, which means very few attractions or very few shops. A multi-character free-for-all in that tiny space will not do the IP justice. If Universal sees the excitement this announcement has created, they will certainly start blue-skying ALL possible ideas: replacing KidZone, retheming Toon Lagoon, replacing the Lost Continent, replacing San Francisco, filling the empty lot between The Simpsons and MIB, third gate land, etc. Of course, Universal could still be going after The Hobbit for its Toon Lagoon replacement, but that doesn't mean Universal Creative isn't currently working on ideas for ALL of the soon-to-change areas. (Personally, I wish they'd just retheme Toon Lagoon to Bikini Bottom, which may not make tons of people happy but the recent movie did remarkably well and the series is routinely one of the top shows on cable. IN RERUNS. Besides, it's all water rides, and SpongeBob lives in the water. And I want to eat at the Krusty Krab!)

I hope they have GREAT ideas for KidZone because there will be MANY problems to overcome shoving Nintendo into this area. There are so many things Universal MUST do back here, or the whole thing will be a bust:

1) THEY MUST HAVE, AT MINIMUM, A HIGH-QUALITY D-TICKET RIDE! Copying Radiator Springs Racers or any other Disney ride is NOT that ride. A motion simulator is NOT that ride, especially in a park with TWO of them. A racing coaster with GREAT theming could be that ride. (Even better, add in an interactive videogame-like element, like four buttons for each rider - a banana peel, a turtle shell, a star and a bob-omb. In each station appears a Simon-like sequence - banana/star/bob-omb/banana/shell - and the riders all have to punch their buttons in sequence. The fastest racers on the buttons race through a themed outdoors area ahead of the other racers. Win the most legs, win the race. Rerideable and no movies!)
2) THE ATTRACTIONS CANNOT UNDERWHELM! Hogsmeade soared thanks to the addition of the innovative Forbidden Journey. Diagon Alley is even more detailed yet doesn't seem to be as beloved as the original, possibly because Gringotts hasn't risen to the level of Forbidden. Disney is constantly taking old ride systems and theming them to new properties - a Marvel Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Iron Man Star Tours, Soarin' Over Pandora, Pirates of the Avatarean, ugh. Universal needs to continue to be the innovator.
3) THE THEMING CANNOT UNDERWHELM! This cannot be Toon Lagoon 2.0, with differing Nintendo themes sitting side by side. It must be elaborate AND immersive. I don't want to see Pokemon anywhere near a green pipe. I don't want to see Link amongst the toadstools. Nintendo is a BIGGER license than Harry Potter and it needs to be treated as such. One hopes Nintendo has their own JK Rowling, who is able to give a thumb up or down to Universal's ideas.
4) THEY CANNOT EXTEND THE LAND INTO THE EMPTY LOT! It's already a trek to get to the end of the KidZone, they can't have a dead-end path that winds all the way to the other side of the Simpsons Ride! From the main entrance of KidZone to the back of KidZone to the middle of that empty lot is over a quarter-mile. You can't do that to visitors. You can build the entrance to a ride IN KidZone and the adjoining ride into that lot and it'd work. Another possibility is to build the Nintendo land in the empty lot - which is HUGE, about two Diagon Alleys INCLUDING the Gringotts building - and build the new ride (Mario Kart!) in the current KidZone area, with the start of the ride still in the empty lot area. (This actually works GREAT for keeping Animal Actors and ET separate from the new land. Personally, I'd rather see a non-movie Simpsons ride that will excite people more than a few years down the road, something no motion simulator has EVER accomplished.)
5) THEY CANNOT SIMPLY RETHEME THE KIDDIE RIDES! There isn't a single attraction here that can be rethemed without lessening the Nintendo IP. Nobody gets excited about kiddie coasters or play areas, but parks need them; Nintendo doesn't.
6) THEY CANNOT GET RID OF THE KIDDIE RIDES! The ONLY way they can satisfy #5 and #6 is to move the kiddie stuff elsewhere, just like USH moved the kiddie stuff to Super Silly Fun Land to make way for Harry Potter. When rumors started about a large attraction taking over KidZone, questions immediately surfaced asking where the kiddie stuff would go. Obviously, the only place is the Krustyland-adjacent lot. Add a REAL Simpsons ride as a backdrop (a Mount Krusty flume-coaster for this water-starved park!) and they can put several kiddie attractions back here that wouldn't ruin the Krustyland theme. (MIB can be rethemed to Treehouse of Horror to extend the Krustyland theme around the corner and the Mario Kart track can hide nicely behind.) Of course, building the bulk of the Nintendo land in this lot also works, but if that is the solution, I want to see more of a Nintendo Fantasyland with NO crappy flat rides and maybe ONE elaborate play area. But I'm still shooting for a Mount Krusty flume coaster for this lot!!!
7) THEY CANNOT TAKE FOREVER!!! They have a lot on their planned development plate for the immediate future: Kong in 2016. Fast and Furious. The Ministry of Magic. Jurassic Park/World attractions. Toon Lagoon redo. They CANNOT Avatar this thing!

As has been said before, nothing is set in stone at this point and there are lots of things that can affect Universal's plans. Thanks to Diagon Alley, the two parks will be very close in attendance at the end of 2015, which means they will most likely alternate big new attractions until one of them falters. If Kong opens in 2016 and underwhelms, then UO will need to focus on something big for IOA in 2018. If Jurassic World rakes in the big bucks, then the Discovery Center overhaul will probably be moved to the front of the line. If the film underperforms, all we have left here is a Toon Lagoon or Lost Continent retheme, and getting rid of Toon Lagoon is a much higher priority for Universal.

Meanwhile, over at USF they're waiting to see if F&F wows 'em at USH. If so, it'll be coming to USF in 2017, meaning 2018 should put the focus on IOA, regardless of how Kong does. F&F requires its own land retheming and I don't see them closing down all of San Francisco and the KidZone at the same time. If F&F underwhelms at USH, then USF will need MAJOR help, which could be Nintendo OR the Ministry of Magic. While I don't really care about MORE Harry Potter, it's a proven commodity; Nintendo is still an unknown. Fortunately Jurassic World and the Fast & Furious attraction both open this summer, so some of the question marks will go away before fall, which is when they need to start making decisions for 2017 and 2018. I wouldn't expect any movement until then, so all this is just for kicks and giggles until we know more.

 

[Dinoman96]

The problem with Skyward Sword is that it isn't exactly the most popular 3D Zelda game, so I don't think it'd be the best way to represent Legend of Zelda in its first theme park attraction. Personally, I think basing it off of Ocarina of Time would be the better way to go. That's likely one of the games that come to mind when people think of Zelda.

 

[KevyB]

I don't want to derail this thread, but you're wrong. Universal has the contractual obligation to the Avengers already in their existing contract, and Disney can't do anything about it.

Actually, you're wrong. If you read the contract, most of which can be read online, Universal owns the license to the characters that they have continually used in their parks. They can't add new characters without permission from Disney, they can't bring back characters they have let vanish from the parks without permission from Disney, and they can't create new attractions from the characters they do have WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM DISNEY. (Seeing a trend here?) They held the rights to create new attractions for, I think, the first three years of operation. After that, what they had is what they got. In perpetuity. Which is why USH can't open any Marvel attractions and why they can't even do walk-around characters. They let the rights lapse by not continually featuring them.

If you want an Avengers ride, you'll need to wait a decade or so for one to appear over at California Adventure.

 

[KevyB]

skyward sword/wind waker works best if they did Zelda....the colors and brighter and more kid friendly compared to the originals.

The windmill island is gorgeous and would be a great land. In fact, it probably doesn't matter what the land looks like because when someone says "Legend of Zelda" we all have different images in our heads. And most of those images have more to do with dungeons than with the land above them. When it comes down to creating Hyrule, it's going to rise or fail based on the attractions and not the theming, much like Marvel Super Hero Island needed The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man or Toon Lagoon needed Ripsaw Falls and the Bilge-Rat Barges. Put up a castle and a couple "hidden" temples/dungeons/ride buildings behind a cute village and ta-da, you've got Hyrule.

I still think the best solution to the Nintendo IP is to put a different land in each park, with one saved for the third gate. While I think Hyrule can wait longer than Mario or Pokemon - hence the third park IP - I just realized how easily The Lost Continent could turn into Hyrule. Surround Mythos by castle walls (Mythos can still exist inside), turn Poseidon and Sindbad into the temples and build the village between them all. Poseidon is a huge building on an even larger plot of land and it could hold almost any ride. The Sindbad stadium is much smaller but there is room to expand south and/or east. A shooter is practically a necessity, so they only need ONE really good ride idea and they've got a land.

That said, I would prefer Seuss Landing expand to here with the rumored Lorax dark ride and Grinch coaster, making it a REAL alternative to Fantasyland, but Hyrule is a fairly obvious option now. Though it IS an option that will require great expense, far more than a Seuss Landing expansion ever would. I still think Hyrule is better suited for a third park, which will need innovative attractions more than IOA does.