"In Japan, Nintendo is more of a no-brainer as the company has deep-rooted origins there.” “I think Universal wants to prove that Nintendo is a viable property worthy of several spin-offs (like Harry Potter) before opens," he said. Young warns that pandemic-related travel pauses and closures in Japan could harm the prospects of future Nintendo parks. “Is Nintendo the new Harry Potter for Universal? It’s not easy to tell. With travel and capacity restrictions, you can’t really call Super Nintendo World at hit or miss at USJ," he said. "Plus, American and Japanese audiences are very different in their reaction to different attractions. Some theme park fans have criticized Universal’s reliance on screens.
With the recent Mario Kart attraction, Universal Creative introduced augment reality glasses. The new Pokémon attraction is thought to use similar technology. This dependency on tech to drive the attraction narrative concerns Young. “Personally, I think Universal is overly obsessed with new technology.
Since Mario Kart is the first use of the tech on a ride vehicle, it’s a little clunky,” he said.īut he notes a new attraction with AR technology could show how much it has improved over the past few years. “If Universal were to use AR tech available now (3+ years after the Mario Kart project started), it will look a lot cleaner and can be more interactive," he said. "There are definitely benefits to using AR now versus what has just opened at USJ." One of Universal’s most successful recent attractions is the Secret Life of Pets dark ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. While filled with technology, that attraction is more akin to a typical Fantasyland-style ride that Disney is known for. Young believes Pokémon will be replacing the park’s Spider-Man attraction. The 3D dark ride is a clone of the award-winning ride found at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. Unlike in Orlando, where Universal holds the Marvel rights in perpetuity, their rights for the use of Spider-Man in Japan are coming up for renewal in a few years. Disney, who purchased Marvel in 2009, is likely uninterested in continuing to allow Universal access to the Marvel franchises. Instead, Disney has been cashing in on Marvel at its own parks, including multiple new attractions at its parks in California, Hong Kong, and Paris. There are also plans for a Marvel-themed hotel and a Marvel dining experience on the upcoming Disney Wish cruise ship. It should be noted that if Pokémon does make its way to Orlando, it’s highly unlikely to replace Universal Orlando’s Spider-Man attraction.
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