Super Nintendo World’s new Donkey Kong area has a rollercoaster and rhythm games
Image: Nintendo
Nintendo is finally ready to show off the next phase of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. In a Nintendo Direct today, the company gave the first proper look at the Donkey Kong Country-themed expansion for the theme park, which includes a mine cart rollercoaster and a real-life, three-player version of the Donkey Konga rhythm game. The expansion opens on December 11th.
To get to the new area, attendees go through a tunnel seemingly made with rocks, that leads to a jungle-themed locale. There’s a towering tree house, a golden temple spewing steam, and lots of banana-flavored deserts. And just like in the games, you can find — and collect — giant letters hidden around the area using the park’s NFC bracelet. Naturally, there are now Donkey Kong-themed wristbands to collect as well. Also, there’s an animatronic Cranky Kong. If you missed it live you can check out the full presentation in the video embedded at the top of this article.
Nintendo first announced the park expansion in 2021, with plans to open this year. And while the stream today featured the Japanese version of Super Nintendo World, the company has previously said that all of the attractions in both Osaka and Los Angeles — including the Donkey Kong section — will be part of the Super Nintendo World in Orlando when it opens next year.
The theme park expansion is all part of Nintendo’s larger plan to become an entertainment company beyond just gaming, which also includes its foray into feature films. The news also follows a string of reveals and launches from Nintendo over the past few weeks that span a surprising range of experiences. In early October, the first Nintendo Museum opened in Kyoto, and that was followed by the launch of the Alarmo alarm clock, an online test for a mysterious MMO, and a music streaming app.
Of course, this all comes as fans await news of the company’s next console, the long-awaited follow-up to the Switch. And while little has been announced to date, last week, Nintendo confirmed that the Switch’s successor would be backward-compatible.
Image: Nintendo
Nintendo is finally ready to show off the next phase of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. In a Nintendo Direct today, the company gave the first proper look at the Donkey Kong Country-themed expansion for the theme park, which includes a mine cart rollercoaster and a real-life, three-player version of the Donkey Konga rhythm game. The expansion opens on December 11th.
To get to the new area, attendees go through a tunnel seemingly made with rocks, that leads to a jungle-themed locale. There’s a towering tree house, a golden temple spewing steam, and lots of banana-flavored deserts. And just like in the games, you can find — and collect — giant letters hidden around the area using the park’s NFC bracelet. Naturally, there are now Donkey Kong-themed wristbands to collect as well. Also, there’s an animatronic Cranky Kong. If you missed it live you can check out the full presentation in the video embedded at the top of this article.
Nintendo first announced the park expansion in 2021, with plans to open this year. And while the stream today featured the Japanese version of Super Nintendo World, the company has previously said that all of the attractions in both Osaka and Los Angeles — including the Donkey Kong section — will be part of the Super Nintendo World in Orlando when it opens next year.
The theme park expansion is all part of Nintendo’s larger plan to become an entertainment company beyond just gaming, which also includes its foray into feature films. The news also follows a string of reveals and launches from Nintendo over the past few weeks that span a surprising range of experiences. In early October, the first Nintendo Museum opened in Kyoto, and that was followed by the launch of the Alarmo alarm clock, an online test for a mysterious MMO, and a music streaming app.
Of course, this all comes as fans await news of the company’s next console, the long-awaited follow-up to the Switch. And while little has been announced to date, last week, Nintendo confirmed that the Switch’s successor would be backward-compatible.