Nintendo fans were teased by the company's announcement last year that the video game juggernaut was in talks with prominent theme park giant Universal Parks regarding the possibility of creating a theme park based on the Japanese game giant's beloved characters.
As it turns out, such news was indeed accurate. Japanese media outlet Sankei News claims that the deal between Nintendo and Universal Parks is at its later stages already, with the specifics of the deal allegedly scheduled to be finalized this coming Friday.
The Japanese paper further stated that the theme park, currently being dubbed as "Nintendo Land," would involve about 40 billion yen ($351 million) from investors. Considering that the Japanese game company is currently in relatively dire financial straits as of late, the investment was most probably welcomed by Nintendo.
Once completed, Nintendo Land would be one of Universal Studios Japan's primary draws, featuring dedicated attractions focused on Nintendo's most popular characters. In fact, the theme park is allegedly so massive that it would probably rival the park's elaborate and intricate Wizarding World of Harry Potter in size. The investment being given to the project could be compared to that given to Harry Potter Land's.
Of course, with an announcement of this importance, Nintendo fans have never been more excited. Though details about the project are very scarce right now, there is much speculation that the world's most-loved plumber, Mario, would be one of the park's main draws. With a theme park fully dedicated to the company's game characters, it would not be a surprise to find "Super Mario World" somewhere in Universal Studios Japan.
Another possible attraction that has fans abuzz is, of course, is the possibility of a real-life rendition of "Mario Kart." Considering the sheer chaos that happens in those bright, neon racing tracks, all it would take is some hefty funding and a creative team of engineers to make such a thing a reality.
If the construction of Nintendo Land does not encounter any difficulties, it is set to be completed by 2020. Coincidentally, 2020 is also the year when Tokyo is expected to host the Olympics, drawing a significant number of tourists from all over the world. If Nintendo Land is already open by that time, both Universal Parks and Nintendo would probably make a killing.
