Universal Studios Japan breaks ground on Nintendo theme park, Mario Kart ride confirmed

Two years ago Nintendo announced a major partnership with Universal Parks & Resorts in which the two would develop and open Nintendo-themed areas within Universal's theme parks, starting in Japan. Today they’ve finally broken ground on the upcoming attraction, now dubbed Super Nintendo World, and shared a few more details about the endeavor as well as a new concept video.

Super Nintendo World will have shops, restaurants and rides, including a Mario Kart race game, the park operator has confirmed. This shouldn’t come as a surprise given previously published patent documents revealed those plans along with a few details of how it’s supposed to work. According to those documents, the ride will run on a rail, with one rider controlling the steering wheel and speed, while the other one controls boosting powers and fending off competitors using the game’s iconic weapons.

Aside from the Mario Kart ride you'll be able to visit the castles of both Peach and Bowser, which may serve as the frontages for other attractions, but details are scarce at the moment.

Super Nintendo World is set to open Universal Studios Japan by 2020, just in time for the Summer Olympics scheduled to take place in nearby Tokyo. It will later expand to further Universal Studios locations — namely those in Hollywood, California and Orlando, Florida.