LOS ANGELES — Be sure to bring your driving gloves to Universal Studios Hollywood next year.
Universal Studios Hollywood announced Wednesday the Mario Kart-inspired signature ride for the much-anticipated Super Nintendo World, opening in early 2023.
Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge will take visitors to the depths of Bowser's Castle, where they'll don augmented reality goggles before climbing aboard a four-seat Mario Kart vehicle. Once aboard, guests will take off on the 3-2-1 go — signal from flying Koopa Lakitu and off to the races.
Universal Hollywood officials said the ride would be the most immersive and interactive ride theme park visitors will ever experience.
The ride incorporates augmented reality with projection mapping technology and set pieces along a moving ride track.
"This innovative achievement will propel guests into a multi-dimensional experience that recreates iconic environments from the Mario Kart games and where no two races are alike," Universal Studios Hollywood officials said in a news release. "Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge is also one of the most complex rides ever built within the entertainment industry."
The new signature ride report comes two months after Universal officials continued building off their partnership with video game developer Nintendo and announced the construction of a Super Nintendo World-themed land in Universal Studios Hollywood.
The new themed land based on the famous Nintendo video game, "Super Mario Bros." will feature the likes of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and the rest of the Nintendo universe.
It will be the second Super Nintendo World in the world and first in the U.S. The first Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Mario Kart franchise is one of Nintendo's most popular video game series. The racing-style video game, which made its debut in 1992 on the Super Nintendo console, has sold more than 165 million copies worldwide. According to NPD Group, the latest Mario Kart 8 has sold more than 45 million units and is one of the most played video games in the world.