Get Ready for 2023: The Year of Mario

Will 2023 be the year of the Mario Bros? The long loved (sometimes super) plumbers are on a crash course to hit the pop culture apex in the new year. The Nintendo stars have long been icons (surveys say Mario is already more recognizable than Mickey Mouse in Japan) – but it appears that in 2023 the duo and their friends might be headed to greater heights, potentially becoming a, dare I say it, Marvel-level icon and cultural force worldwide. A few things on the calendar point to this happening. But what makes me interested is that even for me, a huge sucker fan for all things Disney in parks and brands, I have finally turned my head towards Mario.

Am I insane? Easily distracted? Dumb? Focused on immediate gratification? All of the above. But I also might be feeling a true cultural seismic shift. Let’s dig into the year of Mario…

Super Nintendo World at Universal Hollywood

The biggest Mario event this year might not even be his big screen debut (more on that in a second). At least in Southern California and the US at large, the hype and anticipation for Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood is palpable. The Nintendo expansion at Universal Studios Hollywood will open on February 17, 2023 – with soft opening for passholders beginning at the end of January. SNW will feature multiple interactive experiences for guests to “play” Super Mario Bros in real life – amassing points on their powerbands (available for purchase – separately) that will unlock other experiences in the park and also experiences on their Nintendo Switch back home. The area will feature meet and greets with Nintendo characters including Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. Toad’s Café will serve Nintendo themed food and deserts including (allegedly) mushroom soup and pizza bowls and Princess Peach cake.

But most importantly, SNW will feature MarioKart: Bowser’s Challenge – an interactive AR themed dark ride featuring a unique experience for each guest on each ride. If the guest buys a powerband, their performance in the challenge will affect their experience throughout the park and even back home when they download their powerband onto their Nintendo Switch.

SNW will be the only destination of its kind in the United States, at least until 2025 when Universal opens a similar one, albeit “plussed” with a Yoshi’s kids ride (already seen at Universal Japan) and a Donkey Kong Coaster (unique to Florida), in Orlando at their new theme park: Epic Universe. But that is years away. For now – Universal Studios Hollywood will be the center of the Nintendo Universe in the west in 2023.

A popcorn and cream soda stand has already opened outside of the land and is packed all hours of the day. The stand sells unique popcorn buckets and Power-Up and 1-Up themed soft drink cups.

Interestingly, Super Nintendo World will be opening the same week that Disneyland will kick-off its “Disney 100” celebration and the opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway – a high tech big time e-ticket ride for the whole family. The ride is a clone of a similar attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida so it will be interesting see how the hype of the ride opening and the start of new firework shows, parades and World of Color shows throughout the month measure up to the hype and internet chatter over the opening of SNW. We shall see but this is the first real time that I can remember Universal and Disneyland going head to head with such huge offerings and as a fan I can’t wait.

The Super Mario Movie

The Super Mario Movie opens worldwide in early April. The film looks to be a wonderful recreation of multiple generations of Mario games from Illumination, who has already given us the Despicable Me/Minion/Secret Life of Pets franchises (Illumination is also owned by Universal). The film was recently ranked #2 most anticipated family film (and #10 overall) of 2023 – ahead of HAUNTED MANSION and THE LITTLE MERMAID, behind only ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE.

The film looks poised for huge box office success and to have an impact culturally, creating a new brand of toys, clothes, and Legos for the fandom. The desire from the general public for ancillary avenues of fandom participation could go as far as franchises at Disney, DC and in the Wizarding World. 

If Super Nintendo World was Mario planting the Nintendo flag in the general public’s wallet and heart then the Super Mario Movie will be the strike that begins the Nintendo Gold Rush and really pushes this franchise into the super stratosphere.

Super Mario Movie Happy Meals

And these opportunities for ancillary revenues have already arrived. Yesterday when I was going through the drive-thru at McDonalds, I was delighted to see that the Happy Meal series for the Super Mario Movie had begun. Feature toys with Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, and Toad – the Nintendo gang is ready to invade the toy collections of kids across the US with each happy meal purchase – whether they like it or not.

Now I know Nintendo has already had a MarioKart Happy Meal in 2022 (yes I am that big of a Happy Meal fan) – which was a big hit. But the timing of these toys with the opening of Super Nintendo World and the release of Super Mario Movie is serendipitous. It is the ideal corporate integration that makes CEO’s and fans swoon.

Princess Peach Ascendant

Is Princess Peach the most popular princess in the universe currently? I bring this up only because I am a big time Disney Princess fan. The Disney Princesses ruled the pop culture landscape for the last 85 years (since 1937 and the release of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS). But the Princess Peach in the latest Super Mario Bros. Movie is a character that looks poised to be as big of a heroine and presence as Mario, Luigi, or anyone in the Nintendo universe TBH.

And it could not come at a worse time for Disney, as Disney is leaning on its princess franchise more than ever. Disneyland recently announced a Princess Night After-Dark event for Disneyland in March. And Splash Mountain at both Disneyland and Disney World will soon be re-themed to Princess Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

But now Princess Peach has arrived. She has class, grace, independence, and humor. The Super Mario Movie will presumably flesh out her character even more and her visage will be ever-present in clothes, toys and accessories – already all the rage in Japan where she rules supreme. Will Disney be able to compete? Of course. But they need to flex that muscle and show why their princesses are relevant – beyond lazy theming. That’s what made FROZEN such a juggernaut (btw neither Elsa nor Anna are technically Disney Princesses – why because they don’t have to be). Because right now the franchise is carrying the characters and not the other way around. It is the opposite for Peach and the Mario Bros. franchise as she adds so much to the story and lore of this universe.

Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom

Nintendo may be crossing over but its true home is in gaming. And luckily this year they have a game that could be one of its biggest ever: LEGEND OF ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM. Now I know Zelda is not part of the Mario franchise per se but Nintendo building up Zelda is a way to build up Nintendo’s universe, to reinforce and build up another title, universe, and character for toys, theme parks, and our hearts. And 2023 will (hopefully) see the first new Zelda game since 2017’s BREATH OF THE WILD.

TEARS OF THE KINGDOM has been the most anticipated game for the past THREE years from both the game awards and Golden Joystick Awards. Gamers are already ready and waiting for the title but this game – following the huge presence of Mario in the first half of the year – will have the momentum to rule the summer and fall becoming the biggest Nintendo game in ages.

Moreover, 2023 has the potential, with TEARS OF THE KINGDOM, to not just be the year of Mario – but the year of NINTENDO. As they used to say when I was a little bitty kid:

“NOW YOU’RE PLAYING WITH POWER!”