First Super Nintendo World in US to open in early 2023 at Universal Studios Hollywood

The first Super Nintendo World in the US will open in early 2023. The date announcement came as Universal Studios Hollywood and Nintendo released new photos and a video trailer of their anticipated interactive, augmented-reality ride, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.

The goal of the ride is simple: “As part of Team Mario, guests will steer through courses underwater and in the clouds to compete for the Golden Cup while collecting coins to defeat Team Bowser and win," a statement from Universal Studios Hollywood reads.

It was announced on March 10, also known as Mario Day, that the theme park would be opening in the US. It comes after the successful launch of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan last year.

What to expect at Super Nintendo World US

In March 2021, after months of delays owing to the pandemic, Nintendo’s first theme park opened in Osaka, Japan. It features a Mario Kart ride in Bowser’s Castle, a ride based on the green dinosaur Yoshi, a Princess Peach castle and Mario-theme restaurants.

"We perfectly recreated the world of the game," said Ayumu Yamamoto, Universal Studios Japan's marketing communication manager at the time. "You'll find life-sized piranha plants and Bowser, and you'll see what it is like to be Mario. It took almost a year longer than we had expected to open this place, and we are really glad."

Augmented-reality goggles attached to a plastic red visor are used in the Mario Kart ride, one of the park's main draws that promises to bring the racing game to life.

The ride follows a track around the foreboding castle of Mario's enemy Bowser, an evil turtle, but each seat has a steering wheel and players can collect and shoot items at opponents.

Music from the popular Mario games plays throughout the park and a smartphone-linked wristband allows visitors to collect virtual coins by punching blocks, just like the Italian plumber.

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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First Super Nintendo World in US to open in early 2023 at Universal Studios Hollywood

One of the most anticipated rides at the attraction will be based on popular video game 'Mario Kart'

What to expect at Super Nintendo World US

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A cheaper choice

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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo