First Super Mario theme park outside Japan to open in the US

Nintendo's first theme park outside of its native Japan will open in California next month, only weeks before Mario gets the big-screen treatment in a major new Hollywood film.

Super Nintendo World will be part of Universal Studios Hollywood, an amusement park that is traditionally home to rides based on film and TV franchises from Waterworld to Harry Potter.

But with the video game industry now eclipsing movies in size, and theme parks using increasingly interactive technology to immerse guests, bosses of the two companies have joined forces to capitalise on the platform-hopping plumber's global popularity.

The new Nintendo attraction will largely mirror the design of its recently opened, slightly larger sister park in Osaka, including a Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge ride that uses augmented reality goggles.

Visitors race along a real-life track surrounded by actual set pieces, but can aim and shoot virtual shells at computerised villains they see displayed on their head-mounted, individual visors.

'Ultimate playground'

There are also a number of mini games in which visitors with interactive wristbands can accrue coins and stamps, to qualify for a "final showdown" with the evil Bowser Jr.

"It's kind of the ultimate playground," said Jon Corfino, vice president of Universal Creative.

"We are known for our film franchises, which are terrific, and they're very immersive. Games are a different thing.

"How we even engage with entertainment is evolving in and of itself... entertainment is not static."

Nintendo fans have already begun flocking to the Los Angeles amusement park, where word quickly spread last week that the new attraction was admitting visitors for a "soft opening" to iron out any final technical glitches.

"Being here, it's like my childhood in real life," said Carlos Moctezuma, who wore a Mario outfit to the park.

"I've known Mario since I was in second grade. That was one of my first games on the Game Boy," said his partner Lexsi Houseman, dressed as Luigi.

"It's a dream come true," she added.

Star-studded cast

The official launch of Super Nintendo World is set for February 17, when visitors surrounded by mechanical Yoshis, Piranha Plants and Goombas from the beloved gaming franchise will be greeted by actors dressed as Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach.

A third Nintendo theme park will follow in Orlando.

Meanwhile, Universal Pictures — the Hollywood film studio that shares its parent company with the theme park — will release The Super Mario Bros Movie in April.

The film features US actor Chris Pratt as the voice of Italian plumber Mario — a casting choice that has sparked controversy and criticism on social media, but only drawn more attention to the nostalgia-laden movie.

Chris Pratt will lend his voice to Italian plumber Mario. Reuters

Other big names lending their voices include Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.

It will be Hollywood's second attempt to bring Nintendo's most famous characters to the big screen, after a widely panned 1993 live-action movie.

The first Super Mario Bros game came out in 1985 for Nintendo's NES console.

The platform game, in which Mario runs and jumps past obstacles to collect coins and saves Princess Peach from the evil Koopa turtles, was based on the Mario Bros arcade game released earlier

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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

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Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

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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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