Nintendo to bring video-game-themed areas to Universal Parks

LOS ANGELES — Get ready to bounce with Mario in a whole new, in-real-life way: Nintendo has teamed with Universal Parks and Resorts to bring video-game-themed areas to parks in Japan, Orlando and Hollywood, the companies announced Tuesday.

Under the deal, the companies promise to create “larger-than-life” Nintendo experiences that will be “expansive, immersive and interactive” and are set to include multiple attractions, shops and restaurants.

Each Universal theme park — Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood — will announce details of its specific Nintendo areas at a later date. The Nintendo areas will open separately over the next several years.

Nintendo’s globally popular “Super Mario Bros.” video game will be featured in the parks, with the companies saying that “Mario and all his friends are there to pull you into a brand-new world.”

“There will be something for everyone - regardless of their age or gaming experience level,” Universal Parks and Resorts and Nintendo said in a joint statement.

Watch the official announcement video with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario, and Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative: