A place for those who "Trust the Fungus"

So i was watching a video of the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Hollywood when the idea came out...

Any ideas of a themed ride of the movie?

I think the escape from the jail and ensuing police chase, leading into the Koopahari work tunnel would translate well into a roller coaster.

How about a simulator ride like the Simpsons ride? You could travel through dinohatten and Koopahari desert in a replica cop car with Bob Hoskins as Mario talking to you through a speaker in the car.

yeah, I had these ideas in mind

You have to have a LOT of jumping.

Start there, and the rest is easy.

Or, why not a ride on a runaway Bullet Bill train, with Luigi and Koopa fighting atop it (holograms or somesuch)?

Holograms? Blasphemy! Animatronics by MEL or nothing at all!

Redstar wrote:Holograms? Blasphemy! Animatronics by MEL or nothing at all!

I really don't think animatronics would work right for what I'm trying to describe. Remember, the Bullet Bill train is moving, too.

Besides, theme-park animatronics are notorious for malfunctioning or breaking down. Think of Kongfrontation at Universal Studios. They had to keep shutting that one down because the King Kong prop wouldn't work every other day.

Well, this was a '93 movie. I imagine such a ride would have been built and operated then, when animatronics would be their only option.

Redstar wrote:Well, this was a '93 movie. I imagine such a ride would have been built and operated then, when animatronics would be their only option.

Ohhh, okay, I see where you were going with this. I was assuming that you meant "if they were to do it *now*."

Regardless, I had another idea: it's an enclosed motion-sim like Back to the Future, where everything's going on around you, but it has the added dimension of having things going on above and below you.

The big fight sequence would have to work as follows: The end is near, but the ride isn't over: A bunch of fireballs fly overhead, leading to the fistfight with Koopa and Luigi. THEN, to make it just that bit more deranged (as if it weren't deranged enough already), a Bob-omb knocks out the track in front of you and sends the train sailing through the air, only to be caught by a glob of fungus (or a crane).

All in all, the ride would have to be utter, utter madness in the way that BTTF:TR isn't--it's chaotic, but it's completely sane. SMBTM:TR is, on the other hand, totally insane.

Prime Evil wrote: a Bob-omb knocks out the track in front of you and sends the train sailing through the air, only to be caught by a glob of fungus.

Now THAT would be cool.

Phlibbit wrote:Now THAT would be cool.

I'm just trying to throw everything I can think of at the riders.

And I just thought of one more thing: The train goes through a series of Mario Pipes that take it to different sections of the Dinoverse (I can't think of a better name, sorry) or blasts the train in different directions. For example, a backwards-L-shaped pipe would send the train hurtling straight up, and so on.

Here's another thought: the Goombas have a kind of rail-mounted squad car/tank, from which they fire their flamethrowers with Stormtrooper accuracy. Occasionally, a fireball hits the train and threatens to knock it off the tracks.

There should probably be an underground cavern area of some kind, possibly just before the Koopahari tunnel...I have a funny feeling that it should start out as a subway ride and then take you over and into Dinohattan (Koopahattan?). So, I'll give you a timeline of events:

1. SUBWAY RIDE: everything seems normal at first.
2. UNDERGROUND CAVES/TUNNELS: things start malfunctioning/getting crazy (Boos and Piranha Plants among other threats, anyone?)
3. KOOPAHARI DESERT: A chaotic blitz across the sand dunes.
4. A SERIES OF TUNNELS as we twist and turn towards...
5. KOOPAHATTAN: This is where the bulk of the action takes place. We twist, turn, corkscrew, and go through a million other maneuvers (I want to type "manoeuvres" for some reason) above, between, and possibly below the city. Goombas chase us, fireballs hit us, we narrowly avoid hitting several buildings...and then we witness the final battle between Mario, Luigi, and Koopa above the train. The Bob-omb destroys the track ahead, and we plummet down, only to be caught by a hanging line of fungus.

I kind of like the term "Dinoverse" to describe the SMB Movie world/universe.

And just to clear things up:

The city in the SMB Movie is called Dinohattan, and the area that you actually see in the film (the streets, shops, etc.) is Koopa Square--the busiest street in Dinohattan.

Prime Evil wrote:And I just thought of one more thing: The train goes through a series of Mario Pipes that take it to different sections of the Dinoverse (I can't think of a better name, sorry) or blasts the train in different directions. For example, a backwards-L-shaped pipe would send the train hurtling straight up, and so on.

Here's another thought: the Goombas have a kind of rail-mounted squad car/tank, from which they fire their flamethrowers with Stormtrooper accuracy. Occasionally, a fireball hits the train and threatens to knock it off the tracks.

There should probably be an underground cavern area of some kind, possibly just before the Koopahari tunnel...I have a funny feeling that it should start out as a subway ride and then take you over and into Dinohattan (Koopahattan?). So, I'll give you a timeline of events:

1. SUBWAY RIDE: everything seems normal at first.
2. UNDERGROUND CAVES/TUNNELS: things start malfunctioning/getting crazy (Boos and Piranha Plants among other threats, anyone?)
3. KOOPAHARI DESERT: A chaotic blitz across the sand dunes.
4. A SERIES OF TUNNELS as we twist and turn towards...
5. KOOPAHATTAN: This is where the bulk of the action takes place. We twist, turn, corkscrew, and go through a million other maneuvers (I want to type "manoeuvres" for some reason) above, between, and possibly below the city. Goombas chase us, fireballs hit us, we narrowly avoid hitting several buildings...and then we witness the final battle between Mario, Luigi, and Koopa above the train. The Bob-omb destroys the track ahead, and we plummet down, only to be caught by a hanging line of fungus.

Very awesome idea Prime Evil

Phlibbit wrote:I kind of like the term "Dinoverse" to describe the SMB Movie world/universe.

And just to clear things up:

The city in the SMB Movie is called Dinohattan, and the area that you actually see in the film (the streets, shops, etc.) is Koopa Square--the busiest street in Dinohattan.

I don't remember where I hear the "Dinohattan" name for the first time, curiosly it's never mentionated in the movie

The video box, rather surprisingly. It makes sense, too--MANhattan, DINOhattan...geddit?

Dinohattan just makes the most sense.

And yeah, it's on the video box, the action figure backing boards, it's in numerous interviews, etc.

I think at one point, the town was called "Dino-York" or "Dinoyark," but I think people around the set were just calling it Dinohattan and the name stuck.

Phlibbit wrote:I think at one point, the town was called "Dino-York" or "Dinoyark,"

Eh, doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

I imagined the ride being like a cross between "Dinosaur" from Animal Kingdom and "The Great Movie Ride" from Hollywood Studios.

I figure the people would ride in Dinohattan-like tram cars that seat 3 or 4 rows of people, but move fast and bumpy like the Dinosaur ride. The ride would begin with the tram car zooming through a dark tunnel with strobe light effects to look like you are going through the dimensional portal into the other world. All the while there would be some kind of celebrity guide's voice coming through the speakers of the car, telling everyone that we have to find Mario and Luigi, who are trying to find Daisy.

Next the car will go through the Dinohattan Koopa Square set with animatronic Dinohattan citizens, cops, electric sparks, and electric cars all going on. Then your attention would be directed to Mario and Luigi up on the metal balcony calling out to Daisy who is being forced into a cab by Iggy and Spike. The person speaking in the car will be like "There they are, let's go!", and the car will speed up and head into the next scene. The scene will show Mario and Luigi arrested at the Police station, and then the Devo Chamber where Toad is turned into a goomba (probably using strobes, fog machine, and trapdoor effects. Then the voice would say "We gotta get outta here!" and the car would zoom ahead into the next scene where goombas would be firing flamethrowers over the people's heads (they will be able to feel the heat of the fire). Then the car would burst onto the police car chase with Mario Bros in one car and another police car chasing them. The car would speed up to catch up with them, zig-zagging and such to avoid other cars that crash into each other. There would also be continued flamethrowers by cops and goombas, too. Then the car would be blasted onto the wrong track (I like the bob-omb idea) and speed up through the desert tunnel. The car would be tangled up by the fungus and then fall vertically down out of the tunnel and "hang" there by the fungus. The car will then bounce up backwards onto the track and go in reverse back into the tunnel and move into the next scene.

By now the scene will show Luigi and Daisy trying to get the rock out of the meteorite with strobes and electric special effects lighting up the place. Then the final scene will involve Mario and Luigi blasting Koopa with the devo guns. He will keep popping up in different places, each time more devolved into a humanoid t-rex. Then the bob-omb will come in and blast him sky high, but now no one knows where he will pop up. I think at this point it would be cool to hear him breathing with the sound coming out of rear speakers over everyone's seat (like in the Alien Encounter ride). Then everyone would see the giant metal bucket swinging gently, the tram would come to a slow halt, and........T-REX POPS OUT!!! The Marios blast him one more time and he disappears into the bucket, which would then have the primordial slime pour out. Cheering is heard all around and the last thing you see is the Marios and Daisy cheering that he is defeated, and thanking the riders for all of their "help." The car goes through one more tunnel and has arrived at the exit point. End of the ride.


I am totally open to suggestions though as to how to make this ride even better

"Open to suggestions," eh? All right then, I'll suggest a backstory.

Since Koopa's brief, unsuccessful invasion of our world, we've become more and more aware of the Dinoverse below us. In Daisy's honor, the University has created a dimensional tunnel a la Stargate with a Bullet Bill train as the link. The first tests were quite successful, but you, the passengers, are about to board a runaway train. Spike and Iggy, those perpetual pains in the posterior, have futzed with the controls and set the train to go in really random places at uncontrollable speeds. You go through the Dinoverse and end up in the climactic battle between the Mario Bros. and King Koopa. Will you be beamed back into our universe in time to get home for dinner, or will you find yourselves stranded in a world full of humanoid dinosaurs?

I was reading through the interviews yesterday when I came across the one for a newspaper which spoke with the directors of the SMB movie. The directors didn't say it, but the article mentioned the notion of a Super Mario Bros. theme park ride seeming inevitable following the movie.

Of course, for obvious reasons, that didn't happen.

Aside from the fact that Nintendo would probably not be interested today (they've said that if they do a theme park, they'd want to make it really unique, and won't look into that venture unless they think of something; no telling if that includes licensing), what if this actually happened?

Let's use peer into an alternate reality using our psychic sixth senses (aka "using our imaginations"), to a place where Super Mario Bros. The Movie was a smash hit, and see what kind of ride ideas we can come up with.

Not having been to a Disney park since I was but a wee child, I'm really not familiar with how Disney rides are constructed. Based on what I know of Universal stuff like Back to the Future, though, it seems like riding through Dinohattan in one of those police cars might be fun.

Nice catch. That statement from the directors (which is definitely not the last to come) certainly indicates that they or Disney had high hopes for this property. It's too bad it flopped and we never got to see just how far they would have gone.

Unfortunately for this topic, incognitus had the same idea some time ago: Super Mario Bros. The Ride

...whoops. Well, crud. I even searched down the list of topics to see if anyone had touched on it-- wonder how I missed it?

Guess this one ought to be locked.

I'll just merge this thread with the original.

I'm sure you'll be able to respond to some of the posts there (now here) and continue the discussion.

The pre-ride character actors would be the police officers from the movie and a Dennis Hopper impersonator would play Koopa making "announcements" over the intercoms.

Prime Evil wrote:

Phlibbit wrote:Now THAT would be cool.

I'm just trying to throw everything I can think of at the riders.

And I just thought of one more thing: The train goes through a series of Mario Pipes that take it to different sections of the Dinoverse (I can't think of a better name, sorry) or blasts the train in different directions. For example, a backwards-L-shaped pipe would send the train hurtling straight up, and so on.

Here's another thought: the Goombas have a kind of rail-mounted squad car/tank, from which they fire their flamethrowers with Stormtrooper accuracy. Occasionally, a fireball hits the train and threatens to knock it off the tracks.

There should probably be an underground cavern area of some kind, possibly just before the Koopahari tunnel...I have a funny feeling that it should start out as a subway ride and then take you over and into Dinohattan (Koopahattan?). So, I'll give you a timeline of events:

1. SUBWAY RIDE: everything seems normal at first.
2. UNDERGROUND CAVES/TUNNELS: things start malfunctioning/getting crazy (Boos and Piranha Plants among other threats, anyone?)
3. KOOPAHARI DESERT: A chaotic blitz across the sand dunes.
4. A SERIES OF TUNNELS as we twist and turn towards...
5. KOOPAHATTAN: This is where the bulk of the action takes place. We twist, turn, corkscrew, and go through a million other maneuvers (I want to type "manoeuvres" for some reason) above, between, and possibly below the city. Goombas chase us, fireballs hit us, we narrowly avoid hitting several buildings...and then we witness the final battle between Mario, Luigi, and Koopa above the train. The Bob-omb destroys the track ahead, and we plummet down, only to be caught by a hanging line of fungus.

That last bit about the falling onto the fungus, reminds me of the Spider-Man ride at Universal, where, at the end, Spidey catches us with a web.

Mono41 wrote:That last bit about the falling onto the fungus, reminds me of the Spider-Man ride at Universal, where, at the end, Spidey catches us with a web.

Hmm, I haven't been to Universal in a long time...ten years last summer. I suppose there are only so many ways in which you can pull off a grand finale.

Prime Evil wrote:

Mono41 wrote:That last bit about the falling onto the fungus, reminds me of the Spider-Man ride at Universal, where, at the end, Spidey catches us with a web.

Hmm, I haven't been to Universal in a long time...ten years last summer. I suppose there are only so many ways in which you can pull off a grand finale.

You could always look up "Spiderman the ride" on youtube. not as fun as riding it, but you can see what I mean. It's at around 3:35...