Redeem now - Fans can face off against Bowser's son, Bowser Jr., at Super Nintendo World.
- You can't just walk right up to experience the unlockable mini-game, subtly hidden in the land.
- Guests need a $40 Power-Up band to play — and win — three mini-games to access Bowser Jr.'s lair.
Universal Studios Hollywood's Super Nintendo World features a new Mario Kart ride — but it also has a hidden interactive game where fans can face off against Bowser's son that's arguably more fun than the main attraction.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.I attended the opening on February 17 as media and heard there was a boss battle with Bowser Jr. I figured it would be a cute side quest that wasn't too involved.
Personally, this was my favorite experience in the park.
Tucked away to the left of Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge is an entrance to Bowser Jr.'s lair. But you can't just walk right up and enter.
The entrance is "guarded" by an employee. Guests need to "unlock" access to the area.
In order to enter, guests need to purchase one of six $40 Power-Up bands after and play and win three of four mini-game challenges to collect virtual keys in the park's app.
Once you have three, you can unlock the entrance and battle Bowser's adorably evil spawn.
Here's how to make sure you gain access to one of the best things Super Nintendo World has to offer.
How to find the four games and win
The four interactive challenges, which are spread throughout Super Nintendo World, feel like Mario Party mini-games brought to life. All of them are fairly easy to spot.
Each game has a separate queue. If you don't line up near the start of the day, you could be in for a bit of a wait, but I never waited more than 20 minutes to play any challenge on opening day.
When you arrive at a game, you're asked to scan your band on an interactive platform. If you win a virtual key, you're asked to tap that area again at the end of the game to "acquire" your key in the app.
These are not difficult games. While two are solo games, the others encouraged parkgoers to pair up.
1. Thwomp Panel Panic
I stumbled upon my first challenge by mistake. It's hidden in a little cave to the right of the Mario Kart attraction.
This was my favorite of the four; you walk up to a giant interactive screen and need to turn every box the same color by tapping them.
It didn't seem like something I could do by myself in a short amount of time. Thankfully, another solo parkgoer asked if they could join me so we had a better shot at winning.
We easily managed to turn every block blue before the clock ran down.
2. Koopa Troopa POWer Punch
This was the toughest game of the bunch. Here, you have to tap a "POW" brick at just the right moment so a turtle shell knocks a Koopa Troopa over.
This challenge required patience and impeccable timing.
3. Goomba Crazy Crank
This game involves turning a crank fast enough to knock a little Goomba from a spinning wheel. I didn't see anyone lose this game. It looked like as long as you put some effort into spinning the wheel, you won. When my time came, I spun the wheel as fast as I could and picked up my key.
If you're looking for a quick way to acquire keys, this is the easiest of the challenges.
4. Piranha Plant Nap Mishap
This was a really fun whack-a-mole type game where you need to tap alarm clocks quickly before a giant piranha wakes up.
I had no idea what the task was when entering this line solo.
Thankfully, a guest started talking to me and, when it was his group's time to shine, they asked if I'd like to join in their quest to get a key. It took all four of us to win.
The boss battle against Bowser Jr. makes you feel like you're in a Super Mario Party mini-game
When I acquired three keys, I returned to the lair and scanned my band at the entrance to gain access.
After I was let in, I walked down a full corridor before getting ushered into a room to play a game called Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown alongside other guests.
I was told to use my arms to swipe bombs away, duck down to avoid bullets, and jump to hit question blocks and earn a power-up.
When this happened, I could swing my arms to toss fireballs to defeat the little Bowser.
I also had the ability to earn coins, which you keep track of in the app.
When I entered the gaming space, I was surprised to see a replica of my shadow on a screen in front of me. When I jumped, it jumped. When I waved my hands out, it did the same. It was a really seamless use of AI technology.
The game only lasts about 90 seconds, but it felt like you were transported inside a Super Mario Party mini-game.
This was definitely worth the adventure. It felt like I was in on some small secret that the rest of the parkgoers weren't all super aware of, yet. I never saw the wait for this go above five minutes.
As someone who attended solo, I really appreciated that Super Nintendo World's challenges encouraged making friends in the park. If it wasn't for the kindness of strangers, I probably wouldn't have beaten one or two games solo and may not have been able to face off against Bowser Jr.
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