VFX and AR starring in a theme park near you.

Serious effects for the most thrilling experiences ever devised.

We don’t mess around here at mustard FX. We want to have fun, we want it now, and if it doesn’t include special effects, AR or VR, f-o-o-o-r-get it!

That said, we’re of course thanking our lucky stars for the pretty amazing VFX starring in the movies and games that have kept us entertained through this very chilly winter. But now we can see spring peaking at us from around the corner, even we’re now seeking some entertainment beyond our front doors.

What’s even better is that we don’t even have to tone down our VFX, AR, VR mantra. No, we’re not trying to inspire you to take a ten-minute power walk to the cinema. What we’re hot under the collar about is the prospect of a couple of really awesome theme park experiences which are brand new in 2023.

The Super Nintendo World becomes a real-world experience.

The first one involves taking a flight to LA, and then speeding in a real car to Universal Studios Hollywood. For it’s here that we’ll find Super Nintendo World.

Now, as exciting as it is to find ourselves inside the cartoonish land of a Super Mario Bros. game, and it’s also just peachy to see Mario’s pals and enemies up close, we’re going to sprint right past them. Spoilsports, aren’t we. Well, no. What we actually want is to be first in the queue for the centrepiece of the Super Nintendo World experience – the brand spanking new ride Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.

Bowser’s Challenge seamlessly blends augmented reality with classic dark-ride elements to create something truly awesome. The ride utilises mapping, LED screens, physical animations with special effects, and, of course, AR goggles.

So, what happens now? Well, up to four of us will be sharing a Mario Kart car, donning the goggles, and throwing shells and bananas with embarrassing flippancy for a bunch of ‘grown ups’. The ride also promises a series of worlds that mimic Mario Kart’s most famous settings, as well as underwater courses, the chance to zoom through the clouds, and the Golden Cup challenge. According to Universal, even multiple rides will produce different endings depending on how you play them.

Super Nintendo World opened in LA on February 17th, so it’s ready and waiting. It won’t make its debut in the Orlando Universal park until 2025, so make sure you board a plane heading in the right direction.

Alton Towers bring haunting VR to the table

The next thing on our ‘must-do’ list is only a car ride away in Alton Towers. Yes, we still want our turn on the Pirate Ship, but that’s not what we’re going for. Because on 18th March, and to much anticipation, the Towers are revealing the full glory of The Curse at Alton Manor.

The Curse is a haunting dark ride that promises to whisk us off on a hair-raising journey through the spectacular twists and turns of the cursed manor house. Featuring a supernatural ‘child’ and a haunted dolls house, Alton Towers is eager that visitors will experience special effects and visuals that have never been seen before in a UK theme park.

Enough said! Our tickets are already pre-booked.

If you’re working in the AR, VR and VFX industries, and this has inspired you to bigger and better things, then you can get in touch with our fx team on 0117 929 6060 or [email protected].