Following several years of declining gaming revenue and console market share, Nintendo sought avenues to leverage and develop its intellectual properties, entering into a theme park partnership with Universal Parks & Resorts.[1][2] The partnership, announced in May 2015[1] and detailed the next year, would use Mario[3] and other Nintendo franchises as themes in the dedicated areas of Universal theme parks.[4][5] The ¥40 billion ($351 million U.S.) collaboration built for Universal Studios Japan in Osaka is similar in scale to Universal's investment in the Harry Potter franchise.[4] An interview video that previewed objects being constructed for the land was uploaded on November 29, 2016.[6] The first concept image of Japan's iteration of the area was then unveiled on December 12, 2016.[7]

Construction on the land at Universal Studios Japan began in June 2017 with a groundbreaking ceremony.[8][9] Following months of leaked information and patents, photographs of Universal Creative's scale model for the Japan iteration of the area were leaked on July 8, 2019.[10] On January 13, 2020, Universal unveiled the interactive Power-Up Bands and released a music video on YouTube for the upcoming land, using the song "We Are Born to Play" by Galantis ft. Charli XCX.[11] The land's opening was initially planned for completion before the 2020 Summer Olympics, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 18, 2020, a Nintendo Direct about the land went live on Nintendo's official YouTube channel, featuring Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto hosting a tour around a small fraction of the land. On December 26, 2020, the land soft-opened to limited previews for Universal Studios Japan annual passholders.[12]

On November 30, 2020, Universal officially announced that the land would open at Universal Studios Japan on February 4, 2021;[13] however, in January the opening was once again delayed indefinitely after the Japanese government reimposed a state of emergency in response to a third wave of COVID-19 infections in the city. However, guests with a Universal Studios Japan annual pass are allowed to visit the area as of February 4, 2021.[14] It eventually opened to the public on March 18, 2021.[15][16] A month after opening, the entirety of Universal Studios Japan closed from April 25 to June 7 of 2021, due to COVID-19.[17]

In November 2016, Universal announced that Super Nintendo World areas would also be built at both American Universal locations in Hollywood and Florida.[3] Construction on the land at Universal Studios Hollywood began in 2019. On March 10, 2022, the park announced that its version of the land would open in 2023.[18][19] On December 14, 2022, Universal officially announced that the land would open on February 17, 2023. The area soft-opened under technical rehearsals for reserved-guests on January 12, 2023, and officially opened as planned on February 17, 2023, about a month and a half before the release of Universal's The Super Mario Bros. Movie.[20]