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] Later that day, Universal announced that Super Nintendo World areas would also be built at both American Universal locations in Hollywood and Florida.[3] 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] while construction on the land at Universal Studios Hollywood began in early 2019. 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 & 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]

On March 10, 2022, Universal Studios Hollywood announced that its version of the land would open in 2023.[18][19], with the specific date of February 17 then being announced on December 14, 2022. 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/Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie.[20] To celebrate Super Nintendo World's second anniversary in Japan, a limited-edition gold colored Power-Up Band was made available to purchase on March 18, 2023.[21]