One of Epic Universe's key attractions will be Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness.

This combination family coaster / dark ride will invite guests to step aboard mine carts for a wild race through the jungle ruins, emulating the maddening 16-bit frustration of the Mine Cart Carnage level of the 1994 game "Donkey Kong Country." Mine Cart Madness will wrap around the land, enveloping guests in chaos as the carts dart to-and-fro, skipping across jungle pools and launching skyward. Speaking of which...

Mine Cart Madness has a special trick up its sleeve. At several key moments during the ride, the carts guests ride in will leap over gaps in the gnarled, twisted mine tracks they ride on! Yep, when a gap in the track appears ahead, the trains will hop skyward, landing on the track ahead. They'll dart side to side, leaping off of one rail and reconnecting with a parallel set. They'll even depart from the track, skim across water, and then reconnect on the other side.

Naturally, what makes it possible is a whole bunch of hidden innovation. Mine Cart Madness will be the first ever installation of a whole new type of roller coaster patented by Universal under the name "Boom Coaster." Like the cantilevered "boom" microphones held by boom operators on Hollywood sets, this entirely new coaster arrangement looks downright improbable... 

... but it will mean that the real track can be easily concealed, giving Universal the ability to build a fake track that it only appears to ride on... and occasionally, break off of. Our friends at Amusement Insider have mocked up a video of what, exactly, the experience might look like for onlookers and riders. But be warned, potential spoilers await!

As much fun to watch as it is to ride, Mine Cart Madness will bring all of Donkey Kong Country to life with squeals of delight, zipping trains, and the "did I just see what I think I saw" joy of seeing a roller coaster do the impossible. In other words, look for Mine Cart Madness to become a new family favorite and a major attraction for Universal's game-changing park in Orlando.

Donkey Kong Country may be small... but we'd place our bets on it being mighty, too. This second sub-section of Super Nintendo World will serve to expand on the land we already know in Japan and Hollywood, leading the way into future Nintendo experiences sure to come. And altogether, this mini-land is shaping up to be a hidden gem in Universal Orlando's crown. 

Are you ready for Donkey Kong Country? How do you feel about this mini-land? Do you think the "illusion" of Mine Cart Madness will be sold? And more to the point, if another warp pipe leads onward from Donkey Kong's jungle, which third Nintendo classic do you hope the next expansion to Epic Universe brings to life? Let us know in the comments below.