The very popular Super Mario videogame is going to delight its many worldwide fans because it has finally come to life in Japan. Super Nintendo World is the first theme park, entirely dedicated to the timeless little plumber, where visitors will be catapulted into a real and digital world to live a totally immersive experience.
Initial plans have been changed by the current pandemic which postponed the opening scheduled for last summer. Despite the long delay, on March 18 the theme park was finally inaugurated inside Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, almost one year after.
The video game was developed by Nintendo over 35 years ago and is still entertaining millions of people around the world. From now on, or rather when the end of the pandemic will be officially declared, all Super Mario lovers will be able to fly to Japan to enjoy a day among mushrooms, objects and iconic characters around the park built on several levels.
For the moment Super Nintendo World will not be able to welcome more than 10 thousand people at the same time, for obvious security reasons and for the mandatory social distancing its capacity has been reduced by 50%. Continuous checks and sanitization make the park, its attractions, restaurants and shops safe places for all visitors.
One of the main attractions is definitely the one dedicated to Mario Kart and the Koopa’s Challenge inside the famous Bowser castle. Here the public will be able to take part in a race made even more engaging thanks to the augmented reality offered by a headset placed on the iconic red cap. But that is not all, another interesting innovation is the Power-up Band, visitors can buy the interactive wristband and connect it to their smartphone app in order to collect coins, keys and thus keep track of the score achieved and interact with other visitors and attractions around the theme park.
According to some sources, the investment for the creation of Super Nintendo World has reached half a billion dollars and three new openings are already planned in California, Florida and Singapore, the Orlando park has however postponed its inauguration in 2025 due to the COVID-19.
On March 18, the opening ceremony took place in the square of the theme park entrance and was held by the creator of Super Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto and J.L. Bonnier, CEO of Universal Studios Japan.
“The new Nintendo themed area – said J.L. Bonnier – will have different levels and will offer our guests a unique experience”. He was really pleased to” let the world know that a key part of Super Nintendo World will be the Mario Kart experience”.
“Here Nintendo games will come to life. Guests will be able to enter a world of excitement where they will feel as if they are playing inside Nintendo Videogames. We have been collaborating on many ideas for the world. I am very excited to step into Super Nintendo World and experience its involvement. We hope you look forward to it”, said Mario’s father, Shigeru Miyamoto.