Updated:
As construction on Universal Studios Japan's Super Nintendo World nears completion, the company has decided to delay the opening of the theme park indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Super Nintendo World was originally slated to open on July 1. The new park would have increased visitor numbers to Universal Studios Japan, which is already attempting to keep the number of guests at a minimum by only allowing park visitors who are annual pass holders or from the six prefectures of Kansai. No official opening date has been given. The original story follows.
Pop culture theme parks are all the rage right now. Universal Studios Orlando has popular attractions like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Springfield (home of The Simpsons) while Disney recently opened Galaxy’s Edge, its Star Wars theme park.
Now, new details have been released about the newest entry into this increasingly crowded space: Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World. After breaking ground back in 2017, Universal Studios Japan and Nintendo have recently released more information about what to expect from the project.
See Also: Disney announces opening dates for Star Wars-themed parks
In the same way Galaxy’s Edge was designed to make guests feel as if they were staring in their own Star Wars adventure, Super Nintendo World wants to make people feel like they have been teleported inside their favorite Nintendo games, with Universal Studios Japan describing the park as “a life-size, living video game.”
Guests will be able to explore Mushroom Kingdom, Peach’s Castle, and Bowser’s Fortress and also play a real life version of Mario Kart. Custom designed wrist bands, dubbed Power Up Bands, will link to a smart phone app and connect guests to iconic Nintendo items throughout the land, like coins, keeping track of what they earn and competing against other guests.
Super Nintendo World is slated for completion this summer ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
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