Nintendo opened the curtain for the company’s very first theme park in Japan, a brand new attraction from Universal Studios looking to open its doors next year. Game director and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto offered fans a glimpse into the theme park, being called Super Nintendo World, during a special Nintendo Direct on Friday.
Everything at the park brings the world of Super Mario to life as Miyamoto takes us on a journey through the upcoming attraction. The man behind Nintendo’s famous mascot took viewers through a giant pipe that takes them to what looks like Princess Peach’s castle from Super Mario 64. As he gets out of the castle, we can see just how vast the theme park is with its various platforms and the many inhabitants that occupy the park like the Goombas and the Koopas. Miyamoto also took viewers to other parts of the park, like an underground maze that can make one look smaller, a gift shop, a cafe run by Toads, and Bowser’s castle where one can take a roller coaster ride on a course from Mario Kart through AR.
What’s special about this park is the use of a special smart wristband called a “Power-Up Band” that allows visitors to interact with many objects throughout the park. Miyamoto offered a demonstration on how it works by punching a question mark block with his hand wearing the watch, which makes a coin-collecting noise. According to the famed video game designer, the device would keep track of the coins you collect throughout the park as you participate in the many activities. The band also syncs with the Super Nintendo World app that you can download on your smartphone to keep track of your progress. It’s a mystery as to how these items you collect at the park will affect your visit, but Miyamoto did tease that there are other surprises in store as you find more interactive panels throughout the area.
The 1-Up Factory will be the destination for all kinds of exclusive merchandise from Nintendo. One of these items that you can purchase at the shop is a Super Mario toy that can move its legs just by pushing its hands, no batteries required. Miyamoto offered to showcase what it looks like and demonstrated how it actually moves. It’s a nice sentiment to a company that was once a toy company before moving into video games that we all enjoy now.
For those looking to grab a bite, Miyamoto took us to see the Kinopio’s Cafe, the restaurant run by Toad chefs. As we enter, we get a greeting from one of the Toads as they help prepare a meal. You can see all the Toads hard at work prepping the food as you enter the dining area. Most of the food we see here are well-designed cuisine to match the world of Mario through the use of mushrooms and giving a fresh spin on dishes we normally eat.
Super Nintendo World will be open to the public on February 4th, 2021. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it’ll be a while before any visitors overseas can get to visit the theme park in Japan. However, the company did reveal plans on opening the theme park in other parts of the world, including California, Florida, and Singapore.
