After almost an eight month delay, Super Nintendo World will finally open its gates to the Japanese public on Thursday, March 18. The Osaka based theme park was originally scheduled to open in 2020, but the management decided against it in lieu of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The park will reportedly follow strict Covid-19 protocols issued by the USJ. These include a limit on the number of people allowed into the park, and a strict time allotment for guests.
The grand opening was earlier delayed to February 2, 2021, due to a state of emergency declared in Osaka due to the pandemic. A few lucky fans did however get to visit the theme park and experience some of its Nintendo themed attractions. These fans got to visit Super Nintendo World as a soft opening or a “rehearsal.” They experienced the Mario Kart ride among other attractions on the condition that no videos or pictures be taken.
Super Nintendo World Japan seems to be adding a technological twist to the traditional theme park experience. A wearable wristband connected to your phone will allow you to gamify the park itself. Additionally, Super Nintendo World will be littered with secrets and puzzles which players can solve by interacting with various items in the park.
Even the food will be Nintendo themed, with Kinopio’s Café (Toad’s Café) serving up items like Koopa-Troopa shaped calzones, Mario Burgers, Super Mushroom Pizza Bowls, and desserts in a Question Block shaped dish. The wristbands will reportedly play a role in the Café as well.
While this is great news for Nintendo fans in Japan, fans in the West are in for a long wait for their very own version of the theme park. Super Nintendo World's opening at Universal Studios Orlando has been postponed all the way to 2025.
However, the construction of Super Nintendo World Hollywood is seemingly progressing smoothly, and should be ready to open in the next year or two. The North American theme parks are however condensed versions, and won’t feature all the attractions that visitors will be able to experience in Super Nintendo World Japan. One of the attractions that was noticeably missing from the construction update video was Yoshi’s Adventure.