Japan Finally Gets its New 'Super Mario' Theme Park, See Photos
After months of pandemic delays, Nintendo’s first ever theme park, featuring a “Mario Kart” ride in a real-life Bowser’s Castle, opened in Japan on Thursday to delighted fans.
After months of pandemic delays, Nintendo’s first ever theme park, featuring a “Mario Kart” ride in a real-life Bowser’s Castle, opened in Japan on Thursday to delighted fans. Photo: AFP
The attraction, whose bright, block-like surroundings are straight out of the classic “Super Mario” games, is part of the existing Universal Studios Japan amusement park in the western city of Osaka. Photo: AFP
“We perfectly recreated the world of the game…. You’ll find life-sized piranha plants and Bowser, and you’ll see what it is like to be Mario,” said Ayumu Yamamoto, USJ’s marketing communication manager. Photo: AFP
The new zone called “Super Nintendo World” had originally been expected to draw big crowds last year ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which was also postponed by the coronavirus. Photo: AFP
But its launch was pushed back to February, and then delayed again as Japan’s government declared a state of emergency in early 2021 to curb spiking cases. Photo: AFP
Music from the popular Mario games plays throughout the park and a smartphone-linked wristband allows visitors to collect virtual coins by punching blocks, just like the Italian plumber. Photo: AFP
Augmented reality goggles attached to a plastic red visor are used in the “Mario Kart” ride, one of the park’s main draws that promises to bring the racing game to life. Photo: Reuters
The ride follows a track around the foreboding castle of Mario’s enemy Bowser, an evil turtle, but each seat has a steering wheel and players can collect and shoot items at opponents. Photo: Reuters
