Super Nintendo World is coming to Universal Studios Japan this summer. This was announced at a press event in Japan, and confirmed publicly by a music video posted to Nintendo’s YouTube channel. Tokyo-based reporter Kurumi Mori provided the details from the press event via Twitter, and Attractions Magazine uploaded video from the groundbreaking ceremony.
Universal Parks executives detailed what to expect from the Universal Studios Japan expansion, which is being described as a “life-sized, living video game,” and leans heavily into smartphone and wearable technology. To facilitate the collaborative games purportedly taking place, park-goers will be encouraged to buy wrist “Power Up Bands” which will pair with a smartphone. The specifics of the games and interactivity have not been detailed.
The Super Nintendo World park has also confirmed the “Mario Kart Experience,” though there are no details as to what type of ride this might be. While the immediate conclusion would be a go-kart track, it’s more likely that Universal Parks’ experience with VR attractions would come into play here. The vice chairman of Universal Parks, Mark Woodbury, described the attraction as an “attraction that is unlike any the world has ever seen,” adding that it will be the “most immersive and cutting edge technological attraction” that they could imagine.
Universal Studios Japan Groundbreaking Ceremony
Shigeru Miyamoto, father of Mario himself, joined two Universal Parks executives, J.L. Bonnier and Mark Woodbury, for a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction. Each of the three speakers addressed different aspects of the park, Bonnier and Woodbury describing immersive experiences and attractions, and Miyamoto excitedly described the experience as being able to feel “as if they are playing inside Nintendo Videogames.”
It’s also worth it to note that all three speakers were wearing oversized Mario hats and gloves during the entire ceremony. To complete the event, they joined Mario in a pose, flanked by Piranha Plants and pipes shooting confetti.
