- The Super Nintendo World was finally opened at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan.
- The inauguration occurs after eight months of delays due to the coronavirus outbreak.
- Insider has put together five things that visitors can do at the theme park.
- See more stories on the Insider business page.
On Thursday, the Super Nintendo World theme park finally opened at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.
The park should have opened last summer before the Tokyo Olympics, but that timeline was interrupted by the pandemic. It then set an opening date for February, but it was also postponed after Osaka declared a state of emergency because of the high rates of hospitalizations for COVID-19.
In the days following the opening, visitors immersed themselves in the park’s many attractions while wearing red Mario hats and other Nintendo-themed clothing, CNN reported. The suppressed excitement of visitors was the latest sign that people were eager to return to normal and enjoy the fun days as the mass distribution of vaccines continues around the world.
Visits will not be a totally carefree experience, as there are many security protocols in place in the park. This includes mandatory masks, temperature checks, social distance measures, signs asking passengers not to yell and hand sanitizer readily available.
Continue reading about five things you can do on Super Nintendo World
1 Participate in a Mario Kart race
Racing on a Mario Kart circuit is probably one of the highest profile activities. Using AR headphones, visitors can experience a five-minute run. They can also see other characters’ projections and collect virtual coins.
2. Mount Yoshi
Visitors can embark on a Yoshi themed tour while looking for Captain Frog during a treasure hunt. Its quiet pace is good for children and families looking to relax and enjoy the strange and wonderful scenery.
3. Buy a reinforcement bracelet
Power-Up Bands are bracelets that record scores, coins and digital stamps. The devices can also be synchronized with a smartphone device.
4. Make giant question blocks
The recreation of question and note blocks from the Mario franchise is likely to satisfy diehard fans. Visitors can jump and punch the blocks until they are satisfied.
5. Eat game-based snacks
Among the quirky restaurants are Kinopio’s Cafe, Pit Stop Popcorn and Yoshi’s Snack Island. The foods are as crazy as you can imagine and include delicacies like mushroom-flavored popcorn, tiramisu question blocks and koopa shell calzones.
The park’s launch comes after a slump in the theme park industry. Although the Super Nintendo World is open only to those living in Japan, Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of the Mario franchise, said he expects the whole world to visit it when the pandemic is over, the New York Times reported.