Super Nintendo World: $550 million 'Super Mario' theme park finally opens in Japan

Nintendo's first theme park opened to fans in Osaka on Thursday

A general view shows the entrance gate of Super Nintendo World, a new attraction area featuring the popular video game character Mario. Reuters

Fans of Universal Studio Japan pose at the entrance of the Super Nintendo World, during a media preview of the theme park in Osaka. AFP

The park opened to the public on March 18, 2021. AFP

A staff member (front) rousing fans for posed photographs with Super Mario Bros characters Mario, right, and Luigi, left. AFP

Signage at a souvenir shop in Super Nintendo World. AFP

Souvenirs are seen for sale at a shop in Super Nintendo World. AFP

A general view of Super Nintendo World. AFP

A staff member cleans the facilities as a preventative measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus during a media preview of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. AFP

A fan interacts with items at Piranha Plant Nap Mishap. AFP

Staff members clean the facilities as a preventative measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus. AFP

The opening of the Osaka theme park was delayed because of the pandemic. AFP

Yoshi's Adventure attraction inside Super Nintendo World. Reuters

Peach’s Castle at Super Nintendo World. Reuters

A souvenir shop in Super Nintendo World. AFP

Mario and Luigi characters greet visitors in front of Yoshi's Adventure attraction. Reuters

Various design of Nintendo Power Up Band. Reuters

Yoshi's Adventure. Reuters

Stuffed Mario toys are displayed at 1Up Factory souvenir shop. Reuters

Fans of Universal Studios Japan wear themed augmented reality goggles for the Mario Kart ride. AFP

Fans have long waited for the theme park to open. AFP

The theme part is based at the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka, western Japan. Reuters

A fan of Universal Studios Japan wears themed augmented reality goggles on the Mario Kart ride. AFP

Music from the popular Mario games plays throughout the park. AFP

After months of pandemic delays, Nintendo's first theme park, featuring a Mario Kart ride in a real-life Bowser's Castle, opened in Japan on Thursday to delighted fans.

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.

"We perfectly recreated the world of the game," said Ayumu Yamamoto, USJ's marketing communication manager. "You'll find life-sized piranha plants and Bowser, and you'll see what it is like to be Mario," he told reporters at a preview on Wednesday.

"It took almost a year longer than we had expected to open this place, and we are really glad."

What's inside Super Nintendo World?

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 because of the coronavirus.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The zone also boasts a ride based on the cute green dinosaur Yoshi, a Peach's castle, Mario-themed restaurants and life-size characters from the Mushroom Kingdom.

Fans told AFP they were thrilled about the much-anticipated opening of the park, which cost more than 60 billion yen ($550 million), according to USJ.

"I've been playing Mario since I was a boy. I didn't expect that I could enter the world of Mario, so I'm very excited," said Hiroki Kono, 19, a university student in Osaka.

Office worker Rei Higashimoto, 25, was also delighted about the launch. "I have an annual pass, so I knew this Mario world was being created, and I have waited from one year ago for this day to come," she said.

Similar areas are planned at Universal Studios parks in Orlando and Hollywood.

The history of Super Mario

The first Super Mario Bros game came out in 1985 for Nintendo's NES console.

The platform game, in which Mario runs and jumps past obstacles to collect coins and save Princess Peach from the evil Koopa turtles, was based on the Mario Bros arcade game released earlier.

Since then, Mario has appeared in myriad formats, including games featuring racing, football and golf.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario Bros, took a tour of the park in a promotional video released in December.

"At last, it's complete! It makes a big impression, seeing the park in real life," said Miyamoto, describing himself as Mario's "Dad" as he popped out of a giant green pipe.

"There are smaller activities like the coin block, as well as bigger ones... If you manage to get three keys from various activities, you can take on the final activity – a battle with Bowser Jr."

"I'm very excited for all of you to experience the park on your own," he added.