P27 Billion Super Mario Park Opens at Universal Studios Japan
Super Mario is one of the few icons in the world big enough to be turned into a massive theme park. The other two are Disney and Harry Potter. That is why on March 18, Universal Studios Japan and Nintendo officially opened the doors of Super Nintendo World after going through hurdles in the past years that prevented it from opening.
In December 2020, Nintendo released sneak-peek footage of the theme park.
According to Universal Studios Japan, they invested $549 million (P27 billion) in the theme park and made sure that it stayed meticulously faithful to the Nintendo world environment to ensure fans are satisfied.
Much of the places in Super Nintendo World are dedicated to Super Mario Bros., the world’s most popular video game franchise, which has stayed relevant among multiple generations of players. A trip to Super Mario park will feel like immersing yourself within the video game’s environs. Here, you can explore Bowser's Castle or ride the Mario Kart, another Mario spinoff by Nintendo.
Apart from the rides, the Super Nintendo World also has augmented reality headsets and projection mapping to allow visitors to role-play as Mario or Luigi as they conquer various levels in the classic video game, or compete against other players in races.
“Either with friends or family, all generations can have fun here and feel the world of Mario using their five senses,” says Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Super Mario, in an interview with Nikkei Asia.
Nintendo expects their theme park to be replicated around the world. A similar theme park is expected to open in Universal Studios Florida in 2025.
.png)