Osaka – Universal Studios Japan (USJ) on Thursday unveiled its ¥60 billion ($ 550 million) Super Mario theme draw in a big leap outside the real world with game maker Nintendo Co.
The addition in Osaka brings up the USJ charter of rights, which includes “Minions” and “Jurassic Park,” in competition with Disney, with the mustachioed crane also to hitting other Universal parks around the world.
Entering through a close-knit pipe, visitors to Super Nintendo World, a real-world version of game creator Shigeru Miyamoto, will encounter piranha plants, punchable dog blocks and Mount Beanpole with a flag.
At the draw, whose reopening has been delayed since last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors can purchase a “power-up band” that synchronizes with the park app to rank them as they collect coins and defeat baddies.
“You can be Mario,” Ayumu Yamamoto, vice president of USJ marketing department, told reporters. USJ is owned by Comcast Corp.
The wristband draws on the interactive rods in the Harry Potter attraction and Nintendo tradition of tactile gaming devices and aims to capitalize on the appeal of Mario’s generation to drive its -again to the park.
New Super Nintendo World attractions include Mario Kart: The Koopa Challenge, a trip using improved headsets, and the more subtle “Yoshi’s Adventure” for younger visitors.
The opening of the area is a response to investors overwhelmed by Nintendo’s reliance on trading more aggressively on a fan base. The Kyoto-based company’s Switch games console has been a pandemic winner while a campaign into mobile games has stalled.
The USJ currently operates at a smaller capacity and guests need timely tickets to enter the area.
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