Anime: Super Nintendo World Japan To Open After Massive Delays
After delays brought about by the Covid-19 Pandemic, Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan will finally be opening on March 18th.
Originally slated to open in the summer ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and then again scheduled for a grand opening on February 4th before a State of Emergency hit the snooze button again, Universal Studios Japan’s brand new Super Nintendo World has seen it’s fair share of delays. At the spring 2017 groundbreaking ceremony, it would have been impossible to foresee the massive delays the park would see at completion neared the home stretch, but after months of delays, Nintendo World in Osaka, Japan will finally be opening next Friday on March 18th. With restrictions for health and safety, of course.
Boasting a Mario Kart ride which will utilize AR headsets through a recreation of Bowser’s Castle and the Yoshi’s Adventure ride, as well as a restaurant where Chef Toad will cook up a plethora of mushroom dishes, and a series of Power Up Band Key Challenges that will unlock surprises around the park for attendees with a special wristband, the park is off to a strong start and promises to be a ton of fun. More things will almost definitely become available for parkgoers as the pandemic slows and it becomes more possible to gather safely, but for many, the ability to visit the world of Super Nintendo at all will be a welcome distraction from the state of everything.
Unfortunately for those of us in North America, the wait to visit Bowser’s Castle and sample Chef Toad’s cooking will be just a little longer as Super Nintendo World in the upcoming Epic Universe which will be a part of Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida has been pushed back until early 2025. Originally scheduled to open in 2023, the two-year delay is the result of run of the mill construction delays and, to a much greater degree, major slowdowns caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Construction has apparently already begun, but fully staffed vendor and contractor teams aren’t expected to be reasonably assembled for a few months. It’s not known what else the 750 acre Epic Universe campus will house, but rumors include another Harry Potter world as well as How to Train Your Dragon, and of course all of the normal restaurants, shops, and attractions that Universal Studios is known for.
In the meantime, we’ll just have to play regular not AR Mario Kart in our own homes and dream about flying to Japan to visit Universal Studios in Osaka one day while telling ourselves that the Orlando park will undoubtedly be worth the wait.
Are you excited enough about Super Nintendo World to get on the first post-pandemic flight to Japan or are you happy to wait and find your princess in a closer castle? What Nintendo themed attraction or character do you most want to see in Super Nintendo World? Be honest, how are you at Mario Kart (I’m pretty abysmal)? Let us know in the comments!
Ja Ne, Adventurers!
