I'm sure we're all incredibly excited for the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World theme park at Universal Studios Japan in Spring 2020, even if the reality is that I'd need to sell at least one non-essential organ to be able to afford both the flight out there and a ticket to the park itself. The gamer's paradise is expected to open its doors in time for the Tokyo Olympic Games, and construction is already well underway, as a new series of unofficial photos shows.

A number of "behind-the-scenes" shots of the park being put together were shared on Twitter, and I'm genuinely impressed just how similar it's looking to the original concept art that was shared earlier in the year. As was previously promised, Super Nintendo World will essentially look like a faithful recreation of the Mushroom Kingdom, complete with castles for both Bowser and Peach. Just try not to think about how expensive a ticket will be or you might burst into tears at your desk just like I... didn't.





Universal Parks & Resorts CEO Tom Williams confirmed to Attractions Magazine earlier in the month that the park will have two rides at launch; a Super Mario Kart experience and something called Yoshi's Adventure, which sounds super cute. These attractions, along with the aforementioned castles of Bowser and Peach will be part of the "first phase of the park." Further experiences are planned eventually, including a jungle-themed area inspired by Donkey Kong - if leaked models from earlier in the year are anything to go by, anyway.

"It's the best, and we've tested them all, and they're killers. It's a great lineup. It takes it to the whole next level. It's gonna redefine what a park experience is like. It really is special," said Williams of the planned attractions so far.

Williams also teased some kind of magnetic wristband for all attendees that lets guests fully interact will all "levels" of the park, and will apparently even "interface back" with your Nintendo Switch. "You will be able to go up and keep score and play with the various games and that also translates to a score-keeping capability, if you choose to do so within the rides and it actually interfaces back with your game console," he explained.

Nintendo World