Look forward to real-life takes on Peach and Bowser’s castles, Mario Kart themed attractions and more!

2015 seems so long ago now. The same year that one of the most universally cherished figures in gaming, CEO Satoru Iwata, passed away, was the same year that his company Nintendo drew up its first agreements with theme park Universal Studios Japan to license its game concepts for attractions, environments and merchandising. Four years on, we’ve only received the tiniest trickling of information about the proposed park: primarily this concept art, released in 2016, and rumblings a year later that the park would house a ride based on Mario Kart.

▼ Just imagine this, but as a theme park ride!

https://twitter.com/kinuyo_EMS/status/1196900906408669184

Now it’s November 2019, and we’re mere months away from the much-publicized year of 2020: the year the Olympics comes to Japan. Initiatives to beat the heat are being drafted, mascots have been selected, and Shibuya has been building up its tourism spots: including a brand new Nintendo store. And as it turns out, Universal Studios Japan is planning to lure some tourists away from the capital that year: Super Nintendo World is expected to open before the Olympics hit Tokyo in July.

This news comes with a brand new image illustrating the proposed look of the park, showcasing the same pretty pink Peach Castle and sinister Bowser Castle as the concept image. This new promotional shot builds on the concepts to show how the walkways will look, as well as a couple of tantalizing glimpses at potential attractions.

USJ has a lot riding on the success of this latest venture. Based on 2016 studies performed by professor emeritus of Kansai University Katsuhiro Miyamoto, Super Nintendo World is projected to bring in around 6.2 trillion yen across 10 years in the Kinki region where Universal Studios Japan is located. The nationwide economic impact is predicted at around 11.7 trillion yen, and employment opportunities from the new park and surrounding tourism features are expected to affect 1,080,000 residents.

Though concrete information about the attractions, restaurants and features of Super Nintendo World is still scarce, the new visual features some key points of interest; the image stars more characters than the initial concepts, with Piranha Plants popping out of various pipes in the scenery and Goombas gamboling up the hills. The far right side of the image shows three brightly colored karts fashioned to look like Yoshi, and the land is filled with curious buildings and kiosks in Mario’s customary cartoon style.

Universal Studios Japan is no stranger to themed lands. The quirky, fantastical realm of Harry Potter became part of the park in 2014, and continues to draw crowds due to its yearly events. We’re excited to see how USJ fills every square foot of Super Nintendo World; especially considering the construction we’ve already managed to peek at!

Source: PR Times, NariNari.com
Images: PR Times
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