Plot your course and meal at the first-ever Super Mario-themed amusement park zone.

It’s been a long, long wait for the opening of Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World expansion. Granted, from the moment it became known that the Kyoto-based video game maker and Osaka theme park were forming a creative partnership fans have wanted to see the results ASAP, but anticipation has been building for five years and counting now.

But we can finally see the light at the end of the warp pipe, as February 4 is opening day for the new Nintendo area, and to help all of us fantasize more accurately during the final weeks of waiting, USJ has released the finalized map of its real-world Mushroom Kingdom.

There’s also an annotated version that points out the specific spots of interest within Super Nintendo World.

▼ Easily the most exciting Nintendo map since the designers added one between stages of Super Mario Bros. 3.

Clockwise from the top left, the markings are:
● Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
● Koopa’s Castle
● Mount Beanpole
● Yoshi’s Adventure
● 1-Up Factory
● Peach’s Castle
● Stop It! Piranha Plant Alarm Panic
● Take Aim! Koopa Troopa POW Block Punch
● Kinopio’s Cafe

The rideable attractions Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge and Yoshi’s Adventure are contained within Koopa’s Castle and Mount Beanpole, respectively, but we can’t help wondering if they might have a few other surprises waiting for us (that gate between the castle and mountain marked “Mario Motors” is particularly intriguing).

As for the Piranha Plan and Koopa Troopa locations, they’re both part of the integrative Key Challenge activity, which works with the Power Up Band wristband that visitors can purchase to enhance their experience at Super Nintendo World.

If you’re wondering who this Kinopio guy running the cafe is, that’s the Japanese name for the character known as Toad.

While the naming might be a little confusing for foreign fans, in this case it makes a lot of sense. Kinopio’s name is a play on words with kinoko, the Japanese word for mushroom. Sure enough, that’s a key ingredient/motif at the eatery, where the menu includes the Mario Burger with bacon, cheese, and mushrooms, Piranha Plant Caprese with sliced mushrooms, Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl with mushroom tomato sauce, and Question Mark Block Tiramisu.

Moving on to the 1-Up Factory, this is Super Nintendo World’s souvenir shop, but it promises the same level of polished visual design with conveyor belts, giant gears, and other cartoon-industrial touches.

▼ Hats, gloves, glasses, fake mustaches, and a full-on Mario hoodie are among the offerings.

As for Peach’s Castle, it looks like it might just be a very stylish entryway that connects Super Nintendo World with the rest of Universal Studios Japan. However, there’s one more activity fans won’t want to miss despite it not currently having a designated location on the map: the Mario and Luigi Meet and Greet.

Similar to other photo opportunities with costumed themed park characters, the super brothers will be happy to pose for snapshots, but USJ says fans will also be able to have conversations with them (it’s unclear at this point whether or not this requires the Power Up Band), but personally, we can’t wait to talk to Luigi…assuming he doesn’t intimidate us into frightened silence with his ice-cold death stare.

Source, images: Press release
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