Nintendo will open its first theme park within the Universal Studios site in Osaka, Japan, just in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The company is planning similar sites in Orlando and Hollywood, but Japan will be the first country to gain a ‘Super Nintendo World’.
In an official announcement, Universal Studios revealed the new park will feature characters from the Super Mario series, along with other popular Nintendo characters.
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The announcement explains: “Super Nintendo World will be comprised of expansive and multilevel environments filled with unprecedented, state-of-the-art rides, interactive areas, shops and restaurants, all featuring Nintendo’s most popular characters and games.”
Other than that, there aren’t many details to go on, though the concept image provided by Universal Studios seems to reveal a Princess Peach castle will feature in the new park, along with a Bowser castle and Mushroom-inspired buildings.
Whether other characters from the Nintendo universe will feature remains unclear, but it seems likely – though the typography used for the logo in the above image is clearly based on the Mario series.
Universal Studios says the development cost for the Japan site is currently expected to exceed 50 billion Yen, and the new area will be developed mainly using the park’s current car park and “part of an area designated for future expansion”.
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The announcement continues: “Nintendo characters and the worlds they inhabit will be re-created at the highest level of quality through the strong partnership between Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto, Creative Fellow at Nintendo, and Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative, renowned for creative and technical excellence.”
There’s still no word on when the US versions of Super Nintendo World will open, as it seems the Japanese site is the main focus for now – what with the Olympics set to get underway in 2020.
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Let us know if you’re planning a trip to the park in 2020 in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
