Beat It Mickey: Super Nintendo World Might be the Happiest Place on Earth

Super Nintendo World, Nintendo’s first foray into the IRL theme park universe, is set to open in Osaka, Japan, sometime this summer. The park’s opening will coincide with the 2020 Summer Olympics. It’s a partnership with Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Orlando, Hollywood, and Singapore openings will follow sometime later.

The news comes from a press event in Japan, with commentary and translations from Bloomberg reporter Kurumi Mori. The news was accompanied by the trailer you can see at the top of this article. Unfortunately, the trailer doesn’t show actual footage of the theme park, so no, you can’t literally race against Bowser — at least not yet. 

That said, the goal is to make Super Nintendo World as immersive and fun as possible, making it a “living video game.” There’s a special smartphone app and Jump Band that go along with the park that reportedly adds to the sense of being in a game. It’s unclear what the app does, but the bands — themed after Mario characters, of course — let you collect digital coins and compete against other visitors somehow.

Universal Studios Japan’s Marketing Director Ayumu Yamamoto said, “If Disney is the dreamworld, then USJ is the wake world where we will energize you and make you feel alive.”

So, take that Mickey and friends.

Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Super Nintendo World news as it pops out of the Question Block.