First Super Nintendo World theme park will open in ‘spring 2020’

CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts, Tom Williams, has revealed the first Nintendo Universal Studios park will open next year.

We first reported that Universal Studios in Hollywood, Orlando, Osaka, and Singapore will play host to dedicated Nintendo areas back in 2016. The parks – called Super Nintendo World – are joint creations from both Nintendo and Universal and hope to make visitors feel as though they are wandering around inside a Nintendo game.

After a spell of silence as the parks commenced construction, it’s now been revealed that the Japanese park in Osaka will be the first to open its doors in “spring” next year. CEO Williams told Comcast’s 2019 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference (thanks Attractions Magazine, via Eurogamer) the park will open next year, with a Mario Kart ride and a Yoshi ride available on opening day.

The other Super Nintendo Worlds slated for Orlando, LA and Singapore will reportedly feature different ride selections, so each park will have its own unique experiences. 

It’s also reported that guests will be able to keep a running tally of their score if they play interactive games around the park courtesy of magnetic wristbands. Williams said scores would sync “back with your game console […] so you can build on it and come back again”.

“Imagine the fun of stepping into a larger-than-life Nintendo adventure. Gigantic Piranha Plants spring to life. Question blocks, power-ups and more surround you. And Mario and all his friends are there to pull you into a brand-new world,” Nintendo said when the plans were originally announced. “You will enter an entire realm filled with iconic Nintendo excitement, gameplay, heroes and villains. All of the adventure, fun and whimsy you experience through a screen will now be all around you – in breathtakingly authentic ways.”