Construction for Super Nintendo World has officially started, and to celebrate the moment, Universal Studios Japan has released its first teaser trailer for the much-anticipated theme park in Osaka.
Granted, the preview uses heavy bits of CGI, but it otherwise hints at the park's design and potential attractions. The mushroom kingdom depicted in the trailer looks nothing short of gorgeous, to be clear, with castles, moving platforms, piranha plants, giant mushroom pads, and more decorating the whole scenery. Probably not all visual elements in the trailer will be included in the official construction plans, but one can hope.
Universal Studios Japan Confirms 'Mario Kart' Ride For Super Nintendo World
Universal Studios confirmed that the park will boast a Mario Kart ride, which comes as no surprise at all. Previously published patent documents suggest the ride will run on a rail, with one rider controlling the vehicle's drift, and the other focusing on power-ups and weapons. The trailer didn't feature this announced Mario Kart ride, though, so it's not clear what it'll look like or what tracks from the series it will incorporate in the park. Here's hoping they don't actually create a real-world version of Rainbow Road, because that would be life-threatening.
Other than that, the trailer didn't particularly reveal much, except that Mario and his usual crew will be the stars of the theme park, but that's obviously been the case since the beginning. Princess Peach's and Bowser's castles, for instance, were featured; perhaps they'll serve as the frontages for some rides or shops? Time will tell.
Where Are The Others?
It's worth noting that while the theme park is called Super Nintendo World and not Super Mario World, other popular Nintendo franchises such as Kirby, Metroid, or Zelda didn't make appearances in the trailer, so it's not clear if they'll get their own rides or attractions. But it's highly likely they'll do, being such crucial characters in Nintendo's brand.
Super Nintendo World Opening
Super Nintendo World will finally open its gates at some vague time before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, although it's unclear if Universal Studios Japan will share more details about the construction going forward.
Similarly unclear is whether the other planned sites in Hollywood and Orlando will follow the same template as the one in Osaka, but that seems to be the case.
For now, fans will have to make do with the theme park's 3D CGI trailer, although it should also remind players that a 3D Super Mario title is headed to the Switch later this year, called Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo will share more details about that game once E3 begins next week, in addition to other potential reveals and announcements.
Check out the official trailer below. If you want, you can also watch the theme park's groundbreaking ceremony, which features a Mario mascot running through a Super Mario level onstage.
Thoughts about Super Nintendo World? What rides, attractions, and shops do you expect to find in it once it opens its gates? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
