There are two pretty substantial obstacles for enjoying the Super Nintendo World theme park. Firstly, it's not open yet - the Universal Studios-operated attraction doesn't welcome guests until February 4th. And secondly, it's in Japan. Osaka, specifically. Which for a lot of you reading this right now, is a long way away. Before you consider the small matter of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it's not easy, at all, to go see Mario and Bowser et al IRL. More's the pity.
But if you, like me, are pretty much anchored to your WFH desk these days, there is one way to kind of pay a visit to Super Nintendo World. A virtual tour of the theme park is now available at its official website, and it's a most wonderful escape from the endless misery of the news, right now. Brief, but the injection of sunshine is most welcome.
The site enables you to whoosh over to a number of attractions, including its Mario Kart-themed rollercoaster, another ride called Yoshi's Adventure, and much more. Each area provides information about ride length and restrictions, and inevitably you can check out the souvenirs available to take home with you. Assuming you ever make it to Super Nintendo World, of course. Here's hoping!
Just before Christmas, Shigeru Miyamoto, aka "Mario's dad" (lol), hosted a special Nintendo Direct offering a more personal look around Super Nintendo Land. It details how the park's 'power-up band' works with several parts of the scenery, and takes you inside Toad's cafe. If you missed that before, check it out on YouTube, or below.
Featured Image Credit: Nintendo, Universal StudiosTopics: Super Mario