The opening of the Super Nintendo World theme park in Japan is set to be delayed indefinitely. The postponement is a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The theme park is heavily based on Nintendo’s Mario franchise, and construction is nearly complete, including the construction of rides, restaurants, and the landscape itself.
The park was originally set to open this July, but due to the effects of coronavirus, the opening has been delayed indefinitely, to give Universal Studios time to review options and determine a safer opening date. The delay may come at a surprising time for some, as the construction nears completion.
However, with the new theme park comes fresh challenges. The popularity of Nintendo games in general in Asia will bring an increased number of guests, that simply would not be manageable in today’s COVID-19 world. The safety of guests is the main concern during this pandemic and opening a new theme park would put that at risk.
The excitement about the park opening has been building now for months, with new images surfacing recently depicting a classic Mario landscape. The theme park promises to deliver a new level of guest interactivity, with new power-up bands allowing visitors to collect coins as they navigate their way around the park.
Once open, it is expected that we will see the Super Nintendo Theme Park rolled out worldwide. Following on from Japan, Universal with continue the roll-out with a park opening in Orlando and Singapore.
The rest of Universal Studios Japan opened on June 8th, with guests coming from the local Kansai area. Guest numbers were limited to half the usual capacity, to ensure social distancing measures were implemented and followed.
