Super Nintendo World in Osaka, Japan, will open this summer, according to a new trailer for the anticipated Universal Studios park.
The trailer, which was released on Nintendo’s YouTube channel alongside a press event in Japan, shows an extremely fun romp through a virtual land. There doesn’t appear to be any actual footage of the park itself, but there is some information about what to expect: for one, “Power Up Bands,” which will work with a smartphone app and track progress in the park. Bloomberg reporter Kurumi Mori reported these bands are designed to “make you feel like you’re part of the game world,” used to “collect digital coins and compete with others.”
Universal Parks & Resorts chief creative officer Thierry Coup was at the press event to show off the app, which makes the park feel like “a life-size, living video game,” Mori reported.
Super Nintendo World will use tech + smartphone app⚡ Wearable wrist bands called the "Power Up Band" will make you feel like you're part of the game world You can collect digital coins and compete with others #SuperNintendoWorld #MarioKart pic.twitter.com/ltloaNqCCE
— Kurumi Mori (@rumireports) January 14, 2020
There’s also a segment of the trailer that shows off a Mario Kart ride, which has four people speeding around a track. (Of course, like the rest of the trailer, this isn’t actual footage of the park.) We’ve known there would be a Mario Kart ride since Super Nintendo World’s weird, wonderful groundbreaking ceremony in 2017.
Super Nintendo World is expected to open ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. It’ll expand stateside, but there’s still no timeline for the expansion.
