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Universal Studios Japan delays Super Nintendo World opening

Universal Studios Japan had hoped to move forward with Super Nintendo World in July, but the continuing coronavirus pandemic has ensured that this will not happen.

Ozzie Mejia

June 27, 2020 2:15 PM

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Theme parks were probably not going to be a good idea anyway thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Still, Universal Studios Japan had hoped to move forward with Super Nintendo World, the Nintendo-branded extension of the Universal theme park, in its Osaka location. It doesn't look like that's going to happen, though, as it now appears that the Super Nintendo World opening will be delayed to an unknown date.

An NHK World-Japan report notes that Universal had expected Super Nintendo World's opening to increase the number of visitors and attendees. Because this would inherently conflict with Japan prioritizing the minimization of close-contact settings and crowded public places, Universal has opted to push its opening back. Universal Studios Japan reopened to the public back on June 8 and remains open as of this post, albeit to only a limit of half its capacity.

Super Nintendo World was originally set to open in late July. It would feature numerous attractions based on Nintendo's various properties, along with a multifaceted digital experience. Visitors would wear "Power Up Bands" that sync up to a smartphone app, tracking various activities, granting users digital coins, and opening the door to a more immersive experience.

Super Nintendo World is also set to come to the United States at some point in the future, but it's doubtful that Japan's delay will have any tangible impact on any U.S. plans. That's mostly because theme parks don't appear like they're coming back anytime soon, given America's growing COVID-19 problem. That's especially true in California and Florida, the home of Universal's two American theme parks and also two states with some of the highest number of infected. We'll be sure to keep an eye on this story as it develops, because if there's any sort of light at the end of this tunnel to look out for, it's any kind of Nintendo-ized theme park.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?