A life-sized Mario might still be a ways off in Universal Studios Japan’s upcoming Super Nintendo World theme park - but it looks like his sidekick Yoshi is up and running! Literally.
The latest footage from Super Nintendo World shows a life-sized version of Mario’s sidekick Yoshi running around a tree in a similiar fashion to his movements in Super Mario games. Twitter user Yw-ki (@ywki_woo) posted a video of the green guy in action, which features a close-up shot of Yoshi.
YouTube Channel HappyYell posted an additional video of Yoshi, this time providing a wide-scale view of the park. In the video, various other recognizable Super Mario features, including the previously reported spinning coins, a Thwomp block, Koopa Troopa, and Goombas can be seen surrounding Yoshi.
So far, it appears Super Nintendo World is coming along smoothly. Just last week, various Twitter users posted photos of the park’s covered signage as well as some overhead views of the park. Other recognizable features that have been spotted so far include a menacing Bowser’s Castle, a pink and pretty Peach’s Castle, some desert-style pyramids, and some life-sized Pirahna Plants.
Originally scheduled for a Summer 2020 opening, Super Nintendo World has been in the construction phase since 2017. The park was initially planned to open in time with the Summer 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but plans for both events were postponed due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, two rides have been confirmed for the park: Super Mario Kart, a ride based on the popular Mario Kart franchise; and Yoshi’s Adventure, an omnimover ride where players board a Yoshi and travel through the Mushroom Kingdom.
The park has also been confirmed to be “interactive”, meaning guests’ experiences at the park can connect back with their home Nintendo consoles. The latest news on the interactive nature of the park says that guests will each receive a wristband that will allow them to “engage” with different aspects of the park and keep track of their scores and progress. The wristbands can supposedly connect back to guests’ own Nintendo devices.
Though only the Japan location is being constructed at the moment, there are plans to bring Super Mario World to Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood in the future.
Source: Nintendo Soup
