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2021 Super Nintendo World Unboxing|Newly-Opened Universal Studios Japan Attractions: Super Nintendo World, Mario Kart, Must-Eat Foods & Merch

The long-awaited Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan finally opened on March 18, 2021. The world’s first Nintendo theme park not only recreates the iconic settings in Nintendo games but offers visitors opportunities to ride Mario Karts for real! Before you embark on an exciting adventure with your favorite Nintendo character, please take some time to check out the first-hand news brought by our social media manager who has just returned from Osaka! 

 

*Please adhere to the park’s COVID-19 safety measures and visit the official website of Universal Studios Japan for such details.

 

Super Nintendo World First Look!

via KKday
via KKday

You can actually hide in the warp pipe at the entrance for some fun photo shooting. We strongly recommend that you wear a large Mario or Luigi hat so you can blend into the magical Nintendo World!

※Mario and Luigi hats are available outside the park as well, so why not make a purchase and enter the park fully costumed?

 

via KKday
via KKday

 

Walk through the humongous green warp pipe at the entrance to kick off the Super Nintendo World exploration! While accessing the green pipe, you will notice some familiar sound effects, which are the exact sounds made when Mario enters a warp pipe (a must-know detail for the hardcore gamers)! In Super Nintendo World, you will see colorful castles, cute Nintendo characters, formidable Piranha Plants, rotating coins, and question mark blocks, all with great details sinking visitors into the realm of Nintendo!

 

via KKday
via KKday

Through an in-person tour, you will find yourself surrounded by beautifully crafted landscaping with no quirky contrasts that will make you feel out of place. The uniforms the park staff wear also match the outfit of Mario, and there are still tons of details waiting for you to discover! Reminder: To avoid heavy crowds, capacity restrictions are implemented at the park. Please download the official Universal Studios Japan App to collect a numbered ticket beforehand so you can enter Super Nintendo World smoothly!

🌍  Universal Studios Japan App Download Link: https://www.usj.co.jp/enjoy/app

 

 

Introducing: The Power-Up Band

via KKday

The specially-made Power-Up Band syncs with the Universal Studios Japan App. Once you wear it, you can interact with the attractions in the park and participate in the scavenger hunt game “Key Challenge”, where you can collect coins and keys. On top of that, the power-up band is reusable and can be used cumulatively. You can use the band in every visit to ramp up your score.  For devoted Nintendo fans who might visit this park over and over again, the Power-Up Band is a must-have!

 

Koopa Troopa POWer Punch

via KKday

Koopa Troopa POWer Punch is one of the games included in the Key Challenge and incorporated with the use of the Power-Up Band. Players have to hit the POW blocks at perfect timing to knock off the turtle shells and collect the keys. The game is simple and entails only mild physical activities, so bring your whole family and have some fun! Rumor has it that the on-site staff adjust the game difficulty to accommodate players’ age and gaming experience. Why not play it a few times, and see if the rumor is real!

 

Question Mark Block

via KKday

Besides Koopa Troopa POWer Punch, other games include Goomba Crazy Crank, Piranha Plant Nap Mishap, Thwomp Panel Panic, Bob-omb Kaboom Room, and 4 more action-packed games. To save you from spoilers, we will let you experience the essence of these games on your own!

 

via KKday
via KKday

 

By wearing the Power-Up Band, you will hear the coin sound every time you hit a question mark block with the band-wearing hand. You may also gain extra coins by scanning while experiencing attractions in the park. If you wish to see the scores of other visitors who wear the same type of band as you on your day of visit, simply check out the USJ app. A wholesome family trip to Super Nintendo World wouldn’t be complete without the Power-Up Band!

 

 

Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge

via KKday

The much-anticipated life-size Mario Kart is finally here, situated in this Koopa Castle! In addition to the gigantic Koopa statue in the castle, there are also plenty of cartoonish adornments for you to admire around the boarding area, keeping you occupied as you wait for the life-changing ride!

 

via Universal Studios Japan
via Universal Studios Japan

 

Stroll through the long hallway in the castle and you will reach the Mario Kart boarding area, where you will be greeted with a line of race cars ready to have their pedals hit the metal, a sight that will definitely bring back your awesome childhood memory. Don’t forget to look up, to see an upside-down warp pipe suspended from the ceiling. The Super Mario settings are all in all impressive and they definitely worth your time for a close appreciation. 

 

via Universal Studios Japan
via Universal Studios Japan

 

An augmented reality headset is required for a player to experience Mario Kart. During the ride, the player has to watch the gaming footage displayed on the headset, steer the wheel, launch attacks, and collect coins. Before departure, please make sure the glasses attached to the headset are aligned with your eyes, otherwise, you may see blurry footage and miss a lot of highlights! Since the headset is quite heavy and it clings to your forehead firmly, we suggest that players wipe off their forehead sweat before playing to prevent bangs from sticking to the forehead!

 

via Universal Studios Japan

 

Thoughts: The driver tends to get very busy when driving, as one has to pay attention to the wheel steering and the best timing to strike opponents, and find spare moments to admire the awe-inspiring Mario realm, all at the same time! Our social media manager winded up the last place, apparently, video games are not her strong suit! If time allowed, she definitely would have gone for a second ride. Keep in mind that there are demonstration videos for players to watch while waiting, you do not want to miss out on those if you want to be the best Mario Kart racer!

 

 

 

Yoshi’s Adventure

via KKday

Yoshi’s Adventure is suitable for all ages. Players will be sitting on Yoshi’s back during the sightseeing trip, and players can seize the opportunity to find hidden treasures in the park!

via KKday
via KKday

Here’s the point, most Universal Studios Japan attractions do not allow players to take pictures during experiences, however, Yoshi’s Adventure is excluded from this rule! Players can take pictures freely, just keep in mind that selfie sticks and camera stands are still not permitted. By sitting on Yoshi’s back, you gain a vantage point where you can view the enormous Super Nintendo World from a higher angle to take Instagrammable photos. Wide-angle lenses are strongly recommended if you want to make sure the adorable Yoshi and the park are included in your photos.

 

via KKday
via KKday

 

The background of the picture above is Peach’s castle, one of the frequently-visited spots for photography. Usually, there are visitors moving around in front of the castle, making it hard to take decent pictures. But the crowd would not be a problem if you are on Yoshi’s back! Here’s another close-up picture of the dreamy pink-hued castle.  

 

 

Gas Station Popcorn: Mario Kart Popcorn

via KKday
via KKday

Check out this newly-released Mario Kart popcorn bucket placed in the trunk of the kart. The tires light up when you press the button at the bottom! Since Super Mario World is full of mushrooms, don’t be surprised that the popcorn flavor is also mushroom, not too salty, tastes like thick soup, and serves well as a TV snack!  

 

 

Toad House

via Universal Studios Japan
via Universal Studios Japan

Toad House is the hard-working chef Kinopio’s café. From the outside to the inside of the restaurant you can see cute and exquisite mushroom decorations. While enjoying your meal, don’t be shy to ask the staff members to help you with photo shooting! 

 

via Universal Studios Japan
via Universal Studios Japan

 

Look at this hamburger as big as a fist! The burger consists of a big chunk of ground meat, bacon, mushroom, and cheese. French fries and pickled vegetables are also included in the burger set, making even 1 set suitable for 2 guests. By sharing 1 meal set with your friend, you can easily save room for other delicacies offered in the park, such as the question block cookies, which has a tiramisu square that lies behind the question block cookies and under the cream. People tend to think Japanese snacks are too sweet, but that is not the case for this tiramisu. The sweetness is rather mild, and the cream on top is not too salty. 

 

via Universal Studios Japan

 

Don’t you think this mushroom-shaped pizza bowl is super cute? Surprisingly, what you will find under the bread is not the common thick soup, but thick sauce composed of tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. The sauce serves perfectly as a condiment for the bread. Remember not to let the bread size shown in the picture fool you, the pizza bowl is actually pretty large! It would be wise to share the pizza bowl with your friends if you want to try out other dishes without overloading your stomach. 

 

 

1UP FACTORY

via KKday

1UP Factory is the biggest gift shop in Super Nintendo World! Most of the limited merch can be found here. Below is the list of items we recommend to you, feel free to use it as a reference!

Cosplay Hat

via KKday
via KKday

In addition to the classic Mario (red) and Luigi (green) hats, large-size cosplay hats of other Nintendo characters are also available. You might feel a little bit hot while wearing these hats, but they are just ideal for photography, especially considering how colorful and distinctive they are!

 

Hair Band

via KKday
via KKday

Hairbands are excellent for those who prefer to keep it lowkey. The mushroom hairband stands out the most, as you can see in the picture, there are only three left! Keep in mind that you can only purchase this mushroom hairband in Super Nintendo World.

※ Mario and Luigi hairbands are available outside Universal Studios Japan.  

 

Cartoon Ballpoint Pen

via KKday

Look at these ballpoint pens adorned with Nintendo characters! When you press the top button on the ballpoint pen, the character moves at the same time! The ones with Piranha Plants, Warp Pipe, and Mario are always in high demand! 

 

Pillow & Tissue Case

via KKday
via KKday

The question mark pillows are filled with green and red mushrooms and stars inside, and it’s a no-brainer that these pillows are well-received by children. If you think pillows take too much space, then get yourself some question block tissue cases, as they look really good in every household environment and they fit effortlessly into a suitcase. 

 

Cookie Box

via KKday
via KKday

Kinopio, question block, and Mario-shaped cookie boxes are all fantastic for gifting or collection. Don’t throw away the box after finishing the tasty cookies, we’re sure you will agree with us that these boxes carry something greater than biscuits, they carry irreplaceable memories!

 

Cartoon Water Bottle

via KKday
via KKday

Nothing can be more healing than viewing a line of colorful water bottles featuring different Nintendo characters. Place one on your desk, and let the cute faces on the bottle remind you of hydration!

 

 

MARIO CAFE & STORE

via KKday

Mario Cafe & Store is located in the Hollywood area. Even though it is not in the Super Nintendo World, it still offers plenty of specialties and limited merch that you do not want to miss out on!

 

via KKday
via KKday
via KKday

 

The theme of the tables is of course the mushroom. You may buy all kinds of Nintendo-themed snacks, light food, and even the adorable mushroom water bottles here.

※Only red water bottles are available here. To purchase green mushroom water bottles, please head to Yoshi’s Snack Island in Super Nintendo World.

 

via KKday
via KKday
via KKday

 

Next to the cafe is the gift shop. The merch here is more fashionable and dainty compared to that of Super Nintendo World, suitable for daily uses. Their bestsellers include baseball caps, tote bags, and thermos cups!

Though you may not be able to visit Japan now, Super Nintendo World will still always be waiting for you in Osaka! Besides, the selections of merch will only increase with the passing of time! So follow all the COVID-19 safety measures, stay at home, save money, play Nintendo Switch, and get ready for the return of travel!   

 

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