Super Nintendo World opens February 2021 with AR Mario Kart ride

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Bowser's Castle is also unveiled

Super Nintendo World
(Image credit: Universal Studios)

The Super Nintendo World theme park in Japan will officially open its doors on February 4, 2021.

Earlier today at a press event, Universal Studios confirmed the plans to open the massive theme park next year in February 2021. You can check out just a slice of the part courtesy of Bloomberg just below, starring the new Mario Kart attraction.

In a detailed report from IGN Japan, Bowser's Castle is an area in the theme park starring a huge statue of the antagonist himself. IGN also revealed that Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge is an AR-incorporating ride using headsets styled after Mario's cap, in which players race against one another around a virtual track.

Additionally, Super Nintendo World is going to incorporate users' smartphones. There'll be "gamified elements" throughout the park, according to IGN, such as interactive attractions where users can hook up their phones to Power Up Bands via an app to collect coins.

You might recall that Super Nintendo World was originally slated to open this past Summer, in tandem with the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Both events were postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Universal Studios is set to bring Super Nintendo World to its parks in Hollywood, Orlando, and Singapore, but construction in the Orlando expansion was halted indefinitely due to the pandemic.

For a look at all the games Nintendo is set to launch for the Switch throughout 2021, head over to our upcoming Nintendo Switch games guide for more.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.