Today's Nintendo Direct had nothing to do with video games; it was a 15-minute tour of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. In the video up top, Mario creator himself Shigeru Miyamoto walks us around a good chunk of the park, including the Mario Kart AR zone called Bowser's Castle, a trippy underground area where it looks like you've been shrunk, a gift shop, and a big café run by Toads.
As Miyamoto wanders through Super Nintendo World, he shows off some of the ways you'll interact with the environment. For example, you can buy a Power-Up Band and punch blocks for coins, and then track your activity on an app. Miyamoto also shows how to hit POW blocks at the right time to collect a key near a Koopa. Collect enough keys and you get to do battle with Bowser Jr.
Watching the sights and sounds of the Mario series come to life at Super Nintendo World is incredibly exciting for a lifelong Mario fan. And don't even get me started about the café - the Mario burger, Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl, veggie platter, and pastries all look divine, and I've always found that food in Japan looks just as good as the advertisements.
It's a really unfortunate time to be debuting a public theme park, but I plan on flying to Osaka and visiting as soon as it's safe to do so. Thankfully, other locations are in the works around the world, including Universal Studios California, Florida, and Singapore.
Until you can check out Super Nintendo World, here are the best Switch games to play from the comfort of your home.
