Nintendo’s theme park strategy will begin with Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, the companies announced today.
The first of multiple theme park attractions across the globe, Super Nintendo World will feature Nintendo’s familiar video game characters. The attraction will open at Universal Studios Japan in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Nintendo-themed areas are also coming to Orlando and Hollywood as announced a couple of weeks ago by Nintendo and Universal Parks & Resorts.
Super Nintendo World will be comprised of expansive and multilevel environments filled with unprecedented, state-of-the-art rides, interactive areas, shops and restaurants — all featuring Nintendo’s most popular characters and games.
Development cost at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan, is currently expected to exceed 50 billion yen, or $433 million. Super Nintendo World will be developed mainly using the park’s current parking area and part of an area designated for future expansion.
Katsuhiro Miyamoto, professor emeritus of Kansai University estimates that Universal Studios Japan — after opening Super Nintendo World — will bring economic benefits following its opening of approximately 6.2 trillion yen for the Kansai region, 11.7 trillion yen for Japan as a whole, and will create approximately 1.1 million jobs in Japan within a decade after opening.
Super Nintendo World will feature characters and themes from the “Super Mario” series, which has continued over the years to win the hearts of devoted fans around the world. The attraction area will also feature a variety of other globally popular Nintendo characters. Nintendo characters and the worlds they inhabit will be re-created at the highest level of quality through the strong partnership between Shigeru Miyamoto, creative fellow at Nintendo, and Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative.