Super Nintendo World opens at Universal Studios Japan next month, and while it may be a while before you can tour it yourself, you can take a stroll through a digital version right now.
The official Super Nintendo World site is hosting a virtual flythrough of the park attraction, showcasing the areas, activities, and familiar details that guests will be able to experience firsthand starting on February 4 (ideally in a very safe, socially distanced manner). The website's text is all in Japanese, but all you need to do to take in this virtual version of the park is start scrolling and see what you see.
The tour starts with a view from just behind Princess Peach's Castle and features seven stops at key locations such as Bowser's Castle - I never thought about how much of Mario's life is dedicated to resolving the petty squabbles of royalty until now - an activity area featuring pow blocks and a piranha plant, and the dining area and gift shop.
If you want to see parts of the real-life park in more detail, you can check out a 15-minute walkthrough video led by Mario co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto - who is just as happy as any little kid to see all of these parts of Mario's world recreated in ours. Universal Parks and Resorts is planning to roll out more Super Nintendo World areas at its global locations in the years ahead, so you may get a chance to explore the Mushroom Kingdom even if a Japan trip isn't in the cards.
It may not be the best time to visit amusement parks right now, but at least we can look forward to the upcoming Switch games for 2021 and beyond.
