With the world almost relieved from the pandemic, Japan has brought a virtual world of Super Mario into the real world. Universal Studios Japan opened its gate on Thursday, March 17, 2021, into the world of Super Mario. It has spent over ¥60 billion ($550 million) on this theme park.
The theme park is situated in Osaka, Japan. This opening comes as the worldwide theme park industry is battling. Theme parks are re-opening in an interwoven way around the world. There are plans to open Super Nintendo Universes in California, Singapore and Florida. In Orlando, the opening has allegedly been postponed until 2025.
Entering The Super Mario World
The people are supposed to enter the park through a giant warp pipe just like how it happens in the game. On their way to the Mushroom Kingdom, the people are introduced to chomping piranha plants, punchable coin blocks and a flag-topped Mount Beanpole.
The people can link the Super Mario themed music with their wristband to have a similar gaming sound and experience while gathering virtual coins by punching blocks. The USJ have kept the crowd capacity to half to what it can have. The allowed number of the crowd is 10,000 currently.
Rules of The Park
Keeping the state of Covid-19, the managers of the theme park are staying put with the rules. The participants are permitted to connect with the characters who talk in their video game-sounding voices. They can’t touch them due to coronavirus conventions. So, presently, there’s no high-fiving or embracing.
In comparison, Disney parks right now are not permitting character photographs in the midst of the pandemic. Covid-19 confinements at Universal Studios Japan incorporate temperature checks at the entrance, required mask-wearing, hand sanitiser all over, social separating in line, and signs before roller coasters inquiring riders to abstain from shouting.
Mr. Ayumu Yamamoto, communication manager at USJ expressed his gratitude saying, “It took almost a year longer than we had expected to open this place, and we are really glad,”
Stay with Stanford Arts Review for all the latest updates.
