Super Nintendo World opens in Universal Studios Japan

Osaka, Japan (CNN) – Kids and adults alike waited in line for their turn to experience the world’s first Super Nintendo World and the life-sized Mushroom Kingdom, which opened Thursday at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.

Many wore the iconic red Mario hat, while others were adorned from head to toe with Nintendo memorabilia.

Minutes after those in attendance were allowed in, lines formed to take pictures with Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad.

Sisters Mika and Yuko Kobayashi – one of them wearing a Yoshi headband while wearing a Mario doll – said they got emotional when they first walked into the new park. They’ve been playing Nintendo games since they were kids, they said. One of them added that “it is no exaggeration to say that Mario raised me.”

Sakura Konohana wore a Princess Peach headband and said the park “exceeds my expectations. I feel like I’m in the Mario world.”

While visitors are allowed to interact with the characters – who speak in their video game-sounding voices – they cannot touch them due to coronavirus protocols. So for now there is no high-fiving or cuddling. In comparison, Disney parks do not currently allow character photos during the pandemic.

Covid-19 restrictions at Universal Studios Japan include entrance temperature controls, mandatory mask wearing, hand sanitizer throughout, social queuing distance, and rollercoaster signs asking riders not to yell.

Capacity is limited to 10,000 people per day, or about half of pre-COVID visitors, according to park officials.

Noriko Yoshinaka took the first train from Kyoto on Thursday morning to be in the park on opening day.

“I’m scared if I take my mask off to eat,” said Yoshinaka. “But the park seems to have safety protocols, cleaning the rides and wiping surfaces every time people touch them, so I feel safe.”

Many fans said they were most excited about Koopa’s Challenge – a real Mario Kart race through Bowser’s Castle. Riders must wear augmented reality headsets to see other characters’ projections and the track, as well as collect coins and throw items.

In addition to conventional rides, the entire Super Nintendo World is an immersive game where guests can compete against other gamers in the park.

As in the video game, visitors can jump up and hit “question blocks” and collect virtual coins. Guests can also buy Power-up Bands, a wristband that can be linked to a smartphone app, in which they can store these virtual coins and keys.

Super Nintendo World took about half a billion dollars to build and more than six years to develop. The gaming industry – and Nintendo in particular – got a big boost during the pandemic, as people in lockdown increasingly turned to Nintendo games for escapism.

For Nintendo, this is an important step beyond the core business of video games and consoles. The company is cashing in on its wealth of intellectual property and iconic characters, with Nintendo items in theme park gift shops.

“They have a decades-long strategy of moving from a video game company to an entertainment company,” expanding to mobile games, movies, theme parks and merchandise, said David Gibson, an analyst at Astris Advisory in Tokyo.

This opening is because the global theme park industry is struggling. Theme parks reopen in a patchwork around the world. There are plans to open Super Nintendo Worlds in California, Singapore and Florida. In Orlando, the opening has reportedly been delayed to 2025.

Last year, Comcast Director Stephen Burke said Nintendo is “one of the biggest potential visitors you could have from any kind of IP. It’s up there with Harry Potter.”

Super Nintendo World was originally scheduled to open last summer ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Both have been cut back by about a year and along with the Olympics, Super Nintendo World is expected to attract an influx of tourists and boost economic activity.

At the opening ceremony, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said he hopes the whole world can visit the park once the pandemic is over.