CNN correspondent Selina Wang visited the newly opened Super Nintendo World to show the theme park, as well as to detail some of its COVID policies. She even managed to walk on the AR Mario Kart track, “Koopa’s Challenge”, which is more than many visitors will receive – VGC mentioned that the queue was bigger than the park itself.
“I talked to the participants,” Wang said in the news segment, “and a lot of them have been playing Nintendo games since they were little. Some of them say it’s emotional to go there and really see your childhood games. to life “.
Initially, the park was supposed to open in the summer of 2020, to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics, but obviously this did not happen. The fact that Japan is closed to international travel means that the park does not attract a large number of tourists and does not stimulate the country’s economy, as originally planned.
Photography opportunities and other designated “maskless areas” are closely monitored to ensure that visitors keep their distance from each other and the park’s pets and are not allowed to touch them. Instead of Disney-style photos of children hugging costumed characters, you’re more likely to get a picture of Mario and Luigi sitting at a respectable distance, like awkward teenagers at a ball.
Wang notes that the park cost half a billion dollars and that the gaming industry as a whole made big money during the pandemic, being one of the few activities you can do at home.
“For Nintendo, this is an important step beyond its core video game and console business,” says Wang. “He collects his treasure of intellectual property and iconic characters.” As one Reddit commentator puts it in the video: “Practically, Nintendo is printing money in an industry that is currently struggling,” referring to the theme park industry.