Wa-hoo! Universal Parks celebrates grand opening of Japan's Super Nintendo World

The Mushroom Kingdom is now fully operational. After some pandemic-related delays, Universal's Super Nintendo World opened its gates this week in Osaka, Japan. The park's grand opening was attended by such high-profile guests as Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Super Mario) and J.L. Bonnier (President and CEO of Universal Studios Japan). Other notable faces included (of course!) Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad. All of the fan favorites briefly put aside their latest battle with Bowser so they could take in the sights.

"Super Mario fans jumped in Mario’s iconic pose and cheered 'WE ARE MARIO!' while festive confetti burst into the sky to commemorate the occasion," reads the release's description of the event. Afterwards, the very first guests traveled through the warp pipe-shaped entrance and into the immersive land, which is full of details both big and small. From Peach's castle, to specialty food items and souverniers, to hidden Pikmin, the Nintendo-inspired funfair seems like a video game nerd's paradise.

Miyamoto found himself impressed with the park, which is high praise, considering he conceived many of the classic games the park is based on in the first place.

"Super Nintendo World brings the world of Mario games to life. The moment you enter the park, you will be amazed at how real everything feels," Miyamoto said in a statement. "But that’s not all. The creative team at Universal has not only done a great job recreating the Mushroom Kingdom, but they have also made some amazing rides. For the Mario Kart ride in particular, the teams at Universal and Nintendo worked closely together to build something that’s never been seen before, by combining our extensive industry knowledge and utilizing cutting-edge technology. I am excited for fans of all ages to experience the world of Mario in all-new ways."

"Super Nintendo World is the perfect blend of Nintendo games and theme park experiences, and brings the world of these incredibly popular games to life," added Tom Williams, Chairman & CEO, Universal Parks & Resorts. "This will surely amaze and delight not only fans of the park, but also Nintendo fans around the world. We look forward to sharing Super Nintendo World with our fans in Japan and bringing the experience to life at other Universal theme park destinations in the future."

"Super Nintendo World brings the world of Nintendo to life in an incredibly special way and offers a wide range of activities made possible by innovative technologies and creativity unlike anything seen before!" said Bonnier. "Our amazing partnership with Mr. Miyamoto means that many of his ideas are packed into every corner of this land for our fans to explore on their own."

Click here for SYFY WIRE's detailed exploration of the park.