Universal Studios Japan - Super Nintendo World is finally here!

Mario and Luigi's characters greet visitors in front of Yoshi's Adventure attraction inside Super Nintendo World, a new attraction area featuring the popular video game character Mario opens to the public on Thursday at the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka. The pandemic-delayed Mario-themed attraction by games maker Nintendo Co Lt bulks up USJ's roster of franchises, which include "Minions" and "Jurassic Park."

Entering through a giant warp pipe, visitors to "Super Nintendo World", a real-world version of games creator Shigeru Miyamoto's Mushroom Kingdom, are met with chomping piranha plants, punchable coin blocks, and a flag-topped Mount Beanpole. At the attraction, whose opening was delayed repeatedly from last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors can buy a $30 "power-up band" which syncs with the park's app to rank them as they gather coins and defeat baddies.

The wristband draws on the interactive wands in the Harry Potter attraction and Nintendo's tradition of tactile gaming gadgets and aims to capitalize on Mario's generation-spanning appeal to drive repeat visits to the park.

New draws at "Super Nintendo World" include "Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge", a ride employing augmented reality headsets, and the more sedate "Yoshi's Adventure" for younger visitors.

The area's opening is a reply to investors frustrated by Nintendo's reluctance to more aggressively commercialize its fan base. The Kyoto-based firm's Switch games console has proved a pandemic winner while a foray into mobile gaming has stalled.

Visitors formed a long queue to join Super Nintendo World's technical rehearsal the day before opening. USJ is currently operating at reduced capacity and guests will need timed tickets to enter the area.