This Trailer for the Super Nintendo World Theme Park Is a Ray of Sunshine

In 2020, Universal Studios Japan visitors will be able to explore worlds that have only previously existed in cartridges and those itty-bitty GameCube discs, when Super Nintendo World opens within the Osaka-located theme park. Just in time for the Tokyo Olympics, woo-hoo.

And now we've some impression of what that new part of the park will look like, courtesy of a gleeful new trailer showing Mario dashing about, interacting with Real-Life Humans in a manner that's mercifully less weird than that New Donk City stuff we've seen from Super Mario Odyssey.

In case you missed that particular memo, Nintendo is working with Universal Studios to launch three Super Nintendo World attractions—one in Osaka, which will open first, and a further two in the States, in Orlando and Hollywood.

Castles! Coins! Pipes! Snapping Piranha Plants! Flagpoles! Conveniently located merchandise stalls! Health-and-safety nightmare moving platforms! It's all either in this trailer, or surely hiding just behind one of those cute, bubbly trees. (I'm sure there'll be hand rails, at least.)

And this all makes perfect sense to someone like me, who sees, day in and day out, how his kids treat Nintendo IPs in much the same way I used to Disney's roster of colorful characters. From cuddly toys to lunchboxes to action figures to stationary to bicycle helmets to t-shirts: Nintendo is on everything that's available to children these days. It long ago surpassed simply being for the players (wink)—so I cannot wait to check out a Super Nintendo World for myself.

Someone at VICE can shout the airfare to Japan, right? Guys?