During my holiday, I took the opportunity to visit Japan for two weeks and have previously written about my visit to the superb Nintendo Museum, which I can wholeheartedly recommend. Just the following day, my group and I headed to Universal Studios in Osaka, where Super Nintendo World was the main attraction, along with roller coasters and other rides.

<bild>During a two-week holiday, it rained on two days, both of which were packed with Nintendo activities.</bild>

Incidentally, in 2026, Super Nintendo World will be celebrating its fifth anniversary, which means a host of extra surprises, albeit on a slightly smaller scale (such as limited-edition dishes at Toad's Restaurant). What's more, the park was expanded last year to include a Donkey Kong area, complete with a roller coaster, and although I know that many of you reading this have been to Super Nintendo World in either Osaka, Hollywood, or Orlando (Florida), I myself hadn't had the chance before. So it was with keen anticipation that I got up unreasonably early during my holiday to head to Universal Studios.

Although I went in June, which is the rainy season, we generally had very little rain during my holiday, apart from two days. One was when we were heading to the Nintendo Museum (which is mostly indoors, so it felt perfectly fine), and the other was, of course, the day we'd booked to visit Universal Studios. It wasn't a downpour, mind you, but there were few breaks in the rain. The day had otherwise been chosen with care, as schools were still in session in Japan, which - at least in theory - should have meant shorter queues.

<bild>Harry Potter Land almost feels more at home in the slightly quieter Osaka than in the quintessentially American Orlando. But it's well worth a visit, and this is where you'll find what is perhaps the best food in the theme park.</bild>
<bild>The Minions Land is well worth a visit, but that's about all there is to it.</bild>

Just to be on the safe side, however, we'd also bought Express Passes - which were almost shockingly cheap for a Westerner - and secured timeslots for various parts of the park. By turning up at the right place at the right time, we could simply walk straight onto the attractions. It's worth noting that Universal Studios in Orlando is several times larger than the one in Osaka, with both bigger and more spectacular attractions (I've been to the former several times, so I have something to compare it with), but what's on offer here is more than enough for a day's fun, and I'd compare the range of attractions and the layout to more localised theme parks, albeit with more lavish areas such as Harry Potter Land, Minions Land, and so on.

It's a good idea to get to Universal Studios Osaka early because of the long queues, and as the park normally closes between 7 and 9PM, if you arrive around lunchtime you won't be able to stay there for very long. On a rainy day when schools were in session in Japan, however, the queues were short regardless, and we were able to easily slip past the closed queue systems, which show just how unreasonably long you can end up waiting if you're unlucky.

<bild>The wristbands were really the only thing that was expensive at Universal Studios, and not quite worth the money. But they're a fun collector's item, and the fact that they work as Amiibo is a nice bonus.</bild>

Before we entered the park, however, my partner took the opportunity to buy a Nintendo-themed rain poncho, and like most things in Japan, it seems to be of slightly higher quality and made of a more "waterproof" material with a smart print. It keeps the rain completely at bay and also makes an excellent souvenir. Both my partner and I also invested in a Nintendo tiara each; I chose the one with mushrooms and she went for Yoshi.

Once inside the park, we visited both Harry Potter Land and Minion Land (at pre-booked times, as mentioned) before heading into Super Nintendo World. The path there leads through a small wooded avenue where, halfway along, you can buy a watch-like gadget that lets you collect coins in the world of Nintendo. Whether they're worth the money is debatable (just under 5,000 yen), but they also work as Amiibos and are, after all, a fun souvenir, so both my partner and I went for it.

<bild>The park is exceptionally beautiful.</bild>
<bild>Jonas on his way to Mario Kart + the boss of all bosses.</bild>

The entrance to Super Nintendo World is adorned with a huge cake, well befitting the Mushroom Kingdom, as the park is, as mentioned, celebrating its fifth anniversary. The path into the park then leads, as it should, through a green tube, which makes for a truly spectacular sight when you emerge on the other side and the park reveals itself before your eyes. It's a surprisingly small area, but as you enter at specific times, it never feels particularly crowded, and it literally feels like standing in a Mario level in Super Mario 3D World.

In several places, there are mini-games designed to mimic what we've seen in the games, such as Toad's stall, where you try to win by matching symbols in a "one-armed bandit"-style game. There are also several question mark blocks where you can collect coins using your wristband, both for fun and to help "your" character (Luigi in my case) win the day's challenge, as well as secret spots where coins can be found.

<bild>The queuing system is an attraction in its own right.</bild>
<bild>The first two pictures are from the Mario Kart queue; the third is from the Yoshi queue.</bild>

Everything seems to be moving and alive, and even though I'd seen this on video before I came here, I'm struck by just how lavish it all feels. There are coins spinning, platforms moving, Goombas strutting about, shells bouncing, and all set in incredibly well-crafted environments. I can see how people around me often just stop and stare.

I'd hoped beforehand that it would be exactly like this, because, to be honest, the attractions don't look particularly remarkable on paper, at least as attractions go. And the first thing we were going to try was Mario Kart. You play it inside Bowser's lair, and the queuing system takes you through brilliantly designed corridors that constantly make me hold my finger out in front of me in the air and just exclaim "But look at that!!!!!", gesticulating wildly at Bob-Ombs, Bullet Bills, and much more. As I said, the weather was rubbish, so the queues were short even without an Express Pass, but you can tell this is a place built for people to wait... for a long time.

<bild>Using AR helmets, a Mario Kart race takes place on a fairly quiet, pre-determined racetrack.</bild>

So what was the attraction like, then? Well, it was alright. You race along a predetermined track and frantically shoot at anything that moves in four-seater karts. I'm not sure how much variety there actually is, but overall I'd give it a six out of ten. There isn't really much of a ride to speak of, and the shooting mechanics and the AR glasses you wear aren't particularly impressive. But it still has that Mario Kart feel.

The next ride was Yoshi, which is perhaps best regarded as a bit of sightseeing in the park. You're supposed to press buttons when you see Yoshi eggs in different colours, but it doesn't really serve any purpose and moves so slowly that you can't go wrong. Perhaps fun for the very youngest, but I still got some enjoyment out of all the fan service. Rating? Well, a five, perhaps (and that's being generous).

<bild>On symbols like the one on the left, you'll find money for your bracelet. On the right, a lovely ice-cream dessert with popcorn and all the trimmings. And yes... I kept the mug.</bild>
<bild>Zoom in and have a look. The Pikmin are hiding in several places.</bild>

After these rides, we carried on through the park to reach the Donkey Kong section. Along the way, I continued to revel in it all, and even spotted some well-hidden Pikmin. Since they appear both here and in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, I suppose we can now consider them part of the Mushroom Kingdom? A nice touch either way.

In Donkey's world, "DK Island Swing" is playing non-stop, and I certainly can't complain about that. It's like being transported straight into Rare's old Donkey Kong adventures, and just like in Mario's counterpart, the level of detail is exquisite (and yes, I found Pikmin here too). This part of the park is, however, significantly smaller than the Mushroom Kingdom - which was itself already quite small - and apart from an absolutely delicious ice cream straight out of a children's party, a pair of Donkey Kong underpants bought in a really fun Donkey Kong shop, hidden coins for the bracelet, and a mini drum game (which, if played well, results in the rhino Rambi appearing), there's really only one rollercoaster.

<bild>Play the drums just right and this musician will turn up.</bild>

Fortunately, Mine Cart Madness is perhaps the most lavish attraction here and is famous for having a "jump", where the carts appear to leap over broken sections of track. However, it's a ride that's clearly designed for children, with very gentle slopes and no spectacular bends or anything of the sort. So what was it like to ride? I actually don't know, because just as it was our turn, it started raining even harder and the ride closed for the evening. No rating, then, but based...

Gamereactor UK

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