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Nintendo hypes the launch of Super Nintendo World with help from Charli XCX

Trevor Mogg
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Years in the making, Super Nintendo World is opening soon at Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in the city of Osaka.

The gaming giant has just turned the hype dial all the way up to 11 with the release of a mind-blowing music video to promote the much-anticipated spring opening.

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The company also confirmed the attraction will offer visitors a smart wrist-based wearable called a Power Up Band that essentially turns Super Nintendo World into a giant video game. The band lets wearers collect coins and perform other familiar Nintendo gameplays as they make their way around the park.

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“Super Nintendo World will provide an experience you cannot have anywhere else,” USJ Chief Executive Officer J.L. Bonnier told Bloomberg on Monday.

There has also been talk that the theme park could integrate the Nintendo Switch, though the company is yet to confirm this. What we do know is that the first phase of the park will include two rides — Super Mario Kart Ride and Yoshi’s Adventures.

We Are Born To Play

USJ collaborated with British pop sensation Charli XCX and Swedish electronic dance duo Galantis for the We Are Born To Play video, though the CGI-heavy production offers few clues as to how the theme park will actually look.

Incorporating many of the gaming sounds Nintendo fans have become familiar with over the years, the video kicks off with clips showing people around the world playing their favorite games on Switches and smartphones.

When the green pipe appears, the players can’t resist diving in for the adventure of a lifetime. Suddenly finding themselves right in the middle of Super Nintendo World (or an extreme version of it), Charli XCX makes her grand entrance, hanging out with Toad atop Peach’s Castle.

The players are clearly having a whale of a time at the park, though they seem to be expending an enormous amount of energy with so much running, jumping, and dancing. Hopefully, visitors will be able to take in the real Super Nintendo World at a slightly more leisurely pace when they visit the place later this year.

Nintendo fans who can’t make it to Japan for the USJ attraction will be able to enjoy a similar experience at Super Nintendo World attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando, though we’re still waiting for opening dates.

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