Osaka (Japan) (AFP)

After months of delays due to the pandemic, the very first recreation area around the world of Nintendo opened its doors Thursday at the huge theme park of Universal Japan Studios (USJ) in Osaka, in the west. from Japan.

The installations of the "Super Nintendo World" are directly inspired by the colorful world of the famous "Super Mario" video games of the Japanese group, which until recently hesitated to explore new ways of exploiting its virtual heroes beyond the consoles, through licensing contracts.

One of its flagship attractions is a "Mario Kart" merry-go-round, the experience of which is enhanced by augmented reality glasses attached to a red visor, like the Italian plumber's cap.

A bracelet connected to a smartphone also allows visitors to collect virtual coins by hitting blocks, like Mario.

"We have perfectly recreated the universe of the game (...). You will find Piranha and Bowser plants (the great enemy of Mario, Editor's note), and you will see what it is to be Mario", a said Ayumu Yamamoto, USJ Marketing Director.

“It took almost a year longer than expected to open this place, and we are really happy,” he said in a press presentation the day before the opening.

"Super Nintendo World", which cost more than 60 billion yen according to USJ (460 million euros), was initially supposed to draw crowds as early as last year to coincide with the Olympic Games Tokyo-2020, but these have also been postponed to this year because of the coronavirus.

The opening of the park had been postponed to February this year, before being postponed again when the Japanese government declared a state of emergency in January to stem an upsurge in infections in the archipelago.

The first visitors told AFP of their enthusiasm.

“I've been playing Mario since I was little. I didn't expect to be able to step into Mario's world, I'm very excited,” said Hiroki Kono, a 19-year-old student in Osaka.

Due to the current closure of Japanese borders in the face of the pandemic, visitors from abroad will still have to wait until an undetermined date before being able to discover the site.

Other similar Nintendo spaces are planned in the long term in the parks of Universal Studios in Orlando (Florida) and Hollywood.

© 2021 AFP