Super Nintendo World Theme Park Opening Delayed Indefinitely

The Super Nintendo World theme park's opening has been indefinitely delayed in Japan. Universal Studios Japan is planning to postpone the opening of its upcoming Nintendo-theme land in Osaka as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to NHK World-Japan. The theme park, which is heavily based on Nintendo's Mario franchise, is nearly complete. This includes not just construction of the land, but themed rides and restaurants as well. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=super-nintendo-world-press-conference-images&captions=true"] The park was originally set to open in July but because of COVID-19, the park's opening has been delayed indefinitely, likely to give Universal Studios time to review the pandemic landscape and determine a safer opening date. Because construction on the land is near complete, it's unlikely this delay was made in order to give the company more time to work on the park itself. Because of the popularity of Nintendo, Mario, and the idea of a new land opening within Universal Studios Japan, the company is expecting an increased number of visitors to the park. This poses an even larger threat to the safety of guests in the midst of a pandemic. As such, Universal Studios Japan said it is unsure of when the new Nintendo-themed land will open. The rest of Universal Studios Japan opened on June 8 to guests from the local Kansai area. It also limited guest numbers by half of its standard capacity. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/06/08/super-nintendo-world-japan-teaser-trailer"] It may not be open, but there are still plenty of ways to get a glimpse of the park. Check out this new image that shows multiple areas of the land. After looking at that, read about how the Super Nintendo World theme park might expand beyond Mario in the future. The eastern US version of this Nintendo-themed land is coming to the new Epic Universe theme park planned for Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Here are some ways to help and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.