Super Mario Sunshine-style water splash event coming to Universal Studios Japan this summer

And yes, Bowser Jr. is Mario’s adversary for it.

This coming summer is shaping up to be the first in Japan since 2019 without significant pandemic protocols in place, That means a lot of events are returning from a long hiatus, including Universal Studios Japan’s summertime Bisho Nure, or “Soaking Wet” splash event, in which guests get cooled off by blasts of water from handheld squirt guns and various fixtures set up in the park.

Looking at the photo above, taken at a previous year’s Bisho Nure event, it seems like a fun time for all involved, especially since Japan’s weather can be mercilessly hot and humid in midsummer. But the 2023 version is set to be the best ever, because not only is it the first time for the Bisho Nure event to take place in four years, it’s going to be the first ever featuring Nintendo’s Super Mario characters.

USJ’s Super Nintendo World expansion opened in 2021, after Bisho Nure was suspended. With the event getting the green light this year, though, there will be appearances by Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad as part of a show to be held multiple times a day in USJ’s Gramercy Park area, which will be decorated to resemble the settings of Super Mario. On the adversary side, none other than Bowser Jr. will be forcing his way into the festivities.

Though it’s officially called Super Mario Power-Up Summer, any fan of the Mario franchise is going to immediately think of Super Mario Sunshine. The 2002 GameCube title is where Bowser Jr. made his debut, and the gameplay revolved around Mario shooting blasts of water to fight enemies, clean up cities and beaches, and otherwise interact with the world.

Speaking of which, USJ describes the Super Mario Power-Up Summer event as “brimming with interactivity.” They haven’t given any concrete details, but it seems like a safe bet that “water shooters” they’ll be offering for sale to guests will be involved.

There’s also a special Power-Up Summer T-shirt, with the core cast of heroes on it.

If the color design looks a little plain, that’s because for guests wearing it at the park, it’s a matter of when, not if, they’re going to get soaked, and when they do…

…brighter colors appear as the shirt gets wet!

Super Mario Power-Up Summer and Bisho Nure are both part of USJ’s overarching No Limit Summer 2023 festival, which runs from July 5 to August 24. And if you’re looking for even more ways to live life like Mario, that’s right about the time photo studios in Japan start offering Baby Mario Yoshi’s Island style costumes and backdrops.

Source, images: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit: