Take a look at Nintendojo’s suggestions for players of must-see locations and issues to do in Osaka!
Partially 1 of our Nintendojo in Japan sequence, I lined all of the locations I went in Tokyo that I’d suggest any Nintendo fan or gamer take a look at in the event that they’re planning a visit to the town. This time, our journey takes us to Osaka, the third-most populous metropolis in Japan recognized for its nightlife and unimaginable avenue meals. Earlier than even leaping into the gaming-specific suggestions, I’d extremely counsel that anybody’s journey to Japan embody a while in Osaka. It’s an unimaginable metropolis that’s simply as enjoyable and thrilling as Tokyo, with its personal distinctive quirks and issues to see and do.
Now, let’s dive into my gaming-relating suggestions for one among Japan’s cities that by no means sleeps.
OSAKA BAY AREA: HOME OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN
Osaka is a port metropolis, and the largest draw to its Bay Space is Common Studios Japan. The park is very large and residential to a variety of completely different lands and rides devoted to varied IPs and popular culture icons, however there are a number of areas within the park that might be of curiosity to Nintendo followers.
Common Studios Japan (USJ)
Tremendous Nintendo World was excessive up on my to-do checklist in Osaka, and I’m glad we made the hassle to go. I nonetheless haven’t gone to Tremendous Nintendo World right here in California, however wished to have the ability to evaluate the 2 once I ultimately do make it down there. Earlier than you even make it to the Tremendous Nintendo World space of the park, there are quite a few memento outlets alongside the way in which promoting park-exclusive merchandise that you just’re not going to search out anyplace else in Japan. Whereas most merchandise is similar from store to buy, each store does have some gadgets that others don’t, so it’s price testing each one. Plus, should you see a t-shirt or different clothes gadgets in a single however they don’t have your dimension, the opposite outlets may need it.
The Mario Cafe & Retailer has an entire line of Mario and Luigi themed merchandise that isn’t anyplace else within the park, not even in Tremendous Nintendo World, so it’s price stopping by if you wish to seize some, no matter whether or not you’re taking the time to face in line for the particular Mario, Luigi, and friends-themed drinks and snacks.
The NO LIMIT! parade occurred to begin whereas we had been ready for our flip to enter Tremendous Nintendo World, which options Mario Kart and Pokémon floats (amongst others) which are actually spectacular. One of many well-known Pikachu mascots which have gone viral seems on the Pokémon float, as squishy and full of life as ever, accompanied by quite a few Pokémon round and in tow. Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi seem of their karts on the Mario Kart float.
Whereas Pikachu seems within the parade and in advertising across the park, there’s a lot much less Pokémon merchandise than Mario merchandise within the park. The merchandise they do have is actually cute, and since we had been there at Halloween, there was a particular line of Pokémon Halloween souvenirs that featured Pikachu, Gengar, and different Ghost-type Pokémon.
If you wish to partake within the interactivity of Tremendous Nintendo World, be certain to purchase a Energy-Up Band wristband on the cart on the entrance to this a part of the park. There are a selection of various designs primarily based on among the essential characters of the Mario universe (I obtained the Mario one). Additionally — and that is necessary — be certain to obtain the USJ app earlier than you permit your resort room, in any other case you received’t be capable to observe your progress or see the fruits of your labor after spending the day hitting ? Blocks and scanning your wristband at each alternative. You’ll unlock stickers and achievements the extra you partake in these actions, and whereas it isn’t in any respect needed, it’s positively a enjoyable a part of the expertise.
As soon as contained in the park, be ready for lengthy wait occasions for probably the most central attraction — Mario Kart: Koopa’s Problem. We waited someplace between 70 and 90 minutes for our flip. As you snake via the inside of the attraction, you’ll end up winding round a life-sized recreation of Lakitu’s TV manufacturing van earlier than being taken into Bowser’s examine. Right here, you’ll discover all kinds of neat Easter eggs, like journal entries on Piranha Plant feeding occasions, a framed photograph of Peach resting on Bowser’s throne, an in depth diorama of a floor stage, airship, and planet, a stained glass Piranha Plant lamp, and a lot extra.
After winding your method via, you stroll out right into a Bob-omb, Bullet Invoice, and Mecha Koopa manufacturing unit, earlier than lastly reaching a room that has race fits themed after Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach hanging on the wall. The trip itself places you and three different folks right into a kart carrying AR visors, the place it’s important to take out Bowser, the Koopa Youngsters, and Bowser’s minions as you race via acquainted programs and attempt to rack up the best rating amongst everybody within the kart. Company exit the trip into the Mario Motors present store, the place you’ll discover a ton of Mario Kart themed merchandise (it’s also possible to enter the store from outdoors the trip).
Yoshi’s Journey is the opposite trip on this park, with a barely shorter wait time however nonetheless lengthy nonetheless. This can be a slower-paced, extra relaxed trip the place two friends leap right into a Yoshi to benefit from the acquainted sights of characters lengthy related to the Yoshi video games. The character fashions all through the trip are extremely detailed and beautiful to take a look at, and the trip itself supplies a pleasant break from the fixed hustle and bustle of the park.
Seize a chunk to eat at Kinopio’s Cafe, the place Toad is cooking up scrumptious meals to eat. The road for the restaurant moved surprisingly quick, and the meals was genuinely good. I’d suggest the Objective Pole Cake (SO good), Mario’s Bacon Cheeseburger, and the Tremendous Mushroom Pizza Bowl.
There are photograph alternatives with Mario and Luigi, Toad, and Peach. The one one I missed was Peach, although I did see her beneath a pergola outdoors her fortress taking pictures whereas I used to be on my method to one other attraction. I had a lot enjoyable at Tremendous Nintendo World that I used to be sorry to have to depart, however we did yet one more attraction in USJ earlier than we left for the day.
Within the New York space of the park (the place you’ll discover rides like The Wonderful Adventures of Spider-Man), we stumbled throughout a Resident Evil attraction that was half haunted home, half arcade shooter. Company might select between the “Leon journey” and “Claire journey,” however we ended up having to do the Claire journey as a result of Leon’s was offered out for the day. We additionally needed to wait till after 9:00 pm for our time slot; fortunately, it took so lengthy to get via every part at Tremendous Nintendo World that we solely had about an hour to kill earlier than it was our flip.
The attraction relies on the occasions of Resident Evil 2, and every part is in Japanese. Company begin outdoors the Raccoon Metropolis police division and are hurriedly ushered in by a cop, who’s guiding you thru the hellish scenes throughout the division. Actors dressed as zombified officers leap out at you and create critical leap scares, and the frenzy and chaos of the “cops” speeding you thru the division helps create a real sense of terror. Ultimately, an actress enjoying Claire exhibits up outdoors one of many home windows combating a deformed William Birkin (Claire is changed with Leon within the Leon journey), who chases the group all through the division earlier than friends are corralled right into a room with an enormous TV display screen and a bunch of mounted “machine weapons.” At this level, Birkin seems on-screen, and friends should hearth at him till he’s taken out. On the finish of the trip, friends are handed small playing cards with their remaining grade on it, similar to what gamers see on-screen on the finish of a chapter in Resident Evil video games.
USJ is an all-day affair, so attempt to get there when the park opens. Tremendous Nintendo World alone will take up an enormous chunk of time, primarily due to how lengthy the wait occasions are for the points of interest. Plan accordingly, particularly if you wish to eat on the specialty cafes and eating places.
DEN-DEN TOWN: OSAKA’S ANWSER TO TOKYO’S AKIHABARA
Most players and anime followers have heard of Akihabara, however much less are acquainted with Osaka’s Den-Den City. This district inside Nipponbashi is smaller than Akihabara, however there are some gems price visiting for.
Pokémon Card Retailers
Sadly, I did a poor job of documenting store names whereas in Den-Den City, partly as a result of the truth that it was pitch black after we had been strolling round and I used to be too excited to actually concentrate. Nonetheless, there are a lot of Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Magic card resellers in Den-Den City — the one I went to was simply one among numerous outlets to see. All of them show their playing cards in tall glass cupboards and so they all vary in value from extremely low cost to eye-wateringly costly. Hundreds of {dollars}, costly. I walked away with a number of playing cards that, whereas not uncommon, I simply actually preferred for the artwork and since I’d by no means seen their English equivalents within the US. Nonetheless, I additionally walked away feeling extra strongly than ever that I really want to consider insuring the rarest and most classic playing cards in my assortment…
Used Collectible Retailers
Each in Den-Den City and Akihabara, there’s store after store promoting used gaming and anime collectibles. Those that caught my consideration and that I spent plenty of time and yen in had been the outlets that had been promoting random assortments of small figures and collectibles, individually bagged and sorted by IP. One store was divided by part (Kirby, Mario, Zelda, and so forth.) and had all kinds of stuff, from mini collectible figurines to keychains to playing cards, pins, and a lot extra. So most of the issues I grabbed occurred to be on sale, too (most had been 30% off). Since it seems that they get their inventory from folks promoting gadgets, you by no means know what’s going to indicate up right here. There have been a variety of classic gadgets, particularly within the Sailor Moon part, however sadly these had been often priced accordingly — this store knew what that they had, to a level. However different gadgets had been already priced extremely low (lower than ten bucks) and had been even cheaper in the event that they had been on sale. So, evidently, I went somewhat loopy right here and got here residence with some absolute treasures.
Video Recreation Tie-Ins and Collaborations at Chain Companies
This can be a factor throughout Japan’s main cities and never simply in Osaka, however chain companies like ramen outlets and comfort shops will frequently partake in collaborations with online game builders to rejoice the discharge of a brand new recreation or some gaming occasion. After we had been in Osaka, Kamukura (a ramen chain) was celebrating the discharge of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Title with a restricted version mapo tofu ramen (which was extremely scrumptious). 7-Eleven was celebrating the discharge of Tremendous Mario Surprise with a bunch of chain-exclusive merchandise (which was offered out at each single 7-Eleven we went to all around the nation). And Household Mart had a wide selection of Kirby meals and merchandise on the market, however, just like the Mario stuff, was all offered out at each one we went to.
NINTENDO OSAKA: THE SECOND OF JAPAN’S MASSIVE NINTENDO STORES
Each Nintendo retailer in Japan — Tokyo, Osaka, and the newly-opened Kyoto location — has its personal distinct character, and, as I found, can carry gadgets that both the others don’t carry or that the others had been out of inventory of. Regardless that I’d already executed some main harm at Nintendo TOKYO, I popped into Nintendo OSAKA each to get this retailer’s distinctive expertise and to test to see if that they had an merchandise that the Tokyo location was out of. Positive sufficient, this location had it in inventory. So should you go to one of many Nintendo shops in Japan searching for an merchandise and so they don’t have it, be sure you test the others throughout your journey in case your itinerary permits for it.
Osaka was a implausible metropolis and plenty of enjoyable, and there have been loads of gaming-related issues to see and do. Be sure to spend time right here in your subsequent journey to Japan. Our remaining cease on this three-part sequence might be Kyoto! Look out for it quickly.