Nintendo has been working hard to “expand their reach”, and one of their biggest options for doing that is the upcoming Super Nintendo World which will launch in Japan in February and be coming to America and more later on. One of the ways that Nintendo is hoping to create a truly “interactive experience” with their theme park is by having park goers have “Power-Up Bands” that they use to collect coins, reveal secrets, start activities, and more!
We saw a small demonstration of the Power-Up Bands via the special Nintendo Direct done by Shigeru Miyamoto, but now, via Ars Technica, we have more details on the bands and what they can do:
– It’s a slap bracelet
– Rack up various virtual currencies (stamps, coins, and keys) by engaging with Super Nintendo World’s variety of activities
– You’ll need to interact with enough park attractions to earn two of its three keys before you can enter the Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown
– This is a group activity that pits multiple players against Bowser Jr. and various Super Mario minions
– Your primary interaction comes from collecting stamps
– Some of these are as simple as tapping your Power-Up Band to physical objects at the park like Question Mark Blocks and touch panels
– With some of these, a picture lights up and your work is done
– Other touch panels activate mini-games such as slot machines, “note blocks”, and a hide-and-seek challenge where you look for particular characters through a pair of binoculars
– Some stamps can only be earned once, while others can repeat
– Every newly claimed stamp doles out coins
– These coins only factor into a series of leaderboards (some daily, some all-time)
– Nothing about the app hints at microtransactions tied to these coins—though by the time you’re done at Universal Studios Japan
– The app includes stamps that can only be claimed during certain months of the year
– Other mini-games listed in the app include “Koopa Troopa POWer Punch,” “Piranha Plant Nap,” “Bob-Omb Kaboom Room,” “Thwomp Panel Panic,” and “Goomba Crazy Crank”
– These each have multiple difficulty levels and award the Bowser Jr. keys
– According to the app, the songs available in the park’s “Note Block Rock” attraction include: “Ground Theme,” “Water World,” “Bob-Omb Battlefield,” “Main Theme,” “Athletic,” “Underground,” “Slider,” “Airship,” and “Ending Theme”
