The entrance to the Mario-thed park was a six-story-tall red-brick castle, about 20 ters high.
It was the iconic building from the very first Super Mario ga.
At the center of the castle stood a massive archway large enough for over a dozen people to walk through side by side.
As visitors passed through this entry tunnel, Mario's appearance gradually beca more and more refined.
It began with a simple red pixelated Mario, then shifted to the red-and-blue overalls version in pixel form, followed by the clearer 2D sprite, then the early polygonal 3D model, and finally, the rounded, high-definition Super Mario Odyssey version.
That Odyssey version represented the peak of Mario's visual evolution—a design that would remain unchanged for a long ti.
Walking through the corridor felt like witnessing Mario's own evolutionary journey, as well as the evolution of video gas themselves.
Throughout the walk, a dley of Mario the songs played continuously, enhancing the experience.
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...
Upon exiting the tunnel, the entire the park burst into view—just like the mont of revelation described in the ancient Chinese fable Peach Blossom Spring. A vibrant wonderland spread out before the guests.
Directly ahead was a giant flowerbed with a central stone fountain.
Unlike most fountains that are stately or elegant, this one was fun and whimsical.
At its center was a giant stone sculpture of the iconic Mario piranha plant, mouth open and spewing water. Around it were sculptures of Toads holding fire hoses, also spraying clean water from their nozzles.
This instantly beca a hotspot for photos. Everyone who passed by took at least one picture.
To the sides of the path, people dressed in Toad costus ran about energetically, bringing the park to life—making it feel like you had truly entered Mario's world.
"Chief! Chief, slow down! We can't keep up! Huff... huff..."
So of the Toad-costud team had started to lose formation.
"You guys can't even keep up with an old man like ? Seriously, what's wrong with this generation? Back when we were developing gas, the whole team went out for research. For Street Fighter, we traveled across the country to et legendary martial artists!"
One of the most enthusiastic Toads spoke with pride.
These people were actually core developers from Gastar Electronic Entertainnt.
When Takayuki first proposed the idea of building a the park, the developers were thrilled.
They ca up with the idea to cosplay as ga characters on opening day—fulfilling a childhood dream.
Most of the park mascots today were in fact veteran developers.
"I made a huge mistake—why did I agree to be a Toad? Should've gone with the piranha plant!"
"Oh please. You think those piranha guys have it easier? They're just standing there all day. Not much better off."
"What about Bowser?"
"Worse. He's been sward with fans taking nonstop photos. Hasn't had a second to breathe."
"Why are we putting ourselves through this? We should've never volunteered."
"But there's a bonus, right?"
"There is?! Okay, maybe this isn't so bad."
Their conversations were kept within short-range wireless comms—inaudible to the guests.
And though they grumbled, they were clearly enjoying themselves.
Opportunities like this didn't co around often. A bit of exhaustion was worth the change of pace.
Ga developnt had been growing increasingly stressful lately. Even though Gastar didn't enforce overti, the devs felt a natural pressure to produce great gas.
That was the only way they could proudly say they worked on sothing legendary.
Otherwise, what would they have to brag about?
Back in the visitor's perspective—after passing the central fountain—multiple paths stretched out in different directions.
These led to areas like Mario's Exploration Zone, Luigi's Haunted Mansion, Wario's Crazy Lab, and Princess Peach's Pink Castle.
Each area offered different types of attractions.
Gastar Electronic Entertainnt had spared no expense. Every section was rich with interactivity, and the paths were decorated with Mario-thed elents.
Even the benches along the way were adorned with Mario-style designs.
The goal was simple: make every visitor truly feel like they had stepped into Mario's world.
At the very heart of the park stood its most eye-catching structure.
A massive castle modeled after the red-brick one at the entrance.
But "modeled after" was putting it lightly—this was a fully functional, intricately designed castle.
Inside were living quarters, kitchens, storage rooms, common areas—everything you'd expect from a real castle.
After the ceremony, it would open to the public.
Just exploring this central castle could take guests two to three hours.
And to truly experience everything in the park—even without waiting in line—would require at least ten hours. The content was absolutely packed.
Just like their gas, Gastar's park wasn't just visually impressive—it was full of depth and joy.
"Five minutes until the opening ceremony."
A giant countdown clock at the center of the plaza ticked away the seconds.
The plaza in front of the castle was packed wall to wall with people.
Thousands had gathered, all eyes locked on a single point.
Giant screens had been installed around the area so that even those standing farther away could still see everything.
"One minute until the opening ceremony."
The Super Mario the began to play, prompting waves of cheers from the crowd.
All fifty thousand attendees were true video ga lovers.
Their cheers roared like ocean waves, rising and falling in sync with the music.
"Begin the ceremony!"
At the director's signal, fireworks exploded into the sky.
Even though it was dayti, the fireworks revealed familiar silhouettes:
Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser...
And finally—Mario himself.
At that mont, Takayuki rose from the central castle platform, slowly lifted into view.
He opened his arms wide in a triumphant pose—the most carefree mont of his life.
"A heartfelt welco to you all... my fellow gars!"
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