Tap to Play: A Closer Look at Super Nintendo World's Power-Up Bands

pcmag.com:

Super Nintendo World has opened at Universal Studios Hollywood, and it’s an impressive Mario theme park. We’ve looked at the incredible AR-driven Mario Kart: Bowser’s challenge ride, the fantastic decorations, and the mediocre food, but there’s an element of the park that deserves deeper exploration: the Power-Up Bands.

Power-Up Bands are snap-on wristbands you can purchase while at Universal Studios Hollywood for an additional $40. Available in Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, and Daisy styles, they let visitors interact with different objects and activities around Super Nintendo World just by tapping them. Question mark blocks light up and make coin noises when you bump your hand against their undersides while wearing the band. Hidden pixel Mario and Bowser sprites glow on the wall when you tap the band against Mario logo marks. And, most inventively, the bands unlock key-collecting challenges that eventually let you fight Bowser Jr. in Bowser Jr.’s Shadow Showdown.

According to the lore of the park, Bowser Jr. stole a golden mushroom and it’s up to you to get it back. He hid it in his hideout, and the only way to get in is to find three of the four golden keys hidden behind challenges in Super Nintendo World. Golden key logos indicate there’s a challenge nearby (and a park staffer and a line leading up to the key are also good hints).

Tapping your band against the key icon makes the nearby decorations spring to life and begins the associated short game you need to play in order to earn a key. Koopa Troopa POWer Punch makes a green Koopa shell bounce between pipes and you have to bump a POW block at the right time to make the shell shoot up through the pipe and grab the key. Piranha Plant Nap Mishap features a huge