This article is based on a visit made on Wednesday, 9 May 2018.
Edit 9 October 2019: VR Zone Shinjuku has closed permanently. Its attractions have moved to Mazaria, a new location in Ikebukuro's Sunshine 60. More information: (English) (Japanese)
I am no stranger to Tokyo's indoor theme parks, from
Sega Joypolis in Odaiba, to
J-World Tokyo in Ikebukuro. And on my latest return to the city, I ticked another one off of my list -- VR Zone Shinjuku.
Fitting of the name, the attractions of VR Zone Shinjuku are mostly comprised of virtual-reality games. Another VR Zone location is coming to Osaka in Autumn 2018.
The one attraction I was most excited to get on, if my previous experience with the franchise is any indication, was "Evangelion VR: The Throne of Souls: Berserk". Up to four players at a time get to take control of an Eva robot, and join forces to shoot down a giant Angel monster. I lost the game my first time around, but I just had to beat it, so I bought another ticket for this game and, with the help of a random salaryman who joined in, I brought down that beast the second time around! The rigs for this game are in the form of an Eva cockpit, and once the headsets are turned on, you can look down to see (a static model of) your pilot's legs and body, plugsuit and all. During the introductory scene in the hangar, look out for commander Gendo Ikari and see what happens...!
Most VR games have guests play in groups of four, either cooperatively or competitively depending on the type of game. When guests queue up, they are lent instructional cards which explain how each of the games work. These instructions are available in Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese.
Another attraction I gave a spin was
Mario Kart Arcade GP VR. In addition to driving the go-kart, players hold on to a wrist-mounted mini-controller, which they wave up and down to throw in-game items like Koopa shells and banana peels, as is one of the series' trademark mechanics.
The park is owned by Namco-Bandai, who also owns the rights to these (Namco and Nintendo collaborated on the original
Mario Kart Arcade GP) and most of the other licenced attractions in VR Zone. For example, there are other attractions based on Mobile Suit Gundam, Dragonball, and Galaga.
Not all of the VR attractions are themed after licenced properties. There was "Ski Rodeo", a skiing game that I tried, "Fishing VR Gijiesta", a fishing game, and this one, called "Hane-chari", where guests pilot flying bicycles.
And then there's the horror ride, a virtual take on a haunted house. As is often the case in Japan, it involves an abandoned hospital. For a different kind of fright, another attraction, "The Big Fear of Heights Experience" has you walking across a plank which, from your virtual point of view, appears to be hundreds of meters above the ground. I skipped these in favour of other attractions... No seriously, it's not that I wouldn't have done these, I just wanted to do the others more!
For those of you who are purchasing a 4-ticket bundle, please note that the VR attraction tickets are split up into four groups, labeled by the colours red, green, blue, and yellow. Each of the VR tickets you receive are good for one attraction in each of those groups. Which group an attraction belongs to is not apparent within VR Zone itself, so look up this information on their website (links are at the bottom of the article), and plan which games you most want to ride ahead of time. Individual VR tickets beyond the four included in this bundle do not have this group limitation, and may be purchased from the information desk at the front of the main hall.
VR Zone Shinjuku has a number of physical attractions, as well. There is an escape room game where players must solve puzzles as a giant balloon starts to fill up the room, and hopefully escape before it gets too big and pops. The "Resort" section, pictured above, features a rock-climbing wall and a drop slide. As you can see, trying to take pictures of someone going down it is a challenging affair. At least it saves me the trouble of blurring their faces!
Beyond these, there are also "Field VR" attractions which take place in larger rooms. As of this article, there are two such attractions available: "Ghost in the Shell Arise: Stealth Hounds" and "Dragon Quest VR". In these, guests move around a room to play the game. Both of these attractions require separate timed tickets to play -- ¥3,600 for
Ghost in the Shell (includes entry, and may be reserved online), and ¥3,200 for
Dragon Quest. They are liable to sell out as the day goes on, and since I showed up in the evening, that means I did not get a chance to try them. Well, gotta save something for a return visit, I guess.
As a bonus before signing off, I'd like to share with you a lovely view of Tokyo Tower I managed to find on my way back to the hotel, near the Onarimon subway station (Toei Mita
(I) line).
Ok,
now it's time for my sign-off selfie! This goofy-looking mask is something they give you when you get in. You have to put it on when using any of the VR activities, as it keeps the headsets sanitary for all the guests who use them. All things considered, VR Zone Shinjuku is on the expensive side, considering how most of the attractions last only 5 minutes or so, but most other public VR attractions are, anyway. And besides, you can't get these particular experiences anywhere else! ...Well, at least not until the new Osaka location opens. But I shall move on to more natural sites of interest, next time on Sekai Ichi!
Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Costs: ¥800 to enter, ¥1,200 for most VR activities. A bundle including entry and 4 VR tickets costs ¥4,400.
Address: 1-29-1 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo-to 〒160-0021
Access: Right next to Seibu Shinjuku (Seibu Shinjuku line), or 10 minutes on foot from Shinjuku Station (JR Yamanote (JY), Chuo (JC), Chuo-Sobu (JB), Saikyo (JA), Shonan-Shinjuku (JS), Odakyu Odawara (OH), Keio (KO), Tokyo Metro Marunouchi (M), Toei Shinjuku (S) and Oedo (E) lines).
From Tokyo Station, take the JR Chuo (Rapid) line to Shinjuku (JC05, 15 minutes, ¥200, JR Pass OK).
Directions: From Shinjuku Station (JR East Exit), head straight out of the gate. Cross the street and pass the Studio Alta building on its left. Continue straight, past the next traffic light. Turn left when you reach the Toho Cinema / Hotel Gracery (the "Godzilla building"), then take the next right, and the next left. VR Zone Shinjuku will be straight ahead.
Website: (English) (Japanese)
