VR Zone

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Introduction

Barely even a month has gone by and Bandai Namco has officially announced that they would be opening their very first VR ZONE arcade in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The crux of this brand new arcade is to bring popular, localised versions of VR games to a public arcade, without the worry of having to fork over a considerable amount of cash for a personal VR headset. Instead, the arcade will provide customers the chance to play on a HTC Vive, along with some extra peripherals to get the most out of VR games on offer – but these peripherals only apply to certain games in question.

Mario Kart Arcade GP

Easily the most popular kart racer in the world, Mario Kart is making its way to the VR market, all through Bandai Namco’s VR ZONE. Currently, it has been stated that you will be able to play with a maximum of 4-players as you race against your AI opponents. Filled to the brim with Mario Kart charm and design we all know and love; simply inside a VR perspective that will have you throwing red, blue, and green shells from the comfort of your local VR arcade.

Dragon Ball VR

Dragonball is a series that is beloved around the world and any fan of the series will have always wanted the chance to throw a Kamehameha; well now’s their chance! In a 2-4 player scenario, you can power all of your Ki energy within the power of your hands, feel the vibrations, and level both your friends and the ground they stand on as you go face-to-face against one another.

Jungle of Despair

Take 4-players into a long-forgotten jungle after a plane crash leaves you stranded in that jungle, one that is rumoured to be housing dinosaurs. Being the polite survivors that you are, you head off in search of the surviving passengers, but in a dark forest where everything wants to kill you, it isn’t going to be all that simple. Armed with little more than a flashlight that is quickly running out of power, will you manage to make it back to base safe and sound or will you be nothing more than a snake for what roams in the shadows!

Hanechari (Winged Bicycle)

Take to the skies with your own personal flying machine – known only as the winged bicycle; an item that almost looks like Da Vinci would have designed. Soar amongst the Rocky Mountains and the wide-open seas as you explore with the HTC Vive that’s combined with a sensory machine, similar to that of a bike. As you ride the pedals in the arcade, the bike will soar and fly, giving you the perfect chance to venture out and explore through the headset.

Evangelion VR

Ever wished to take control of your own mech in a VR perspective? Well, now is the perfect time to take advantage of that and have some fun. Place the VR headset onto your head and stomp around a suburban city, destroying anything that comes up against you. Through the use of another specialised sensory machine, you’ll be given the ultimate control to take over your personalised mech and defeat the strong and tactical 10th Angel.

Fishing VR

Fairly self-explanatory for a title, but the VR experience you’ll get from this will make you feel what it’s like to really be there, without the worry of accidentally falling into the pool of fish in front of you. Reel the fish in or swing your net around, catching any and all fish that seem silly enough to be caught by it. To make it that more interesting, go head-to-head against a friend and see who can acquire the biggest score.

VR-AR Simulator

Take up arms in this first person VR experience that will have you operating as an armoured trooper, but against a good friend of yours. Experience what it’s like to be in the heat of battle, taking control of gear, all while having a good laugh as you and your friend take pot-shots at each other.

Argyle Shift

Once again, we’re treated to the experience of entering a giant, mechanoid robot, and charging head on towards the enemy. Unfortunately, you won’t be taking a friend with you this time, but there’s a plucky android by your side that has no intentions in letting you get defeated. So, be prepared to take control of some serious firepower when you step into that robot.

Gundam VR

Everyone loves a good Gundam, even more so in video game form, but what if you got to step into that mobile suit? Gundam VR gives the player that exact chance to go against another life-sized mobile suit and destroy it upon recognition. Thanks to the use of a specialised sensory machine, looking around the cockpit of the Gundam before slamming your fist into the first object that comes your way!

The Big Fear of Heights Experience

VR is a great way in tricking your brain into thinking something is there when it’s not really there and with The Big Fear of Heights Experience that’s the whole point – even if it is supposed to be terrifying. After stepping out of the elevator, you get to see just how far you are from the ground and when you’re in VR, it’s a feeling that you won’t be able to forget any time soon, which is both fascinating and terrifying all at the same time.

Hospital Escape Terror

Upon putting the VR headset on, you and up-to 3 friends will find themselves trapped inside an abandoned hospital, one that’s filled to the brim with a number of characters that wish to kill you. Each room that you step into could be your last; providing that when you turn to look around at that recent noise, you don’t experience a heart attack, all thanks to that spooky ghost.

Ski Rodeo

Upon putting on the HTC Vive, you’ll wake up inside some bright, white mountains that are completely covered in snow and with that you had best get skiing! Ski down the deep mountain, taking jump after jump, avoiding every tree that comes into view, all while looking around at the beautiful landscape that lays before you as you ski all the way down to the bottom.

Ghost in the Shell: Arise Stealth Hounds

Currently, the only game that doesn’t have any real footage of it as of yet, but what is easily considered the game with the most potential for this VR arcade. Taking place in a 20m x 12m room that plays out like a real life FPS game, you’ve got 4 vs 4 team combat that you won’t want to miss. Supposedly through the use of a highly-sophisticated, mutli-person, full body tracking system that’s going to make the most of the HTC Vive is something that many players are already very much looking forward to.

So far, these are the 12 games that Bandai Namco have announced unto the public, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we aren’t going to get a few more over the next year or two. On that front, we’ll just have to wait and see, but so far, the VR Zone is the next big hit on the arcade front that many people simply can’t wait for.