As excitement builds for the Nintendo expansions of Universal Studios theme parks worldwide, Universal Studios Japan is soon unveiling another real-life version of a popular video game franchise.
Starting March 17, guests visiting Universal Studios Japan will be able to step into the wild worlds of Dragon Quest, the immensely popular role-playing game (RPG) series first introduced in 1986.
The new experience comes on the heels of the park’s successful Biohazard: The Real, which enabled guests to shoot zombies in real life, a la the Biohazard / Resident Evil video game franchise. Now it’s Dragon Quest that’s getting the theme park treatment.
Through September 3, 2017, guests will be able to choose a role, such as “warrior” or “magician”, and work together while wielding real (as in, not virtual) weapons to cast spells and defeat monsters. And in true RPG fashion, guests will level up by gaining experience points and gain more abilities to take on bigger baddies.
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Naturally, there will be plenty of wacky merchandise and food opportunities available, mostly featuring the fan favorite Blue Slime, including hats, figures, cookies, and popcorn buckets.
Each of Universal Studios Japan’s limited time attractions in recent years have become so popular that they’ve required timed-ticket entry and Dragon Quest: The Real will be no different. Guests will also have an opportunity to purchase express passes to get in more easily when it all debuts in March.
Find out more information (largely in Japanese) on their official site.