Even with the advent of headsets like Oculus Quest making it easier and cheaper to step into VR, for a lot of consumers, the price is still a hefty leap. Which is one of the reasons location-based entertainment (LBE) centres have been popping up worldwide, offering a cheaper chance to dip your toes into VR gaming. The Namco Funscape arcade in central London, UK is a great place to grab a beer and enjoy some gaming, with a new VR ZONE Portal section that includes the company’s famous Mario Kart Arcade GP VR.
Bandai Namco Entertainment created its first VR ZONE Portal in Tokyo, Japan back in 2017, offering a range of immersive experiences and videogames. The company then decided to expand its ‘VR ZONE Portal’ brand overseas, with the UK being the first country selected. This saw the VR ZONE Portal London location open at The O2 arena, offering the first chance to play Mario Kart Arcade GP VR outside of Japan.
The Namco Funscape arcade is far more centrally located than The O2, making it easier to travel to. Located next to Waterloo Station as well as other attractions like the London Eye, The London Dungeon and London Aquarium – so there’s plenty to do. Obviously the star VR attraction at VR ZONE Portal Westminster is Mario Kart, allowing four players to compete against one another as some of the iconic characters from the franchise. As VRFocushas previously reported when playing the videogame in 2018 the system uses HTC Vive’s in conjunction with Vive Trackers so you can physically throw green shells and bananas at opponents. It costs £7.59 GBP per person for a 5-minute race or £24.95 for four people.
That’s not all VR ZONE Portal Westminster has to offer, however. One of the most popular home VR titles is rhythm-action videogame Beat Saberand back in 2018 developer Beat Games partnered up with South Korea’s Skonec Entertainment to build an arcade version for the Asian market. Namco Funscape is one of the few places in the UK you can try Beat Saber Arcade.
You can also step onto the Extreme Machine with Oculus Rift S headsets attached. Here you can select from a range of smaller VR titles such as the jet skiing one seen above. All the videogames make use of a controller which you stand on, using your body weight to steer left and right or forwards/backwards depending on the experience. Ubisoft’s VirtualRabbids: The Big Plan is on hand to offer some VR gaming suited to younger players.
The official Mario Kart Arcade GP VR experience is opening this month in Irvine, California at K1 Speed.
The Vive-based VR attraction launched previously at locations in Washington D.C., London and Tokyo.
The attraction allows up to four players to become Mario, Luigi, Peach or Yoshi before virtually racing through Mushroom Kingdom in stationary karts with haptic feedback. Vive Trackers are used to allow players to reach up and grab items to throw at opponents. K1 Speed is an indoor karting location so the new VR attraction should be a good complement.
“This cutting-edge virtual reality experience is the perfect complement to our premium indoor kart racing experience. Visitors will get to physically race go karts on our track and then virtually race at Mushroom Kingdom – we know this will be incredibly popular with people of all ages in Southern California,” said Susan Danglard, Owner and Marketing Director of K1 Speed, in a prepared statement.
The new Mario Kart VR attraction launches June 12 at the VR ZONE Portal inside K1 Speed.
Irvine is also home to Dave & Busters at the Irvine Spectrum with both Star Trek and Jurassic World Vive-based VR attractions with Terminator also available at Spaces. Up the 5 freeway a bit at Downtown Disney and you can also visit the Star Wars universe at The VOID. A nearby mall in Orange County, California was also the testing ground for a Gear VR-based walk around experience centered in the Alien universe.
Forget about Nintendo’s attempt at virtual reality (VR) with the Labo VR Kit for Switch. If you really want to enjoy one of its iconic videogames in VR then Mario Kart Arcade VR is the experience of choice. The only problem, there aren’t many locations to play it. This month that gets a little easier for US residents with the videogame racing to its second location at K1 Speed in Irvine, California.
K1 Speed is a family entertainment centre that features go-karts, with up to four players able to race on Mario Kart Arcade GP VR at once. With specially designed karts and HTC Vive headsets, guests can race through the Mushroom Kingdom as either Mario, Luigi, Peach, or Yoshi, picking up green shells and bananas which can be physically thrown thanks to Vive Tracker technology.
“We at BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America are incredibly excited to bring Mario Kart Arcade GP VR to more locations across the states,” said Nick Iftner, Virtual Reality Sales Manager at BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America in a statement. “The first location in the states in Washington D.C. proved to be a hit, and we’re eager to bring it to the West coast where we believe many are waiting to try it. We are confident that VR ZONE Portal Irvine will be a huge success at the Irvine location.”
“We cannot wait to have VR ZONE Portal Irvine with Mario Kart Arcade GP VR inside our Irvine location,” adds Susan Danglard, Owner and Marketing Director of K1 Speed. “This cutting-edge virtual reality experience is the perfect complement to our premium indoor kart racing experience. Visitors will get to physically race go-karts on our track and then virtually race at Mushroom Kingdom – we know this will be incredibly popular with people of all ages in Southern California.”
The Mario Kart Arcade GP VR will be available at VR ZONE Portal Irvine from 12th June. For further updates on the VR experience, keep reading VRFocus.
It seems that while consumer virtual reality (VR) sits at a crossroads, the digital out-of-home entertainment (DOE) sector has exploded with new developments – not one day seems to pass without major announcements, partnerships or acquisitions hits the wire. Industry specialist Kevin Williams of KWP, gives his unique perspective on the recent developments and offers some exclusive insights into some recently visited new projects.
Following on from the developments that we covered at the first Microsoft LBE VR Summit (read part one and two here), and momentum continues to build in the commercial entertainment sector. These investments are being registered across the industry, and some of the once previous advocates for a consumer approach to this latest phase of VR adoption. This was best illustrated by Unity CEO, John Riccitiello, quoted at a recent TechCrunch Disrupt event, feeling that we have yet seen a true consumer launch of a VR or augmented reality (AR) headset; stating “AR and VR is mostly to this day been launched to developers”. But Riccitiello continued that he had been impressed by how fast enterprise had latched on to VR and AR tech, surprised that the commercial applications have preceded the consumer applications.
Though an obvious progression for those of us that work in the DOE sector, this realisation has struck most consumer-facing VR developers, and most recently we saw the pivoting of major VR success stories in the consumer sphere, build a commercial entertainment offering. This was best illustrated by Vertigo Games, developers behind the successful consumer VR title Arizona Sunshine, with an estimated $1.4 million (USD) in generated sales on the PC platform. The company has decided to spin out a unique location-based videogame division called Vertigo Arcades B.V., who has started in supporting the already popular utilisation of the title in the VR arcade scene, accounting for approximately 20% of all VR arcade minutes played in Western venues.
At the same time other successful developers have turned towards a commercial facing opportunity in this market place. Czech-based Beat Games renowned for their phenomenally successful Beat Saber, have invested heavily in defining their game for the commercial entertainment scene – signing an official licensing agreement with key VR arcade providers such as CTRL-V (Canada), Exit Reality, IMAX VR, MK2 (France), PeriscapeVR, SpringboardVR, Private Label and SynthesisVR. Their partnership with SpringboardVR seeing a ‘Beat Saber Global Tournament’ run across 50 of their supported VR arcades; emphasising an eSports element to commercial entertainment deployment of VR. In an unusual development Beat Games also officially sanctioned an amusement-based VR adaptation of their license. Originally called Beat Saber Arcade, this Korean manufactured cabinet employs the Samsung Odyssey Windows MR headset and controllers; this seen as the first of several amusement-style VR experiences crossing the divide.
Line-up of Beat Saber Arcade cabinets, put through their paces at Korean VR Festival
An amusement facing approach to commercial VR entrainment was seen most recently appearing in the heart of London – at the VR ZONE Portal housed inside the Hollywood Bowl at the O2 Arena on the Greenwich Peninsula. The first VR ZONE Portal outside of Japan (we reported at their opening last year), the site is part of a special agreement between the bowling site operator and the UK division of BANDAI NAMCO Amusement. The site becoming the first Western location to install the eagerly awaited Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, based on the popular Nintendo license.
Enter London’s latest VR experience. [via KWP]
BANDAI NAMCO and Hollywood Bowl organised an exclusive media junket to promote the appearance of the game, but before-hand we were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look at the system in operation. The Japanese “Project I Can” system only seeing translation of its game software, with the remainder of the hardware the same as operated in Japan. Players’ using HTC Vive headsets, as well as hand trackers to allow them to throw items at their opponents, players sitting in their own “Fusion Karts” motion simulator – the game able to accommodate four players in this seven-minute single circuit race.
Immersed in the action on Mario Kart GP Arcade VR. (Credit: KWP)
Launched in Japan in 2017, the then titled Mario Kart VR proved an enthusiastic VR title, developed by the rebranded BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Lab Inc., as one of a number of IP based VR experiences that combined the initiative behind the “Project I Can” brand and the VR ZONE concept as a whole. Many have mistakenly thought that this game was developed by Nintendo, but in reality, BANDAI NAMCO and Nintendo have established a long reputation of cross-overs and licensed IP – the amusement division in 2005 launching the popular series with Mario Kart Arcade GP, which saw Pac Man also join the Nintendo racers – and with this background it was logical for the VR ZONE to consider developing a VR interpretation of this popular racer.
Past, Meet Future: Mario Kart Arcade GP cabinetsin the shadow of Mario Kart Arcade GP VR. (Credit: KWP)
Trying the title for myself, it proved a hectic mix of racing and throwing items, and though capturing the spirit of the Mario Kart videogame it did not offer as fulfilling a VR interpretation as one might have wanted. A great taste of what is achievable with a VR environment and a world-class property, but not a real game experience that will achieve any level of repeat visitation. The VR ZONE Portal at the O2 has the VR experiences Hospital Escape Terror and Argyle Shift, each costing £8 (GBP) and £5 respectively on launch, but now the restructured layout sees the replacement of the quirky Argyle Shift for Mario Kart Arcade GP VR and all these two games are now £7.99. Many comments on social media, who made a point of hunting down the launch of this iconic VR game property, balked at this high price.
Another interesting element in the handling of this property different to the Japanese approach was Hollywood Bowl having a 15 years of age restriction in playing Mario Kart VR, while in Japan’s VR ZONE operation, the age cut off is 13, with even the VR ZONE Shinjuku seeing children as young as 7 allowed through the doors. No word was given on why BANDAI NAMCO or Hollywood Bowl had picked this arbitrary cut off to play this VR experience. And as with our last visit to the VR ZONE Portal, the UK adaptation of the brand seems a little stilted compared to that achieved in Japan.
Hollywood Bowl has partnered with the UK BANDAI NAMCO Amusement operation and has seen a second VR ZONE Portal opened in Tunbridge Wells, and a planned Leeds Hollywood Bowl site schedule for a third iteration. Sources at BANDAI NAMCO’s VR Projects team confirmed that these sites would be seeing installations of their own Mario Kart VR units by the end of the year respectively – and the company promised that there would be other European and US deployments of the eagerly awaited VR racer. Speaking to the Evening Standard newspaper, Paul Brown, General Manager for HTC Vive Europe, said: “We are so excited to be working with Bandai Namco and Hollywood Bowl to bring Mario Kart VR to the UK, following its stunning launch in Shinjuku.”
The Mario Kart VR installation. (Credit: KWP)
While completing this feature, news broke that BANDAI NAMCO were about to launch yet another VR experience based on previous amusement success – with a re-creation of 1997 white-water rafting experience VR Rapid River – after extensive testing the Amusement Lab team part of the “Project I Can” VR initiative have created a two-rider motion base with yaw and heave components to offer a thrilling white-water rapids ride, with players using tracked ores to steer their craft through a wild water environment. By the time you read this article the first installations of this VR simulator planned for VR ZONES in Japan will possibly be already in venues.
These games developed by the newly reorganised BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Lab Inc., formed to increase investment in intellectual properties (IP) utilising their XR expertise (XR defined as incorporating VR, AR and MR technology). Most recently a VR experience for the VR ZONE flagship location was based on the legendary movie monster, with GODZILLA VR.
But London was not the only UK location to see a brand-new VR attraction unveiled. A quick journey down to the countries South coast and we arrive in Brighton and make our way to the iconic Brighton Palace Pier – the home of a major seaside amusement operation and the first site to run the ParadropVR attraction. The system represents a partnership between creators FrontGrid and manufacturers Simworx releasing a thrilling simulation of soaring the skies on your very own paraglider.
The ParadropVR attraction takes pride of place on Brighton’s Palace Pier. (Credit: KWP)
The attraction uses an innovative vertical heave motion system to simulate the soaring motion, while the player sits in a specially developed harness system while controlling the direction of flight using two lanyards – while wearing an Oculus Rift CV1 to see the virtual vista. The experience was developed to offer an 8-minute experience, as a separate ticket item on the pier. The machine being operated in partnership with local immersive entertainment operator and representative Immersivity Ltd. The experience was a fun one, though the game experience was slightly limited compared to the conventional VR attraction experience we have come to expect.
Reaching for the skies in ParadropVR (Credit: KWP)
FrontGrid recently announced the opening of a second installation, with Denmark’s Universe Science Park opening their first system this month. FrontGrid and Immersivity are now working on refining the platform and deploying the attraction with a number of other interested operators. Europe has seen a spate of VR attractions opening their doors – moving from Denmark to Germany and it was announced that Europa Park had partnered with VR Coaster, Mack Media and Holodeck VR to create a unique VR attraction. The system married a free-roaming experience with a ride-on coaster, with a seamless transition from one to the other. In what the operators referred to as their patent pending ‘Roam & Ride’ setup – the new attraction Eurosat Coastiality has guests putting on headsets and then walking round a pre-show area, before boarding the actual VR rollercoaster ride (employing a mobile VR headset arrangement).
Europa-Park – The first Roam & Ride system to be deployed
The UK has seen one of the first floatation’s on the London Stock Exchange, of a company dedicated to location-based VR entertainment deployment – the Immotion Group PLC has already started a dedicated roll out of venues employing their Immotion branded offering – the company signing a important agreement with UK shopping center operator intu. Following the opening of a new Immotion VR center in Cardiff, the agreement sees a further three sites at intu Derby, Newcastle and Uxbridge. Immotion not just focused on opening venues, but also driving development, seeing AAA content creation for their sites as essential, has recently announced the launch of their wholly developed space-themed VR ride experience Delta Zero.
The company has also worked to ensure a lead in the deployment of the latest VR experiences and announced the extension of their exclusive distribution agreement with leading Chinese manufacturer LEKE VR Technology. A company that has established major advancements in the VR arcade hardware scene, and in 2016 formed a strategic partnership with HTC Corporation towards utilising the latest technology married to VR entertainment for commercial application (at that time for the Viveport Arcades support of the LEKE VR’s VRLe platform). Now with a US sales operation Immotion is seen to be one of the fastest developing companies championing this sector.
(Credit: KWP)
The concluding part of this coverage will follow next week.
Since it was launched in the VR Zone in Shinjuku, Tokyo and subsequently in the UK, American fans of Mario Kart have been hoping that the virtual reality (VR) version of the popular racer would make it over to the USA in some form. Now it seems that hope was not in vain, as Bandai Namco launch a Mario Kart VR at the VR Zone Portal in Washington D.C.
Visitors to the VR Zone Portal in Union Station, Washington D.C. will now be able to hop into one of the specially designed karts to race as either Mario, Luigi, Peach or Yoshi. The Mario Kart Arcade GP VR experience will be located in Union Station for a six-month period. Argyle Shift, and Ski Rodeo will be joining the VR version of Nintendo’s popular kart racer,
The Mario Kart VR experience uses the HTC Vive VR headset along with the Vive Trackers which allow players to reach up and grab items such as banana skins or green shells to throw at opponents and potentially gain an advantage. Mario Kart VR also comes equipped with haptic feedback to make players more immersed in the colourful world they are driving in.
“BANDAI NAMCO is thrilled to be a part of the innovative, cutting-edge project that is VR ZONE Portal.” Said Steve Ignarski, National Sales Manager for BANDAI NAMCO Amusement America. “The launches in Japan and the UK brought great success, and we hope to follow suit in Washington, D.C. Mario Kart VR is a long-awaited title and we have no doubt it will be well-received in the states, due to its incredible, immersive game-play and outstanding equipment from HTC Vive.”
Argyle Shift meanwhile is a familiar title for those following the VR Zone story, a single-player videogame in which you take on the roll of a robot test pilot in the year 2145. Do you have the skills to pilot a giant mecha? Ski Rodeo meanwhile sets you down a snowy mountain range. Be prepared to get into the groove with your movements with the title’s pivoting base as you ski at high speed down the slopes “creating an exciting atmosphere like no other” according to Bandai Namco..
For further coverage of Mario Kart VR and other VR projects, keep checking back with VRFocus.
For the first time, BANDAI NAMCO is bringing to the United States a number of popular VR experiences once only available in Japan and UK-based VR ZONE arcades. Included in the line-up is the much-awaited Mario Kart Arcade GP VR.
VR ZONE Portal Washington D.C. is officially opening up shop today at Union Station near the national mall. Bandai Namco’s ‘Portal’ naming scheme indicates that the venue is smaller than the full-sized VR ZONEs in both Shinjuku and Osaka, Japan.
VR games available to the public include Mario Kart VR, Argyle Shift, and Ski Rodeo, and appear to be on a first-come, first-serve basis with no reservations required.
The star of the show is undoubtedly Mario Kart VR though, which pits four players against each other using HTC Vive headsets, Vive Trackers, and motion platform outfitted with a steering wheel, acceleration and brake pedals. Users, playing as Mario, Peach, Luigi, or Toad race around the track grabbing classic items like banana skins and shells while dodging Bowser—essentially what everyone wants from a VR version of Mario Kart.
“BANDAI NAMCO is thrilled to be a part of the innovative, cutting-edge project that is VR ZONE Portal. The launches in Japan and the UK brought great success, and we hope to follow suit in Washington, D.C.,” said Steve Ignarski, National Sales Manager for Bandai Namco Amusement America. “Mario Kart VR is a long-awaited title and we have no doubt it will be well-received in the states, due to its incredible, immersive game-play and outstanding equipment from HTC Vive.”
There’s a catch however. All three VR experiences will be featured for only six months, meaning the VR ZONE Portal in D.C. is a limited time engagement that will close up shop presumably sometime in March 2019. Check out the VR Zone Portal Washington D.C. Facebook page for more info.
The Mario franchise is one of the most recognisable in the world, dating back to some of the earliest days of videogames. It has spawned innumerable sequels and spin-offs, including the Mario Kart series. Little wonder, then, that there was great excitement when it was revealed that a virtual reality (VR) version was heading to London. Now it seems more of the UK might get a chance to hurl red shells and bananas at karting opponents.
Nina Salomons of VRFocusspoke to the VR Project Manager at Bandai Namco about Mario Kart VR, and what plans the company has with regards to bringing the title to more parts of the UK.
The Mario Kart VR experience is currently available at the VR Zone at the Hollywood Bowl in London, after experiencing massive success in its home country of Japan. It is a 2-4 player VR experience which uses motion-based VR to immerse players in the colourful world of Mario Kart.
The experience uses a mix of different tracks from the Mario Kart series. Players are equipped not only with VR headsets, but also with HTC Vive trackers strapped to the hands, this allows players to take a hand off the steering wheel in order to reach out and grab items such as green shells or bananas which are attached to balloons scattered around the track, which can then be thrown at opponents.
Players can choose between Yoshi, Peach, Mario and Luigi. Four players can play for £24.99 (GBP) for a single play session.
There are plans to expand Mario Kart to other locations in the UK, with the VR Zone at Tunbridge Wells already set to get the Mario Kart VR experience later this year, with another planned for Leeds Hollywood Bowl. Further expansion is planned for Europe and the USA.
The video interview is available to view below. Further coverage on new and upcoming VR projects will be here on VRFocus.
Take my advice: savor the opening minute of Mario Kart VR before your race actually starts because it’s the only time you’ll get to properly soak in the Mushroom Kingdom in all of its virtual glory. Twist your head around to see Peach or Luigi staring back at you, admire the iconic Question Blocks off to one side, and make sure to check out your own body, especially if you have Mario’s stubby legs (seriously, how does he jump that high with those?) This really is Nintendo’s beloved world brought to life and a real pinch-me moment.
Then sit back, strap in, and prepare to race.
We’ve been waiting a long, long time to give Mario Kart VR a go for ourselves and, much to our relief, it was entirely worth it. Now available at the Hollywood Bowl in London’s O2 Arena and coming soon to locations in Leeds and Tunbridge Wells in the UK (sorry, US readers!), Nintendo’s sort-of VR debut offers three minutes of the kind of fanboy heaven many people have dreamed about since booting up any one of many Mario Kart games since 1992’s original Super Mario Kart.
With just one lap available per play, your time in this lovingly-crafted world is going to be limited, and the creators at Bandai Namco makes sure that you spend it wisely. To that end, it largely crafts the experience for you. Mario Kart VR isn’t about winning, it’s about experiencing; there’s no kart customization and no difference between which of the four characters you end up playing as (Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, or Peach.)
Drifting around corners is also out in favor of a much simpler control scheme, and the usual assortment of weapons is reduced down to a green shell, banana peel, and hammer. It’s an undoubtedly condensed experience, and quite different to the Mario Kart you know and love, but what it lacks in depth longevity, it makes up for with pure childish delight.
It’s also more dodgem’s than racer, as the only say you really have in getting first place is whacking friends with power-ups, and even then they’re given plenty of opportunities to recover. I also ran through the track three times and, on each go, the AI-controlled Bowser and Wario seemed to overtake me at the exact same moments.
There’s a sense you’re being pulled along by a piece of string rather than really putting your foot down, then, but it’s all too giddy to really matter. There’s just one track which plays out like a sort of greatest hits of the series, taking you from the vibrant surroundings of Peach’s Castle into its inner bowels and beyond. The visuals are so true to the series’ cartoonish palette that I almost wanted to crawl around each and every corner just to take it all in, especially when I found myself ducking out of the way of giant Bullet Bills or swerving around Piranha Plants, which I suspect are individually synchronized to make sure everyone enjoys the spectacle.
Despite being in the pull of an invisible tractor beam, it is possible to create your own fun too. A last-minute collision with a banana cost me first place with seconds to spare in one race, while unsuccessful attempts to distract the enemy by waving in front of them had everyone laughing. Probably the best feature, though, is the ability to reach out, grab items and then toss them with your hands, which are fitted with Vive Trackers.
Though you may miss the feeling of a controller in your hand as you scoop up a hammer to smash into opponents, there’s a kind of circle-completing satisfaction that comes with actually tossing a green shell at a friend and then laughing into your microphone as you drive on past.
Still, the somewhat automated nature of the experience does detract from the idea of repeat playthroughs. Even in the arcade, it seems, the best VR experiences can’t amount to much more than tech demos, but maybe that doesn’t have to be such a bad thing. Mario Kart VR may be a little more on-rails than it cares to admit, but that didn’t stop me from grinning like an idiot every time I played it. For the first time in my life I felt like I had really visited the Mushroom Kingdom and, though it was just a whistlestop tour, it was a trip I’m not soon to forget.
Oh and, pro tip for Luigi players; give everyone the death stare. It’s terrifying.
You can finally try Mario Kart VR outside of Japan; Bandai Namco’s surprising collaboration with Nintendo launched in London earlier this month. This new video offers you a closer look.
Footage from the video below was taken at the launch event for the racing experience, which is on show at the VR Zone in the Hollywood Bowl inside London’s O2 arena. It gives you a good look at the setup, which uses an HTC Vive, a pair for Vive Trackers for your hands, and a racing wheel and seat to provide a fully immersive experience.
Meanwhile, inside VR, you’ll be transported to the Mushroom Kingdom to play as either Mario, Luigi, Yoshi or Peach. As you steer around a vibrant track you can reach out with your hands to grab and toss items. The experience can be played with up to four players.
You can book a slot to play Mario Kart VR over on an official website. Later this summer the game will also come to VR Zone locations in Leeds and Tunbridge Wells. No word yet on a showing in the US, sadly.
If you have been keep track on all things Nintendo and virtual reality (VR) related, then you would of seen our recent coverage of Mario Kart Arcade GP VR. The popular racing videogame has bring brought over to VR thanks to HTC Vive and Namco Bandai and is now available to play in London, after previously only being available in Japan. If you were wondering what the title was like to play then you’ll be in luck, as we have some gameplay to share.
In Mario Kart Arcade GP VR players can expect the same experience they are use to but with the level of immersion that comes from VR along with the freedom to reach out, pick up objects, and throw them at other races. The experience is powered by a HTC Vive head mounted-display (HMD) – with the HTC Vive Pro coming soon – along with the HTC Vive Trackers placed on the the players hands, plus a kart themed to around the ones seen in the title. All of this comes together to offer a unique experience that is unlike anything else.
As seen in the gameplay video below, Mario Kart Arcade GP VR captures the look and feel of the series along with the colourful design that makes Mario so well known. It’s fast paced, immersive and has plenty of charm to keep players engaged all while enriching the fun of Mario Kart like never before. Items pack a punch, the karts move smoothly across the track and hitting your friend with a shell is still as satisfying as you would hope. There is even a giant inflatable hammer.
“Everyone has come out with a massive smile on their face.” Said Graham Wheeler, VP Sales, Product and Operations HTC Vive, Europe, when asked how the response to the experience has been in our recent interview: “We sent some of our office here when I came back from a business trip and literally the entire office just didn’t stop talking about it. So it just shows that even though we’ve been in VR a lot it’s a great kind of company to be in and VR experiences but this is just really immersive level people know Mario Kart, everyone has played it so they just naturally go into it so even the skeptics love Mario Kart VR.”
The Mario Kart Arcade GP VR experience is now open in London and you can watch the full gameplay footage in the below video. For more on the title you can watch our interview with Graham Wheeler and read our hands-on. For all things on VR in the future, stay tuned to VRFocus.
Following on from the developments that we covered at the first Microsoft LBE VR Summit (read part 
Visitors to the VR Zone Portal in Union Station, Washington D.C. will now be able to hop into one of the specially designed karts to race as either Mario, Luigi, Peach or Yoshi. The Mario Kart Arcade GP VR experience will be located in Union Station for a six-month period. 
