Ladies and gentlemen, judges and fellow players alike, I proudly present two distinct attractions based on characters and settings from 'Super Mario' and 'Pokemon,' beginning with...
Super Sunshine Soakers
'Super Sunshine Soakers' have been described by Universal Creative as one of, if not the most exciting flat ride they've ever worked on. The classic flat ride has always been entertaining, and to some extent, engaging, but not to a point where the guest feels fully satisfied with their role in the attraction. In other words, more often than not, the ride is in control of guests, not the other way around. 'Super Sunshine Soakers' goes out of its way to change this. Guests aren't just riding this attraction—they're assuming an active role as members of the 'Super Mario' universe.
Story:
It's a beautiful day at Isle Delfino, and Mario is enjoying his vacation, but there's trouble in the air! A shine sprite, one of the sources of power and sunshine for the island, is loose inside one of the resort pools. The only way to retrieve the shine sprite is to collect enough gold coins. Guests, or 'players,' must hop aboard Gadd Science, Inc.'s latest iteration of the F.L.U.D.D. water pack, dubbed "F.L.U.D.D. 2.0," and help Mario retrieve the sprite by collecting the gold coins swimming in the pool. Players will compete against their friends and family for the highest score, tallied by the number of coins they hover over and "collect."
Ride Technology:
Prior to the construction of the attraction, Universal Creative admitted that out of all the flat rides they had attempted in the past, this would be one of the more challenging. The challenge was not only making guests feel as if they were on a working water-based jetpack, but combining that experience with a functional system of gameplay. The vehicles themselves are designed after F.L.U.D.D., a character/device from the popular 'Super Mario Sunshine' video game. While the technology within the video games makes the experience of hovering in the air via a jet of water look seamless, in reality, such a feat is a little more difficult, especially in terms of making it look convincing. The solution? A hydraulic system hidden beneath the surface of the water. Once guests board the vehicles, they rise several feet in the air, suspended by a stream of powerful water blasts, at least that's what it looks like to guests. Attached to the bottom of the rocket nozzles are translucent rods that propel the vehicle upward and downward. When the blast of water releases from a separate pipe system on the jetpack, the illusion comes full circle—the vehicles appear to be floating over the surface of the water by means of the water stream itself!
It's an effect that is almost laughably simple yet extremely effective, and will almost certainly leave most guests scratching their heads. As far as the gameplay is concerned, a separate mechanism below the surface of the water holds the gold coins in place. The mechanism has the coins moving around the pool at random. When players hover directly above a coin, the water will trigger a sensor on the coin, causing it to glow and spin quickly. Players will hear a familiar jingle, and receive 10 points; they can keep track of their score via onboard monitor. Throughout various points in the 3 1/2 minute ride, a special blue coin will emerge from beneath the water, and players who manage to successfully hover over the coin will receive 30 points rather than the traditional 10 points; this adds an element of luck to the gameplay, meaning that guests who happen to be skilled at the game will also need a bit of luck to attain the highest scores. Much like Hollywood Studios' 'Toy Story Mania' attraction, ride scores will be recorded and displayed via nearby monitor by "Best This Ride," "Best This Hour," "Best Today," and "Best This Month."
Ride Queue and General Experience:
Universal Creative made an effort to cram as much detail and authenticity into the attraction as possible. Naturally, the experience begins when guests approach the entrance to the attraction. A static figurine of Mario himself can be seen "jumping" against the edge of a building , with F.L.U.D.D. strapped to his back. On the surface of one of the buildings at the entrance, familiar 'Gadd Science, Incorporated' crates are arranged neatly beside each other. The buildings themselves, which are designed after the distinct tropical aesthetic from the video game, appear smooth and colorful, exactly as one would expect in a theme park setting. Even the trees are true to the video game. Rather than scatter real palm trees throughout the attraction, Universal Creative instead opted to 'create' the trees, modeling them after the palm trees from the game, reasoning that while 'real' palm trees are nice, they don't do very much in the way of shading guests from the hot summer sun. Instead, these trees have a full, spacious design that cover a great deal of the sun. In that respect, these trees are "something of an upgrade," jokes Shigeru Miyamoto, a creative consultant for the attraction.
Guests continue under an arch where the attraction's marquee displays 'Super Sunshine Soakers' in bright blue letters. After proceeding under the archway, players will spot crates stuffed with succulent tropical fruits and fishing supplies, along with a crate topped with Mario's hat. Players will then curve around an Isle Delfino boat docked nearby, which rocks calmly above the water. On occasion, players will hear a Pianta, one of the residents of the island, muttering to himself in his native language. Similar details include 'Wanted' posters of Shadow Mario pasted to the stone walls throughout the queue, along with a single painted "M" on one of the walls near the second half of the waiting area. While guests wait in line, they'll hear a mix of songs from the Super Mario Sunshine soundtrack.
Queue Music Loop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el_r5y_AcrE
As players proceed through the shady queue, they can take a moment to review the attraction's instructions, which are presented in such a style that emulated Nintendo video game manuals. The instructions offer guests valuable insight as to how they can control the vehicles. Guests have two levers, one on each side. If they pull the proper lever on each direction, they can make the vehicles move left and right. If they pull the levers forward, the vehicles will move forward as well. If guests have no interest in participating in the gameplay element of the attraction, they can opt for some additional movements, specifically having the vehicles spin by twisting either of the levers in any direction. The movements allowed to players is fairly wide, and makes for an exceptionally fun and memorable ride experience. To top things off, guests searching for relief from the hot summer sun will be pleased to learn that if they approach any of the opposing vehicles, the strong water blasts from their jetpacks will spray them, even soak them depending on the temperature. When asked about how far they can push the level of wetting guests, Miyamoto responded by saying that if they were so inclined, they could drench guests from "head to toe," but they haven't "let [him] try it yet."
Pine Pointe: Featuring 'Pokemon: Master Quest'
It isn't very often that one could expect to physically step into a video game, or rather a fully-immersive, tangible video-game based experience. For Universal Creative, it was only natural to bring one such experience to life for the first time. While Pokemon has, to some extent, been represented in a theme park setting (i.g. PokePark, Japan), never before have guests felt truly immersed in an environment that felt authentic to the Pokemon lore; Pine Point changes this.
Pine Point: Mythos
'Pine Point,' as it is officially known, represents a quiet and out-of-the-way, previously unknown little town in the Pokemon universe. Pine Point is a relatively-new yet almost unrecognized town in the Kanto region, somewhere in between Vermillion, Celadon, and Saffron City. The town consists of a single Pokemon Center, PokeMart,and unopened bike shop and gym, which have yet to open to trainers, although judging from the visibly-complete exterior, both establishments are exceptionally close to being finished. Perhaps most interesting of all, Professor Oak himself is said to have established his own laboratory in the town to bring his research closer to the major cities. Unfortunately for the town, business isn't exactly booming, and trainers refuse to make the trip over to Pine because neither the bike shop nor gym have opened yet—that is until now. At last, both the gym and 'Pine Point Bikes' are open for business, and trainers are flooding to the town, especially because of all the wild Pokemon inhabiting the surrounding areas. Players might even get the chance to meet Professor Oak and exploit his great knowledge of Pokemon. Only one way to find out…
Pine Pointe:
The town itself has a distinct 'video game' feel. It truly feels like something out of the more modern Pokemon video games, what with the sleek yet blocky modern architectural elements. Light hues of red-orange, blue, and turquoise make up the town's color palette, and the golden-brown undertones give the town an altogether inviting, familiar appearance. Upon entering the land, guests find a pool at the center, complete with Magikarp animatronics swimming stupidly in the water. The water is dyed a dark blue, and thus, guests are able to see the Magikarp 'swim' freely around the body of water via hidden mechanism under the water. Additionally, guests will notice that the Magikarp are capable of using 'splash attack,' as they often splash nearby guests with water. To the left of the pool is a Pokemon Center, complete with a standard design. The building is merely a façade to hide the show building behind it. Beside the Pokemon Center is yet another façade: Professor Oak's lab, a quaint, inviting building whose address reads "1996 Pine Point," a subtle nod to the release years of both Pokemon 'Red' and 'Blue.' Guests who stand near the building can actually hear Professor Oak have a discussion with his Pokemon companion, Mr. Mine from 'inside' the building. At night, guests can even see their silhouettes walking around the room from the upstairs window.
Ambient Conversation Script:
Oak: Yes, yes, Mr. Mime, it is a lovely day out.
Mr. Mime. Mime! Mime!
Oak: Of course. I think the trainers will be happy to visit Pine Pointe now that the gym and bike shop are open. But, eh…
Mr. Mime: Mime?
Oak: Oh, it's nothing, just rumors and things of that sort. I hear Team Rocket has been causing trouble at Silph Co. again. Those crooks. Haven't they anything better to do than to terrorize all of Kanto?
Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime!
Oak: That's right, Mr. Mime. They should be brought to justice, but I'm certainly not the one to do it.
Mr. Mime: Mime?
Oak: That was a long time ago, Mr. Mime. Too old for that now, but maybe if I just…oh, never mind.
Mr. Mime: Mime. Mime. Mr. Mime!
Oak: You took the words right out of my mouth, Mr. Mime. We certainly can place our hopes in trainers. Why, I'll bet there's some right outside our window as we speak!
Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime.
Oak: Let's just hope they're up to the challenges that await them.
Mr. Mime: Mime!
Oak: No! Now, Mr. Mime, you put that Pokeball down right this instant!
[Guests listen as the Pokeball is dropped to the floor, releasing, by the look of it, an enraged Tauros, which proceeds to violently charge across the room]
Mr. Mime: Mr. Mime! Mr. Mime!
Oak: That was a tauros, Mr. Mime, not an Eevee! Get it back in its Pokeball before it brings down the entire building!
Pine Pointe Gym & Pokemon Traders
Across the Pokemon Center is 'Pine Point Gym,' which, like the Pokemon Center, is merely a façade to envelop guests and make them feel immersed inside this universe. The building does have an important purpose with respect to the nearby attraction's story, but much like the Courthouse building in Cars Land, the structure is there for aesthetic purposes—mostly. The left side of the building houses a bathroom and shady courtyard area. Here, guests can relax and enjoy a snack beneath the tall pine trees that tower above them. 'Pokemon Traders,' on the other hand, is a fully-operational gift shop that sells exclusively-Pokemon themed merchandise, ranging but not limited to clothing and general apparel, plush toys, video games, etc. The very experience of walking through the town and hearing the familiar tunes from the video game presented in fully-orchestrated form will be an incredible experience for guests, but not nearly as incredible as taking an active role in the world of Pokemon as a 'trainer' on a familiar mission.
Pokemon: Master Quest
'Pokemon: Master Quest' is perhaps the most complex attraction that Universal Creative has ever attempted in that it makes use of a ride system that is still, for all intents and purposes, a new system. For this project, Universal enlisted the help of ETF Ride Systems, the same company responsible for producing the vehicles for the popular 'Toy Story Mania' and 'Mystic Manor' attractions at Disney Parks. This attraction, however, is slightly more complicated. Mark Woodbury describes it as a "living video game," complete with "more ride scenarios and combinations than any theme park attraction of this magnitude and scale." The attraction features several dozen combinations, consisting of various environments, opponents, and most importantly, Pokemon. Guests will assume the role of Pokemon trainers who are quickly caught in the middle of an adventure after casually visiting the local bike shop.
Pine Point Bikes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxU2UjAjN24
The attraction's entrance is located through the doors of 'Pine Pointe Bikes,' which proudly sells 'Mach' and 'Acro' style bicycles, for an obscenely-expensive price, that is. Guests wander through the bike shop, a faithful recreation of what the bike shops in the video games look like. Bike supplies and parts are scattered about the light-green colored store. On average, guests will wait in this room for about half an hour on busy days, wandering through the switchback queue rails. Soon afterward, trainers are escorted to the backroom/pre-show room, where crates upon crates of bikes are stored. Suddenly, the room's lights begin to flicker as two men in black suits emerge from behind one of the crates. The men, presented as stylized animatronics, are members of Team Rocket. "Yikes, I didn't think the shop was open yet!" The other grunt shakes his head. "You idiot. Now they're onto us. Uh, there's nothin' to see here, folks. Just keep moving!" With that, the presumed bike shop owner, a bald old man, emerges from one of the crates. "What's going on in here?" he asks the grunts angrily. The two grunts look at each other, dumbfounded.
"Err, nothin', we were just having a look around." The other grunt chuckles. "Forget the pleasantries. Haven't you forgotten we've got Pokemon on our sides?" With that, a bright flash of red light emerges from a pokeball in his hand. A thick fog surrounds guests as (via hidden trapdoor), an Arbok and Koffing appear in full animatronic form. The lights quickly zap off, and before guests know it, the Rocket grunts, along with their Pokemon, are nowhere to be found. The shopkeeper emerges from the crate. "Goodness, what just happened? W-wait! My Pokebike! Dear gracious me, they took one of my four prototype Pokebikes! They're one of a kind. Unavailable in stores. My plan was to sell them to Silph Co., but without the 4th generation prototype, I'll be ruined. What's that? You'll help me? Well, I don't know. How do I know I can trust you? Heh? Aspiring Pokemon trainers? Bah, that doesn’t mean you'd be able to…(sigh). What've I got to lose? Fine, fine. Take the earlier prototype bikes, but be careful with them. You'll have to learn to use them on the fly, but don't worry! It's easy enough to follow. There's an old man with a lab next door. Claims to be a Pokemon professor. Maybe he can help you on your journey. Well, what're you waitin' for? Get goin!"
With that, guests proceed into another backroom and into the loading area, where they board one of three bikes. These bikes are highly-sophisticated trackless ride vehicles that move seamlessly across the ride space, perfectly balanced and in perfect synchronization. Even though the "vehicle" technically consists of three bikes, at multiple points in the attraction, the bikes will split up and go off on their separate paths, if only for a few moments. The ride itself begins with brisk race to Oak's laboratory. The bikes swerve out of the bike shop and into Oak's lab. Professor Oak is resting in a chair near his computer. "What the…? Hey, you can't ride bikes in here! This isn't the time to use that! What's that? The bicycle shopkeeper was robbed? Ah, so you're budding Pokemon trainers, eh? Well, I'm always glad to help someone in need, and so are my Pokemon for that matter. Go on then, pick one, but choose wisely, now. Pokemon are not to be taken lightly."
At this point, guests are assigned a Pokemon draft pick at random. The computer monitors attached to their bikes indicate their position in the draft. Once the computer assigns them a draft pick, all guests must do is press the icon of their desired Pokemon on screen. Naturally, their choices consist of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. If guests should decide not to pick within the 20 second grace period, the ride's computer system will decide for them. The bikes then split up into separate chambers, where their Pokemon appear as animatronics. Guests can practice their projectile attacks by having the Pokemon shoot at moving red bullseye targets. The Pokemon here are in animatronic form. Guests will feel strong blasts of air as Bulbasaur uses his razor leaf attack, an effect achieved by projection mapping, to send projectiles at the moving target. Actual water will splash and wet guests as Squirtle uses water gun to hit a bullseye practice target in front of him, and guests will feel a hot wave of air as Charmander uses flamethrower to hit the target of his own. Guests control the Pokemon of their choice by a physical joystick attached the console in front of them, a simple yet effective choice for the attraction.
The attraction format consists of a visit to Oak's lab, then a three-way split between the three Pokemon of choice, then a four-way split between a cave environment (zubat & scyther), forest environment (beedrill & scythe), lakeside environment (golden & staryu), and open field environment (pidgeotto & farfetch'd). This is the 'meat' of the attraction, and will have guests pitted against various Pokemon contingent on the terrain. Afterwards, guests will find themselves inside the town's Pokemon gym for a battle against either Team Rocket members Cassidy and Butch. It is worth noting that during the majority of the attraction, guests will be 'on their own,' so to speak. In other words, the vehicles split up into singles, but for those guests looking for multiplayer action, they'll be happy to know that the ride's climax, an encounter against the evil Giovanni, who is hell-bent on stealing the latest prototypical Pokebike to sell for profit, will be a group effort. Guests will be pitted against rhyhorn, Persian, or nidoking at this point.
As far as the ride mechanics are concerned, the Pokemon in the attraction are brought to life via state-of-the-art, "realtime" musion technology: in-game actions yield realtime physical effects: i.g. wind, heat, water. Charmander, squirtle, and bulbasaur will appear in front of guests using a separate layer of musion projection space, similar to the way guests battle in the once-popular 'Pokemon Go' mobile game. The battle sequences in that game are similar to the ones in the attraction, just on a much less complex and less realistic scale.
While guests battle against the digital Pokemon, animatronic Pokemon react from near the scene, growling at guests as they do battle. Various practical sensory effects will be utilized, including but not limited to water, heat, wind, and even smell. When guests find themselves in the forest, for instance, they'll smell the fauna similar to the smell in 'King Kong: 360 3D.' When guests enter the open field sequence, they'll smell berries in the air, and when they enter the lakeside sequence, they'll smell a fishy yet pleasant aroma in the air. As far as gameplay goes, guests have one joystick: Left to right (dodge attacks), top button utilizes direct attack (scratch), fire button utilizes unique projectile attack (flamethrower, water gun, razorleaf) The goal is to dodge as many attacks as possible to conserve Pokemon's health and "level up" by hitting the opposing Pokemon, which are constantly moving. Each hit equals 1 point, and the points are tallied up at the end of the attraction. It is possible for players' Pokemon to 'faint,' but the consequences are not game-ending. The Pokemon will be revived in the following scene(s), albeit weaker and slower, thus equating to less points for guests in the end. The attraction is an altogether memorable and game changing theme park experience, a faithful theme park representation of the classic 'Pokemon' video game and cartoon series.
