Joypolis

Entrance to Sega Joypolis in Odaiba, Tokyo in 2014.

The first entrance to Tokyo Joypolis.

Joypolis (ジョイポリス Jyoiporisu) is an amusement park that was first opened on July 20, 1994 in Yokohama, Japan. Joypolis centres have since opened in several cities in Japan with the parks featuring arcade games and amusement rides based on Sega intellectual properties. Overall, 8 Joypolis theme parks have been opened, but as of 2015, only the parks in Odaiba, Tokyo; Umeda, Osaka; and Okayama City, Okayama are currently open.^[1] The rest of the parks have closed throughout the years of 2000-2002 mostly due to low visitor numbers.

Similar parks, owned in whole or part by Sega, called SegaWorld or GameWorks are also in existence.

Locations

• Yokohama (Opened in 1994, referbished and revamped as Joypolis H. factory in 1998, closed in 2001 due to low visitor numbers and financial restraints. Later became a Warehouse, and was demolished to make way for flats.)
• Niigeta (Opened in 1995, Closed in 2000)
• Fukuoka (Opened in 1996, closed in 2001. Split up into a Restaurant and Taito Station arcade)
• Tokyo (Opened in 1996, flagship branch)
• Shinjuku (Opened in 1996, closed in 2000 due to low visitor numbers)
• Okayama (Opened in 1998)
• Kyoto (Opened in 1998, closed in 2002 due to low visitor numbers)
• Osaka (Opened in 1998)

Opening

The 11,946 sq metre complex opened with over 8,250 sq/m of that dedicated to the theme park's 7 major attractions. These included a revamped Virtua Racing (renamed Virtua Formula) and 217 coin operated arcade machines. Many of the rides also appeared inside Sega World Sydney when the parks launched in Australia.^[2]

• Virtua Formula - The opening attraction of Joypolis, an enhanced version of Virtua Racing with up to 8 players each. It features a full-sized Formula 1 cockpit and 80-inch playback screens. This game has a dedicated room with 32 machines running.
• Rail Chase: the Ride - Based upon the SEGA arcade game Rail Chase. This is an interactive rollercoaster ride in which players must shoot targets as they travel.
• Ghost Hunters - A ride which places the players in a pitch black arena, using mirrors to display holographic ghost targets.
• Mad Bazooka - An indoor bumper car ride in which two teams of 6 players fire rubber balls at each other. Balls fire at the rate of 8 shots per second through a tank cannon, while the bumper cars have the ability to pick up the balls off the floor. Was also in SegaWorld London and Sydney before their demise.
• Astronomicon - An astrology-based interactive theatre that tells fortunes and reads horoscopes to an audience of up to 50 people.
• AS-1 - A 360-degree motion simulator. Was also in SegaWorld London before demise.
• VR-1 Space Mission - A virtual reality space mission accommodating 8 people per machine which allows players to pilot their own space ship with twin yokes.

Attractions at Tokyo Joypolis

Tokyo Joypolis is today the only Joypolis to have rides, the Osaka and Okayama parks are arcades.

• Veil of Dark - A Roller Coaster that moves through the center of the park, and stops where guests can shoot Zombie hoards.
• Halfpipe Tokyo - A snowboarding ride set to music.
• Sky Crusing - A hang glider simulator.
• The Joypolis Explorer - a mystery attraction where you must uncover the treasure warehouse.
• Initial D - A driving simulator where you sit in a real moving car and play a driving game.
• 3D Movie - A 3D version of Sonic: Night of the Warehog.
• Answer X Answer live SPECIAL - A game show based Attraction.
• Lets go Jungle SP - an attraction based on Let's Go Jungle! with large projection screens on front and back.
• The House of the Dead 4 SP - an attraction based on House of the Dead 4 where you shoot zombies from all directions and you sit and buckle yourself up.
• Sonic Athletics - A racing game powered by a tredmill.
• Hummer - an Hummer arcade cabinet.
• Storm-G - A bob-sleigh simulator that rotates 360 Degrees.
• Dark Chapel - A dragon themed 3D movie.
• Fortune Forest - A ventral forest that tells you what your future will be.
• Sadako 3D - A 3D horror attraction based on the film Sadako 3D.
• Wind Wing - A jungle themed Hang Glider simulator.
• Wild Jungle Brothers - a jungle themed Jeep Simulator.
• Wild River - A jungle themed dingy simulator.

(rest of the attractions will be added soon)

Accident history

On April 20, 2005, Sega Corp. closed its Tokyo Joypolis (Odaiba area) theme park temporarily, pending a police investigation and an internal investigation into park safety procedures. The action came in the wake of an accident on the previous Monday in which a 30-year-old man died after he fell out of a ride. The ride, called "Viva! Skydiving," is a simulator ride that is designed to give passengers an experience of virtual skydiving. Apparently, the ride's operators allowed the overweight man to board the ride, even though the safety belt was not long enough to fit around his body. The man was secured only by an over-the-shoulder restraint, but Sega president Hisao Oguchi says that the restraint was locked in a "more loose position," causing the man to fall out. Reports indicate that, while Sega's official park operations manual forbids riders from riding without seat belts, Tokyo Joypolis had given its employees an unofficial manual that allowed ride operators to use their own discretion as to whether a person could board a ride. Sega says it was unaware that the park had its own manual.^[3]

See also

• SegaWorld refers to installations in the United Kingdom, China and Australia, seeking to promote Sega games while providing entertainment based on its licenses.
• GameWorks refers to installations in the United States.
• Sega Republic, an indoor theme-park located at The Dubai Mall, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Considered the first Sega-licensed theme-park in the Middle East.

References

• "SEGA Japan's Joypolis parks homepage". Retrieved 2006-12-31. 
• Cochrane, Nathan (2004). "Joypolis: VR Theme Park". 

External links

• Sega Japan's Joypolis homepage (Japanese)

Coordinates: 35°37′43″N 139°46′31″E / 35.628508°N 139.775161°E / 35.628508; 139.775161 (Joypolis)