Ultraman the Ride

"When the deepest despair envelopes you, awaken to the ultimate excitement!"

―Promotional tagline

Ultraman the Ride: The Great Duel of the Century
Information
Performance Location(s)	Seibuen Amusement Park
Language	Japanese
Running Time	10 minutes
Directed by	Takashi Yamazaki
Produced by	Shoichiro Tsuno
Written by	Takashi Yamazaki
Music by	Naoki Sato

Ultraman the Ride: The Great Duel of the Century , or known simply as Ultraman the Ride , is a flying theater ride located in the Seibuen Amusement Park in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.

The ride opened on 14 July 2023 and will appear as a new attraction highlighting the park's year-long Tobikkiri Sugo YEAR 2023! celebration. It claims to be the world's largest Ultraman-themed attraction and succeeds Godzilla the Ride, which was on hiatus until September 14 where both rides were run together.

Production

On March 6 2023, Ultraman the Ride was first announced through the Tsuburaya Productions website, where it was slated for a Summer 2023 release at Seibuen Amusement Park. Takashi Yamazaki, one of Japan's leading film directors and one of the creatives behind Godzilla the Ride, was also announced to be returning to direct.

On 13 June, the release date, title, and story overview for Ultraman the Ride were revealed through the Tsuburaya Productions website, alongside the announcement that Shoichiro Tsuno from Godzilla the Ride would also be returning to produce. Special collaboration goods and food items were also revealed.

Fans at the Ultraman the Ride opening event

On 27 June, applications for the Ultraman the Ride opening event on July 13 were made available to TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION members.

On 13 July, the Ultraman the Ride opening event was held with 200 Ultraman fans attending. In addition, a press release and talk session was organized with Takashi Yamazaki and Shoichiro Tsuno.

Description

Ultraman the Ride aims to deliver the ultimate Ultraman-themed experience by combining breathtaking visuals and an unparalleled sense of immersion to depict the dynamic battles between Ultraman and Zetton on a 1/1 scale and with overwhelming quality that will shake your body and soul. This is achieved through meticulously crafted 3D-animated images projected onto an ultra-high-definition curved screen, a surround sound system, and a perfectly synchronized motion simulator ride system that recreates the lifelike experience of self-propelled flight at unprecedented speeds and turns, all of which contribute to the heart-stopping excitement and dynamism of the ride.

The 10-minute attraction comprises two segments: a pre-show SSSP induction experience, and the ride film, which is produced by the same world-class creative team responsible for Godzilla the Ride. This includes film director Takashi Yamazaki and creative producer Shoichiro Tsuno from Katana Marketing and Entertainment Co., Ltd, who have returned to collaborate for Ultraman the Ride after the overwhelming success of Godzilla the Ride.

Plot

"The movie theater "Yuhikan", which stands on a small hill that can be seen from the shopping street, is loved as a place of relaxation for the people of the town. However, it is only a movie theater on the surface, as the South Kanto Special Operations Headquarters of the Science Patrol was set up in the basement. As rookie members of the Patrol, the guests train on the flight equipment called a "Floater," but during their training they encounter the Space Dinosaur Zetton. Ultraman rushes to the scene, but Zetton attacks fiercely, and the Science Patrol and Ultraman find themselves in a tight spot. Can the guests and Ultraman protect the peace of the earth?"

―-Official synopsis

Pre-Show

In Ultraman the Ride, guests assume the role of new recruits of the SSSP (Science Special Search Party). Upon entering the movie theater Yuhikan in Seibuen Amusement Park, it is revealed that the theater is actually a guise for the SSSP's South Kanto Special Operations Headquarters, and guests are cordially welcomed by senior members of the SSSP. After a brief introduction, they declare that it is time for the preliminary training to commence, and a red button is pressed that sends guests through a massive underground tunnel to the base of operations via a commuter.

A screen powers on, and guests are greeted by Captain Todo of the new unit, who commends their bravery and preps them for the challenges ahead. Afterwards, he introduces new technologies developed by Ide, the Personal Aerial Flight Device F-022 Floater , a revolutionary flight equipment, and the accompanying laser rifle Spiral Shot . This would allow the SSSP to stand up to Kaiju threats and protect the peace of the Earth like never before, even without Ultraman's help.

Guests are then escorted to the Flight Training Center , where they can listen to a message by Dr. Iwamoto and have actual hands-on experience with the F-022 Floater and Spiral Shot before proceeding to their first mission.

Ride

In their first mission, the recruits take flight across the city and get a hang of the F-022 Floater, but it isn't long before they encounter a spaceship belonging to the Alien Zetton, which attacks the city. The squadron commence evacuation protocols for the populace and begin their counterattack thereafter, and manage to take down the spaceship soon enough.

However, the spaceship unfolds to reveal a metallic vessel, which dematerializes to reveal the Space Dinosaur Zetton. Seeing that their weapons are ineffective against the kaiju, the leader of the squadron issues orders to prepare the SSSP's new weapon while they attempt to evade Zetton's attacks, luring it to the seaside port district. The SSSP sends a Jet VTOL to aid the team. However, it is shot down by one of Zetton's fireballs and destroyed.

As all hope seems lost, Ultraman appears from the rubble of the crashed ship, and faces off against the behemoth. At first, the two are evenly matched and exchange blows, but Zetton eventually manages to outmaneuver the hero with its teleportation technique, kicking Ultraman into a small warehouse. The Space Dinosaur then launches its trillion-degree fireballs, but Ultraman dodges in the nick of time, landing in the water and fighting back with an Ultra Slash.

Sometime later, Zetton encases itself in a barrier, but the combined efforts of the SSSP and Ultraman's Spacium Beam manage to seemingly take down Zetton once and for all. Ultraman stands triumphantly, only for Zetton to teleport behind him and strike him. The SSSP fires a new anti-gravity weapon which defeats Zetton finally. Ultraman flies away.

Characters

SSSP

• Captain Todo
• Squadron Leader
• Various SSSP personnel

Ultras

• Ultraman

Kaiju

• Zetton
• Antlar (pre-show)
• Red King (pre-show)
• Hydra (pre-show)
• Gubila (pre-show)
• Gomora (pre-show)

Cast

• Captain Todo: Jun Hashizume
• Squadron Leader: Akio Otsuka

Staff

• Director: Takashi Yamazaki
• Creative Producer: Shoichiro Tsuno
• Music Composer: Naoki Sato

Minigame

SSSP Simulation Training , an endless runner minigame, was released on the TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION platform to prepare newcomers for Ultraman the Ride. The game can be played here.

In the game, SSSP recruits fly around to collect Stars while avoiding kaiju like Dorako, Bullton, and Alien Mefilas. They are equipped with perks that can help them gain a higher score, and power-ups can be obtained to increase the survivability of the player character.

Perks

• Magnet: Automatically collects nearby Stars when activated.
• Score-Up: Increases score gained for each Star.
• Revive: Revive the player character once when defeated.

Power-Ups

• F-022 Floater: Increases movement speed.
• SSSP Helmet: Decreases the rate of monsters appearing.

Merchandise

Original merchandise and food items exclusive to Ultraman the Ride are also available in souvenir shops and restaurants throughout the Seibuen Amusement Park.

Merchandise

Seibuen Amusement Park Embroidered Towels (Ultraman Series)

Ultraman the Ride Corn Snack

Seibuen Amusement Park Clear Files (Ultraman the Ride / Ultraman & Zetton)

Narikiri Headband (Ultraman)

Ultraman Finger Puppet (Seibuen Amusement Park Special Color Ver.)

Ultraman Sable (Ultraman the Ride Ver.)

Hugging Mascot (Ultraman)

Seibuen Amusement Park Can Badge (Ultraman Series)

Ultraman the Ride 3D Ring Notebook

Food Items

Ultraman's Pudding w/ Anglaise Sauce

Ultraman à la mode Dessert Platter

Gallery

Images

Promotional visual for Tobikkiri Sugo YEAR 2023!

Ultraman the Ride billboard outside Yuhikan

Videos

ウルトラマンと一緒に科特隊隊員として出動しゼットンへ立ち向かう!「ウルトラマン・ザ・ライド 世紀の大決闘」が7-14西武園ゆうえんちに登場!

Trivia

• The Ultraman design used in the ride closely resembles that of his Shin Ultraman counterpart, except for the fact that this incarnation actually has a Color Timer.
• On the other hand, the Zetton design used in the ride bears a striking resemblance to the Kaiju Remix Zetton design by Takagi Akinori. However, it is an original design created by the production team.

External Links

• Ultraman the Ride: The Great Duel of the Century page on Seibu Leisure's official website