By Matthew Walden on May 15, 2015 11:39 pm
Tomorrowland
You don't have to be a geek to enjoy Disney World and Disneyland, but if you are, chances are high you'll make a beeline for Tomorrowland. Because, let's face it: The future is cool. In addition to inspiring the upcoming film, Tomorrowland features some of Disney's best rides and attractions.
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Also known as Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, this attraction at Disney World and Disneyland takes place on the tiny scale of the Toy Story hero. You pilot an Omnimover space vehicle equipped with laser pistols in an arcade-style shooting gallery showdown. Dripping in neon and nostalgia, it's a love letter to Pixar fans.
Space Mountain
Chief among Tomorrowland's highlights is the venerable Space Mountain, an institution of a roller coaster. The lines are often gargantuan, but you're treated to space-age decor that only Disney can deliver. It's a ride so fun you almost don't mind the wait. Most people exit its sleek steel tubes reborn with a brighter smile and hope for the future.
Star Tours (and more!)
Disney and Star Wars have long had an amiable relationship, but now that Disney owns the franchise outright, you can expect a much larger Star Wars presence at their parks coinciding with the sequels. Until then, there's always the delightfully quaint motion simulator ride Star Tours.
Indiana Jones Adventure
You've always wanted to blast through dangerous caves on an expedition with Indy, and this ride at Disneyland finally lets you fulfill that dream. You're even treated to an iconic boulder chase. If you want to hang onto your memories, Indiana Jones artist Drew Struzan sells prints of the original ride poster featured above.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Disneyland's sister park California Adventure offers up a Rod Serling-inspired surprise for guests willing to explore this haunted hotel. If you've got the stomach for a 13-story drop, you don't want to miss this weird and wonderful homage.
Spaceship Earth
If you're the kind of person who gets a kick out of browsing through vintage issues of Popular Mechanics, then Spaceship Earth will be your retro-future kitsch metropolis. Housed inside Epcot's trademark sphere, Spaceship Earth is a waltz down a memory lane of human technological dreams and accomplishments.
Mission: SPACE
Despite its utopian space-age vibe, Disney's Mission: Space (located in Epcot Park) puts you through a very real physical gauntlet in this astronaut training simulation. Finally you can experience the g-force of liftoff in the pit of your own stomach.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Unless you're a complete muggle, you'll delight in the meticulous recreation of Harry Potter's world at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios in Florida. Hollywood is also getting its own version in 2016, filled (we hope) with dragons, hippogriffs and wand shops.
The Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster
The fabled Marvel Superheroes Theme Park has yet to open in Dubai, but Islands of Adventure in Florida has a healthy array of comic book coasters, including this one featuring The Incredible Hulk. After hurtling through its launched lift hill, your face might turn a shade of green too.
Transformers: The Ride
Frequently cited as one of the best theme park attractions in the world, Transformers: The Ride is a thrilling combo of a 3D cinematic experience and a traditional vehicle-mounted expedition. You can find it at Universal Studios Hollywood and Florida, but unfortunately, Tyrese Gibson is not included.
Legoland California
Legoland's heavy on the theme and a little light on the thrill rides. But if you go expecting an atmospheric family outing among some of the most gigantic Lego monuments humans have ever built, you'll come away satisfied.
Jurassic Park: The Ride
The upcoming release of Jurassic World already has reignited Jurassic Park fever, and the only prescription is more dinosaurs. Get yourself over to Universal Studios Hollywood for a boat ride through a vicious velociraptor picnic.
Clarence's Coaster from True Romance
Quentin Tarantino's first screenplay remains his most charming and sincere film. If you've got a soft spot for Clarence, a fellow comic book shop geek, you'll want to catch The Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain to recreate his infamous drug deal with Bronson Pinchot.
Batman: The Ride
Batman may hide out in a cave, but that hasn't stopped him from showing up at more than a half-dozen theme parks across the country, like this breackneck coaster ride at Six Flags Over Texas. You can even ride the whole thing backwards this year at Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey!
Battlestar Galactica: Human vs Cyborg
If you're willing to travel, you can find decent geek-culture-inspired rides overseas, like this Battlestar Galactica set of dueling roller coasters at Universal Studios Singapore. Because of intentional near-misses that are mere inches apart, the ride has been under an extended safety review. But if you're brave enough to hack it, it's scheduled to reopen this year.
Back to the Future: The Ride
It used to be a staple at Universal Studios in Hollywood and Florida, but now that those attractions have shut down, Universal Studios Japan is the only place to find this Delorean simulator that hurtles you back through time to the prehistoric age. Great Scott!
Sega's Joypolis in Yokohama
While it doesn't have the scale of some of its American counterparts, the Joyopolis theme park is still worthy of any video game lovers who find themselves in Tokyo. It's stuffed with cute Sonic attractions, Hatsune Miku holograms, and haunted hallways overflowing with J-Horror tropes.
Ace Attorney Investigations
Diligent travelers can find a special treat hiding on the third floor of Sega's Tokyo amusement park, Joypolis. A life-size Miles Edgeworth from Phoenix Wright fame invites guests to investigate clues strewn about a crime scene. Expect cameos by fan favorites across the classic adventure series.
Coming Soon ... Nintendo at Universal Theme Parks
Nintendo has remained a notable absence from theme parks over the past three decades, even though its famous characters have always seemed like a natural fit. Universal recently announced a partnership with Nintendo to bring its roster of characters to life in amusement parks around the world. "Please look forward to it."
By Anonymous on May 15, 2015 11:39 pm
1. Broken Age
Developed as Double Fine Adventure, Broken Age helped put Kickstarter on the map in 2012. The point-and-click adventure game brought in a ridiculous 87,000 backers and surpassed the original $400,000 goal by more than $3 million. Fans were treated to a documentary that accompanied the two-act game.
2. FTL: Faster Than Light
FTL: Faster Than Light was developed by two former 2K Games employees who needed just $10,000 to finish the real-time strategy adventure. Faster Than Light lets you command a space ship like you've always wanted to. But watch out, FTL is extremely difficult!
3. Kentucky Route Zero
Kentucky Route Zero is an episodic game in the same vein as TellTale's Game of Thrones and Walking Dead installments. Developed as a five-act game, Kentucky Route Zero follows Conway, a truck driver in Kentucky, and the people he meets along the way on this creepy adventure. The Game Developer Choice Awards named the third episode the best narrative in 2015.
4. Elite: Dangerous
The fourth installment in the Elite video game series was brought to Kickstarter in 2012 for crowdfunding. The space adventure was the first in the series to introduce massive multiplayer gameplay.
5. Homestuck Adventure Game
The Homestuck Adventure Game started as a lengthy webcomic about a gaggle of teenagers who unknowingly start the apocalypse. The campaign to transition to a video game went rather well. Homestuck became the fifth Kickstarter game to rake in more than seven figures after raising nearly $2.5 million.
6. Pillars of Eternity
Created as a spiritual sequel to Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment, Pillars of Eternity surpassed its goal of $1.1 million in a little more than a day. Released in 2015, Pillars of Eternity has been showered with great reviews.
7. Divinity: Original Sin
The prequel to the 2002 game Divine Divinity, Larian Studios took to Kickstarter to get Divinity: Original Sin to the masses. The RPG earned stellar reviews and even comes with an editor that allows players to create different adventures and publish them online.
8. The Banner Saga
You'd be crazy not to want to play as a viking in The Banner Saga RPG, created by former Bioware developers. Originally conceived as a trilogy, The Banner Saga reached its goal on Kickstarter in a day. The combat system takes inspiration from the turn-based Final Fantasy games.
9. Defense Grid 2
Defense Grid 2 is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Defense Grid: Awakening. DG2 builds on the previous installment with new game modes, online PvP and a single-player mode with 21 interactive maps.
10. Wasteland 2
Released 16 years after its predecessor, Wasteland 2 was a sight for sore eyes when the project was officially launched on Kickstarter. The post-apocalyptic RPG game won PCWorld's Game of the Year in 2014.
11. Shadowrun Returns
With an original goal of $400,000, Shadowrun Returns raised nearly $2 million during its Kickstarter campaign. The RPG offers turn-based combat with a linear storyline.
12. Shovel Knight
Borrowing from popular 8-bit games, Shovel Knight is a scrolling 2D game that unsurprisingly features a knight who uses a shovel to attack or dig for treasure. The first release by Yacht Club Games has been praised by critics since its release.
13. Don't Starve
Don't Starve lets players control a scientist named Wilson who must survive the odds while staying sane and, obviously, fed. Don't Starve uses aesthetic elements from Tim Burton movies to make it even more creepy!
14. Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare was inspired by Age of Chivalry, but improves on the gameplay by using the Unreal Engine. This game is good gory fun for the medieval warrior inside of you.
15. Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity isn't your normal card game. CAH is the dirtier version of Apples to Apples, just a lot more entertaining. The game was successfully funded on Kickstarter in just two weeks.
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