As all gamers know, when it comes to RPGs, Final Fantasy is one of the biggest deals out there. The franchise has had its ups and downs, as any long-running series will, but it’s right up there. It has ascended to the status of cultural phenomenon.

What does this mean, in practical terms? For the most part, it means merchandise out the wazzoo. Action figures, an official trading card game, all of these sorts of things. But you’ve got to go a step beyond even that. In Final Fantasy’s case, it means a new theme park ride, and a full-scale invasion of Universal Studios Japan.

When Kotaku introduced the story late last month, Universal Japan were gearing up to unveil their latest attraction, the Final Fantasy XR Ride. This was to be one of the stars of the show at Universal’s annual Cool Japan event, which showcases some of the biggest names in Japanese gaming/pop culture (Detective Conan and Monster Hunter also being among them).

Well, here it is, friends. The XR Ride experience was opened on January 19, as promised, and it’s a real Moogle-tastic spectacle. Let’s check it out, kupo.

The ride itself is a repurposed Space Fantasy The Ride, equipped with the same spangly VR capabilities and such. If you want to go toe-to-toe with Sephiroth in a scene straight out of Advent Children, or herd chocobos a la the gallimimus scene from Jurassic Park, this is the thrill ride for you.

Universal Studios Japan Final Fantasy
Via: Kotaku

But heck, rollercoasters aren’t for everybody. If you’re the sort of person who likes to hang back at theme parks (the group’s designated bag-holder), there’s no need to worry. You’d better believe that Universal have you covered there too.

For the less adventurous RPG fans among us, there’s a neat little attraction to check out too. It’s a veritable pop up shop of memorabilia and collectibles, with super neat t-shirts, action figures, plushies and a whole lot more.

Much more importantly than all the rest of this, Universal are offering a whole range of brilliantly ridiculous-looking, no doubt delicious Final Fantasy-branded snacks. You have not lived until you’ve sampled the splendour of a green, spiky Pocky-like snack, complete with an adorable rice paper cactuar. You just haven’t.

As part of the series’ big 3-0 celebrations last year, lots of places around the world staged similar little events. Final Fantasy’s homeland sure wasn’t going to be upstaged, though, and Universal Studios Japan are sure getting their Final Fantasy on in style. For more images from the show, check on back with Kotaku.