Universal Studios Japan opened their Minion Park expansion, including Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast this Friday. The original Villain-Con Minion Blast opened in 2023 at Universal Studios Florida. This version of the attraction is “an exciting evolution” of the ride with “new, exclusive content and enhanced gameplay.”

Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast at Universal Studios Japan

The ride’s entrance is at the front right corner of Minion Park, in a brick facade. The design is different from the Universal Studios Florida version. A giant orange “V” is between two entryways instead of above on the marquee. The ride is part of Universal Express Pass.

“Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast” is on the “V,” which is set against a purple wraparound marquee. Villain-Con and Vicious 6 banners hang from the building. Nearby is a poster of Scarlet Overkill, alongside a figure of a Minion dressed as the villain.

The extended queue includes a mural on the side of the show building with the Villain-Con logo — a masked globe against an orange “V” — and the slogan, “It’s so much fun, it’s a crime!” The shaded exterior queue is similar to that in Universal Studios Florida, with Villain-Con banners over the switchback queue and orange and purple walls.

This is a handheld blaster challenge along a moving walkway, as described by this sign. It has loud noises and low-lighting conditions. Guests with motion sickness or dizziness, medical sensitivity to strobe effects, and recent surgery or other conditions that may be aggravated by the attraction are not recommended to ride. Guests should secure all loose articles or leave them with a non-rider. They must remain standing for the duration of the ride.

TV screens in the queue feature a news reporter explaining the ride’s backstory and details about how to play. The basic story of the ride is the same as at Universal Studios Florida — the Vicious 6 are looking for a new member, and guests attending Villain-Con have the chance to audition.

Also like the Florida version of the ride, guests can connect their blaster to the Universal Studios Japan app. Using the app, guests can track their scores, complete challenges, and unlock digital prizes as they ride Villain-Con Minion Blast multiple times.

After the exterior queue, guests enter the interior queue. This room includes different booths dedicated to villainous business.

These set pieces are almost exactly the same as those in Universal Studios Florida. There is a weapons dropbox and a “stolen” lost and found box at the entrance. The signage here indicates that this Villain-Con is set in San Francisco to better match the rest of Minion Park. The Florida version of the ride is actually set at Universal Studios Florida.

The first booth is for Malicious Motors, offering tricked-out cars, motorcycles, and more. The bike on top of the display is a different shape from the one at Universal Studios Florida.

A screen advertises other Malicious Motors products, like a Mobile Lair that’s “bigger on the inside.”

The next booth is Unlawful Outfitters, which has different types of weapons. A display case in the center of the booth shows off the E-Liminator X, the blaster guests will use during the ride.

The signage and some of the weapons are slightly different from their Florida counterparts, but this is generally the same.

On the back side of the center display is a Villain-Con schedule, pictures of keynote speakers, the event map, sponsor ads, and a bulletin board of community offerings. There are some slight design differences from the Florida version. Some of the breakout sessions have slightly different wording, and these have been added, replacing “Bad Business” and “Henchmen Portfolio Review” from the Florida con:

• The Art of Evil: Forging Artwork for Love and Money
• Hey Mom – I’m Evil Now! Explaining Your Villainous Life to Family

In a corner is Corrupt Companions, where villains can adopt evil pets. A giant gator-like creature swims in a large tank. Again, there are only slight design changes to this booth, which showcases pet food and accessories.

Next door is Devious Destinations, a travel agency. There are travel posters and a display case of travel accessories. A poster for the Moon replaces a poster for Egypt from Florida.

The last booth is Diabolique Boutique, where villains can get evil fashion.

The fashion artwork and display pieces here are mostly different from the original ride, better reflecting Japanese people and fashion — although still delightfully extra.

A screen displays even more fashion options.

It’s now time to pick up your blaster. E-Liminator X blasters are lined up on a charging rack in the next room.

After grabbing their blaster, guests can tap their phone on top to connect to the app.

The scenes on the ride are the same, each one featuring a different “Despicable Me” or “Minions” villain, except for the finale, which is set in San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge instead of in Universal Studios Florida. There are some different graphic elements for guests to shoot than the Florida version, creating a bit of a different gameplay, but still the same basic experience.

Watch our queue tour and full ride POV for Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast below.

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