Ever since I first played Goldeneye 64, I've been fascinated by exploring 3D cyber-versions of my favorite fictional places. The Oculus Rift makes that pursuit cooler than it's ever been. It's one thing to see static shots of Jerry Seinfeld's apartment from the same never-changing angles. It's another to be in there, as if it were actual real.


Most of these simulations are still works in progress—you can't see all of the USS Enterprise yet. There also isn't much for you to do other than walk around and gawk. Still, there's a distinct sort of glee you can get from just shuffling through the settings from all your favorite shows and movies. If you've got an Oculus Rift you can feel it full force. Even if you don't, here are a few teasers that will have you salivating for the VR future.

The Millennium Falcon

Wanna scramble up to the Millennium Falcon's gun turret just like Luke? The Millennium Falcon Experience by Darth Disembowel lets you do just that. No playable holo-chess though. Not yet at least.


Jerry Seinfeld's apartment

Inspect Jerry's Superman statue, peruse his seldom-used computer desk, and discover the never-before-seen fourth wall with this apartment simulation by Greg Miller. It's the ultimate simulation about nothing.

The bridge from Star Trek: Voyager

I have to admit I don't know much about Star Trek: Voyager but this deck simulation by Thomas Kadlec looks rad. I mean hey, I'll explore every Star Trek bridge I can find.


South Park

BeforeSouth Park took on the Oculus, the Oculus took on South Park. This South Park sim from Tool brings the fictional Colorado town to life in all its paper cut-out glory. No Rift? You can check it out in the browser too. Beats the hell out of South Park 64.


The deck of Firefly's Serenity

Firefly's still canceled, but you can act out your own one-man season 2 in the Serenity VR Experience by kavehth. You can't fly the ship exactly, but you can rotate it with WASD if you sit in the pilot seat. That's almost as good as if the show was still on, right?


The Griffin house from Family Guy

This simulation of 31 Spooner street from RWHTL is a little spartan but still fun, even if there's no way a man of Peter Griffin's stature could ever make it down those upstairs halls. If nothing else, it's proof that the developers of this glitchy Simpson-home simulation really have to up their game.


The Bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek: TNG

Impersonate Jean Luc Picard without shaving your head in the Enterprise Bridge simulator from Enda O'Connor. There's not much to do besides slouch in the captain's chair and stare at a Borg cube, but maybe a future update will let you get your Riker on and step over some chairs.


These examples aren't quite as exciting since they've always existed as 3D-spaces you could wander around in third-person, but they're still fun so I didn't want to leave them out.


The castle from Mario 64

Doesn't look like you can backflip into the moat though. I guess I'll just have to wait for the inevitable full-on Oculus re-release of the game for that. I mean, it has to happen, right?


Kokiri Forest from Ocarina of Time

I wonder what "Hey! Listen!" sounds like in 3D.