Game center cx/retro game challenge

It is surely a moment Arino regrets, an offhand comment about a 24 hour challenge which would have been laughed off by the staff of any other show. But this is Game Center CX we're talking about, and so it actually came to be that Arino challenged Lemmings for a 24 hour live challenge.

The goal of the game is two reunite the two love birds. In order to spice things up, the staff has prepared cards with romance questions written on them. Each time Arino clears 10 stages he must draw one of the cards and answer the questions written on them. Two years is a long time to hold a grudge but that's exactly how long Arino has had to wait in order to re-challenge The Legend Of The Mystical Ninja and exact his revenge.

First up he'll have to topple of precariously placed boss before he takes a stroll down memory lane in the game's final brutal stage. Will Arino come out on top or was this a challenge best left in the past? With the goal of getting Samus down to a bikini, Arino takes on Super Metroid! The finale of the three-part Super Metroid episode! This challenge is another first for Arino: a strategy RPG! Being the Puzzle Chief the staff anticipate he won't have any issues with clearing its 99 stages and so they throw a spanner in the works.

Being as the theme of the game is that of love between the two playable penguins the staff have declared that every 10 stages Arino must pick a random romantic question and answer it as honestly as he can. The Chief's heart is laid bare in this truly one of a kind challenge.

This video was also shot in 3D, so owners of a Japanese 3DS could partake in the fun. Many dreamt. Few believed. But they delivered. And since there's just about nothing more American than a road trip the staff of Game Center CX will hit the highway as they travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles where a legion of adoring fans await them If all the excitement of a trip to the USA wasn't enough, there's still the matter of Arino's challenge.

To keep with the theme Arino will be taking on the role of one of America's favorite pulp culture icons, Robocop. It's an American movie classic by way of a Japan in this blockbuster of a challenge. While Arino has fun with the more traditional video games it's the variety of mechanical oddities, especially End Of The Trail, that really blow his socks off. After filling up with crab at the wharf the staff head into the city to check out South Town Arcade, a hot bed for competitive fighting game action.

Spotting a local on Super Street Fighter IV Arino just has to know if his fabled Yoga Fire technique holds up as well in the west as it does back home. The next stop is at a game store in the suburbs where Arino finally gets his hands on this NES he's heard so much about. Once the staff is done blowing into cartridges they end their visit to San Francisco with a hearty steak dinner.

Now on to the main course of the trip, the fan event in Los Angeles. Held at a shopping mall arcade, Arino has expectations of a modest 50 person attendance but the event would blow both the expectations of the show's staff and the show's fans, completely away. Now, two years on, he wants his revenge and the only thing that stands between him and the ending are 4 more demanding stages. And some birds. A lot of birds. Arino, Abe and director Fujimoto wave goodbye to in this special broadcast.

With only 5 minutes until the clock strikes 12 the group look back on the year that was before Inoko MAX clumsily leads them into the new year and a discussion of upcoming events in A live challenge was the only way that seemed fitting to celebrate Arino's 40th birthday and so it was. The last challenge of his 30s and first of his 40s was against Pilotwings but this compilation is less concerned with that and more with the pile of gifts that Arino received.

Arino was able to select from a pile of 40 gifts throughout the show that were given by everyone from revered game creators to people who made one time cameos.

This video highlights each of the gifts he was able to open as well as the moment he turned Plus, if you keep your eyes peeled you may see your message of support adorning the walls as Kibe shows off all the faxes the show received from overseas viewers. When the Kirby series turned 20 Nintendo decided to celebrate by releasing Kirby's Dream Collection which contains 6 entries from the beloved series. Today Arino will be challenging one of the games on the collection that he has unfinished business with, Kirby Super Star.

During the new year's special he managed to clear 5 of Super Star's mini-games with his comedy partner Hamaguchi. Today he will attempt the clear the sixth, a boss rush style mode, The Arena. A billion terrorists. One middle aged Japanese man. The odds are against Shinya Arino. But that's just the way he likes it. Not satisfied with being the crowned Prince Of Games in his native Japan, Arino has now set his sights on Cambodia where he plans to win a local tournament to prove his credentials!

It won't be all business however as Arino has a chance to sample the best of what Cambodia has to offer. Arino's objective this time will be to earn 4 gold trophies in the cc class in Super Mario Kart. He'll be hoping he gets to grips with it quicker than the last time he challenged it, otherwise he's in for a rough ride.

Back in Cambodia, Arino heads to an arcade in the sole shopping mall in the city of Siem Reap, to see what games the locals are playing. After a bit of fishing the staff take a trip to an amusement park where Arino checks out a variety of rides and games of skill. Arino and Kibe decide it's time to do a bit of shopping next so they head to a local game store and they're mightily impressed by the selection and Cambodian ingenuity.

The next stop is an arcade in the capital, Phnom Phen, called Happy Land. As expected from the biggest arcade in the country, Happy Land is jam packed with patrons and games including the latest hits from Japan and China.

But it seems like Arino is less concerned with the latest fighting game release than getting a monkey intoxicated. The final stop is, of course, the tournament itself where Arino will battle it out against Cambodia's best in Street Fighter 2 to prove that he truly is the Prince Of Games. Yoga Fire! Just as Arino sits down to record a Nintendo Channel challenge of Balloon Fight he's informed that he'll have a rather special guest for today's challenge.

It turns out the President is here to interview the Chief for his Iwata Asks series were he interviews various game creators and luminaries. They discuss their own relationship to and histories in gaming before taking turns at a Balloon Fight challenge. This makes for a great excuse to film a challenge in HD as well as revive a recent Nintendo Channel challenge.

That challenge was to pop 20 green balloons in trip mode and was attended by the CEO of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, who explained he later went home and cleared it on his own time. He suggests that Arino should try and get his revenge as well, but it isn't long before things start to escalate. Given that Arino has played it before you may think he has an advantage but fortunately he has absolutely no memory of playing the game let alone what it even entails.

So his challenge to clear Book One: Chapter 3 without the loss of a party member could prove tough. To celebrate the long demanded and much belated release of Earthbound on the Wii U Virtual Console, Arino is tasked with finding the first Your Sanctuary location in the game and recording its melody on the Sound Stone.

Along the way he'll be introduced to the weird and wonderful world of this cult classic where he'll battle hula hooping gangsters, rabid dogs and wooden robots. His quest to reach Giant Step begins now. Il est de retour! After a long absence Arino has finally returned to France in order to attend the 14th annual Japan Expo in Paris. Has the show reached the people of France or will Arino be performing to empty seats? As is tradition with overseas trips we're also treated to a full length challenge filmed back in Japan.

NES Remix is a collection of challenges composed of stages from 16 classic Nintendo games and befitting of such a premise is a new format for today's challenge. Arino has to compete with 3 children across several rounds with the winner being whoever winds up with the most points, Arino or the kids. Arino will be hoping that his years of gaming experience will pull him through against his pint-sized competitors whose collective age is less than that of the NES itself.

The Nippon Budokan is an indoor events center located in central Tokyo. It has played host to Bob Dylan, Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra and after tonight, a comedian who plays difficult video games for entertainment purposes.

In front of screaming fans Arino will attempt to exact his revenge on a selection of 5 games, one of which is shrouded in secrecy. Arino will need to draw on a decade of experience if he has any hope of conquering the 5 massive hurdles in front of him before the night is over. In The People In My Head the show's numerous staff members have been tasked with drawing some of the more well-known characters that have been featured on the show over the years.

The twist is that they're doing it from memory and have Arino as the sole critic of their work. It's time for another dose of Super Mario Maker action. This time Arino will be sampling a number of different levels from creators as presented by the game's main modes. After subjecting several hapless players to his diabolical creations during the NicoNico event Arino is about to get a taste of his own medicine.

After two long years it's finally time for another overseas trip for Game Center CX. This time out the crew will be headed to Vietnam with a specific goal in mind. Not only will they experience the local culture, gaming or not, of Hanoi but Arino will be hoping to avenge his Casino loss in South Korea all those years ago.

As is tradition this overseas special is accompanied by a challenge and the game being challenged today is The Return Of Ishtar from the creator of Tower Of Druaga, Masanobu Endou. The Return Of Ishtar is a sprawling action RPG with a unique gameplay gimmick, the two onscreen characters are both controlled with a single controller. Arino usually has trouble enough controlling one character so how will he fare when he has to control two at the same time?

It's been 2 years since the last live challenge but if any game demands such a stage it is Super Mario Maker. Thanks to the contributions of 10, avid fans from around the world, Arino will be aiming to 12 user-submitted levels within the allotted 2 hours. Each of the 12 levels follow a particular theme, from the ultra difficult to the ultra easy, but knowing Arino and past live challenges things will come right down to the wire.

Unlike that other show there will be no challenges of dusty old retro games. Instead the youthful Executive Producer Hamaguchi has mandated that only new games will be featured. It should prove no challenge for the vibrant Hamaguchi but if help is required he can turn to his very experienced Chief Observer for assistance. Arino battles Link's Adventure again. This is going to be a spooky DVD Challenge so Arino is going to have a few very special companions along the way. We join Arino and crew already in the frozen north as they begin their journey.

They made the trip in order for Arino to appear at an orchestra performing music from some classic video games. But before that happens they will have the chance to interact with the locals, check out some classic Russian arcade hits and ride not only a Soviet era train but also the wildest roller coaster this side of the Okhotsk. Back in Japan Arino is challenging the fittingly chilly Ice Climber.

Will Arino be able to conquer this perilous mountain or will he plummet to the bottom? Arino and Hamaguchi sit down to go over fans' top 5 memories from Super Mario 64 to celebrate Mario's 35th anniversary. Pre-show 2 hours before live broadcast. In the first episode of Game Center CX, Arino visits Taito to learn it's history and play one of it's most difficult and cruel games Takeshi no Chousenjou. Upon first entering Taito he marvels at the Space Invaders machine.

Tomohiro Nishikado, the creator of Space Invaders comes and discusses with Arino the history and impact of the game and they challenge one another to a game. As the tour continues he finds out nobody from the original development team of Takeshi no Chousenjou is left so he meets Tetsuo Egawa instead to discuss it. To find out more about the legendary game he talks to Kazuhiro Hayashi who presents Arino with guidebooks for the game.

Finally we see Arino tackle Takeshi no Chousenjou which includes various hilarious snippits of him getting frustrated at the game's bizarre challenges such as singing karaoke, and waiting one hour without pushing anything.

Does Arino complete Takeshi's insane challenge? Watch and find out! He then speaks to a PR representative about another of their popular series, Angelique before taking on the latest addition to the dating sim series, Angelique Trois. It's quite a change of pace from Arino's last challenge but that may work against him as he relaxes and opens his heart to his many suitors.

Arino enters the Capcom building in Osaka and meets his first interviewee: Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega Man and Onimusha, among others. Then he interviews Hiroyuki Kobayash and Atsushi Inaba. This episode centers on Hudson, featuring some of their hit games in the collection.

Will he surpass this challenge or give in? His challenge; to get the bonus stage's 10, points. Nakamura Kouichi the creator of Door Door shows up to help Arino in his challenge.

In this episode Arino is faced with a 3 round Konami challenge. He first practices is skills with the original Super Mario Brothers before moving onto Super Mario Brothers 2; will he be able to beat the game?

Or will he be defeated by one of Nintendo's own? Will Arino get the hang of its difficult controls and unforgiving level design? We follow Arino on the first ever arcade trip TamaGe to the roof of a department store where he plays a number of classic prize games before being introduced to his newest assistant director. Arino then conducts an interview with Game Republic founder and the creator of a number of classic Capcom games, Yoshiki Okamoto.

Arino faces himself up against the action-platformer Challenger by Hudson Soft. He also visits a japanese arcade that is reported to have an original Hang-On. This season opener acts as a reboot for the series which now centers around the challenge segment of the previous season and for his first challenge Arino tackles one of the scariest games of them all, Ghouls 'N Ghosts!

After encountering one of the more brutal game over screens Arino manages to recover to play a boat load of classic games but he still pines to get a chance at Xevious. Arino then speaks to one of the most revered game creators of all time, Sega's Yu Suzuki.

They speak about a number of his cherished creations and even have a bout in Championship Boxing. This time, Arino has the strategy guide right off the bat — two of them, in fact, thanks to the staff.

Inspired by a rumor, Arino hopes to clear Metroid as fast as he can, to see if heroine Samus Aran really does take her clothes off after a speedy clear. What secrets are hidden in the many castle rooms of Solomon's Key? Arino takes control of the titular wizard and discovers the many wonders to be had in this difficult puzzle game.

Arino travels to Matsudo to visit an arcade with a name fit for a boss, Mechman. Arino barely makes it inside before he finds himself fending off ninjas and flying into the Danger Zone. Arino then meets the creator of the much beloved game centric manga series, Game Center Arashi.

Creator Sugaya Mitsuru discloses his favorite game and presents Arino with a gift to top off what is an informative and entertaining interview. With no break in between, Arino begins the challenge. He must save the princess from the evil Jafar by completing 20 stages in under two hours.

Part two of the Prince of Persia challenge. The Western game completely hooks Arino in, but can he clear the game before the in game time limit? The season finale is on location at the Sun Hatoya hotel in Ito. Arino spends the last show in style. The challenge room is in a lovely suite overlooking the ocean.

The TV and Famicom are all set up, and he even has a new ergonomic chair to sit in and play with the least physical stress. And the game? One of the most stressful of all: Super Mario Bros. Arino's body is pushed to its limit as he challenges the power pad game, Attack! Takeshi's Castle Showdown. Based on the hit TV series of the same name, it stars the maniacal Beat Takeshi, who you may remember as the star of the eponymous, Takeshi's Challenge. To take a break, Arino visits a lovely convenience store in Odawara containing a number of addicting prize games.

There is one prize game in particular that catches Arino's fancy and before he even has a chance to buy some candy, might end up bankrupting him. Arino continues his quest for glory in Ring Ring Tactics by trying to solve the mystery of the vanishing battle screen. To celebrate his recent engagement Arino is tasked with beating the dating sim, Tokimeki Memorial. The staff hope that his gameplay will instruct lovelorn viewers in how to succeed in the art of love. Even after being presented with the strategy guide Arino boldly declares that he won't be needing it as he embarks on his quest to win the heart of Fujisaki Shiori.

In a series first this week's challenge features the licensed video game, Famicom Jump. What sets Famicom Jump apart is that it doesn't only feature a single licensed character but dozens which were popular in Jump Magazine at the time. Were licensed games always terrible? You'll have to watch to find out. For the latest TamaGe, Arino travels to a mystery arcade where the mystery itself is a mystery.

When he's not scratching his head Arino finds some time to enjoy some Nintendo VS. And in the latest Ring Ring Tactics Arino actually begins to make some progress when he encounters a new companion on his journey.

In a brilliant piece of network synergy Arino will challenge the disk system classic, Doki Doki Panic. Ring Ring Tactics features a surprise helper from the past who attempts to help Arino move ever closer to his goal. The game features a mix of puzzle and platforming elements so we'll have to see if Arino's puzzling skills can compensate for his platforming ineptitude. There's also a TamaGe segment with a carnival vibe this episode. Arino enjoys the many games of skill available and has a chance to use his unique shooting technique as well as admire the owner's large collection of keys.

After a disappointing last episode Arino hopes to make forward progress in Ring Ring Tactics by adding Sha Gojo to his party. Arino's history with the Super Mario series is mixed to put it extremely generously.

He hopes to rectify this when he challenges one of the true all time classics in Super Mario World. While some may view this game as a straight forward platformer Arino is sure to meet stiff resistance in this challenge. One of the holiest places in all of retro gaming, the mega store Super Potato, is the settings for this week's gaming excursion.

Filled from floor to ceiling with classic games and systems, Arino is like a kid in a candy store. At long last Arino completes a missed connection in Ring Ring Tactics so at least this episode isn't a total failure in terms of progress.

We pick up right where we left off as Arino struggles to conquer Super Mario World. Watch as he ventures closer to Bowser's lair in what will prove to be the most dramatic episode yet! But if you can't handle all the stress you can calm your nerves with a little Ring Ring Tactics where we find Arino struggling to decipher a string of random letters.

This early entry in the action adventure genre has a bottomless bag of gotchas which Arino has to constantly be aware of if he is to conquer the labyrinthine castle. To give his thumbs the rest that they so sorely need Arino visits a bathhouse that happens to feature a couple of arcade machines. It's the perfect excuse for Arino to recharge his batteries before his next arduous challenge.

Ring Ring Tactics moves forward after a viewer assists with solving the mysterious code before Arino encounters a new boss. Will Arino be able to finish a game that he claims is one of his favorites? In the stunning conclusion of Ring Ring Tactics Arino calls upon Kaayan who proves to be quite useless once again. Not all hope is lost however as another viewer provides valuable information which may be just what Arino needs.

Having been promoted to Kacho, Arino sports a new blue suit and a cockier attitude. A new season brings a new genre to the table with the beat 'em up classic, Final Fight. Hopefully Arino can take back Metro City from the evil gangs which now control it.

The staff enjoy a number of the amusement rides before closing out with some regular arcade gaming. The first challenge to make the cut was an early classic for both fans and the staff. There won't be any Takahashi Meijin appearance to save Arino during his challenge of another Hudson classic, Adventure Island.

Will the ADs be a suitable replacement for this brutally difficult game? Things become even more unusual when Arino exhibits actual skill when taking on a prize machine before moving on to play some of the rare VS. Super Mario Bros. In Project: DVD the staff continue their discussion over what challenges deserve to make it onto the set.

The challenge that they finally settle on was one of the longest in the show's short history. It may not be the game's difficulty and instead be Arino's tendency to be distracted that will be his downfall in this exciting challenge. Project: DVD has Arino answering a couple of viewer questions including what the DVD exclusive challenge will be and the design of the packaging. It's all hands on deck for the first quiz challenge in show history when Arino takes on Quiz: The Feudal Lord's Ambition.

Hopefully everyone is up to date on their early 90s Japanese pop culture. Arino visits an arcade with the unusual gimmick of having games priced as low as 10 yen but soon finds that it's too good to be true. Arino doesn't sweat that detail though as he enjoys taking down kids in Virtua Fighter 4 and Final Furlong. Another licensed game with a questionable pedigree, it's Doraemon!

Arino will try and get this time travelling cat over the finish line and improve his overall record when it comes to challenging Hudson games.

Arino, Tojima, Sasano and Urakawa were all in attendance to sign autographs and receive some gifts from the more ardent fans. It's a classic hit from Super Mario Bros. Arino had enough trouble with Mario when he was only 2D so let's see how he fares with an extra dimension in Super Mario He'll have to conquer the highest mountains, ice cold tundra and searing heat on his quest to collect the required number of stars to face Bowser and save the princess.

It's a bit of a special TamaGe this week as Kibe and Arino compete to get the best deal on games with only yen to spend. They both stretch their budgets a little to pick up a couple of games and Tojima makes a sudden appearance with the required gear for them to test out their purchases.

The finale of Secret Jet Stream has a request for a steamy little number from the typically very serious Hokkaido Serial Murders. Join Arino for the exciting conclusion of his Super Mario 64 challenge. Arino has it all ahead of him though as he takes on the games toughest levels to try to increase his star tally and open up the doorway to the King Of The Koopa's himself, Bowser. A new and exciting form of transport delivers Arino to this week's TamaGe location but that's not before he samples the local delicacies in Enoshima.

Once at his destination Arino drives a virtual train before trying to trick AD Urakawa in a plan that quickly backfires. In this episode, Arino returns to another classic NES game. With a victory here, he can bring his record for the season to a tie, but the Ninja Gaiden series is considered one of the hardest game series ever made.

After some time Arino comes to the realization that it may be the hardest game he's ever played in his life Arino pays a visit to a nostalgic little arcade with a odd name which is enjoyed by children and adults alike. There he discovers a prize machine filled with a cornucopia of pop culture icons and some strange decorations adorning the outer wall. In what could be the last challenge ever, Arino attempts to save the mythical land of Kid Icarus and rescue the goddess Palutena from the tendrils of Medusa.

Along the way he'll have to berate shop keepers, deal with vegetable loving wizards and even battle death itself. Some may recall this store being the location of a previous TamaGe but this time is different.

For this visit Arino is joined by the staff as they attempt to line their pockets by selling the games featured in the challenges for this season.

Their true value will come as a surprise to all. For the season 5 opener Arino must try to complete the cult classic, grappling hook platformer, Umihara Kawase. Perhaps the new AD can impress with his gaming skills and propel the Chief to victory. In the first TamaGe outing of the season Arino visits a quaint stationary store.

With the sun glaring down he makes judicious use of the sun blockers so he is able to enjoy some Metal Slug co-op along side the elderly owner.

The Konami classic Contra is the featured challenge for this episode and its renowned co-op gameplay may offer Inoko MAX a chance to redeem himself after his poor showing last episode. The TamaGe for this episode features a wonderful store with a variety of nostalgic candy and game machines. There's also a great cast of supporting characters including classic movie stars, robots, aliens and idols. Aces Of Hardware this time will focus on the the obscure Cassette Vision from the even more obscure manufacturer, Epoch.

While most of its games require a lot of imagination to enjoy Pakpak Monster has a very recognisable protagonist. Arino challenges Bonanza Bros, a Mega Drive game about burglarizing buildings and hiding from the cops. A special report brings us coverage from a fan event to promote the release of the second DVD box set. The fans are teased with upcoming show merchandise before an autograph and gift giving session.

The Aces Of Hardware is dedicated to Sega's Game Gear and features a couple of ports of out and out classics plus one particularly odd game. The knight Arthur must once again descend into the pits of hell to retrieve the souls of the innocent from the clutches of Lucifer.

If this bit entry in the series has a boost in difficulty to go along with its graphical one, Arino doesn't have a hope in hell. The latest piece of hardware to be dredged up from the past in Aces Of Hardware is the ill-fated 3DO.

Conceived of by EA's founder, Trip Hawkins, the system bet and lost big on the full motion video craze of the 90s. Arino will be a victim of that mistake when he's forced to play the abysmal Jurassic Park Interactive and a Wacky Races video game where the game part is debatable.

In one of the most talked about challenges yet, Arino tackles the much ported adventure game, Princess Tomato In Salad Kingdom. Arino will endeavour to save the kingdom from evildoers in this cute adventure game that belies a rather serious storyline.

When he isn't saving nobles Arino checks out a general store which features a couple of arcade machines and is a big hit with all of the neighborhood kids. There's even some action in the bedroom as Abe and the owner argue about the value of her stamp collection. A couple of games stand out in this edition including a version of the previously challenged Star Force and the first game from Sonic creator Yuji Naka, Girl's Garden.

Arino hopes to end the season on a high but it won't be easy as he has to take on the difficult platformer, Shadow Land. Arino will do his best to lead the mischievous Tarosuke through hell itself to the world of the living. For the final arcade visit of the season Arino travels to a little grocery store with a number of outdoor arcade and prize games. Arino will be hoping he can clean up on the prize games so he can win some tokens to spend inside. After all of that he might even have time to squeeze in a little Metal Slug.

This computer may have misrepresented its power but it did have a couple of neat action games including a port of Scramble. The veritable masterpiece, Street Fighter 2, serves as the opener for season 6. Since this genre of game is atypical for the show it's decided that an ending that is as equally out of the ordinary is required. No arcade trip this episode but instead we have a report from the Tokyo Game Show including highlights from a Game Center CX stage show as well as Arino's visit to the show's merchandise booth.

First up is a candid moment from the anime based game, Magical Taruruuto-kun. One of the most revered and hardest series on the NES, Castlevania makes its challenge debut when Arino challenges Castlevania 3. Arino will have to call on everything he has learnt over the years in order to slay the prince of darkness once and for all. If that all sounds a but too heavy then there's a TamaGe to an establishment that is a mix of arcade and diner complete with sexy outfits for wall decorations.

After some light gaming Arino decides to treat the staff to a meal of his choosing. Mighty Bomb Jack was released in for the arcade and the following year for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In the game, Jack makes his way through a level pyramid on his way to defeat the demon Belzebut and rescue a royal family.

The game is packed with oddities, like a rule that punishes a player for collecting coins too quickly, hidden passages found behind Sphinx and time-extending magical potions. Mere seconds after the brutal Mighty Bomb Jack challenge, Arino gets up to leave, but is called to sit back down. Arino finally gets to play as his enemy the Red Arremer, but in an almost ironic twist, this Arremer moves nothing like his old foe.

Arino checks out a rustic batting center equipped with a few arcade games in today's TamaGe. After checking out the limited selection of semi-functional games Arino has a chance to impress with his imperious baseball skills. In front of a live audience, Arino tries to complete the game that he came close to clearing Mighty Bomb Jack. The immense pressure from hundreds of eyes watching his every move makes Arino and the staff much more susceptible to mistakes. Can Arino clear his first live challenge?

In order to best this mix of adventure and quiz game the staff will rely on a certain method that has proven to be successful in the past. For a change of pace this week's TamaGe features not one but two excursions. The first has Arino visiting a prize game heavy arcade where he tries out a unique method for winning and makes a pun of spurious quality.

The next stop is Home Ground which doesn't fit any typical designation. It's best described as a themed restaurant that tries to replicate the experience of playing games at home including draws full of games and some oddly personal items. Arino's visiting a toy store turned arcade called Sugimoto in the latest TamaGe.

Once he arrives, Arino fancies his chances against a sun faded roulette game, a robot with a loose grip and a game that brings back painful memories from TamaGe past. A game that was commonly bootlegged as Baby Mario is in fact the Konami disk system game, Bio Miracle.

The infant hero Upa has for some reason been tasked with ridding the world of the evil Zai in this precarious platformer. With the season record sitting evenly at Arino will try and end things on a high by guiding Baby Upa to the ending through 7 colorful worlds. Ultra Seven is the sequel to Ultraman, the game that opened season 4! Will he prevail, or will this second Ultraman game begin another spiral of failure as it did before?

Being the first entry in the venerated series, Arino will have to contest with some of its less refined aspects and what some fans call the highest difficulty level to be found in the original 6 games.

In the second instalment of Project: Game Version Arino visits the developer of the game, indieszero. Once there, Arino grills company head Masanobu Suzui about his mouse and the history of the company. A cute but difficult platformer which is perhaps best remembered for its unique boss battles, Wagyan Land is today's challenge. While the boss battles may the game's most unique aspect it is a piece of abstract art which will cement this episode in history.

A special game starring a couple of familiar faces is spotted during this week's TamaGe as Arino visits the combination arcade and game store, Takasagoya. In fact the store is nothing but familiar sightings, from previously challenged games to the TamaGe mainstay, Metal Slug. In this instalment of Project: Game Version, Game Center CX staff members discuss various game ideas with the team at indieszero with Abe especially impressing with his character designs.

The rotoscoped masterpiece, Out Of This World is the focus of today's challenge. Developed by Frenchman Eric Chahi, how will Arino handle this strange western game? The NES was released in , hit its stride around , and twenty years later, we have Nintendo and everyone else finally redistributing their old games legally through digital distribution. The timeline makes sense, of course. The graphics, the sounds, and the controls are all styled like they were back in the day.

The atmosphere is explicitly meant to remind games of the lazy summers they spent in front the TV, playing games all day with their friends, flipping through gaming magazines and trading secrets.

As a result, they tend to avoid the pitfalls of so many old games, except for the ones they explicitly mean to replicate. One of the best examples is Ninja Haggleman 3 in the first title, essentially a mixture of Ninja Gaiden and Metroid. None of the games in the collection are bad, per se, but none of them would really stand up to, say, Super Mario Bros. Most offer only a few levels at most, and can be beaten relatively quickly.

The Japanese release is a tie-in to a retro themed video game show called Game Center CX , a funny little show where a comedian named Shinya Arino is employed at a fictional corportation, also named Game Center CX , and force him to play through Famicom games. These challenges are usually interspersed with other segments, where Arino and his crew interview Japanese developers or visit arcades.

In the game, Arino is portrayed as a maniacal, laughing polygonal face, reminiscent of Dr. Each game has a series of four challenges — score a certain number of points, reach a certain level — that must be conquered before you can go on to the next. This structure is both its greatest strength and weakness. If all titles had been presented at start, then most gamers would probably just test out all the different selections, feel a tingly bit of nostalgia for a bit, then either shelve the game or worse sell it back to the store.

While this gives a reason to learn how the play to game and make them seem less disposable, it expects that the player is fan of all the genres presented.

At your disposal are several video game magazines, each containing tips and tricks straight from the developers, which can let you conquer most the challenges pretty easily.

The magazines are more than just a tool, because they also add to the sense of nostalgia. In the Japanese version, the names and portraits are taken from various people in the Game Center CX show. Still, as much as XSeed tried to make as much of this apparent to the English speaking audience, some of it is just a bit too faithful. Cosmic Gate is basically just Galaga — you control a ship at the bottom of the screen, firing at legions of aliens that swarm from off the screen before establishing themselves in a set formation near the top.

Sign up for free! Ask A Question. What do you need help on? Cancel X. Thrown back in time to the 's, you are turned into a young boy and forced to play video games by an evil self-proclaimed "Game Master", Game Master Arino.

Game Master Arino will test your gaming skills by throwing various challenges at you in a wide-variety of retro games including shooters, racing, action and even an epic role-playing game - your only way to return is to defeat him in every retro game challenge he throws at you.

But you are not alone in your quest-armed with access to gaming magazines, cheat codes can be found to warp to later levels, receive unlimited continues or even become invincible! A young Arino is at your side to keep you company during your challenges, quite amused at the fact that he grows up to be so evil in the future to be the cause of your current predicament. Test your skills with the awesomeness of the 8-bit era and prevent the retro games from exacting their revenge!