My other announcement is that one of the best video game shows you probably aren't watching is finally hitting Stateside. Game Center CX is a Japanese TV show where the host, comedian Shinya Arino, is asked to complete challenges in difficult old school games. Much to the amusement of the show's staff and countless Japanese viewers, Arino often struggles in his quest, but usually emerges triumphant. Other segments in the show have Arino visiting arcades in Japan, interviewing game designers (usually for the game he's playing during that episode), or trying out failed consoles and peripherals. For the past couple of years, Fuji TV (the company behind Game Center CX as well as the original Iron Chef) was looking for international distributors to bring the show to other countries. Finally, Gawker Media got the rights to broadcast the show on one of their flagship blog sites, Kotaku. Starting tomorrow, June 23, Kotaku will stream translated episodes of the show every Thursday at 8 pm EST (that's 7:00 pm Central, for us Midwesterners).
Currently, it is unknown whether the show will have English subtitles or be dubbed by a voice-over (I'm gunning for subtitles), but the show's name has been changed to Retro Game Master. They most likely did this to tie in brand recognition with the DS game Retro Game Challenge, which came to the States two years ago. By the way, this is definitely a game you should know about...
In Japan, the game is called Game Center CX: Arino's Challenge and it features the same challenge and nostalgia of the TV show that it came from. In Retro Game Challenge, you confront a digital version of Arino as he throws you back in time to the days of the Nintendo Famicom and forces you to complete challenges on the many games featured on the title. Along for the ride is a young Arino, who watches you play each game and gives a bit of commentary as you play (nothing really helpful, just saying things like, "Whoa!" or "Do you have homework, or something?")
While there are many great games on Retro Game Challenge, none of them are actually established Famicom/NES games. All the games are Famicom-esque, which does make you feel like you're playing the old games, but they're new, never-before-seen games. Of course, some of them are very reminiscent of classic games, but with their own spin on the gameplay. For instance, Cosmic Gate is very much a clone of recent trentagenarian Galaga (which I'll write more articles about at a later time), Star Prince feels a lot like the games in the Star Soldier series, and Guadia Quest is very reminiscent of the Dragon Warrior titles. Retro Game Challenge also features games with their own sequels, such as the Haggleman series. The first two Haggleman games are these arcade style action platforming games - kind of like Mario Bros. but with shurikens, power-ups and doors to hide in - while the third Haggleman is a clone of the NES Ninja Gaiden games with a little Shinobi thrown in. There's also a special edition of one of the games; Rally King, a top-down rally racing game, has a "Cup o' Chicken Noodle and Larry T. Bird Edition" that young Arino "wins" in a contest that ran in the faux publication Gamefan Magazine (not to be confused with GameFan Magazine, which ran through the 1990s).
That's another great thing about Retro Game Challenge: the attention to detail they put into video gaming during those times is fantastic. Not only can you read fake issues of Gamefan, but there's also game manuals, cheat codes, and strategies for each game. Hanging out with young Arino is a nice touch, too. He'll ask you about games you have yet to unlock as if they're coming out soon. It feels just like playing all those old games during my childhood.
Since the show and the game were immensely popular in Japan, a sequel was made which added more "classic games" from other systems such as Game Boy and Super Famicom. Unfortunately, Retro Game Challenge didn't sell as well in the States, despite the critical acclaim, so it's highly unlikely that we'll see a translated version of that game. Perhaps if Kotaku's broadcast of Retro Game Master gets enough of an audience (which would be a crime if it doesn't - this show is great!), we may see people start picking up the first game and XSEED Games might reconsider releasing the sequel.
With that in mind, if you don't own this game, get yourself a copy of it - seriously. Do yourself a favor and enjoy some great nostalgic fun. Don't forget to go on Kotaku each and every Thursday to check out Retro Game Master. If you love classic video games, both the game and the show should not be missed.
Next week, we will venture back into the Dungeons of Time to showcase one of my favorite tabletop rpgs: Savage Worlds.
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