Game Center CX - It's like Top Gear for video games

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Retro Games > Game Center CX - It's like Top Gear for video games

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Tyma: Dec 22, 2004; I love Leinster and I couldn't be happier that Jordie Barrett has signed with them on a short term deal.

Hot Poppin Bunnz posted:

I'd like to see Paris-Dakar Rally Special. It's gotta be really weird, right?

Oh my god, you have no loving idea how weird it is. I saw it described on Chrontendo, and had to play (and beat it) to see how increasingly weird it got.

"High-level Kusoge*" is the only way to describe it.

*(c)Ray Barnhold

Tyma fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Aug 1, 2012

# ? Aug 1, 2012 21:17

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 00:08

Random Stranger: Nov 27, 2009

zari-gani posted:

And yes, Princess Tomato is still being done by someone else and we still need an unbroken video file for Battletoads before we can release that one.

Zari, I hate to have to tell you this now but I have an unbroken Battletoads video file (both 132 and 133). I have had it for a long time now.

Paris-Dakar Rally, huh? That's one hell of an episode.

Dogbutt posted:

So I just recently started watching the show, and I can't decide which episodes are must sees, and which ones are just good. Can you guys recommend me which ones I should watch? I've seen Bomber Jack,BOMBER JACK LIVE , Ultraman, Tokimeki Memorial (favorite one), and Contra

EDIT: Oh also Kirby's Dream Course because that game would be great.

Okay, five off the top of my head:

23 - Adventure Island - Possibly the most brutal game Arino played. The ending is amazing.

25 - Quiz: The Feudal Lord's Ambition - The first quiz episode there's a lot of teaming up with the staff in those.

73 - Lemmings - A great episode but you also need to watch it so you can watch the 24 hour challenge specials.

94 - Go by Train! - One of my personal favorites and another episode where you get to see the entire staff get into a game.

And of course

Game Center CX in the USA - See goons turn a potentially disastrous US fan event into pure magic.

# ? Aug 1, 2012 22:25

Meme Emulator: Oct 4, 2000

I was hoping to hear more about battletoads, Im really excited for that one.

Is it true that the difficulty was toned down in the japanese version?

# ? Aug 1, 2012 22:29

Random Stranger: Nov 27, 2009

Meme Emulator posted:

I was hoping to hear more about battletoads, Im really excited for that one.

Is it true that the difficulty was toned down in the japanese version?

The Japanese version's difficulty is about the same as the Genesis version. They gave the player more lives and tweaked some things. It's still not easy; it just isn't completely impossible.

# ? Aug 1, 2012 22:33

rdbbb: Jul 26, 2011

You've all made a grave mistake not voting for the Pilotwings stage show. (Not really, PDRS is good, but I just really enjoyed the special.)

Tyma posted:

*(c)Ray Barnhold

It's with a "t" but thank you

# ? Aug 1, 2012 22:50

xamphear: Apr 9, 2002; SILK FOR CALDÉ!

rdbbb posted:

It's with a "t" but thank you

Tyma posted:

*(c)Tray Barnhold

All fixed.

# ? Aug 1, 2012 23:03

zari-gani: Sep 6, 2004; How much do you want it?

Random Stranger posted:

Zari, I hate to have to tell you this now but I have an unbroken Battletoads video file (both 132 and 133). I have had it for a long time now.

What. Then give it here and I'll work on it soon.

rdbbb posted:

You've all made a grave mistake not voting for the Pilotwings stage show. (Not really, PDRS is good, but I just really enjoyed the special.)

Yeah, I'm sick of Pilotwings too but every stage show GCCX puts on is awesome.

# ? Aug 1, 2012 23:04

pnumoman: Sep 26, 2008; I never get the last word, and it makes me very sad.

zari-gani posted:

What. Then give it here and I'll work on it soon.

Have I told you lately that I love you? Because I do. Very much.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 00:09

Bocc Kob: Oct 26, 2010

After watching the raw, I'm looking forward to the reactions to Battletoads more than the episodes themselves. :allears:

# ? Aug 2, 2012 00:13

rdbbb: Jul 26, 2011

xamphear posted:

All fixed.

Fu--

# ? Aug 2, 2012 00:54

Random Stranger: Nov 27, 2009

I've got a few minutes (sorry, it's because I'm converting videos to work on, not because I'm finalizing an episode), I thought I'd run through the current state of things.

Besides the episodes zari-gani has just mentioned we have a lot on the plate. There are four episodes with completed translations that are being worked on. Three of those are among the most highly requested episodes out there. I think I'm going to have to do something special for that block... I've got a few thematically appropriate videos that are tangentially related to GCCX that will not be translated that I may just put out there since they'll connect back to those episodes as well.

Nagoyan is hard at work with another episode that people have been looking forward to for a long time. We were thinking about matching it with some other episodes for another theme block.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 01:30

hexwren: Feb 27, 2008

Awesome update, Stranger. I'll be F5ing like mad soon enough.

In other news, I've been going back over the NES games of my youth and the episode list, wondering what I haven't seen that the show may have or may not have handled. I was reminded of a game I've never gotten past even the second stage of, even though I've always been hugely impressed by its graphics and such, Conquest of the Crystal Palace. I checked the wikipedia page for the title in Japanese to see if it had been done by GCCX by that name (Matendouji), but no dice. Sadness. I think it'd make a great episode, though.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 02:19

Corridor: Oct 19, 2006

zari-gani posted:

I'll then do Ikki and Pilotwings Live Stage Challenge if I feel like it.

Hooray! I didn't think there were any left with Sasano still.

Which is it where Toujima first blocks out the sun?

# ? Aug 2, 2012 14:15

Mister Chief: Jun 6, 2011

Ninja Gaiden.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 14:19

victrix: Oct 30, 2007

Popping in to say thanks for the awesome work translating these, I love showing them to friends who may not even care about video games and/or strange subtitled japanese shows. They invariably find them hilarious. I even showed a few to my friends kids, reading them the subtitles, they loved them :3:

# ? Aug 2, 2012 14:37

Dominic White: Nov 1, 2005

pnumoman posted:

Have I told you lately that I love you? Because I do. Very much.

Seconding this. It is a deep, platonic love. The kind that a starving puppy has for the kindly stranger that gives it a fresh, juicy streak every weekend.

Can't wait for Battletoads.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 14:44

miscellaneous14: Mar 27, 2010; neat

I've finally downloaded all the episodes I don't have yet and sorted them all out. Time to marathon through them all to get back up to speed!

Also, anyone who hasn't preordered that DVD set should do so immediately. I'd love for them to see the sales of it and go "holy poo poo, why have we not broken into this market yet".

# ? Aug 2, 2012 15:17

Konsek: Sep 4, 2006; Slippery Tilde

I love this show. I started off with a few random episodes of games I was familiar with, then started watching chronologically from the first episode. I've just got to season 7, there's no Inoko MAX! It felt like he was always a part of the show, and now it feels like my world is crumbling around me. Arino without Inoue is like fish without chips.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 16:57

zari-gani: Sep 6, 2004; How much do you want it?

Thank you DiscoJ for picking up the +act mini issue with the GCCX feature! I did a quick and dirty translation of the interview with Arino, as he talks about Kotaku, the US trip and the fans he met there. He mentions a few people specifically -- any goons?

Asides from this there's also an interview with Producer Kan, and a transcript of a discussion between Toujima, Urakawa, Inoue, Takahashi, and Male Itou.

+act mini posted:

+act mini Game Center CX interview with Shinya Arino
July 26, 2012

The DVD "Game Center CX in USA" will feature a director's cut of the BS SkyPerfecTV special aired in October of last year. Arino, when was the first time you hear about the USA filming?

"Every time they hand me ice cream on the show, it's to announce something big. That time, as usual, the staff handed me ice cream and I was eating it by the window. I ate the rock solid ice cream that just came out of the freezer the best I could. And then, "We've decided to go to America." For such a huge announcement, it was a pretty relaxed scene. (laugh)"

It's not often a variety show gets to go to America.

"Not these days, no."

Before going to America, did you know "Game Center CX" is popular overseas too?

"No, we had no idea. Last year Kotaku (famous American blog) began airing it on their site. I heard the server crashed the first day it aired. I don't know much about the Internet, so I'm not sure. (To Producer Kan) How many people came on to cause the crash?"

Kan: "We don't know the exact numbers."

"The producer doesn't know either. (laugh)"

Kan: "Kotaku is capable of handling that kind of response, yet the server went down. Everyone must have been waiting."

"I hear Kotaku was happy about that. Even though their server crashed. But when we were going to America, we figured 2-3 people would be great. We thought, as long as four of us can play versus games together."

After going all the way to America, were you nervous and hoping for at least a few people?

"If no one showed up, worst case scenario, I thought we could put (Director) Inoue in a blonde wig and try to pass him off as American. (laugh) And make him sound like he's speaking English. That's what I was picturing in my head. When we arrived in America, we first had a shoot in San Francisco. A place with lots of old games set up like a museum. We went to "Mus�e M�canique." Then someone who looked to be in their late twenties was standing out front. Well, waiting in front of a business is normal, so I thought maybe they're meeting someone else, but they started talking to us. When I called the interpreter over, he said, 'They're a fan of the show and have been waiting for you, Arino.' I was like, 'No way.' Then a family with a baby stroller came up and said 'We watch the show too.' Then when we entered the museum, there were quite a few more people like that. We took a commemorative photo."

So you found out you have American fans before the event.

"Right. There was even someone who flew all the way from the east coast."

Whaaat?!

"I don't know the distance so I'm not sure how amazing that is. From about Nara to Osaka? (laugh)"

No no, it's not that close. (laugh)

"I figured they made a short trip out of it. (laugh)"

That must have been a very passionate fan. But when you began the show in 2003, you must have never thought you'd have American fans and make an event out of it.

"That's true. At first, it was a show that interviews game creators about making games. That format ended after ten episodes. (laugh)"

Back then, "Arino's Challenge" was a side segment but gained popularity and was made to be the main focus. What kind of feelings do you face a shooting of "Game Center CX" with?

"Like 'I hope I don't die over and over in the same spot.' It happens once in a while. Parts I can't beat no matter how many hours I've spent. So even though the last boss is my antagonist in the game, I always hope it'll raise the energy of the show in the end."

Then what kind of feelings did you face the America shoot with?

"I thought, 'I bet we're going to keep moving without any time for rest.' (laughs) The staff told me, 'We're going to start shooting as soon as we arrive in America so please get some sleep on the plane.' But the plane I got on, there was an old Japanese man sitting next to be. He talked to me the entire way and I couldn't sleep at all."

Was he happy because he was able to meet you?

"No, he had no clue who I am. He was like, 'Is this your first time going to America?' (laugh) When I ran out of drinks, I thought I'd use the opportunity to sleep, but he went 'You're out of drinks. What would you like?' So I went, 'Then I'll have orange juice......' (laugh)"

And you couldn't sleep. (laugh) Was the whole shoot harder than you thought?

"Let's see. It was just as expected. Even in the car ride between locations, the camera was rolling and they sprung a quiz on me. What was that quiz again?"

Kan: "Game Center CX Quiz."

"What a straightforward name. (laugh) They went, 'after 8 years you must not remember a lot of things,' and gave me a quiz about the show. I was like, 'don't treat me like I'm an old man!' but it turns out they were right. (laugh) The camera was rolling even when traveling, so it didn't feel like a shoot."

You brought up Mus�e M�canique earlier. There must have been many strange games, but what left the biggest impact on you?

"Put in money and it blows wind. That's the most original one I saw. It plays music and the tattered cloths on the horse wagon blows in the wind. Then it ends. I was like, what the hell? (laugh)"

Kan: "But that game is famous over there. When we went to other places, they'd say "So you went to Mus�e M�canique. Did you try the wind-blowing game?"

"That's right. But at the bottom of the game, there was one spot that was clearly fixed with plywood. I thought, 'Oh, I bet someone kicked it'. (laugh)"

Did you want to kick it too?

"No, I thought it was funny no matter how many times I looked at it. I didn't get bored of it at all."

Asides from Mus�e M�canique, you played games in various locations. Did anything about that feel different from Japan?

"I think they have games in more different locations than Japan. In Japan, if they aren't in an arcade, they have them in department stores or other places with lots of people. But over there, they have them at laundromats and donut shops. It felt like any place that required waiting, there was a game there. We couldn't film this, but at the donut shop there was a token-grabbing game but with real money. (laugh)"

You can grab real money and drop it down?

"Right. If you dropped it down, it's yours. We were hungry so when we went to buy donuts, there it was. I thought, 'what the hell?' and called over the staff. We asked the owner if we could film it, but he said 'No!' (laugh)"

That's too bad. (laugh) Please tell us about the "Game Center CX" event in Los Angeles.

"It took place at an arcade, but as soon as I saw the entrance I thought, 'Must be a popular arcade.' I wondered how we can tell apart fans from the non-fans, but it turned out they were all fans."

Wow! Did the American "Game Center CX" fans feel different from the Japanese fans? Their energy level, for example.

"They were the same. There were many energetic girls. Even girls who'd squeal. You make a pose like you want a hug and they'll hug you. The boys were nervous and offered handshakes. There were many muscular fans in America. Lots of people with hard hands. In Japan, there are more kids with squishy hands. (laugh) Also, they were wearing T-shirts with game and cartoon characters on them, T-shirts featuring all sorts of characters you'd never see in Japan. I wanted one."

What kinds of characters?

"It was really all over the place. From Ghosts'n Goblins to Mario. (laugh)"

That's very mixed up. (laugh)

"Also there were many fans who had done something. An aspiring singer made a CD. One did an illustration. The one who drew the illustration couldn't make it themselves, but they got their friend to print out a poster. Actually that poster was used for this DVD cover."

It's a cool picture.

"It is. Very American, too."

Incidentally, are there any "Arino's Challenge"s in this DVD?

"I played a different game for the DVD. A Sega Saturn game called 'Die Hard Arcade.' The package illustration is Bruce Willis-esque, but in the game it's completely different. His face looks like a ring finger. (laugh)"

A face like a ring finger??

"It has few polygons, so his face is like a square tofu."

I've never played that game before so I look forward to it on the DVD. By the way, the next time you go to America, what would you like to experience?

"Next time, maybe we'll go to the east coast? There were people who brought their family from the east coast, so this time I can go meet them there. (laugh)"

That's wonderful.

"Not that anything has ever gone my way in this show. (laugh)"

Kan: "Would you like some ice cream? (laugh)"

"Oh, no thank you. I'm still full. (laugh)"

zari-gani fucked around with this message at 20:43 on Aug 2, 2012

# ? Aug 2, 2012 19:27

xamphear: Apr 9, 2002; SILK FOR CALDÉ!

"Kotaku (famous American blog)"

I giggled.

"Next time, maybe we'll go to the east coast?"

Yes. That would be awesome.

xamphear fucked around with this message at 20:08 on Aug 2, 2012

# ? Aug 2, 2012 20:03

Random Stranger: Nov 27, 2009

Corridor posted:

Hooray! I didn't think there were any left with Sasano still.

Which is it where Toujima first blocks out the sun?

I'll have to go back and double check but I think there are a couple more times where Sasano shows up that haven't been translated.

Arino posted:

"Right. If you dropped it down, it's yours. We were hungry so when we went to buy donuts, there it was. I thought, 'what the hell?' and called over the staff. We asked the owner if we could film it, but he said 'No!' (laugh)"

drat you, donut shop owner! :argh:

# ? Aug 2, 2012 21:59

InspectorCarbonara: Jul 2, 2010; Evening, patrolmaaan.

quote:

If no one showed up, worst case scenario, I thought we could put (Director) Inoue in a blonde wig and try to pass him off as American. (laugh) And make him sound like he's speaking English.

Man, I kinda wish this happened now.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 22:06

Caitlin: Aug 18, 2006; When I die, if there is a heaven, I will spend eternity rolling around with a pile of kittens.

I want that Die Hard Arcade challenge! :swoon:

# ? Aug 2, 2012 22:14

Stefan Prodan: Jan 7, 2002; I deeply respect you as a human being... Some day I'm gonna make you *Mrs* Buck Turgidson!; Grimey Drawer

"It is. Very American, too."

:canada:

# ? Aug 2, 2012 22:20

Three-Phase: Aug 5, 2006; by zen death robot

I started watching these about a month ago, this show is great. I even showed my dad a few of the segments where he visits arcades, he liked it.

It's also neat to get a feel for the Japanese flavors of comedy.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 22:26

rdbbb: Jul 26, 2011

zari-gani posted:

Thank you DiscoJ for picking up the +act mini issue with the GCCX feature! I did a quick and dirty translation of the interview with Arino, as he talks about Kotaku, the US trip and the fans he met there. He mentions a few people specifically -- any goons?

Thanks (to both of you) for that! So nerds with cartoon character t-shirts stick out in his mind but not the guy who wore the uniform?!? Well, I NEVER

# ? Aug 2, 2012 23:04

Mayor McCheese: Sep 20, 2004; Everyone is a mayor... Someday..; Lipstick Apathy

Haha, I love the idea of them giving him ice cream whenever there's a big announcement.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 23:08

Random Stranger: Nov 27, 2009

rdbbb posted:

Thanks (to both of you) for that! So nerds with cartoon character t-shirts stick out in his mind but not the guy who wore the uniform?!? Well, I NEVER

At least we all know what gifts to get him the next time Arino comes to America.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 23:22

Obeast: Aug 26, 2006; �_~ ANIME BABE LOVER 2000 ~_�

That was a pretty entertaining interview. I love the fact that fans of the show are almost exactly the same no matter where he goes.

Also, even though I don't live on the east coast, I would love to see a east coast trip.

# ? Aug 2, 2012 23:41

Box of Bunnies: Apr 3, 2012; by Pragmatica

That interview's great. Arino is so :3:

even in text.

# ? Aug 3, 2012 06:41

redmercer: Sep 15, 2011; by Fistgrrl

Three-Phase posted:

I started watching these about a month ago, this show is great. I even showed my dad a few of the segments where he visits arcades, he liked it.

It's also neat to get a feel for the Japanese flavors of comedy.

Be sure to catch the special with Matsumoto Hitoshi, especially if you're a fan of the odd comedy knife fight

# ? Aug 3, 2012 06:48

Gutcruncher: Apr 16, 2005; Go home and be a family man!

zari-gani posted:

*Arino mentions playing Die Hard*

So is he actually playing the american Die Hard Arcade just for sheer AMERICA BRUCE WILLIS HAMBURGERS gently caress YEAH and not Dynamite Cop? Thats so awesome and nice of Kibe for letting Arino borrow his import Saturn and copy of the game.

Mayor McCheese posted:

Haha, I love the idea of them giving him ice cream whenever there's a big announcement.

Hes like a small child, except the ice cream comes before GOOD news.

# ? Aug 3, 2012 06:50

PaletteSwappedNinja: Jun 3, 2008; One Nation, Under God.

Funny you should mention Ikki... I was reading about Cave Story 3D the other day, and for the Japanese release they added a bunch of extra playable characters, one of which is the farmer guy from Ikki. Major WTF moment.

# ? Aug 3, 2012 06:54

Mister Chief: Jun 6, 2011

Is any of that stuff in the US release?

# ? Aug 3, 2012 06:58

PaletteSwappedNinja: Jun 3, 2008; One Nation, Under God.

No, the three extra characters are exclusive to the Japanese version. I have no idea if they actually play any differently or if they're just sprite swaps, either. Here they are:

Dragon Slayer dude:

Crazy Climber:

Ikki dude:

All really weird choices; I have no idea how they managed to clear them all, either.

# ? Aug 3, 2012 07:10

UP AND ADAM: Jan 24, 2007

I just beat Cave Story+, and I think it'd be a great and different type of platformer for Arino to play. It also has secrets and a harsh ending to get through, but it's maybe a little short for 12 hours. Anyways, he should play that.

edit: Although it says I've played it for 13 hours. I can hope!

# ? Aug 3, 2012 07:15

Random Stranger: Nov 27, 2009

PaletteSwappedNinja posted:

All really weird choices; I have no idea how they managed to clear them all, either.

They're not really weird choices for Japan. Those have fairly big followings there and are still well known. Ikki got a remake for the PS3 a few years ago, for example.

# ? Aug 3, 2012 13:50