In Real Life

Japanese Gaming’s Greatest Ambassador

It’s over. That’s what people say about Japanese gaming. While there are bright spots in Japan, Western games (and gamers) now rule the roost. It’s easy to forget just how great Japanese games used to be.


January 1, 2011
In Real Life

Spend New Year’s Eve With This Man

This is Shinya Arino, comedian, television personality and all around bad gamer. I can’t think of a better way to bring in the new year.


May 6, 2009
News

Don’t Expect Localized Game Center CX Sequel

Game Center CX is a fantastic reality TV show with a couple of fantastic DS games. The first game made it to the US with a localised version. That doesn’t mean its sequel will.


June 26, 2008
Uncategorized

A Sober And Conscious Oneechanbara Review

As threatened, GameSetWatch columnist Matt Hawkins has reviewed the American premiere of Oneechanbara, which had its American debut at the New York Asian Film Festival. Hawkins looks at it from a different perspective from the review we linked earlier — that of a person who was awake and actively watching the film. It’s exhaustive, but for those who want a quick summary, Hawkins, at one point writes on whether the movie is good or not, “Define ‘good.’”

He also writes “exposed breasts” which has us firing up the Netflix queue.


November 15, 2007
Uncategorized

Hey Someone, Localise Game Center CX

Back when I visited Bandai Namco headquarters to watch the filming of Japanese reality show Game Center CX, I got to check out the then unreleased Game Center CX game. From what I played, I really, really enjoyed. The title does a nice job of mixing mini-games and old style video games in a fun, novel way. Over at Wired.com, Chris Kohler has done an extensive hands-on with the title, writing:

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve seen the Japanese reality show on which Game Center CX: Arino’s Challenge is based. This new Nintendo DS game will deliver a dose of humorous and all-too-true retro game nostalgia to anyone who remembers the 80′s.

Hey, remember the 80′s? Remember poring over game magazines for cheat codes to help you get past the impossible sections of the short, difficult NES games of the era? Remember sitting around with your friends on lazy summer days trying to be the first one to get past that tricky part? So do the people who designed Game Center CX, an homage to 1985′s game culture.

The game isn’t exactly import friendly (thanks to the Japanese text). But really, someone Kohler is right: Someone should totally localise this game. And while they’re at it, subtitle the Game Center CX DVDs so non-Japanese speakers can enjoy it! Game Center CX Impressions [Game|Life]