So Andrew and I have been investigating japanese game centres… otherwise known as arcades (in North America). They’ve got the standard games, of course (Tekken, Soul Calibur, Foosball, House of the Dead, etc.); and they also have a stunning number of the “crane” games where you:
- Guide the grabby-claw with a joystick.
- Press the button to grab the item under the claw.
- Hope that the claw picks up the item and if it does:
- Hope that you can safely maneuver the claw to the proper drop point for the item, and if you can:
- Profit!!!
The first weird thing that we saw is that they seem to have a lot more feminine-oriented arcade games. I’m not sure what happens in them. They look sort of like photo booths, but they have curtains all around them; and I haven’t dared to even approach one (nor has Andrew). So, some girl somewhere go check them out and let us know what they are about. You’ll be sure to recognize them; as they are pink. With many flowers. Ponies are often involved as well.
What really grabbed our attention are the games that are “more” than any that we see in North America (typically), though.
The first of relevance is a mech-combat game that looks insanely in-depth. Each player has their own P.O.D., which is a totally-enclosed chamber that the player sits in (presumably with screens on all sides and amble controls) from which they control their mech. Normally there are groups of about 4 of these. What I assume happens is that a group/guild forms a team of 4, which then all go to this location and each of them climb into a P.O.D., so that they each control one of the 4 mechs. Then they join up with their opponents across the network (a red-vs-blue sort of idea) and duke it out; their team of mechs against their opponents. I wouldn’t be surprised if the P.O.D.’s were voice-linked as well (remember, they are enclosed — when a player is inside you cannot see any of what they are doing or hear anything from within), to aid in the team-play. Outside of the P.O.D.’s, spectators can view what is going on by way of a large screen that displays the map that the mechs are combatting on (each mech represented by either a blue or a red dot and that mech’s name) and intelligently “zooms in” to view action as it occurs (i.e. on firefights). It looks very cool. Andrew and I haven’t tried it; as it would take a far better understanding of the Japanese language than I have (and quite possibly more players than just us two); but it looks great.
The second relevant thing is that many arcade games over here let you actually save your progress on a card. The first time that you start the game; it prompts if you want to use a card. If you have one; you just insert it and pickup from where you left off. If you don’t, then the machine will make you one for a small fee; or you can choose to continue with no card at all (in which case your progress will not be saved). Seriously, these cards are everywhere — shooting games, racing games, etc.
The third, and by far the most exciting of the things that we have seen, also has to do with cards. Specifically, it appears to be a strange combination of CCG and arcade game. So far we have seen football, soccer, mech-combat (gundam), warlord-combat (samurai, as in Dynasty Warriors), and role-playing (as in D&D or other similar RPGs) implementations of it. The basic premise is that each player has a station where they sit down and produce a deck of cards (their personal deck of cards). In front of them is a black matte surface that looks sort of like a mousepad and is roughly 2 feet by 2 feet. In front of that is a screen, and there are various accoutrements/slots/buttons on the side.
The player picks out the cards that they want to use from their deck and place them on the black matte surface in front of them, insert their coins, and the game initializes. Using the warlords game for an example, the screen shows a scenario (i.e. besieging a castle), with either a computer (or, I expect, an opposing player) playing one side and the seated player playing the other. The player’s units on the screen take up positions matching the cards on the play surface. I don’t know what they use; but there is some manner of instantaneous detection of what card is where, and what each card represents; and it is instantly portrayed into the game on the screen. So the player arranges their cards on the surface, and the screen shows their starting formation; and then the player OKs it and the game starts.
Basically what it boils down to is a tactical combat, where players move the cards on the surface, which relays to movement on the screen, and then all the units attack each other and finally (eventually) a single victor arises. Special attacks can be carried out by using the buttons to the side; and I suspect (though I am not sure) that the formation and relative locations of the units may play a role in what special attacks can be launched when. It also appears that the winner of the game receives their loot as booster packs of cards, which can be used to supplement their deck; and I think they also have a personal card that keeps track of their experience, progression, etc.
In some cases, the game goes even further — in the gundam one, not only are there individual stations, but there is a huge screen/combat map in front of all of them that displays the current state of the world between the two sides (players need to choose one of two sides to play on) with markings for contested areas and combat zones; and the players work at fighting the other side to try and win the entire map for their side. Judging from the number of individual combats visible on a single combat map; I would guess that the game is completely networked; as well, so that the game centres all play in the same (dare I say it?) consistent world.
To be blunt, it is phenomenal. I’d never seen anything like it, and all I really want to do is to try and play it — but the language barrier and the threat of spending too many hours and too much money are stopping me from doing so. Andrew’s the same way (particularly with the mech/gundam version). If these games ever come to North America, I think we’ll be in trouble. All that is saving us right now is the fact that we don’t really know how to play; and that we are leaving the country in a few days. 
I did purchase a starter pack of the warlord CCG/arcade game, though — more as a souvenir than as an actual attempt to play.
Anyways, I’ll leave that there — very cool game centers over here. 
