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GameCenter CX; It's like Top Gear but for video games
Topic Started: Jan 22 2017, 08:21 PM (130 Views)
lizardmanlizardmanlizardman
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Do you guys watch GameCenter CX? If you don't, you might want to give it a shot.

A Japanese comedian named Shinya Arino plays home console games of yesteryear in an attempt to see the game's ending in a single day. The games range from old favorites like Mega Man, Punch-Out!!, Mario 64 and Sonic the Hedgehog to FDS only games like Bio Miracle and even stranger choices like PC Engine trivia games and dating sims.

Sprinkled in between are different game related segments ranging from Arino reviewing older Japan only consoles, footage of Arino making his own game (which actually came out in NA for the Nintendo DS called Retro Game Challenge and a reoccurring segment that has Arino going to various arcades in Japan.

GameCenter for me succeeds where other shows about video games have failed by presenting a variety of different games while simultaneously genuinely entertaining, even if it's a game I am already familiar with. Arino himself is really amusing just on his own as a comedian, and this coupled with him being this older man playing games he isn't really good but that he really genuinely enjoys makes me excited to watch the game be played. The show is also very well edited, so besides the live play episodes (which there are maybe 10 of tops and not in any regular seasons), you don't just sit and watch a Let's Play. Also while some people find watching people play games they aren't so great at annoying, watching Arino with a smile on his face just try his best on a particularly difficult part that it really makes you want to cheer for him and when he actually beats a difficult game or section there's a real sense of accomplishment to it. So while I might have seen the ending to A Link to The Past a dozen times, seeing Arino play through it and wondering if he'll actually win and being there through the triumphs and failures really adds a new enjoyable element.

There are also special episodes dedicated to particularly special cases like a super long episode where Arino tries to beat Takeshi's Challenge or another notable one where the crew rents out the Budokan Theater to a live audience to see if Arino can beat Mighty Bomb Jack, a game he previously failed.

Hey does this sound like your thing? Cool. The show is really Japanese so there are only subs, though you can find localized DVDs on Amazon and the like. If you're not in the mood for that, many of the episodes are online through websites like http://www.gamingcx.com/ and http://www.sa-gccx.com/ where you can download the episodes or just stream them. There are even a couple on YouTube if you don't want to go through that hassle.

The show really starts to hit its stride with Season 3 which has stuff like Super Mario World and weird Japanese trivia games so that's the best place to just jump in.

If you like old games and Japan, do yourself a favor and try one episode.

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Reverend Crush
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BIG JERK
I saw the Ninja Gaiden episode. He almost broke down on that one.

Not a surprise, everyone knows that the birds in NG were the REAL cause of 9/11.
I'M ON DRUGS!
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portnoyd
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WET NOSE
I fucking love GameCenter CX. I first saw it on Kotaku with the english dubs, but the subs are where it's at. Best option is a torrent from here:
https://www.nyaa.se/?page=search&cats=5_19&...=game+center+cx

Either get the season sets or the the big assed set.

I agree the first two seasons are a little slow. I would skip season 1 altogether tbh.

The best part about Arino is how even tempered he is. Even though he predates youtube video people, it's refreshing not to even get a hint of AVGN cursing and similar bullshit.

A must watch.
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FlowingMindspin
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BIG BUTT BABY
The only time I watched Top Gear I was at some guy's house tripping on acid and I thought that the one guy kept describing the cars as being "Merlin"

Also there was like porn music playing when they showed the inside of a car, then some dude with HUMONGOUS fucking nostrils came on the screen and started talking about "Merlin" and I thought his nostrils were gonna inhale me whole.

Good times.
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lizardmanlizardmanlizardman
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FlowingMindspin,Jan 22 2017
10:21 PM
The only time I watched Top Gear I was at some guy's house tripping on acid and I thought that the one guy kept describing the cars as being "Merlin"

Also there was like porn music playing when they showed the inside of a car, then some dude with HUMONGOUS fucking nostrils came on the screen and started talking about "Merlin" and I thought his nostrils were gonna inhale me whole.

Good times.

sounds like GameCenter to me
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shunshun
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JERK
I always keep meaning to watch this show since i see it everywhere, but I never got around to it. When I was about to I remember reading there was a particular sub that is better than the rest, do you know what one it is?
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Bratwurst
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BIG JERK
This show is so good. It is what I put on when I want to turn my brain off and relax after exhaustion from doing anything else. I normally don't just sit and absorb any television show or movie either, but I love me some Arino.

I think the biggest appeal for me is that it provides occasional glimpses into the video game scene of Japan, particularly nuanced ones when the systems and games were just coming out which none of us Nintendo fatties were privy to growing up. Plus I get to learn about new games I'd generally never heard of before and probably would never have on account of a lot of them being 'bad', lacking that immediately obvious quality of something like Gimmick!.

Port has also touched on one of Arino's best qualities, being so even tempered, that dude just refuses to quit and it's really admirable.
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lizardmanlizardmanlizardman
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shunshun,Jan 23 2017
01:02 PM
I always keep meaning to watch this show since i see it everywhere, but I never got around to it. When I was about to I remember reading there was a particular sub that is better than the rest, do you know what one it is?

The torrent here https://www.nyaa.se/?page=view&tid=762702 is the best English batch torrent currently available.

If you'd rather not go through that slog, http://www.gamingcx.com/ and http://www.sa-gccx.com/ are all top notch subs.
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