Tokyo has a huge arcade market. You’ve got Sega, Taito, Monaco .. and a bucket load of indie places.. But what’s between a good game center, and an epic Arcade?
In no particular order ..
1. The Competition
Absolutely fundamental to an even half way decent game center is the crowd participation. Taking it to the next level in competitive gameplay means you have to be around the best, fighting the best. Without a truly competitive environment to grow in, you're never going to get lose that pressure and stress that come with a tournament.. big or small.
2. Atmosphere
Crowd participation covered, let's look at another fundamental.. The place's atmosphere has to be spot on. Not just in a competitive sense, but with everything, from comfortable seats, to the vibe from other players.
3. Quality
"A bad workman blames his tools" .. I'm not sure what kind of tool started this rumor.. But that is way off man. Fight games have extremely sensitive and precise mechanisms requiring timing and accuracy. Using a dud machine is like tying your hand behind you back and trying to play with your chin.. The cabinets need to be hella maintained.
4. Spacing
Something that grows appreciation daily living here in Tokyo; personal space. Being able to sit and game without having crotches rub past is a huge plus to any game center. Understandably these places need jam packing with cabinets.. But c'mon, seriously?! You need to be playing comfortably with space between yourself and those around..
5. Prices
Generally fighting games come in at between 50 and 100 yen, which is cool.. However you have to keep an eye on the ball with the gimmicks. Look out for shorter time limits, reduced bout numbers both in 1 to 1 and CPU games.. Check what you’re paying for.
6. Tourneys
You got the competitors, but you gotto have that opportunity to put your name down on paper.. to represent .. The thing about tourneys, aside from the competition and chance for glory, is just to know that the arcade you've been supporting, has been supporting you back. The tournaments are what keep fighting games alive, and you gotto respect that.
7. Selection
Dealing with everything from games available, and release dates, to whats on off in the vending machines. Sure you can expect the usual selection, but to grow your game as a fighter, you gotto spend time experimenting on other games. There's no point just hating on a game like BlazBlue, especially if you havn't given it a few hours attention, give it a try, and who knows whats to be learnt..
Agree, disagree? Hit me up!
