31–40 of 74 posts
Visited Japan a few years ago and even then I found the arcade experience kind of bewildering. I was fully prepared to accept the crane games, rhythm games, and the genre sorted levels of the big arcades. What really threw me was the absolutely impenetrable MOBA style games that seemed to fill entire levels on their own. They looked like they were designed for lots of long term play and grinding, and needed some kind…
Visited Japan a few years ago and even then I found the arcade experience kind of bewildering. I was fully prepared to accept the crane games, rhythm games, and the genre sorted levels of the big arcades. What really threw me was the absolutely impenetrable MOBA style games that seemed to fill entire levels on their own. They looked like they were designed for lots of long term play and grinding, and needed some kind…
MOBA=Multiplayer online battle arena
They are already mostly gone except in a few places in tokyo and the obvious geek dens like Akihabara. And they are all smoking which means you get cigarette smell amd feel dirty after no time. No thanks.
As a non-smoker who regularly frequented arcades, I welcome this change. Sadly since COVID I've avoided going out entirely, and am not surprised that the industry is dying. I agree with trzy in a separate thread: experiences like The Void[2] which are impossible to have at home are the only thing I can see driving people back to arcades.
1) https://iwanablog.net/gamecenter-kitsuen-naze/ 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Void_(virtual_reality)
Having lived in Japan for the past decade I can say that game centers (arcades to those outside Japan) have changed. I remember playing rhythm based games (pop-n-music, taiko drum master, etc.) and some fighting/shooting games for a few years. But, within the last two years or so, the NFC card requirement for almost all games has come to fruition. Wanna play that racing game? Gonna need to "grind" a vehicle and save…
Granted, I'm sure some of them have also been hit by the troubles, but if you can find one, you can have the Japanese arcade experience without the newer gimmicks.
That said, I didn't mind the cards. I think I still have a Wangan Midnight in an envelope my "Japan Stuff" folder, patiently waiting for the day when I can finally get my butt back to Tokyo.
Non-paywalled syndicate: https://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/131076.php
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're thinking about pachinko with the smoking. None of the video game arcades allow smoking.
"None" is definitely not true. The smoking section is often separated, or on another floor but they definitely exist. Often with the Dart machines and/or with the more gambling style machines (not specifically pachinko).
Having lived in Japan for the past decade I can say that game centers (arcades to those outside Japan) have changed. I remember playing rhythm based games (pop-n-music, taiko drum master, etc.) and some fighting/shooting games for a few years. But, within the last two years or so, the NFC card requirement for almost all games has come to fruition. Wanna play that racing game? Gonna need to "grind" a vehicle and save…