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Weird, Japan-only arcade games that are awesome

MGrant

Member
I was at a local arcade the other day, and I played a game called "The ★ BishiBashi."

bishibashi.jpg

It's essentially Wario Ware, but for up to three players. You hit the three buttons to compete in the minigame and then finish by slamming the yellow Special button. And aside from the handful of minigames that require knowledge of Japanese, a friend and I had a hell of a lot of fun with it. Here is a video of MOV and Poongko (from the pro-FGC) absolutely tearing it up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhi9tkTWxZI

Anyway, I had never heard of this game before, but it's quickly become a favorite among my friends. That got me wondering if there are other awesome arcade games I should be on the lookout for that never made it across the Pacific; especially good multiplayer ones. Whatcha got, GAF?
 

georly

Member
Those look ridiculously cool. Do they still have those in circulation? I'll have to see if I can track them down.

The dog walking one was around when I visited japan back in 2003. I've never seen the table flip one in person, but apparently some arcade in california has it? I'm sure they're SOMEWHERE, you'll just have to travel.
 
Bishi Bashi series is super fun, fyi. There's 3 PSX games released in Japan, the first of which is on Japanese PSN, and a compilation of the first 2 PSX games was released in Europe, and was, from what I can tell, formerly on PSN but removed at some point (edit: I'm mistaken, it's still on UK PSN). If you liked the arcade game, it's definitely worth checking out though, they're a good time.
 

MGrant

Member
Bishi Bashi series is super fun, fyi. There's 3 PSX games released in Japan, the first of which is on Japanese PSN, and a compilation of the first 2 PSX games was released in Europe, and was, from what I can tell, formerly on PSN but removed at some point. If you liked the arcade game, it's definitely worth checking out though, they're a good time.

Niiice, gonna see if I can find an import. Would be amazing at a party with some alcohol involved.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Shadow Land!

Yokai_douchuuki_arcadeflyer.png


Also know as Youkai Douchuuki (Phantom Travel Journal), it's a side-scrolling action platformer from Namco based on a young man's journey into the afterlife, where he must progress through stages before praying at different Buddhist temples in order to find solace in hell, heaven, or somewhere in-between (perhaps even the human world!). It wasn't officially released outside Japan, but the English name comes from a romhack of it that found its way over here.

21017102.jpg


The game has a weird, traditional Japanese soundtrack on top of features like a stage map and multiple endings based on score and basic morality (i.e. not killing enemies/ collecting any items in Amida). It's up there with Cloud Master, Genpei Touma Den, and other religious/mythological/historical Japanese experiences that none but the market demographic were meant to play.
 

NoFoX

Member
Bishi Bashi is so god damn good if you play it with 8 friends.
I do still have the original disc here and digital on PS3, sooo good!

Then another game i remember is like horse-racing but very
very very
weird
 
Gunslinger Stratos looks pretty interesting. It's a TPS from Taito & Square Enix with light-gun controls and all kinds of Japanese quirkiness.
 

MGrant

Member
If you like rhythm games and collectible cards, I recommend Aikatsu!
http://kotaku.com/these-gamers-are-not-little-girls-1509706556

So THAT'S what those games are. I always see those in arcades near areas with a lot of capsule machines. It looks really time consuming, though, and I've never been a CCG guy, but it's cool to see that the game behind them looks competent enough. I think they've got monster-battler versions now aimed at boys; really involved stuff.
 

Ferrio

Banned
Bishi Bashi is so god damn good if you play it with 8 friends.
I do still have the original disc here and digital on PS3, sooo good!

Then another game i remember is like horse-racing but very
very very
weird

The best
XNpBGn0.jpg


But ya BishiBashi is my to-go-to "Japan is crazy" game.
 

Hasemo

(;・∀・)ハッ?
The table flipping game is awesome. It was available for quite a long time in one of the Ikebukuro SEGA arcades, but I think it's gone now.

The Gundam thing that Parakeet linked looks really cool and I was super excited to play it, but I got nauseous after 5 minutes of playing. Definitely not for me.

Two random pictures from my last trip to Akiba, when I went to the Dissidia location test:
The L4D machine is more of a "why would you play it in an arcade with this controls".
 

Arcadehero

Neo Member
Boonga Boonga

Boonga-Boonga_ARCADE.jpg


You jam the plastic finger up the simulated butt

/thread

That's South Korean and you slap the butts to make the people angry but it certainly belongs in the thread. ;)

One I recently got my hands on is the very odd Uchuu Daisakusen Chocovader Contactee by Namco. It doesn't use any weird controls, works fine in a candy cab but is the strangest mini-game compilation I've ever seen. The games are fun to play at least, once you get past the strange alien artwork and such.

https://youtu.be/my_shUTwFbM
 

MGrant

Member
One I recently got my hands on is the very odd Uchuu Daisakusen Chocovader Contactee by Namco. It doesn't use any weird controls, works fine in a candy cab but is the strangest mini-game compilation I've ever seen. The games are fun to play at least, once you get past the strange alien artwork and such.

https://youtu.be/my_shUTwFbM

Oh hell yeah. That looks like something I need to find.
 

Arcadehero

Neo Member
The idea of a silent hill light gun shooter still amazes me to this day,

Two random pictures from my last trip to Akiba, when I went to the Dissidia location test:

Both Silent Hill and Transformers were released in the US although SH is pretty rare (moreso to find one with the curtains still attached). Sega now has an 80" Super Deluxe version of Transformers that they are selling everywhere for about $20k:

transformershuge.jpg
 

Kudo

Member
So THAT'S what those games are. I always see those in arcades near areas with a lot of capsule machines. It looks really time consuming, though, and I've never been a CCG guy, but it's cool to see that the game behind them looks competent enough. I think they've got monster-battler versions now aimed at boys; really involved stuff.

It's basically growing your own Idol game. Everytime you play the game you get card that is clothes and those boost your stats if you can collect cards of same set etc. Very fun. You get the smaller cards from gashapons and they usually come with mobile phone strap or figures.

 

Arcadehero

Neo Member
Oh hell yeah. That looks like something I need to find.

Galloping Ghost Arcade got a bunch of boards and sent them out to some arcades, mine included. Currently Game Grid Arcade (UT), Underground Retrocade (OH), Galloping Ghost and Level 257 (IL) have it for the moment. GGA said they've been getting a lot of play on it as people explore the weirdness. :)
 

Mellahan

Concerned about dinosaur erection.
There was this really weird arcade game shown in an old episode of XPlay when Morgan and Adam went to Japan. It had this huge dummy and you had to literally smack and punch it in order to make a virtual audience laugh.

I've always wanted to know more about it.
 

ReyVGM

Member
Shadowland's name doesn't come from a romhack. The title screen is included in the japanese version. I guess they were planning on distributig it to the west, but never did.
 
The various Punchmania! boards, I think only the Hokuto no Ken one actually made it out in the wide world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Mania#Sequel


I think there was also one based on Ashita no Joe? I hope there are more, but have never seen them get a glorious info/video dump in these parts from knowledgeable folks...

At any rate, they are one hell of an experience and made of style incarnate.
 

Miker

Member
I've never played it, but there's a Rhythm Tengoku/Heaven arcade machine that exists, and I can't see it not being awesome.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Read about that in the Japan Unity event thread I think, the arcade version looks really beautiful, I don't think the 3DS games use Unity?

Dont think so. Just the arcade one, which was surprising when I found that out since they do not have it "advertised".
 

rpmurphy

Member
Shadowland's name doesn't come from a romhack. The title screen is included in the japanese version. I guess they were planning on distributig it to the west, but never did.
It's interesting that they don't use that name in the Smash Bros. Wii U localization.
 
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