The BEST episodes of GameCenter CX season 15
Every episode of GameCenter CX season 15, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of GameCenter CX season 15!
GameCenter CX (domestically imported as Retro Game Master) is a Japanese television series where Shinya Arino, a member of comedy duo Yoiko, plays Japan's most popular classic video games and records his progress. From shooters (his worst genre) to puzzles (his best) and anything in between, Arino tackles an amazing variety of games. He is supported by his Assistant Directors (ADs) and staff, who offer moral support, tips and tricks, and occasionally take the controller and play themselves. He also gets the chance to interview game designers and to visit arcades all over Japan.
#1 - Tantei Jinguuji Saburou: Shinjuku Chuuou Kouen Satsujin Jiken (Detective Saburou Jinguuji)
Season 15 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/26/2012
Things need a chance to cool down after what as a red hot challenge last time out and there's nothing cooler than noir. Arino will take on the role of the chain smoking Detective Saburou Jinguuji as he tries to solve of a case of murder most foul in neon lit Shinjuku. When he's not walking the beat Arino takes a casual stroll to a recreation center called Chiba: Daikeien. Arino shoots some 3s, has yet another rematch with his arch nemesis and swings for the fences in this laid back TamaGe. In Project CX, the staff discuss one of the most interesting peripherals of its time, Hori's Game Repeater. While a device that records and plays back your gameplay seems incredibly useful it soon becomes clear that if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Another DVD release brings another Christmas themed stamp rally in the latest bit of Game Center CX news.
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#2 - Kirby Bowl (Kirby's Dream Course)
Season 15 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/7/2011
Arino takes to the putting green when he challenges the pseudo golf game, Kirby's Dream Course. Not strictly a golf game with its mix of golf and pool like gameplay, Arino will hope this Kirby game keeps with series tradition by staying on the easier side of things. There's a surprising and awkward cameo in Retro Read Aloud when a scene filled with hope from Mother is read.
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#3 - Bio-Senshi Dan: Increaser to no Tatakai (Bio-Warrior Dan)
Season 15 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/9/2011
It's time for Arino to challenge a game that was deemed too bad to be released in the United States, Bio-Warrior Dan. Arino will travel back to the distant past of 1999 and do battle across 5 alien worlds to try and prevent an evil alien, Increaser, from enslaving the future. Today's TamaGe isn't to an arcade but to Café Charade, a husband and wife run business with but a solitary slot game inside. After his luck turns Arino moves on from the game to an expensive capsule machine. Although Arino isn't too pleased with his prize an egg sandwich leaves him feeling much better. It's a classic scene from a classic game in Retro Read Aloud when Arino and Ms. Nishiyama read Frog's introductory scene from Chrono Trigger.
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#4 - Battle Formula (Super Spy Hunter)
Season 15 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/8/2011
Super Spy Hunter is two things: rare and expensive (in Japan, anyway), and infamously difficult. Can Arino finish all six stages, or will he crash and burn? Also featured is a look at the latest GCCX stage show at the United States of Odaiba, where Arino continues to challenge F-Zero, and the next edition of Retro Read-Aloud, featuring Secret of Mana.
Watch Now:Amazon#5 - Strider Hiryu (Strider)
Season 15 - Episode 12 - Aired 10/20/2011
Arino takes on a Mega Drive game, and it’s another well-regarded title: Strider, Sega’s port of the Capcom arcade game. It’s a relatively short game — just five stages — and not as brutal as, say, Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts, but it still has its moments.
Watch Now:Amazon#6 - Saint Seiya: Ougon Densetsu
Season 15 - Episode 14 - Aired 11/17/2011
It’s time to challenge Saint Seiya: Ougon Densetsu, the first Famicom game based on the popular manga/anime Saint Seiya. It’s a regular action game with some RPG elements and loosely follows some plot-lines from the manga.
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#7 - Battletoads (2)
Season 15 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/12/2012
We all knew that a game with as many tricks as Battletoads couldn't be bested in a single episode and so the challenge speeds into part 2. When last we left Arino he was entangled with snakes but his troubles with them will seem like child's play compared to what awaits him. Will Arino beat this challenge by the skin of his teeth or will Battletoads chew him up and spit him out? If the challenge didn't contain enough frustration then Project CX certainly will when Nintendo's R.O.B. finally makes an appearance. This toy, that assisted you in playing one of two games by acting as a second player, was notoriously finicky and as Arino illustrates, perhaps not worth the effort. Plus, when Arino tries to catch an ice cream break Kan informs him that the show has a special birthday treat planned for him.
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#8 - Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Season 15 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/9/2012
Arino takes on SEGA's original mascot game, Alex Kidd in Miracle World on the SEGA Master System.
Watch Now:Amazon#9 - Tant-R
Season 15 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/26/2011
All the way back in season 5 Arino challenged Bonanza Bros. and now the time has come to challenge its pseudo-sequel, Tant-R. While the previous game was quite hard to categorize Tant-R falls squarely into the category of mini-game collection. Arino will have to tackle 4 pun filled stages if he wants to come out on top. After some light snacking Arino makes it to his latest TamaGe destination, a small candy store in Akabane. After failing to resist the beckoning call of Metal Slug Arino ducks inside where he gives the owner the wrong impression, Arino and Ms. Nishiyama re-enact a heated exchange from the first Famicom Detective Club title. In order to support the Tohoku-Kanto region a fundraiser was held where each of the over 12,000 not only supported a great cause but received a number of gaming related goods.
#10 - Gradius
Season 15 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/8/2012
As has been typical, Arino and shoot-em-ups don’t exactly mix, so they haven’t been featured on the show often. But when it comes to truly classic shooters, there’s no ignoring Gradius, which Konami made into a bigger hit thanks to the Famicom version. And that’s just what Arino is playing today.
#11 - Hiryuu no Ken: Ougi no Sho (Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll)
Season 15 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/3/2011
Arino’s challenge this time is Hiryu no Ken for Famicom, a simple action game from the company that would become Culture Brain. You play as a young man named Ryuhi, martial arts master trying to recapture the secret scrolls of the Hiryu-no-Ken. The game alternates between platformer stages and one-on-one tournament battles, and Arino must finish the world tournament at the end of the game to win.
#12 - F-Zero (2)
Season 15 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/12/2011
Evidentially setting the difficulty to expert wasn't a great idea as Arino's standard challenge of F-Zero enters its second lap. Arino will hope he can keep a certain elderly driver at bay as he races towards the finish line. A stationary store loved by children and even immortalised in a song will be the venue for today's TamaGe. The store has a few games outside including not one but two Metal Slug games, one of which Arino and AD Katayama play together. Inside the store, AD Takahashi just can't walk away from the opportunity to win a poster of his favorite AKB48 member. Ms. Nishiyama is slightly confused by an infamous scene from Dragon Quest 3 during Retro Read Aloud, but luckily Arino is there to set her straight.
#13 - F-Zero (1)
Season 15 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/28/2011
Arino takes to the hover track when he challenges Nintendo's futuristic racing classic, F-Zero. Arino claims he played the game exhaustively as an adult and so boldly sets the game to the highest difficulty. Will his confidence prove to be his downfall or is he really the fastest thing on no wheels? Today Arino will visit Miharashiya Candy Shop which is referred to as a children's store and it's easy to see why as the place is soon heaving with them. Arino tries to play some In The Hunt and Monster Land in the sea of children until he retreats into the store to buy some candy for himself. Arino and Ms. Nishiyama discover the true meaning of love when they read a key scene from Fire Emblem in Retro Read Aloud.
#14 - Hello! Pac-Man (Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures)
Season 15 - Episode 11 - Aired 9/22/2011
Arino will have to draw upon his greatest strength, his patience, when he tries to coerce Pac-Man to do his bidding in Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures. After producing one of the biggest arcade hits of all time Namco decided that the direct sequel should be a mix of god and adventure game styles and now Arino will have to pay for their mistake. Bowling is always a good way to relieve stress and so Arino pays a visit Fuji Bowl. As with most bowling alleys Fuji Bowl features a robust selection of arcade games, but more interesting than that is a familiar figure looking for revenge. In the final Retro Read Aloud, a quartet of readers read from one of the more obscure endings of the sound novel, Night Of The Sickle Weasel.
#15 - Gimmick! (Mr. Gimmick)
Season 15 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/14/2011
Considered by many to be the swan song of the NES, Mr. Gimmick contains vivid graphics, a memorable soundtrack and wickedly difficult platforming. It is this last point that Arino will be most concerned with when he tries to beat Mr. Gimmicks 6 stages and start season 16 off with a win. Picking up right where the last TamaGe left off, Arino is enjoying the variety of amusements that Tokyo German Village has to offer. Those amusements include a bit of pitching practise, pigging out and weapons training.
#16 - Kosodate Quiz My Angel (Child-Rearing Quiz: My Angel)
Season 15 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/11/2011
Former producer Nagashima has an ulterior motive in mind when he presents Arino with Child-Rearing Quiz: My Angel for the day's challenge. You see, Nagashima is now the father of a baby girl so he'd like to watch the more experienced father, Arino, at work. Will Arino be able to raise a well adjusted girl or, heaven forbid, will she be just as geeky as her dad? A flirtatious scene that soon goes awry from Final Fantasy 2 is brought to life in Retro Read Aloud.
#17 - Comix Zone
Season 15 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/23/2011
It's another Genesis challenge, the king of 90s cool, Comix Zone! Pulled into a world of his own creation, Arino and his trusty pet rat will have to beat the villainous Mortus if they have any chance of busting out of this printed nightmare and returning home. After getting sidetracked by some aromatic food Arino arrives at the latest TamaGe location. This little store situated in Kita has a few fighting games which Arino thinks he can take Tanii in before he realises that might not have been a good idea. Another idea that may be less than good is the purchase he makes of a controller with a feature that sounds to good to be true. Ms. Nishiyama is a bit baffled when she gives a sad reading as Zero from Mega Man X in Retro Read Aloud.
#18 - Juuryoku Soukou Metal Storm (Metal Storm)
Season 15 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/21/2011
The last time Arino dealt with an Irem action game he dispatched it in record time but Metal Storm will prove to be a different beast altogether. Arino will have to wrap his head around Metal Storm's most famous feature, the ability to flip gravity at will, if he has any hope of completing this action classic. While the location of today's TamaGe technically doesn't have any arcade machines it more than makes up for it. Iseki is part laundromat and part candy store but Arino and AD Takahashi are far more interested in the AKB48 keychain filled capsule machine out front. In Retro Read Aloud, Arino and Ms. Nishiyama recite a heartfelt scene from the third Detective Saburo Jinguji game, The Dangerous Pair.
#19 - Tenka no Goikenban (Mito Koumon)
Season 15 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/1/2011
To bid farewell to the extremely long running historical TV drama of the same name, Arino will challenge Mito Koumon. Arino should be wary of this challenge however as the creators of Ikki and a licensed video game could make for a very dangerous combination. The suggestion for today's TamaGe comes directly from behind the camera as Abe suggests Arino visits Yamamoto Store. After being distracted by chopsticks and fine food along the way, Arino finally reaches his destination and plays some Metal Slug before playing dress up. Hori's series of commander video game controllers are the subjects of this week's Project CX. They all feature a standard turbo feature but each has their own pluses and minuses.
#20 - Battletoads (1)
Season 15 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/15/2011
While relatively unknown amongst Japanese gamers, Battletoads is infamous with the rest of gaming world as being one of the single most challenging, yet rewarding games for the NES. And now the time has finally come for Arino to take it on. Arino will have to slip, slide, crash and bash through 12 stages of unrelenting platforming action if he is to rescue Princess Angelica and save the day! If one infamously difficult game isn't enough then the arcade that Arino visits packs another. As soon as Arino enters Game Fuji he spots Ghosts 'N Goblins and he has to know if his skills still hold up. He then spots different instalments in series he's challenged before, namely Gussun Oyoyo and Go By Train! 2. The first peripheral shown off in this week's Project CX is Hudson's Joy Stick which Arino puts through its paces with a mini challenge in Super Star Force. Next he looks at the Joyball trackball controller from Kirby maker HAL.