The BEST episodes of GameCenter CX season 7
Every episode of GameCenter CX season 7, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of GameCenter CX season 7!
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 - Trip to Korea by Economy Class
Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/11/2007
It's the 50th episode extravaganza! Game Center CX is finally hitting the big times and going abroad to South Korea for their first ever international trip for a TamaGe In South Korea! Watch as Arino and staff visit the best of Korean arcades and stores including a stall jam packed with games of a questionable and mysterious origin. Arino even gets the chance to interview a professional StarCraft team when he isn't buying odd souvenirs at the many local vendors lining the streets. But that's not all as in the finale Arino risks the show's budget on a single round of roulette! It's an ending that can't be missed.
#2 - Rockman (Mega Man)
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/16/2007
It's time for Arino to step into the boots of the Blue Bomber once again as he challenges Mega Man. Being the first entry in the venerated series, Arino will have to contest with some of its less refined aspects and what some fans call the highest difficulty level to be found in the original 6 games. In the second instalment of Project: Game Version Arino visits the developer of the game, indieszero. Once there, Arino grills company head Masanobu Suzui about his mouse and the history of the company. The Game & Watches that can't be left alone this week belong to the Silver Series of games.
#3 - Clock Tower
Season 7 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/5/2007
Arino's first horror game challenge. In Clock Tower, players must guide Jennifer through the Barrows manor... where horrors beyond measure await. TamaGe hits Chiba and an arcade by the name of Nakayama Game Corner. The first game that Arino tries is very reminiscent to one that he's challenged before but never been able to beat and this time might not end so well either. Arino has better luck on another prize game before putting pedal to the metal in Super Sprint. Project: Game Version primarily focuses on the RPG, Guadia Quest, but also shows off some tricks and how Arino will feature in the game. In Game & Watch: I Can't Leave You Alone it's the Micro VS. System Series of games that is getting the spotlight. Since this series focused on multiplayer Arino and Kibe decide to work out their issues with a round of boxing.
#4 - Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyūshutsu Emaki (Legend of the Mystical Ninja)
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 6/27/2007
The Legend Of The Mystical Ninja, the much beloved SNES entry in the long running Mr. Goemon series, is Arino's challenge this time round. See if Arino, together with his usual partner in crime, can save Princess Yuki before they throw each other in the drink. Project: Game Version is a casual affair this time as the show's staff and indieszero get together for some dinner and we get an artwork presentation from AD Takahashi as well as the official logo reveal.
#5 - Ultraseven
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/2/2007
Ultra Seven is the sequel to Ultraman, the game that opened season 4! And from the look of the game, it seems Arino’s in for yet another kaiju-driven hellride. Will he prevail, or will this second Ultraman game begin another spiral of failure as it did before?
#6 - Musashi no Ken: Tadaima Shugyou Chu (Sword Of Musashi)
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/25/2007
Back down to earth after the highs of the previous episode in South Korea, Arino is presented with a difficult choice. He must choose between three licensed NES games for today's challenge and after sampling each he settles on the period action game, Sword Of Musashi. This week's TamaGe was actually shot while the staff were still in Korea and features a gaggle of kids and a dodgy crane game. Deciding that maybe the odds of this particular prize game aren't in his favor, Arino just buys some snacks instead. That's not the only Korean follow up as Arino and Kibe examine some of the more mysterious games that they purchased while abroad. Some questions are answered while new ones are raised in this puzzling segment. The Project: Game Version segment for this episode shows Arino getting some hands on time with the game and also recording some sound bites for the in game characters. The Game & Watch segment this week features the biggest of all the series, the Tabletops.
#7 - Wagyan Land (Wagan Land)
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/30/2007
A cute but difficult platformer which is perhaps best remembered for its unique boss battles, Wagyan Land is today's challenge. While the boss battles may the game's most unique aspect it is a piece of abstract art which will cement this episode in history. A special game starring a couple of familiar faces is spotted during this week's TamaGe as Arino visits the combination arcade and game store, Takasagoya. In fact the store is nothing but familiar sightings, from previously challenged games to the TamaGe mainstay, Metal Slug. In this instalment of Project: Game Version, Game Center CX staff members discuss various game ideas with the team at indieszero with Abe especially impressing with his character designs. Last but not least, the Widescreen Series is showcased in Game & Watch: I Can't Leave You Alone.
#8 - Outer World (Another World)
Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/13/2007
The rotoscoped masterpiece, Out Of This World is the focus of today's challenge. Developed by Frenchman Eric Chahi, how will Arino handle this strange western game? Luckily for Arino this week's TamaGe isn't too far from Fuji TV and luckier still it features a shooting range for him to show off his special technique. The operator of said shooting range may not be feeling so lucky though as Arino takes aim in his direction. In Project: Game Version Arino discusses more ideas with the team, some of which are inspired by games he has challenged in the past. The precursor to the DS, the Multi-Screen Series is highlighted in Game & Watch: I Can't Leave You Alone.
#9 - Cho Makai Mura (Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts)
Season 7 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/22/2007
With his series record sitting at one loss and one win this battle will determine his fate as Arino takes on the hellish Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts! It's a game filled with a myriad of hell beasts including the much reviled Red Arremer. A one off report covers the happenings at a recent Fuji TV public event where Arino shows off Retro Game Challenge and challenges members of the public to a game of Street Fighter 2. In Project: Game Version Arino and Kibe sift through fan submitted names for the princess in Haggleman as well as some fan art before we're treated to some new footage. The follow-up to the Tabletop Series is the Panorama Game & Watch Series which used a unique screen setup to grab attention in an increasingly crowded handheld market.
#10 - Kai no Bouken (The Quest of Ki) (1)
Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/19/2007
The setting for today's challenge is Bandai Namco HQ where Arino is quickly whisked away to a conference room where he'll have to contend with a towering game that will go down in show history, The Quest Of Ki. The Namco theme continues by following the progress of the Namco published Retro Game Challenge in Project: Game Version. In the final instalment of this segment for the season Arino plays a couple of games within the game some of which are still being kept under wraps. For the final Game & Watch: I Can't Leave You Alone Arino is presented with the extremely expensive but super cool Super Color and Crystal Series. But wait, there's more! Arino also checks out the Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch which was only available as a contest prize and as you can probably guess, it has a price to match its rarity. The last TamaGe for the season also takes place in Bandai Namco headquarters and follows Arino as he peruses their archive of classic arcade games. Arino starts with the first Namco game ever, Gee Bee before having the privilege of playing a Gator Panic machine that still has mallets in good condition.