GameCenter CX — Season 4

Oct 20051h

In this Season 4 opener, Arino challenges Ultraman for the Super Famicom! Having been promoted to Kacho, Arino sports a new blue suit and a cockier attitude.

Nov 20051h

A new season brings a new genre to the table with the beat 'em up classic, Final Fight. Hopefully Arino can take back Metro City from the evil gangs which now control it. An amusement park dating back to 1850 might seem dangerous but not for the Game Center CX crew and not for TamaGe! The staff enjoy a number of the amusement rides before closing out with some regular arcade gaming. To slow things down a bit enjoy a Xevious request in Secret Trick Jet Stream. Project: DVD is a short little segment where Arino and a few of the staff discuss what challenges should be included in the first Game Center CX DVD box set. The first challenge to make the cut was an early classic for both fans and the staff.

Nov 20051h

There won't be any Takahashi Meijin appearance to save Arino during his challenge of another Hudson classic, Adventure Island. Will the ADs be a suitable replacement for this brutally difficult game? An arcade with the unusual title of Amusement VIKING is the venue for this week's TamaGe. Things become even more unusual when Arino exhibits actual skill when taking on a prize machine before moving on to play some of the rare VS. Super Mario Bros. For Secret Trick Jet Stream Arino receives a request for an Ice Climber glitch. In Project: DVD the staff continue their discussion over what challenges deserve to make it onto the set. The challenge that they finally settle on was one of the longest in the show's short history.

Nov 20051h

One of the earliest SNES games is the challenge for this week as Arino battles with the unusual god/action game hybrid, ActRaiser. It may not be the game's difficulty and instead be Arino's tendency to be distracted that will be his downfall in this exciting challenge. This one goes out to all those Dragon Quest 2 adventurers out there in Secret Trick Jet Stream. Project: DVD has Arino answering a couple of viewer questions including what the DVD exclusive challenge will be and the design of the packaging.

Dec 20051h

It's all hands on deck for the first quiz challenge in show history when Arino takes on Quiz: The Feudal Lord's Ambition. Hopefully everyone is up to date on their early 90s Japanese pop culture. Arino visits an arcade with the unusual gimmick of having games priced as low as 10 yen but soon finds that it's too good to be true. Arino doesn't sweat that detail though as he enjoys taking down kids in Virtua Fighter 4 and Final Furlong. For a change of pace things get loud on Secret Trick Jet Stream when a listener requests a hot jam from Raid On Bungeling Bay. Secret Trick Jet Stream quickly segues into Project: DVD as Arino announces the final details about the launch of the first DVD box set.

Jan 20061h

Another licensed game with a questionable pedigree, it's Doraemon! Arino will try and get this time travelling cat over the finish line and improve his overall record when it comes to challenging Hudson games. The first Game Center CX DVD box set recently went on sale and so we have a special report from the launch event. Arino, Tojima, Sasano and Urakawa were all in attendance to sign autographs and receive some gifts from the more ardent fans. It's another game store visit this week as Arino and Tojima visit Messe Sanoh CHAOS. Together they sample their large selection of import games including The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and God Of War, which Arino takes a shine to. It's a classic hit from Super Mario Bros. for this week's Secret Trick Jet Stream.

Jan 20061h

Arino had enough trouble with Mario when he was only 2D so let's see how he fares with an extra dimension in Super Mario 64. He'll have to conquer the highest mountains, ice cold tundra and searing heat on his quest to collect the required number of stars to face Bowser and save the princess. It's a bit of a special TamaGe this week as Kibe and Arino compete to get the best deal on games with only 5000 yen to spend. They both stretch their budgets a little to pick up a couple of games and Tojima makes a sudden appearance with the required gear for them to test out their purchases. The finale of Secret Jet Stream has a request for a steamy little number from the typically very serious Hokkaido Serial Murders.

Feb 20061h

Join Arino for the exciting conclusion of his Super Mario 64 challenge. Arino has it all ahead of him though as he takes on the games toughest levels to try to increase his star tally and open up the doorway to the King Of The Koopa's himself, Bowser. A new and exciting form of transport delivers Arino to this week's TamaGe location but that's not before he samples the local delicacies in Enoshima. Once at his destination Arino drives a virtual train before trying to trick AD Urakawa in a plan that quickly backfires.

Feb 20061h

In this episode, Arino returns to another classic NES game. This time it’s the fan-favorite Tecmo game Ninja Gaiden. With a victory here, he can bring his record for the season to a tie, but the Ninja Gaiden series is considered one of the hardest game series ever made. After some time Arino comes to the realization that it may be the hardest game he's ever played in his life... even harder than Ghosts 'n Goblins and Adventure Island! Arino pays a visit to a nostalgic little arcade with a odd name which is enjoyed by children and adults alike. There he discovers a prize machine filled with a cornucopia of pop culture icons and some strange decorations adorning the outer wall.

Mar 20061h

In what could be the last challenge ever, Arino attempts to save the mythical land of Kid Icarus and rescue the goddess Palutena from the tendrils of Medusa. Along the way he'll have to berate shop keepers, deal with vegetable loving wizards and even battle death itself. Some may recall this store being the location of a previous TamaGe but this time is different. For this visit Arino is joined by the staff as they attempt to line their pockets by selling the games featured in the challenges for this season. Their true value will come as a surprise to all.