Shinya Arino, host of the cult Japanese television program GameCenter CX, challenges vintage video games through completion, pushing through sweat and sorrow. The show has been running for over 20 years, and what qualifies for retro along that stretch has inevitably changed. Still, that won’t stop his biggest fans from feeling their brittle bones creak as the show puts the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 up for ‘retro’ consideration later this month.
Since 2003, GameCenter CX (also known as Retro Game Master) has pit Arino against the most challenging games until he defeats them or is defeated by them. This has largely revolved around classic Famicom games like Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Ninja Gaiden and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Human Entertainment’s Septentrion is a personal favorite of mine. The formula of vigor, exhaustion and white knuckle gaming has carried the show through nearly 400 episodes. With no sign of stopping, Arino is pushing forward into the next generation.
The show has covered games across the Sega Master System through the PlayStation 2, but on August 23rd GameCenter CX will broadcast a debate on whether to take on games from the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3. While Super Mario Galaxy and Fallout: New Vegas feel like just yesterday, the grim reality is that both of those systems came out, *gulp*, 20 years ago. As such, the program is celebrating the joint anniversaries by canonizing them as “retro.” It would also mark the first time the television program took on hardware younger than the show itself.
The show has become an institution in Japanese gaming. On top of two Nintendo DS games based around GameCenter, Arino has appeared in countless pieces of gaming ephemera, including an unlockable outfit in Super Mario Maker. Some of the nicest episodes are when Arino simply explores the quieter splendors of gaming, like the time he wanted to find Japan’s furthest north arcade.
While there’s little doubt that watching Arino on his feet taking on Wii Sports Matt or picking apart Portal will be a charming affair, the ecstasy derived from his agony is finally reversed as the fans confront mortality. If there’s any silver lining to Sony ending their disc production and the precarious nature of ownership, we at least won’t have to suffer this again when the PlayStation 5 turns 20 when I’m… Know what? Not going to finish that thought.