10/9 - Fan Friday

Welcome to Today's Edition of Fan Friday! Fan Friday is created for you, the fans, who either email, tweet, or talk to the Round 1 Blogger in asking for particular content outside of the norm (redemption games, karaoke, etc.)! But what does this mean though? That means that this feature is a free-for-all so long as it pertains closely to Round 1 Eastridge! You ask and (sometimes) you will receive.

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Today's Topic is Odd/Unique Games at Round 1!
Special thanks to Matthew Bulotano for today's suggested piece and feedback!

Here at The (Unofficial) Round 1 Arcade Hub, we primarily gear ourselves toward games that have a community. These are usually the racing games, the fighting games and the music games. However, there are definitely more games at Round 1 than just from these three genres.  Some are very mainstream like redemption game token pushers, and some are very interactive like Dark Horror 4D. However, there are definitely a couple of games at Round 1 that are definitely different from the normal, traditional genres and concepts. Here is a couple of them that you can find!

超ちゃぶ台返し/Cho Chabudai Gaeshi! (Super Table Flipping)

This is not a music game, a racing game or a fighting game by any means. Well, you could call it a fighting game... if by "fighting", you mean flipping a large, round circular table at your very annoying family. Cho Chabudai Gaeshi! (Super Table Flipping in English), created by Taito, is an odd non-redemption game where you are placed in one of four different scenarios of your choice (dinner-time with the family, host club annoyance, wedding gone wrong or office shenanigans) and your goal is to flip your table at the perfect moment to create as much collateral damage as you possibly can. The more damage you cause (which is gauged in Yen), the higher your score will be. There are also hidden objectives in each stage where, if you achieve them, nets you more points. Not only is the concept of the game so vastly different from most traditional non-redemption games, but it adds some wacky humor and a strange feeling of happiness and stress-relief when you throw your hands up in the air with your plastic table controller and scare the crap out of your obnoxious, rude, blocky family.

Ollie King

Surprise! There is a game that is about skateboarding that does not have the words "Tony Hawk" in it! Ollie King, created by Sega in 2004, is a skateboarding game where you compete against other skateboarders in a competition. What makes this game so different from "Tony Hawk" or any sports/riding games? This game is interactive with the player on a non-wheeled skateboard and two rails for the player to hold onto. During the game, you are able to perform a myriad of jumps and grinds to not only boost your speed and pass your opponents, but to add to the overall performance and grade you receive at the end of the round! You do this through moving your board up and down with your feet at the appropriate times and navigating through the stage. But watch out! There are some things in the stages that will knock you off your board like moving cars and trolleys. (ouch) The game was developed by the same team that created Jet Set Radio so you are in for a treat if you are a fan of JSR!

Grand Piano Keys

It's odd in itself that I am writing about a redemption game, but here me out: this game is actually a lot of fun. Grand Piano Keys can be played with two players, but the premise of the game for the players is this: each player has four HUGE piano keys they can hit and they must hit the correct key that flashes green on the screen. The player keeps hitting the corresponding flashing key on-screen until time runs out. If a player presses the wrong key, the game temporarily "freezes" you while the timer is still running to show you what wrong key you hit. This game is surprisingly fun as you play classic tunes while winning tickets. For a while, some players from the music game community were trying out this game, laughing about the fact that it felt like an oversized Beatmania IIDX. A few were even grabbing their friends and challenging them!

Super Monkey Ball: Ticket Blitz

Were you a pro at Super Monkey Ball back in the day? Were you one of the individuals who played it on your Dreamcast years before? Time to brush up and utilize your skills then! Super Monkey Ball is at Round 1 in Arcade Redemption Form! Our favorite little monkey friend, AiAi, is in his ball and it is up to YOU to get him through the end of the level while collecting bananas which earn you tickets! You are timed though, so if you don't make it to the goal on time or if you run out of lives, it's Game Over. If you make it to the goal, a Jackpot game will start where you try to aim AiAi into the goal ring to get bonus tickets!  Instead of playing Super Monkey Ball with a traditional console controller though, the player will be utilizing a 7 inch track ball to navigate AiAi. Time to get the ball rolling!
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