Why would an arcade hire a rock band to perform?
Flea was stunned. If it weren't for the large Japan sign filled with gaming elements, he would have thought this was a nightclub, bar, or live music venue.
"The piece is good, the sound system is excellent, the piano—I can't really tell, but it's at a beginner level."
He pricked up his ears and listened carefully to a passage.
The Replacements' music is highly recognizable; its strong garage punk style naturally resembles the Red Hot Chili Peppers ' sound.
Moreover, I've heard that this band doesn't have a good reputation in the industry; they're known for causing trouble.
This is also remarkably similar to their Red Hot Chili Peppers.
They've done plenty of things like stripping down to their underwear on stage.
This suddenly gave Flea a slight urge to spar with the other person.
Playing bass solos and meeting new friends is a pretty good pastime.
Thinking of this, Flea stopped and turned to walk into the store.
The interior space is much larger than it appears from the outside.
This was a truly novel experience for Flea, who hadn't been to an arcade much before.
In his memory, arcades were the kind of small cement houses in the suburbs, with machines packed tightly together, and the air thick with the smell of smoke and the presence of drunkards.
But surprisingly, this place is quite stylish.
"Welcome to ArcadeArea, is this your first time here, sir?"
Henry, who was playing his handheld game, glanced habitually at the door and immediately noticed the unfamiliar face.
Although Henry couldn't possibly remember every single person in the store, he was confident he would have an impression of such a distinctive fellow.
The person was wearing a color-blocked outfit, which looked like a bunch of different colored rags sewn together, with some seams even deliberately showing.
One of his legs had a trouser leg, while the other leg was bare, revealing a section of red stockings that almost reached his knee.
Behind him was a huge violin case.
Such attire is downright bizarre.
Henry suppressed his astonishment at seeing a ghost and greeted him as usual.
He glanced at the violin case behind Flea, and after a brief hesitation, quickly realized what was happening.
They're definitely here to play that new Rocksmith game console!
"Sir, if you want to play ' Rocksmith,' you'll probably have to wait in line for a while. There are an unusually large number of players here today."
Henry gestured with his lip in one direction inside the store.
Only Gamenova could achieve this level of skill.
Flea looked in the direction he was gesturing.
A huge crowd of players were blocking the area, except for a small clearing in front of that machine.
Two young men stood there, one holding a guitar, and the other, of course, a bass.
Both instruments were connected to that particularly eye-catching machine via a connecting cable.
Musical notes are continuously falling on the huge screen.
As the two played, the notes were gradually erased.
Flea then suddenly realized that the performance just now wasn't actually a live band.
It's from an arcade game!
Compared to the bassist who was clumsily trying to keep up with the game's beat, the guitarist next to him seemed quite at ease.
Flea's eyes narrowed slightly.
The man had a head full of curly hair and clearly defined arm muscles, clearly indicating he was an experienced fighter.
At this moment, he was completely immersed in playing the instrument, oblivious to the world around him.
"He's a hard rock player too?"
Flea recalled the bands she knew, but had absolutely no recollection of the person in front of her.
"Sir, if you'd like to play ' Rocksmith,' we recommend you buy a pass; it will make it easier for you to keep track of your playing scores."
Henry spoke up to remind him, reaching out to brush across the glass display case on the counter.
There were quite a few membership cards stacked inside; this was already his umpteenth batch of goods.
The sales figures for this thing are far more astonishing than the arcade machines themselves.
Whether or not Flea has a membership card, it's always good to remind them.
"If you like playing Rocksmith, we have instrument-themed ones here. Look how beautiful this guitar is! Of course, your guitar is definitely more beautiful."
"This is a bass—this one on the cassette is also a bass—"
Flea shook her head helplessly. Well, this kind of thing does happen quite often. "Fine, just give me one."
The price tag doesn't look expensive, so I'll just buy one; it'll be a good souvenir even if it's just for my tour.
Holding her newly acquired student ID card, Flea went to the back of the crowd.
Just then, the performance came to an end.
Looking at the guitar's incredibly high rating of 100% accuracy, and then at his own pitiful 43%, the guy holding the bass sighed dejectedly.
He took off the shoulder strap, raised the bass in his hand, and faced the crowd of onlookers.
"Uh—who's next?"
Earlier, they had a minor argument over the opportunity to try out the game.
Ultimately, through the mediation of store manager Henry, a rule consistent with past games like Street Fighter was finally established – a tournament!
Whoever wins gets to play continuously, while the loser must let others who haven't played yet have a chance.
Although the onlookers were somewhat intrigued, they hesitated to approach the guitarist who was taking several gulps of water, seemingly prepared for a protracted battle.
Damn it, can't the professionals practice in a recording studio?!
Coming to a place like this made them a little embarrassed to draw attention to themselves.
It's okay if you play poorly, the problem is when there are people playing well next to you for comparison!
Honestly, this was the first time in their lives they had ever seen an arcade game like this.
To truly master a good arcade game, do you need to learn a musical instrument first?
What kind of nonsense is this – skipping, sliding, hammering, and hooking? I don't know it, bro!
Not to mention the hot-swappable cable design that allows you to replace your own instrument with a new one.
Just like that guitarist who was about to achieve a ten-game winning streak, the guitar he was playing was the one he brought with him.
Obviously, I'm more familiar with my own instrument.
They weren't sure if this factor influenced the person's record, but clearly those guys who brought their own instruments were more impressive!
It means that to truly understand this game, simply knowing this piece of music isn't enough; you'll also need a decent instrument.
Such a high barrier to entry!
Although the game has a dynamic difficulty setting, even complete beginners can join in the fun and experience the thrill of rock and roll.
But facing such formidable opponents, playing on the lowest difficulty level is really—a little embarrassing—
"Um—can I try? I brought my own bass."
Seeing that no one was responding, Flea raised an eyebrow and spoke up.
In an instant, the bustling crowd automatically made way for him.
This outfit alone, along with that intimidating violin case, was enough to make them switch into spectator mode.