Easter Sunday.
Ultimately, this thing is still an arcade machine. No matter how much enthusiastic fans want to buy one, individual buyers can't get their hands on the same day like distributors.
Therefore, visiting arcades in various locations has become an essential part of today's itinerary.
Perhaps the only thing that can stop everyone is that Easter is not a public holiday.
However, this is actually a good thing for those players who are eager to be the first to play it.
The fewer people crowding into the queue, the better!
Tom parked the car on the top floor of the parking lot, sat in the driver's seat, and took a deep breath.
The parking spot is quite a distance from this arcade in the city center.
It wasn't that he didn't want to park any closer; it was just that this was the only parking space he could find.
After getting off the bus and walking a few steps quickly, Tom stood behind the concrete wall, gazing towards the arcade.
"Goodness..." This was the first time he had such a clear understanding of Gamenova's influence.
Ever since his dream of finding his ideal woman was shattered by the Atari Lynx incident, Tom has been irrevocably drawn to Gamenova.
It would have been better if I hadn't played it at all, but suddenly playing a work like this, I was completely captivated and couldn't eat or sleep.
Let them play; once they start, they don't utter a sound.
Playing until I was completely out of it and missed clocking in for work in the morning; playing until I lost my job.
He was so engrossed in playing that he didn't even notice his girlfriend calling him to go on a date at a restaurant; all he could think about was what new membership card he needed to buy that day.
When someone asked him if he had forgotten what day it was, he replied, "Oh, right, I forgot to hang up the Zork Idle."
His girlfriend asked him if he had prepared a gift, and he said he had: the latest model of the Mighty Eagle barcode toy, deluxe shrink-sealed version.
There's nothing we can do; the rebound is just too severe.
"Why..."
Tom looked at the dark shadows outside the arcade, which resembled a thick, dark cloud, and sighed helplessly.
It's not that I feel sad because I'm recalling the experiences of the past few days, but rather that I feel distressed about having to wait in a long line.
It's all people!
If he didn't know what was going on there, he probably would have thought that the building in front of him was a superstar's concert.
What can we do then?
Does having to wait in line mean I shouldn't come and play?
That kind of thing is absolutely impossible.
Even before stepping into the arcade, one could already notice the difference from usual.
Posters of Michael Jack and Gamenova were displayed everywhere.
In a daze, this place is starting to feel more and more like a concert venue.
"Waaaaah..."
Tom vaguely heard the sirens of emergency vehicles in the distance. Shortly afterward, he saw a group of paramedics carrying an unconscious woman out of the arcade on a stretcher.
"Wtf?"
If I'm not mistaken, that room should be an arcade, not an octagon.
How could someone go in standing up and come out lying down?
How dire and chaotic must things be inside?
The person was being carried on a stretcher; perhaps the bumpy ride had upset her.
Before long, she actually woke up.
Before anyone around her could react, she screamed and grabbed the caregiver's wrist, scrambling up from the stretcher.
"Michael!!!"
She shouted and made a move to jump off the stretcher and rush back into the store.
However, the caregiver, who had already realized what was happening, grabbed her tightly and pressed her onto the stretcher.
The scene descended into chaos. It was unclear whether the inside was an octagonal cage, but at least the area near the entrance certainly resembled one.
A chaotic bunch of people started fighting.
It's unclear where this seemingly frail woman got her incredible strength; even two caregivers combined couldn't hold her down.
After being punched and kicked by her, the men had no choice but to release her.
Then, a third-party group intervened forcefully!
Two fully armed security guards rushed out of the store, grabbed her from both sides while she was still acting crazy, and then threw her outside, where she was pushed aside by the crowd in line.
A short while later, a man dressed like the store manager walked to the door with a dark expression, pasted a notice on the door, and then turned and went back inside.
At the same time, another stretcher team was carried out of the store.
To be honest, Tom admits that there was a moment when he really chickened out.
Is everything really okay here?
Is it really not some underground boxing gym disguised as an arcade? Two hours later.
Tom finally got his wish and reached the front of the line.
The most enjoyable part of queuing isn't watching the number of people in front of you get smaller and smaller.
Instead, he watched as more and more people gathered behind him.
Just before entering, Tom glanced back casually.
It was a dark, dense mass.
His gaze fell on the signs on the door that read "No Disturbance" and "No Entry for People with Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, etc." He hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the store.
However, this is only the first hurdle.
There are only a few shows of " Michael Jack's Moonwalk," so you still have to wait in line when you get here.
There were quite a few players in the store who were quite open-minded. While everyone was focused on queuing up to play the new Kung-Fu Master, they went to play the rides that usually required long queues.
But Tom had come specifically for this explosive new release, so he had no choice but to obediently continue queuing.
Even so, there's one major advantage to going inside compared to outside: you can watch others play and get a taste of it first.
Gamenova's strength doesn't stop at handheld and console games; arcade games are also a major battleground.
According to the information he consulted, Gamenova started out making arcade games.
This can be considered staying true to one's original aspirations.
"That must be the legendary Temple Run... Wow, it even has a curtain, sitting inside would be so atmospheric."
He swallowed hard, staring in amazement at the arcade machine frame painted with a " Raiders of the Lost Ark " theme.
Since falling into the embrace of Gamenova, Tom has realized just how vast the world of video games truly is.
It has a kind of enlightening feeling, like suddenly realizing the vastness of the world.
Shooting games aren't just about monotonous flight shooting; you can actually wield a rotary machine gun in first-person perspective and mow down enemies.
The action isn't limited to the movement of 8-bit color blocks; it can also be the exhilarating parkour of games like Temple Run.
Tom's gaze shifted, landing on a row of driver's seat-like contraptions against the wall in the distance.
"That must be the ' Rock N' Roll Racing ' and 'Outrun' they were talking about..." No wonder, those games are so exciting, that lady must have accidentally fainted while playing them.
Further away are Rocksmith, Street Fighter, and the King of Fighters...
This place is like a treasure trove, filled with inexhaustible joy waiting to be discovered.
And I only discovered it at the very end of my decadent youth.
"Oh!!!"
Just as they were pondering this, a deafening cheer suddenly erupted from the front of the group.
A group of people were shouting and gesticulating wildly, as if they had gone mad.
In the heat of the moment, a few even decided to perform Michael Jackson's classic 45-degree forward lean on the spot.
However, without steel cables, specialized ground mechanisms, or special training, how could such a move be accomplished?
The sound of heads hitting the ground echoed continuously.
The cry of pain was followed by a burst of laughter.
The person who had fallen was helped up by his friends, who laughed and joked. He then continued to stare intently at the arcade screen, as if afraid of missing any exciting moments. Tom noticed that one of his friends was crying his eyes out, standing there sobbing uncontrollably.
A few breaths later...
"Bang!"
The stretcher team, which was already prepared, hurriedly came in through the emergency exit and carried the person out.
The shop manager, who had been standing guard nearby, rushed to the front of the group with a grim expression and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"I'm begging you, can't people with heart conditions go home? This is already the umpteenth time! Please, don't let them die in my shop!"
Tom, who witnessed the whole thing, stood there dumbfounded.
What do you mean by saying that those people just fainted while playing " Michael Jack's Moonwalk"?
That's not exactly a very exciting motion-sensing game, is it?
Based on media reports and official statements, this should be a fast-paced action game similar to Metal Slug.
Okay, Tom wasn't a die-hard Michael fan; he was there purely for Gamenova's name, so naturally he didn't quite understand the behavior of the guys ahead of him. But no worries, it wouldn't be long before Tom understood everything that had just happened when he was in the queue.
"Next!"
"No!!! Michael!!!!!"
The security guard pulled away the player who was clinging tightly to the arcade machine and was about to refill his tokens, and shouted behind him.
Tom watched as the man was led away in chains, then sat down, still dazed, and tossed in a dollar.
One dollar per time!
This price is definitely one of the highest per-player prices in the entire arcade.
But for players familiar with Gamenova titles, this is nothing new.
Forget about one dollar per entry; if the store manager offered a VIP Fastpass, similar to those at Disneyland, for an extra fee, that would allow people to queue much faster...
Similarly, a large number of players will invest regardless of the cost.
Black screen. Under the spotlight, Michael slowly walked forward.
Then came a signature turn, followed by his equally classic toe-standing stance.
Several rays Fallout out, and the screen suddenly brightened.
In the Starfield, the moon streaks across the screen, revealing the boundless Starfield behind it.
The words "gamenova" and "michaeljackson's" appeared, followed by the game's main title.
[ Moonwalker walker]
It shares the exact same title as Michael's own film, indicating that a licensing agreement has clearly been reached between the two parties.
[Game Concept and Game Design]
[From]
[ Michael Jack and Lin Lixin ]
[gamenova 1989]
"Moon Walker!" A voice announced the game's name from a pair of high-fidelity speakers mounted on either side of the arcade machine.
Those familiar with the voice will immediately recognize it as the voice dubbed by Michael Jackson himself.