GameCenter CX

Arino is challenged with beating or performing a certain task in a classic video game, typically reaching the end of the game. He is seated in a small office within the Fuji Television building at a table covered in various snack foods and drinks. In front of him is a small TV and the challenge game with an accompanying console.

In order to aid his progress, he is allowed to call upon the various staff members who work on the show for assistance. He is often presented with various materials which will help his progress such as strategy guides and maps. The challenge usually runs for one day although exceptions can be made at the discretion of the producer and if Arino has the will to go on. If Arino fails at a challenge then the task is handed over to the Assistant Directors who must work to complete the challenge.

Arino's Challenge was originally a short companion to the extensive interview segments found in the first season of the show before becoming the focus of the show in the second season. This format has remained unchanged ever since.

In this segment, Arino visited and talked to various people from the Japanese gaming industry ranging from creators of blockbuster games to obscure cult classics. In the first season, he spent the bulk of a given episode mainly talking to various people within a company. When the primary focus shifted to Arino's Challenge starting with the second season, he spoke to individuals. The final segment was a compilation of previous segments featuring some new footage.

Interstitials shown during episodes that show a brief description of games related to a company (1st and 2nd seasons) or annual order (3rd season and onwards) along with some gameplay footage. Each game collections segment usually features games that were released during a certain time period as specified at the beginning of the segment or fall within a certain theme of the episode. Between seasons 3 to 9 and 11 to 15, the show focused on Famicom and Disk System games. Starting with season 16 to 20, the segment shifted its focus to Game Boy games from 1989 ~ 1994. From seasons 21 to 26, the segment focused on Super Famicom games from 1990 ~ 1995. With Season 27, the segment now covers both PC Engine and Mega Drive games.

Each segment begins with Arino reading a suggestion from a viewer regarding a game center, shop, or other such amusement area that contains one or more arcade cabinets or unique games. Arino visits these locations throughout Japan and plays a variety of different games often with the goal of winning prizes to be given to winning viewers.

Beginning and ending with season three, Arino was tasked with completing the poorly received Famicom game Super Monkey Daibouken. As the title suggests, Arino was allowed to call viewers who sent in postcards for advice or encouragement. He eventually cleared the game in the finale of season three.

A short segment begins with Arino stepping into a sound booth in a recording studio and reading fond recollections from the viewers of their favorite games. The segment ends with a request for a well-known secret or cheats from the game subsequently followed by footage of the trick or cheat being performed.

Arino tries out various "hidden gems" among classic gaming consoles, that were overshadowed in popularity by their competitors. Some systems that appeared in this segment were the 3DO, the Master System, and the Tomy Tutor.

A very tongue-in-cheek segment in which Arino plays various Famicom games in search of salacious scenes featuring women. Once he has found such a scene he takes a picture of it using his phone.

The focus of this segment was on Game & Watch devices. Each segment would focus on a different series of the Game & Watch franchise with Arino playing some of the games in that particular series. Once he was done playing the games he was shown the absurdly high resale prices of each game, to his own shock.

These segments which ran over two seasons followed the development process of the first Game Center CX game, Retro Game Challenge. It featured Arino talking with the development team, and pitching his own ideas of what should be included in the release.

The return of the original Ring-Ring Tactics segment this time with a new game, Championship Lode Runner. With the help of the viewers, he cleared the game by the end of the season.

These short, silent film-inspired segments involved Arino entering the invincibility code into Xevious for the Famicom before fastening a clip onto the controller's fire button and leaving the game to run throughout the season, in order to see what would happen if the game's infinitely looping design stayed running for long periods of time. Halfway through the season, a box was placed over the system and TV to conceal the potential result until the end of the season. At the end of the season, the box was removed, revealing that the game was turned off at some point. There are indications that a planned power outage on July 6 was the cause.

This segment takes place in a small café where Arino is seen sitting at a table reading a newspaper. He is then brought an 80s manga series focused on the Famicom and a cup of tea. Here he typically reads a chapter of the first volume and then skips to the last chapter of the last volume to see how the series ends. He reads out loud and adds color commentary as well as his own thoughts about the series.

Random news about the show such as new sales of goods and post-event reactions related to the show, narrated by Fuji TV announcers.

In this segment, Arino is provided with a viewer-selected music clip from a game and a lyric sheet to sing along with it.

This segment follows the development of the sequel to Retro Game Challenge.

A Buddhist priest reads a particularly inspiring/profound passage from a video game strategy guide to the assembled staff. He then elaborates on the passage comparing it to real life. The staff chants the advice, with Arino providing some humorous final thoughts.

Arino tries out a handful of black & white Game Boy games, supplied by Kibe. He then typically chooses one that he'd like to see remade in color, and provides an illustration of how he thinks the remake might look.

Former AD Inoue invites Arino into his apartment to watch a series of videos of gruesome accidents in video games. Innocuous mistakes like crashing your bike in Excitebike are over-dramatized with slow-mo, intense music, and countdowns to the carnage.

Arino and two former GCCX staffers, Toujima and Nakayama, convene in a traditional home with a table of games blanketed in front of them. The show's female announcer, Ms. Takeda, reads a game's tagline, and the three men pick what game they think it is, and why, with the goal being simply to see who gets the most right.

Arino and news announcer Ms. Nishiyama do dramatic readings of key scenes from various games, such as the melodramatic Fire Emblem.

Arino and crew try out various Famicom accessories, ranging from standard pads and joysticks to the more infamous Robot and Power Glove. The title and opening sequence is a reference to the documentary series Project X: Chōsenshatachi.

Major announcements related to the TV show (shows, presential events, online broadcasts, trips, etc.) made by the Producer Kan where Arino is caught eating ice cream in a break at the window from the Gascoin Company office or his challenge room.

Arino, now 90 years old, is presented with fake Famicom games and reminisces on their contents as though they were games he played in his youth.

Arino and crew use a barcode battling device to scan the barcodes of two games, and Arino places a bet on which game will come out on top.

Parodying Golgo 13, Arino tries to identify games featured from past episodes using a pair of binoculars attached to a Super Scope in a sniper-like scenario.

This segment returns once again to cover the development of the third GameCenter CX game.

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Sega SG-1000, Arino and Kibe looked back at games that were released for the console.

Arino's at a hot spring resort playing with the Famicom Box, which has 30+ games to challenge.

Arino and Kibe looked back at the games that were released for the MSX computer system.

In a similar style to the Barcode Gambler segment, Arino and crew use the PlayStation game Monster Rancher and two J-pop CDs to create two different monsters to battle, and Arino places a bet on which CD/monster will come out on top.

Arino must beat all the Bonus Stages on several video games in order to finally get a raise in his salary.

Stylized after a news program, the TV show staff asks about how young people from Shibuya are aware of knowledge about retro gaming.

Arino plays a video game-themed version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, in order to earn special prizes.

Arino plays Mario Brothers on the Famicom Mini against former ADs.

Arino tries to learn things from educational games, such as Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Mario Paint and Dance Aerobics.

Arino plays obscure arcade games.

Arino attempts to spot differences between Famicom cartridges of the same game.

Arino and Kibe showcase various accessories and peripherals that were released for the Game Boy.

Arino plays gaming-themed goods while waiting for Kibe to finish cooking udon.

Arino gets his fortune told via various fortune-telling-themed games for the PlayStation.

Arino visits a theatre that only shows opening movies from various video games.

Arino and Kibe, with the help of a translator, learn various differences between English and Japanese versions of the same game, such as enemy names and even game titles. Arino later gets quizzed on words that have been said during the segment.

Arino drinks beverages while hearing music from certain games, such as Uncharted Waters II, Super Fantasy Zone, and Kamaitachi no Yoru.

Arino and Kibe play games that feature cats, such as Mappy, Star Fox 64, and Parodius Da!.

Parodying the Anime and Manga series Spy × Family, an AD cosplaying Anya Forger brings Arino obscure Game Controllers that didn't sell well due to varying issues and tests them in the game it is meant to be played.

Arino attempts to recreate a safe spot with each chosen game.