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Examiner.com takes on Takahashi Meijin
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Takahashi Meijin and the Shooting Watch
Last week's Hudson Entertainment media event became more than just an evening of announcements, chats with producers (both U.S. and Japanese), and hands-on demos. It was also an opportunity to match one's skills against a gaming legend.
Known as Takahashi Meijin to Japanese gamers (and many non-gamers), this developer/executive/gamer is a 27-year Hudson veteran and one of the industry's earliest celebrities. If you played Adventure Island on the NES (a port of Wonder Boy), you have actually seen Takahashi's likeness as the main character, Master Higgins, was modeled after Takahashi himself. In fact, the literal translation of the Japanese version is Master Takahashi's Adventure Island.
His skill in Hudson's Star Soldier earned him the nickname of "16 Shot" for his 16 shots-per-second trigger speed. This has been documented in several TV appearances and promotional videos over the decades. Hudson even came out with the Shooting Watch which measures button taps within a 10 second time frame. Sure enough, Takahashi Meijin happened to have one that evening.
Takahashi Meijin in the zone
The fact that this one-on-one match was not formally part of the evening's agenda (I did not even know Meijin would be in town until that evening) perhaps contributed to my relaxed attitude as I commenced to mash on the Shooting Watch. It did not occur to me to firmly stabilize myself on a flat surface, using instead my left hand to hold the device. After enduring 10 seconds, I came away with a respectable 120 hits and some hearty congratulations from some of the Japanese staff. Now it was Takahashi-san's turn, who had the practical sense to lay the Shooting Watch on a flat surface. Watching the man in action, I was ready to be humbled by the man most feared by watermelons. His instantaneous outburst at the end of his 10 seconds spelled out the improbable, that I actually managed to beat him: 120 - 118. His animated demeanor (laced with Japanese expletives) toward his amused Hudson colleagues meant I might be obligated to rematch.
Military Madness: Nectaris
That would have to wait though as the evening's formal presentation was about to begin. Compared to the countless other presentations in past media events, Hudson's producers consistently rank high on the enthusiasm scale, and many of the journalists reciprocated in kind that night. It was certainly justified when you have money making titles like Diner Dash and the million-selling Deca Sports as well as classic series like Bomberman, Military Madness and Bonk. The latest installments of all these properties were presented as well as an enhanced console port of the indie puzzle game, Rooms. Arguably the most intriguing game of the night was first person survival horror title Calling which seems to involve a lot of cell phone interaction by way of the Wii remote.
Bonk: Brink of Extinction on demo
The presentation was followed with the obligatory hands-on time with all the aforementioned games. After about half an hour of playtime, refreshments, and catching up with veteran journalists, Takahashi Meijin and I proceeded with our rematch. This time I took advantage of a flat surface which in the end did not seem to be of much help as I reached 116. This time it was Meijin's turn to post 120 hits which left him more than satisfied. With several minutes to kill before his next media interview, he proceeded to wax nostalgic on the times he was able to hit 160, equating himself to an aging Carl Lewis.
Hands-on with Bomberman Live: Battlefest
Although I was ready for one final handshake and bid my farewell, it appeared there was one more surprise event planned for the night. As the evening as about to draw to a close, several journalists were rounded up and each given a Shooting Watch for a 5-way button mash contest with a Calling t-shirt signed by Meijin as the prize. While it seemed all the spots were filled, Hudson assistant manager Takehito Hanyu egged me on as a last minute addition. With Meijin himself calling out "Ready. Set. Go!" we all jammed on our respective Shooting Watches, collectively shaking the tiny table we surrounded. Perhaps it was due to the evening's (arguably unfair) prior training that I managed to take home the prize with the only triple-digit score of the contest, 103.
Clearly it was time to leave on a high note. Before doing so, I remained on stage for a few more minutes as we all started to share different button tapping techniques with Hudson staff and onlookers. When it was my turn to chime in, I told Meijin, veteran journalist (and fellow contestant) Chris Kohler, and others that I had to thank Metal Gear Solid's torture scenes for my prior training.
My personal best
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