Arcade Station (English Version) Episode 12

Episode 12: Let the Conflict Between Communities Begin! -Conflict-

Most of the regular Movement Rhythm Community members who visited Arcade Station were left speechless upon what they’d seen with their own eyes. Xephyr, who came since afternoon, noticed something different since she and the others left for AnimeCon on the previous day.

Ian, Norcross, and Don looked forward for the other rhythm games available in Arcade Station. It turned out that only two players lining up for their turn in each rhythm games, except for Maimai, Danz Base, and Groove Coaster, which had more than four players waiting, with most of them swiping on each game they wanted to play before waiting for their turn in front of the game cabinet that they wanted to play first.

Ian shook his head upon seeing several players swiped their game cards several times before even playing each game without even writing their names on the queue list on each game they wanted to play. Worse of all, after they swiped for inserting several credits, mostly they walked back to Danz Base cabinet after seeing two players had finished three stages of that game.

“Guys, I think I’ve told you about putting the sign for the players who wanted to play the games. Especially with Maimai and Groove Coaster, and most of all, Danz Base!” Xephyr reminded.

“I thought I didn’t think it was necessary. I thought they know they need to sign their name if the players who want to play much larger than expected,” Norcross replied.

“10 credits, 12 credits, and worse … Danz Base has currently 25 credits waiting,” said Don.

“C’mon, Ian, you’re the leader, you know what to do,” Norcross said again.

Ian pointed on himself, “Me? Dude, it’s not that easy! They’re too many to deal with! Besides, they’re not part of our group, Movement Rhythm Community. I don’t know all these people. Okay, all I know is I often see them playing several times, that’s it.”

“Dude, I think I’ve seen another group besides us on Facebook.” Don immediately looked on his phone screen.

“Yeah, I know who they are.” Ian pumped up his hands. “They’re … Rhythm Arcade Gamers!!”

“Why their community name is so simple anyway?” asked Norcross.

“Oh crap, they had more members than us?!” shouted Don noticing the total members of their rival’s Facebook group.

“Huh?! No way!!” shouted Norcross seeing Don’s phone screen.

“That one …,” Ian pointed on the almost bald guy who wore glasses and played Danz Base. “He swipes for many credits frequently. I always saw him when he plays Danz Base and Pump It Up! Guess how many credits he inserted? 10!”

“10 credits?” repeated Norcross and Xephyr quietly.

“Guys, why is MT5 so full? They continued playing by inserting the credits?” asked Aishiro who came with Hans.

Hans added, “I don’t know, ever since we left for AnimeCon last weekend, they came and they think they can play like as they want. So that’s why Harris and the others texted on the LINE group that they can’t handle this any longer. They had told them many times, but they didn’t even listen.”

Xephyr got angered when she heard two players hit the buttons on Maimai cabinet so hard while playing. “Damn it! They even pushed the buttons even harder! They could break the buttons!”

“Hey, Xephyr, relax. If you’re telling them while you’re angry, so they are,” Hans warned.

“What is the name of the community again?” asked Aishiro to Don.

“I just heard that the people behind the community are strong in rhythm games,” Don said.

Ian added, “Not only rhythm games, but also racing and fighting games. Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team!!”

“Why I never heard about them?” asked Aishiro confused.

“They often scored high in Danz Base, but mostly, they are also dancers, huge pros,” Hans replied.

“Fine, this is ridiculous, who’s gonna tell them to stop inserting too much credits?” Norcross finally lost his patience.

“Not me,” Ian, Don, and Xephyr replied pessimistically.

***

At the same time, Ward got dismayed when he got only five stars instead of maximum six after playing Paraoka’s Summerghost on Tone Sphere with HARD difficulty in the food court. Dave tapped Chroma HARD difficulty on Groove Coaster gameplay video to play on YouTube. While Toshi got distracted by the group chat on LINE.

“Salt! Salt!” screamed Ward in dismay.

Luckily, the food court was not as crowded as on weekends, there were only few people dining in there. No one got distracted by Ward’s scream on his game result on Chroma on Tone Sphere.

“Ooooh!! Ooooh!! I’m so stupid!!” shouted Dave upon finding out the adlib location in the beginning of Chroma on Groove Coaster. “So that’s why I didn’t get FULL CHAIN on the song!”

“Right now, everyone’s in Arcade Station. We’re already here, in this building, since 10 o’clock, the opening of the day, then about thirty minutes later, everyone came, and not from Movement Rhythm Community, but from … I don’t know,” Toshi explained as he typed the reply on the chat. “Looks like it’s useless upon we know these people that we don’t know RCT-ed the whole Arcade Station here.”

“RCT?” Ward asked. “What does RCT mean?”

“It’s Red Clown Team,” Dave revealed.

“It doesn’t make any sense.”

“It’s a long story.”

Toshi added, “It’s often used as people who inserted too much credits, way excessive. It’s originated from Pump It Up.”

“In other words, RCT is the name for several egoistic people flooding credits in any arcade game, refusing to wait for their turn, littering, and lastly having reckless behavior,” Dave concluded.

“Onii-chan, you’re too formal to say those,” Toshi judged. “Oh no, everyone’s leaving.”

“What?” Ward stood up looking some people walking away from Arcade Station.

Fed up with those people who flooded credits in every single arcade game available in Arcade Station, except redemption games and Aikatsu, Aishiro, Xephyr, Don, and Ed walked out from Arcade Station.

Xephyr, Don, and Ed walked downstairs, while Aishiro saw Dave, Toshi, and Ward sitting in one of the food court tables that wasn’t as crowded as the previous days. He immediately walked greeting them as the waiter also brought their food.

“Aishiro!” greeted Toshi.

“Hey, you’re not in Arcade Station right now?” asked Aishiro.

“The earliest, but we left once the players I don’t even know, random people, started inserting so much credits in each rhythm games, and they even did it on fighting games too. Even BlazBlue!” Ward expressed his frustration. “All of the sudden those players have been doing this since we all left for AnimeCon. Even in the LINE group, Harris told yesterday that most of Movement Rhythm Community members in Arcade Station were annoyed, totally annoyed with them.”

“They can be truly sensitive, I don’t want to hurt their feelings. I don’t want to make them angry. I know how they react on Facebook. It’s more serious than I thought,” Dave addressed.

“I guess, we’re going to talk about this while we eat.” Toshi immediately took his knife and fork to start eating his food that he had ordered.

Unlike Dave and Toshi who began eating their food, Ward was still playing Tone Sphere on his phone, this time playing Conflict with HARD difficulty, despite his food already arrived at the table.

Aishiro noticed, “Ward, you’re not eating your food?”

“Right now, I’m trying to play Conflict on Tone Sphere,” Ward replied as he played the game.

“Alright, I’m going to order something.”

***

“What should we say to them?” asked Norcross in front of Maimai cabinet.

“I don’t know, I thought you had the words and sentences what to say.” Ian said.

“They still insert their credits, still about ten in each game!”

Several customers and visitors in Arcade Station eventually walked away after waiting for their turn for really long time, in some cases, the players who gathered for their turn stole their credits that they had inserted to the game.

Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team members who played each game available in Arcade Station didn’t care about the other visitors, including the members from Movement Rhythm Community. They just continued playing and let their friends from the same community play the same game.

Even worse, they play as if they didn’t care about the cabinet, including pressing buttons way too hard while playing Maimai and Groove Coaster, steering the wheel on Maximum Tune 5DX way too hard, and stomping Pump It Up pad’s buttons way too hard also. While for those who played Danz Base, they just moved their body to reach the notes without even dancing. Luckily, there were fewer of them playing the now discontinued Dance Evolution Arcade, due to the dancing movement just more complex than Danz Base.

The loud noises just heard from the buttons just pushed hard from Maimai, Groove Coaster, and Pump It Up showed the players played the game as if they were angry with unleashing their power.

“Should we tell them now?” asked Norcross.

“Whatever, I know what I’m going to say. It’s confrontation time,” shouted Ian.

FULL COMBO!

That was the sound from Danz Base when an almost bald guy who wore glasses successfully reached full combo despite not dancing at all. Ian and Norcross immediately walked confronting the guy after seeing him finishing the game.

“You there. We just want to tell you something. You guys inserted too many credits in every single arcade game available here, and you made the other customers and players uncomfortable seeing you playing like that,” Ian immediately confronted the guy.

“We also got the complaints from our friends that since most of us left for AnimeCon, you  … guys as if own all of the games. It’s not even yours,” Norcross added.

“Excuse me, where are you from? Are you not from our community?” asked the guy.

“That’s truly grammatically incorrect question!” slammed Ian. “Look, I don’t want to offend you, but just let the rest of the players in Arcade Station play, don’t just flood too much credits.”

“I’m so sorry, but you guys have been dominating the arcade before,” the guy replied.

Norcross defended Ian, “Look, we even let any players play any games while we all gather round. Absolutely. We didn’t insert too much credits either. At least, one by one, everyone gets turn playing their favorite games. That’s it.”

“Thank you, Norcross,” said Ian.

The guy slammed back, “Absolutely not. Apparently, you guys, from Movement Rhythm Community, have been dominating all the games around here, except Aikatsu since only the children play.”

“No, we’re not!” Ian argued back.

“Yes, you’re, you’re….”

Norcross cut, “Oh man, I know it! I followed you on Instagram. You’re Ralston Gilpin, you have 8K followers! Oh wait, are you really Ralston Gilpin?”

“Dude! He’s still one of the players who flooded the credits!” Ian patted Norcross’ shoulder.

“Oh man, you’re right. Ralston Gilpin, even though you have many Instagram followers, you still have to behave like regular players,” Norcross told

“What’s going on here?” asked a tall guy who stood right behind Ian and Norcross.

Ian turned around and realized the tall guy’s identity. “Oh crap, you’re Adolph Franklin, I followed your Instagram too, you have 3K followers, right?”

“Why everyone in Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team is having Instagram with thousand followers already?” Norcross exclaimed.

“I see, you guys from Movement Rhythm Community. Most of you were gone to AnimeCon when we take over. It’s worth it what we’ve done to you as a payback. The payback for dominating Arcade Station,” said Adolph.

“Oh crap, you too?” Ian asked.

“I think I remember him,” Norcross talked to Ian. “When I and Harris just finished playing another round of Maimai, we saw him punching Tekken cabinet.”

“What? Why?” Ian whispered.

“A player, I don’t know who he is, continued inserting his credits on Danz Base, I thought he was the member of Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team,” Norcross replied in whisper.

“You know what, if you don’t we’re here doing whatever we want, you should leave,” Adolph told in higher voice.

“Hey! You don’t have any rights to say that!” shouted Ian angrily led to everyone noticing the conversation.

“He has! Because he’s the leader!”  Ralston replied.

Norcross replied pointing on Ian, “He’s also the leader!”

Louder voice began to appear when Ian and Norcross angrily confronted Adolph and Ralston. However, with Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team members currently in Arcade Station had more standing by to back Adolph and Ralston, Ian and Norcross just likely were going to lose the heated argument.

Luckily, for Ian and Norcross, Hans and Don eventually entered Arcade Station wondering what was happening. They both immediately ran to the scene where Ian and Norcross yelling to Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team members.

“Hey! Ian, Norcross, what’s going on?” asked Hans interrupting the arguments.

“You know what’s going on here,” Don replied.

“Oh, your friends are coming here?” said Ralston.

Hans replied, “Okay, guys, that’s it, yeah, you two!” He pointed on Adolph and Ralston. “And you, Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team, you went too far.”

“Too far? You guys went too far! You didn’t give us any chance to play any single game available here,” Ralston argued back.

“No wonder Movement Rhythm Community is for wannabes,” Adolph mocked.

“That’s it, we’re outta here. Hans, Norcross, Don, let’s go!” Ian walked away from the argument.

“Ian, but!” shouted Norcross.

“We’re leaving!” shouted Ian.

“Fine, leave!” shouted Adolph mocking as Ian, Norcross, Hans, and Don walked out of Arcade Station. “You guys are lame! Not as strong as your performance in the games! Pathetic!”

“You’re pathetic!” Norcross yelled back as they exited Arcade Station.

***

“Any news, guys?” asked Aishiro.

“Not at all in the group,” Toshi had finished his lunch along with Dave and Ward.

Ward asked, “I don’t get it, at all.”

“We don’t,” Dave added.

“Should we just go back to Arcade Station?” asked Toshi.

“They just don’t care whatever we’ve said,” Ward concluded. “They don’t care, that’s it, they don’t care with any players who want to play in Arcade Station. While we’re leaving for AnimeCon just to try Sound Voltex and Museca, and IIDX too, they dominated Arcade Station, in here!”

“AAAAAH!!” screamed Ian exiting Arcade Station with Norcross, Hans, and Don.

Ward was the first to notice. “Are they leaving Arcade Station?”

“Angrily?” asked Dave and Toshi at the same time before they immediately walked out from the food court.

“Ward, Dave, Aishiro, Toshi, thank God you’re here!” said Norcross.

“Oh, it’s worse than I thought, isn’t it?” asked Dave.

“What’s wrong?” asked Toshi.

“We lost the argument. They even accused us, all of us, for blocking any players any chance to play in Arcade Station! And what they did to block us is … unacceptable!” shouted Ian.

“Ian, calm down, dude,” Aishiro calmly said.

“What?” Ward immediately responded, “They can’t just accuse us like that, we even let other players than us, Movement Rhythm Community, play while we’re waiting for their turn. I remember teaching someone to play BlazBlue there.”

“I played one credit per turn,” Toshi added.

“Same,” Aishiro added.

“Once I played one credit for the game, I moved on to the other games, simple,” Dave told the reason.

Hans picked up his phone to read the group chat. “Man, Xephyr and Ed are coming back, and Amy too. The others too.”

Don told, “It’s your decision, Ian, Norcross.”

Ian said, “I’m going to tell in the LINE group.”

***

MOVEMENT RHYTHM COMMUNITY (91)

Ian Hunter

Guys (1:23 PM)

We’re gathering near the food court (1:23 PM)

For those who are in the same building as us (1:24 PM)

Just go upstairs (1:24 PM)

Gavin Booth

Just arrived (1:25 PM)

What happened? (1:25 PM)

Amy Kavanagh

Be right there! (1:25 PM)

Norcross Adamson

We’re facing Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team together (1:26 PM)

Melanie Keegan

What’s wrong? (1:26 PM)

Raven

Almost there (1:27 PM)

Traffic sucks (1:27 PM)

Ian Hunter

You know why if you scroll (1:28 PM)

Norcross Adamson

We need to gather near the food court (1:29 PM)

We stage the protest against them (1:29 PM)

For what they have done to us (1:29 PM)

(1:30 PM) Because they have done RCT

Zeke

Be right there! (1:31 PM)

Alden

Sure, let’s just go (1:32 PM)

Ian Hunter

Remember (1:33 PM)

After all of you gathered round, we’re heading straight to Arcade Station (1:34 PM)

***

Movement Rhythm Community members who have come to the food court finally stage their walk to Arcade Station as if they were going to have a war against their biggest enemy yet. Ian and Norcross led the gang which consisted of at least 30 members of the group who could come.

Dave, Toshi, Aishiro, Ward, Amy, Hans, Xephyr, Don, and Ed were also the ones who followed Ian and Norcross walking straight to Arcade Station near the food court as they stage the protest to Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team.

Ward asked, “This’ gonna work?”

“We’ll see about that,” Ian replied.

“So, what now?” asked Toshi as they made their stop in front of Arcade Station’s entrance.

Immediately, Adolph, Ralston, and Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team members walked greeting Movement Rhythm Community members with not so nice way as if they backstabbed them.

Toshi got surprised when someone that he knew, totally knew, was a member of Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team. He saw the person standing between the female members of the rival community “Sung Mi?”

“You’re coming back for more?” asked Adolph.

“Yeah! I bring my team’s members here. Bring it on!” Ian argued.

“It’s way too late. Want to know why? Arcade Station is better without you.”

“What?” shouted several Movement Rhythm Community members.

“The manager of Arcade Station has told us, Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team, that Movement Rhythm Community is no longer welcome to play games ever again. Forever,” Adolph made it official.

“My uncle is totally worth it,” Ralston said.

“Uncle?” Ed repeated.

“Oh! Uncle!” shouted Ian, Norcross, Amy, Toshi, and Aishiro.

“Nothing personal, but you need to get the hell out of here, and don’t ever think we’ll ever see your face again. Because you’re all already banned from Arcade Station. You’re not allowed to play here ever again, period. So long, suckers,” Adolph ended the announcement.

Adolph, Ralston, and several Hilltop Arcade Gaming Team members immediately walked back entering Arcade Station, with several Movement Rhythm Community expressed their dismay to all of them.

“What the f***?!” shouted Dave.