The so-called main event at Arc System Works’ “Arc Fes,” an event held to commemorate the game maker’s 25th anniversary, was the finals of the “Arc Revolution Cup.” In order to decide the very best players of three of Arc System Works’ currently popular beat ‘em up games - Blazblue Chronophantasma (BBCP), Guilty Gear XX Λ Core Plus R (GGACPR), and Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena (P4U) - players who won the previously held preliminary rounds gathered from all over Japan for the tournament. Among the countless challengers were 64 warriors for each game who had won tickets to participate in the tournament. The roughly 200 players pushed their skills to the limits in this intense battle that attendees couldn’t take their eyes off of from beginning to end.
The first half of the tournament consisted of three rounds, with the second half covering the quarterfinals and final showdown. The first part of the tournament consisted of simultaneous battles unfolding on the machines lined up on stage. Within each battle, drama unfolded as players showed their level of strategy. Each round had a time limit of 99 seconds, and the winners and losers of the first match were decided in under three minutes. Contestants continued to be weeded out using this format, and within two hours, the close to 200 contestants had been narrowed down to 32.
Then, it was time for the second half of the tournament to begin. The first game that was played was P4U. The first person to acquire the title of Champion in the tournament was a contestant named Minori who used the character Mitsuru. In line with Minori’s comment, “I’ll put Kanto’s own Mitsuru’s strength on display!” this contestant triumphed by keeping to Mitsuru’s powerful mid-range attacks and never letting the other contestants get too close. Minori won flawlessly, not even losing a single round! Seeing such astounding power, the audience came alive with comments of wonder.
The next contestant to be named the best was GGACPR player Keesha who used the character Faust. The matches played in the second half of the tournament for the games BBCP, GGACPR, and P4U were each popular, but the one that particularly had the crowd riled up was GGACPR’s finals. Keesha commented on the win, saying, “I’ve had embarrassing defeats in the past, and I wanted to make up for that here.” The deciding match was played against a contestant named Haken who used the character Potemkin. It was a close battle, with the winner’s health gauge being nearly depleted each round. The last round was a stalemate situation in which victory and defeat was but a single blow away for each of them. In the end, Keesha was able to read his opponent's movements and land the deciding blow. After winning, Keesha proclaimed in a voice filled with emotion, “I put all of my effort into that match.”
After this, the final round of battles began for BBCP. The winner of the crown and the title of Champion for this game was a contestant named Galileo who used the character Litchi. From the quarterfinal match, he used Overdrives to maximum effect without letting up on his opponents, and he rightfully advanced to the top to be crowned the victor. His play style was nearly flawless, and voices leapt up from the audience of people saying, “His play style is definitely not ordinary.” Galileo kept up this valiant style until the very last moment when he won the title of Champion. In words full of vigor, he said, “I grinded away at beat ‘em up games for seven years in order to win this large battle,” to which he received a thunderous round of applause from the audience.
Looking back on the tournament, the conclusion encapsulated the feeling of the strict perseverance of the players from all over Japan who trained hard day in and day out and the many dramatic moments that unfolded at the tournament. Daisuke Ishiwatari, general director of the Guilty Gear series, then took the stage to say, “I want everyone to be proud of the gamers who participated in this tournament.” This was followed up by Toshimichi Mori, producer of the Blazblue series, who said, “After having the privilege of witnessing this contest, I’m very glad we made those games, and I’m truly happy right now.” Both comments attest to the high level of the tournament’s matches and the skills of those who participated.
For those reading this who have never played a beat ‘em up game before but whose interest has been peaked, we strongly encourage you to play one soon. After all, gamers all over the world are waiting challenge you.
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This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.