The true social media. Walk up and stick a quarter on the cabinet. With the ever present sounds of bowling balls hitting pins at the Sports Center, you know exactly which one is yours out of the seven up there. Everybody hovering around, watching and kibitzing. Emotions bounce from stoic concentration to exuberant trash talk. Respect is briefly granted to the kid running the joystick for a half-hour until the hollers and applause when a frame perfect dragon punch knocks him out mid-kick, dethroning the current champ. Quarter laid up again, back in the line for the next dopamine hit shared with strangers.<p>We are more connected than ever, yet still so far apart.
We had an Asian store across from the middle school where I hung out and we played Street Fighter for hours after school. The second generation Hmong that came out of the Vietnam war would would hang out and play. We all loved it! I'd often play Ken and they'd play Ryu, haha, we love our avatars. Sometimes I gave them a run for their money, sometimes they taught me new techniques, like a new sequence of moves.<p>Some of the other kids on my street went to private schools and I think they missed out on some of the lessons/bonding I got from interacting with a variety of people in public school. It's good to get out into social setting and mix it up with folks.
> Some of the other kids on my street went to private schools and I think they missed out on some of the lessons/bonding I got from interacting with a variety of people in public school. It's good to get out into social setting and mix it up with folks.<p>I went to private school, and would "miss the bus" after school on purpose so I would have to take the city bus home. There was an arcade in downtown Minneapolis a few blocks from the school where I'd hang out and play Mortal Kombat for an hour or two before heading home. Maybe stop by Shinders on the way to the bus stop to grab the latest copy of Wired or whatnot.<p>Definitely let me get out of the private school bubble a bit, and gave me some lifelong problem solving skills - both socially and practically speaking.
Yet there was always that one kid that knew how to soft-lock Street Fighter II arcade cabinets with Guile. Samurai Shodown, The King of Fighters, and Mortal Kombat were also fun. =3
I had a pre-teen death rivalry with another kid over Samurai Showdown. I was the blue tuberculosis guy and he was the long haired samurai, and we'd meet Tuesday-Friday afternoons to burn quarters killing each other. At one point the owners used toy finger-handcuffs to tie us to the machine until one of us won. There was pizza!<p>I've always wondered what happened to him.
Note that this wasn't a global phenomenon. We had SF2 in Spanish arcades, and I a lot of people wanting to play, but basically nobody played versus in the arcades I visited: The game was too expensive to make someone's investment last a single 3 round fight. So instead you'd see a line of people waiting to play single player, and helping each other out.<p>The multiplayer games that did well were all PvE, like Gauntlet or Knights of the Round. A very different culture.
> The game was too expensive to make someone's investment last a single 3 round fight. So instead you'd see a line of people waiting to play single player, and helping each other out.<p>Custom among my friends was to put a quarter in, and wait to press start until the computer was about to win its second round. Then the challenged essentially got to play you for free.<p>Doesn't work as well when it was two coins to start, one to continue though; in that case, the next challenger would rather pay one coin to challenge right away rather than letting the winner play the computer until almost dead at the price of two coins.
I recall during the 90s spending a bunch of time on SF2 and Mortal Kombat in arcades: shopping malls, bowling alleys, even some restaurant/bars that had a small arcade. One of the fun experiences was one arcade that Saturday mornings they had a "Freeplay" time for a few hours where everyone paid like $5 and every game was in Freeplay mode. It always amazes me how we all learned the special moves and fatalities word of mouth and eventually they'd get published in gaming magazines. The whole winner stays, loser pays - folks setting their quarter on the arcade to reserve their next spot. Many years later a coworker and I bought a very well used (cigarette smell and burns) MK2 machine for the office break area that took me back. Comically we found at least $10 worth of quarters inside the enclosure. Good times.
It was somewhat anesthetized compared to running out into an empty lot to play football but yeah better than staring at a screen and calling it networking.
Certainly! I left out the part where I would ride my BMX bike with my friends, without a helmet and without my parents tracking me, 5 miles in an urban environment to get to the arcade, then we'd hike the Hollywood Hills fire trails afterward.
I'm not so sure... Where I grew up there was no arcade.<p>It's easy to say that we are more connected but far apart, but only if you ignore the democratization that has come with that connectivity.
Might be a stretch, but have you tried climbing or similar social sports?<p>Climbing is a bit more for young adults, but since the wall is a shared resource, you have a lot of these social interactions, and it's mostly strangers as well, you just walk up, pay for a couple of hours and start climbing.<p>I'm sure there's social sports more appropriate for adults and elderly as well.
Even just keeping the focus on fighting video games, the community still exists. Search for something like "<your city> FGC" (ie "fighting game community") and you'll probably come up with several hits. Join the Discords, figure out the schedule for local events, then just hang out and be a positive person. I was playing SF2 with folks in person just this past Saturday.
You can still go out there and do things like join a running club. People are still going to arcades in Japan.<p>Comments like these are kind of ironic.
Nowadays' Japanese arcades are not like the ones GP is describing, most players don't interact with each other directly anymore.<p>Notable exceptions are places like Mikado centers that organize tournaments and keep the old flame alive.
I don't think the culture is the same due to cabinets having network capabilities now, but I do think it's possible.<p>At the taito station in Akihabara, I've met tourists a few times when I was in town for a large tournament (EVO Japan) and made friends from it. I've also had people watching me play, but unfortunately I don't speak Japanese.<p>I know there's a few arcades that still have some street fighter III: third strike cabinets with regulars. I can't speak for other games but at least for street fighter, people are almost always open and friendly.
I was there 2 years ago. I went inside one of the multi storey gaming places in Akihabara. The old school (90's and older) era games are a small section in one floor when there is 6 storeys of gaming.
> Comments like these are kind of ironic.<p>Why, because there is one country in the world where this doesn't apply?<p>It's a commentary on modern Western culture, not a request for hobby suggestions.
As a Japanese banker who grew up in 90s arcades, this deep dive into SF2’s "World Warrier" fix is a profound lesson in what I call "Forging" (鍛錬).<p>The anecdote about Akiman discovering the typo after the GFX ROMs were already set in stone is the perfect metaphor for the "Steel vs. Scaffolding" debate. In modern development, we often rely on the "scaffolding" of high-level abstractions, assuming everything is fixable later. But here, the hardware was "Steel" (unchangeable).<p>Akiman’s solution—using a single-pixel "pencil tile" from Guile’s calves to manually mask an 'l' into an 'i'—is a legendary example of "Mitate" (見立て): the Japanese art of seeing one thing as another to overcome an absolute limitation.<p>In the world of Japanese "Shinise" (long-established companies), this obsessive attention to detail is never called "inefficient." It is the only path to survival across centuries. Akiman famously insisted on the muscular thickness of Chun-Li’s thighs, refusing to compromise because he believed the "Steel" (core logic) of a fighter lay in that foundation. If the legs were weak, the character’s soul was dead.<p>SF2 remains a legend 30 years later because its creators treated every pixel as "Steel" that carried existential risk. This article proves that while "speed buys information," only this level of "Forging" buys true longevity. Most fast-scaled software disappears in three years; the "World Warrier" still stands after thirty because of that one-pixel pencil.
Super interesting to hear about those concepts from another language/culture. While you are right that in software pretty much everything is "scaffolding" in the semiconductor the scaffolding vs steel applies.<p>To simplify it as much as possible, to make a chip multiple masks are created for different layers. The top layers are metal(scaffolding) and the base layers are silicon(steel). The metal layer masks are much cheaper to make than the base layers. So we add extra unused cells in the base layers and then if there are issues we try to fix them only in the metal layers.<p>It's not really an art nowadays, since it's been refined so much with tooling and processes. But your analogy is very applicable, I might try to refer to it in the future if I ever need to explain the concept to someone.
@doix, thank you for the fascinating deep dive into semiconductor design. To make sure I’ve grasped your point correctly, let me try to summarize it:<p>- Base Layer (Silicon) = "Steel": Re-manufacturing it is extremely costly, so it must be perfect from the start.
- Top Layer (Metal) = "Scaffolding": The wiring layers. These are much cheaper to produce, allowing for "patches" or corrections later on.
- The Wisdom of "Unused Cells": By embedding spare cells in the base layer upfront, you can fix bugs later just by changing the metal layers.<p>Did I get that right?<p>If so, this logic deeply resonates with what I’ve seen in Japanese "Shinise" (long-standing businesses) as a banker. Specifically, two practices that might look "inefficient" in a modern business model are, in my view, the "Unused Cells" of our Base Layer:<p>1. Not firing employees easily:
While some models treat labor like a "Metal layer" to be cut and replaced for quick optimization, Shinise treat people as part of the "Silicon layer." We keep them even in hard times so that when a big crisis hits, we can "re-wire" their roles to survive together.<p>2. Keeping high cash savings:
Many modern companies prefer to spend all their cash to maximize growth speed. However, Shinise keep a lot of cash. This is like the spare cells in your silicon—it allows us to finance our own "re-wiring" when the market crashes, without the foundation collapsing.<p>Your insight has given me a powerful new framework for why some organizations survive for 500 years while others vanish in three. Thank you!
You are correct about the graphics, but SF2 also absolutely nailed the gameplay. The graphics are just the beginning of the attention to detail in this game.
@throwaway94275, absolutely. The pixel art caught our eyes, but the rock-solid gameplay is what captured our hearts.<p>Honestly, I haven’t played SF2 for over 30 years, but I’m certain I can still perform a Hadouken or a Shoryuken today. That intense training from my youth is carved into my muscle memory, not just my brain! (^_^) That obsession with every single detail is the true secret to why this game still feels like "Steel" after all these decades.
You don't need to use llms to write comments for you.
I apologize for the "mechanical" feel of my post.<p>As you suspected, I am using the help of translation and structuring tools to share my thoughts here.<p>I am a banker from rural Japan and have been a huge fan of SF2 since my childhood in the arcades. I have spent 20 years observing "Shinise" (long-established businesses), and I really wanted to share my perspective that Akiman’s fix was an act of "Forging" the foundation.<p>Because my English is not strong enough to explain such complex ideas, I relied on these tools to polish my draft. I realize now that this made my voice feel artificial. While the "soul" of the idea—comparing SF2’s pixel-level grit to long-term business survival—is entirely my own, I will strive to communicate in a more direct, human way from now on.<p>Thank you for the feedback. I am still trying to learn how to join this global conversation from the Japanese countryside.
You don't need to apologise. I enjoyed your story. I am from the UK and have fond memories of playing SF2 in arcades in my childhood too. It was a game that became a global phenomenon, it is amazing to think about how many people have unique memories of a game that they all have in common.<p>Here's a Japanese translation (using the website DeepL), I hope it is accurate...<p>謝る必要はありません。あなたの話、楽しませていただきました。私もイギリス出身で、子供の頃にゲームセンターでSF2をプレイした懐かしい思い出があります。あのゲームは世界的な現象となりました。これほど多くの人々が、共通のゲーム体験からそれぞれ独自の思い出を持っていると思うと、本当に驚くべきことです。<p>こちらが日本語訳です（DeepLウェブサイトを使用）。正確であることを願っています...
@ZenoArrow, thank you so much for your warm words. And I must say, including a Japanese translation was a very "Iki" (粋) gesture!<p>In Japan, "Iki" is a traditional aesthetic from the Edo period. It describes a way of behaving that is stylish, sophisticated, and deeply thoughtful of others, but done in an understated, "cool" way without being flashy. Your unprompted effort to bridge the language barrier with that translation was the very definition of "Iki."<p>Honestly, your Japanese was so natural that it brought a big smile to my face (haha). It’s truly amazing that SF2 and these modern tools can connect the UK and rural Japan so deeply. I’m very glad my story resonated with you!
Sorry for the knee jerk reaction - your posts have the same consistent tells as wholly llm generated text but it does seem like you largely use it just to help with translation.
@p1necone, thank you for your kind reply.<p>I don't mind your initial reaction at all; in fact, I'm grateful for your sharp eye. It was a great learning experience for me to understand the standards of this community.<p>As a non-native speaker, I will keep looking for the best way to share my "soul" and real-world banking experiences without losing my human voice. I’m glad I could join this conversation.
There has to be some consideration for cross-language discussion where english is not the native language of the poster. The usage and intent there is completely different than a native speaker lazily having gpt spit out a comment for them.
I appreciate your pointing out this is an LLM, I didn't realize until I checked the comment history.<p>The future of the internet looks less bright each day.<p>I also don't have a flag option on the LLM comment or I would flag it.
Giving the benefit of the doubt, could it be being used as a translation tool?
After reading this comment thread, I got curious and went through his history. While I agree the prose reeks of LLM tells, the messaging seems a little too nuanced and correct for 100% LLM use. Also, he's directly confirmed using the LLM to write clearly as English is not a primary language.
@miwa, thank you for taking the time to look into my history. It is encouraging to hear that you felt the "nuance" in my words, as I struggle a lot to balance my thoughts with the limitations of translation tools. Your comment gives me the confidence to keep trying.
Actually I wanted to engage with you on the original comment on this thread, which was unfortunately flagged. In a separate thread you discussed Shugyo and the value of repetitive training. I find this topic particularly relevant for this thread as I am a lifelong fighting game player, but only recently given serious thought to the craft of fighting games. Not just in playing, but in how they're made.<p>I've been focusing strictly on my execution lately after I was able to find a method to slow the framerate of the game down. The inspiration came from my musician days where guitar practice consisted mostly of very slow, deliberate repetitions of scales and exercises. The immediate goal was to be able to do the exercise. But the secondary, and perhaps more important, goal was to do the exercise without tension. Trying to consciously do both is challenging. It is only when the exercise has been repeated enough that it is internalized and I can draw my attention to tension.<p>So in the same way that a scale is like a "combo" of notes, fighting game execution requires very similar timing and awareness of internal tension. Translating this mode of practice means repeating the same simple combos that I use to take for granted, but in a very deliberate and intentional way. I'm talking hour long sessions of the same kick, kick, kick, quarter-circle-back+kick sequence. As a result I feel much greater confidence in my execution.<p>But also, slowing the game down and doing practice in this way has actually brought a greater appreciation of the design of fighting games. To really internalize when a button should be pressed to successfully execute a combo, a player should anchor their timing to visual and auditory cues. SNK does a really a good job of this with their hit spark animations. Attending to when it appears and when it recedes gives a visual indication of the necessary timing, which is something easily overlooked by casual and even veteran players.<p>All this to say that there is a subtle and profound undercurrent of craftsmanship that I now appreciate in fighting games.
@sanwa, thank you for such a profound and passionate comment. As a banker, I’ve seen many businesses, but your perspective as a musician adds a beautiful layer to the concept of "Shugyo."<p>I especially resonate with your method of "slowing down the tempo." In my peak days 30 years ago, I used to perform Guile’s Sonic Boom and Somersault Kick as naturally as breathing. I now realize that this "effortless" state was only possible because of the slow, deliberate repetitions I did back then, just as you described.<p>By slowing down until all tension is gone, you are not just learning a move—you are removing the "noise" from your mind and body. This is the ultimate "subtraction" and the only way to "Forge the Steel." Whether it's a guitar scale or the core philosophy of a 500-year-old company, the logic is the same: true strength is born from quiet, intentional repetition.<p>Thank you for sharing your journey of Shugyo. It’s an honor to find a fellow traveler here.
There's no better time to play fighting games than right now. Street Fighter 6 has one of the best training rooms that I've seen. I also will slow the game down to 50% speed when internalizing a new combo sequence.<p>There's something zen and theraputive about sitting in the training room, working on the same combo over and over. Really working it into the muscles so that it becomes fluid and effortless in a real match.
Amazing story. Here is one of my favorite ones as well, when Naughty Dog intentionally exploited EULA to fix Ratchet and Clank.<p><a href="https://kylehalladay.com/blog/2019/12/04/Recreating-A-Dirty-Gamedev-Hack.html" rel="nofollow">https://kylehalladay.com/blog/2019/12/04/Recreating-A-Dirty-...</a>
They used a buffer overflow on the EULA message as a patch mechanism?!
Did a double take when I saw Dilbert there, then checked the date on the article.
There is a SF2 cabinet in a burger joint near me. It’s got hand-painted sides instead of the standard stickers. Just last night I was noticing that it says HYRER FIGHTING across the top, and thinking that it is appropriate given the WORLD WARRIER error.
Did you see that recent YouTube video about it too?
Saw this story earlier today and had the same curiosity on how that worked. Neat to see it fully explained.<p>Is really neat to consider the way that text was done. I know there are countless stories on how text is difficult on here, but it is hard to remember that "drawText" is not a given. Indeed wasn't there on early machines.
Thank you for playing Wing Commander!<p>:-) Hits the same nerve for me.
Reminds me of Continental Circus [1].<p>[1]. <a href="https://www.arcade-museum.com/Videogame/continental-circuit" rel="nofollow">https://www.arcade-museum.com/Videogame/continental-circuit</a>
See section on trivia.
That one looks extremely fake... No one would mistake サーカス as circuit, which is usually written as サーキット and is pronounced completely different. Also, calling the sport and everything around it as "the F1 circus" is very common in Japan and other parts of the world.
Absolutely love stories like this. It's such a departure from traditional software where the emphasis is on having "elegant" code, being DRY, etc.<p>This thing just needed to work once, in whatever way it could be hacked together. And the player never knows the difference! Beautiful.
One of my favorite memes:<p><a href="https://youtu.be/eyGU6pGf_VI" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/eyGU6pGf_VI</a><p>You've got a lot to learn before you beat me. Try again, kiddo!
Such a good solution to the problem. It's really fun to know the various ways people patch things in creative ways to get things shipped.
Now if someone could patch Double Dragon so it doesn't say "Bimmy and Jimmy"
3 whole draw calls to draw 3 pixels using Guile's calves. Madness
I know that "draw call" is modern terminology, but it doesn't apply here at all. This is assigning three entries in sprite table memory, not carrying out any calls. There's no operating system here, and no graphics APIs to call. This is bare metal, you're writing to the same memory that the sprite hardware is reading its table from.
Its modern terminology but doesn't it apply here? Im more familiar with SNES than CPS hardware, but in this case, when you assign those three entries in sprite table memory, each tick represents one PPU lookup and blit to VRAM, right?<p>And it also looks like each of those tiles is drawn at unaligned coordinates.<p>So this really can be regarded as a draw call of sorts
Okay after reading a bit more into this, you are correct. The PPU just looks up the tiles and rows in the tiles to figure out the pixels to draw for a given scanline in the composite video signal.<p>Every scanline, all sprites (up to 128) are evaluated in hardware on an snes to see if any overlap with the active scanline. This was all done in hardware incredibly quickly
luckily, they're not doing too much on the title screen
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