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 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 which show a brief description of a Family Computer game along with some gameplay footage. Each game collections segment usually features games which were released during a certain time period as specified at the beginning to the segment or fall within a certain theme of the episode. Starting with Season 16, the segment shifted its focus to Game Boy games in each year they were released. From Season 21 to the present day, the segment now focuses on Super Nintendo 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 cabinet or unique game. 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 which begins with Arino stepping into a soundbooth 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 cheat 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. The title is a play on words of an old Japanese pop song entitled "Heart no Ace ga Detekonai" (The Ace of Hearts Won't Appear).

A very tongue in cheek segment in which Arino plays various Famicom games in the search for salacious scenes featuring women. Once he has found such a scene he takes a picture of it using his phone. The title of this segment is taken from the pop song of the same name, Romantic Ga Tomaranai (Romanticが止まらない), performed by C-C-B.

This focus of this segment was the Nintendo Game & Watch. 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. The pop song played at the beginning of the segment is ほっとけないよ by 楠瀬誠志郎.

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 the 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.

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 chant 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, Tojima 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 catch copy (ad 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 are a reference to documentary series "Project X: Chōsenshatachi."

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 an SNES Super Scope in a sniper like scenario.

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

In celebration on 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 Farm 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.

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 his hand at the piano. Thus far he has displayed music from Super Mario World, The Mystery of Atlantis, The Tower of Druaga, The Legend of Satan Castle, and Dragon Quest 2.