100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience Page #3

In 2D fighting games, without a doubt

the best player is Daigo Umehara,

He has a long storied career

in fighting games

and has travelled overseas

for many tournaments.

How can I say...

He has one of the best records

in fighting games

and is universally considered one of

the best players in the world.

Without a doubt, for 2D fighters

Umehara is the best.

The social interaction

between two people

is what this is really all about.

It's not about the

Artificial Intelligence of a computer

I think that's the most interesting

aspect of fighting games.

It's hard to say for sure

what makes me a good player

but I'm sure it has something

to do with an innate understanding

of these types of games

since I was very young.

That's really the sense of a pro gamer.

That being said, natural ability

only gets you so far...

It all comes down to playing these games

and putting in the time,

the repetition, the practice...

That's where I feel professional

level skill comes from.

In one month... When I was younger,

at the arcade...

I'd spend about $600 a month.

When I was playing the most,

in one week,

I would go to an arcade... Everday.

When I was younger I

would get really nervous,

my hands would shake from nerves

and it would really affect my gameplay.

But by the time I turned

about... Seventeen...

Once I was around that age

I really didn't get nervous.

Even in big tournaments,

I could perform fairly well.

Now in tournaments or whenever,

I'm really not nervous at all.

Right. If I watch a tape

of myself playing a match,

sometimes if I watch my...

When I'm playing if you watch my face,

people often comment that I look scary.

Why...

Why is that?

When I was a kid,

I didn't really show my emotions...

I was the type of kid who

doesn't show their emotions.

So I guess that just kind of

carried over into my playstyle as well.

Daigo Umehara is well...

He's not necessarily better

than others at these games,

he's better at working hard,

to become the best.

It's that quality that makes Umehara

a unique and strong player.

To become a skilled player,

practicing at the arcades is your best bet.

The reason I say this

is the fact that each game in

an arcade costs you real money.

Because of this,

you treat the game differently,

you consider things more,

you try harder.

Whereas with console games for example,

you can lose and it doesn't really matter,

you don't really care, I think.

You won't see that type

of mindset in an arcade,

people take it a lot more seriously.

For those reasons

practicing in an arcade

is more serious as well.

Japanese homes are very small.

So you can't make noise or

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