Arcade arm-wrestling game pulled for arm wrecking

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Aug 21st 2007 at 7:43PM }

Japanese arm-wrestling game, Arm Spirit, had to be yanked from Japanese arcades this week after displaying inhuman strength and breaking the arms of three would-be challengers. This bicep battle between man and machine is obviously similar to real arm wrestling, with the disturbing exception that your opponent's cold hand has no body to go with it. Instead, the appendage is part of an electronic box which mocks you in beeps and boops as it snaps your arm like a twig.

A spokeswoman for game distributor Atlus told the Associated Press that the recall was a "precaution," implying that the organic meatbags of Japan should put some effort into it and realize that the world meets nobody halfway. "The machine isn't that strong, much less so than a muscular man," said Ayano Sakiyama. "Even women should be able to beat it."

We're not sure how Ms. Sakiyama would fare when pitted against the mangler of limbs, but she apparently had enough energy to manage a firm shrug. "We think that maybe some players get overexcited and twist their arms in an unnatural way."

[Thanks, Charlie]

Tags: Atlus, Japan, Rasslin, Wrestling

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Stupidiot @ Aug 21st 2007 7:49PM

The robot uprising is nearly at hand! Viva la metal revolution!

TheHood @ Aug 21st 2007 7:55PM

From the picture of the arcade game it seems that there isn't enough room to lay your elbow on it.

I needs a better design for safety.

waLLy @ Aug 21st 2007 7:55PM

I, for one, welcome our pink, arm-wrestling...

...aw, ta'hell with it...

blooh @ Aug 21st 2007 8:12PM

hahahahaha

SuMtOnE @ Aug 21st 2007 8:14PM

what!? what if the player is left handed?

Isak? @ Aug 21st 2007 8:17PM

Thats what I said!

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 21st 2007 8:23PM

Arm wrestling with your weak arm... Against a right arm... With friends egging you on... ... ellipsis...

Richard @ Aug 21st 2007 8:33PM

My guess is they didn't calculate the percentage of added revenue from left handed consumers as enough to cover the cost of building a left hand into it.

Pyronite @ Aug 21st 2007 9:09PM

With a right and a left hand, it would only be a matter of time before the robots learn to strangle.

Lemmiwinks @ Aug 22nd 2007 2:47PM

Then they are demon spawn and should be relegated to the eternal firey pits of hell, alongside people with curly hair and ginger kids.

Cabcru @ Aug 21st 2007 8:23PM

Would it be crude to imply that the men involved clambered onto the machine to insert a different appendage into that 'grip' and the broken arms were just a result of them falling off?

Obie @ Aug 21st 2007 8:34PM

I bet Sylvester Stallone can defeat that machine in
"Over The Top II"!

Jojo @ Aug 21st 2007 9:19PM

That's classic

Kibbles @ Aug 21st 2007 9:47PM

KOTOR reference with 'organic meatbags' for the win!

jaxsedrin @ Aug 21st 2007 10:05PM

Pfft. It's probably just some scrawny teenagers with not enough calcium in their diet.

Still, seeing this article brings back a memory of one of my early teenage birthdays... the local Putt-Putt had a similar machine in the arcade (albeit with a silver plastic robotic-shaped arm), and one of the employees started yelling at us when 4 of my friends and I dogpiled the machine to beat the last opponent.

micheal82 @ Aug 21st 2007 10:11PM

Chuck Norris could be that game easily. If that game was here in America our good friend Jack Thompson would be trying to sue because the arm wrestling game is to violent.

Adv2k1 @ Aug 21st 2007 10:21PM

This reminds me of this video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Gs0fGt_Gzbk

Adv2k1 @ Aug 21st 2007 10:23PM

This scene from the Fly seems to fit this topic:

Christopher7xii @ Aug 21st 2007 10:43PM

Dude, isn't this the mini-game from Final Fantasy VII in the Golden Saucer? That game made for some sweet easy pay out. Same for that basketball game once you got the timing.

But I wonder... Has anyone ever beaten the third opponent in the rock paper scissors fighting mini-game? The game cheats too much, never won myself...