A girl has scored a victory in one of Japan’s biggest fighting video game contests, in a competitive puzzle game released before she was born.
The girl, known as “Money Idol-chan” for the game she competed in, grew up playing competitive video games. Since 2022, her parents have run Anegasaki Shooting Star, a small arcade on the east side of Tokyo Bay. Her name has not been revealed and her age has only been indicated as between 12 and 16 years old.
His appearance at Evo Japan, the local branch of the American esports tournament at the top of the competitive fighting game scene, was the first time he was able to play in real competitions. Until this year, the events, which can last late into the night, had ended after their bedtime.
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EVOJapanサイドイベント「投銭祭」（マネーアイドルエクスチェンジャーの大会結果
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🥇マネーアイドル
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🥇マネーアイドル(4:11.41)
世代交代！？女子中学生マネーアイドルが圧巻の２冠！おめでとうございます！ pic.twitter.com/U4MiY2CSm8— まはふらい先生 (@kenzzy_grc) April 27, 2024
“The person who surprised me the most on the first day of EVOJ was the girl playing Money Idol Exchanger,” said one competitor, Aaru Hokutomaru. saying. “He looked like a comet and won the championship with amazing stick driving. “This was a development for a game released in 1997, and it was exciting even outside of fighting games.”
EVOJた女の子。保護者の方と来場していたプレイヤーで、まだ中学生とのこと。彗星の如く現れて、凄まじいレバー操作で見事W側のまま優勝.1997っ.た。#EVOJ24Sides pic.twitter.com/U5LQd5Inxg
— アール (@aaru_hokutomaru) April 27, 2024
Money Idol Exchanger is a head-to-head puzzle game that looks like a Tetris game in reverse. Players fight to rearrange the descending columns of coins into groups of five or 10, at which point they disappear and are replaced by one of the next denomination; They lose if a column reaches the end of their screen.
The girl, whose identity has been protected by the friendly, tight-knit community, added flair to her victories by repeatedly choosing the same character as her opponents, known as a “mirror matchup.”
evojapan 、中学生？の女の子が、無双しててびびった.せにいく分からせぶり
若い頃のウメハラってこんな感じだったのかって思った pic.twitter.com/aicaqVX0gR— 太った鳩@ゲーム垢 (@fgc_futohato) April 27, 2024
It’s not uncommon for retro games to be dominated by children and young people born long after their heyday. In a competitive scene where quick reflexes and hours of practice are at a premium, the younger generation often has an advantage over original players, whose greater experience may be offset by slower responses or hand cramps.
In January, a 13-year-old American, Willis Gibson, became the first person to beat Tetris, playing the original Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game perfectly for 38 minutes until his score was high enough to freeze the game. .
Elsewhere, on the first day of the Evo Japan competition, Taiwanese champion Lin “ET” Chia-hung won the King of Fighters XV contest, while Japan’s SHO came first in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and Kyo won the Under Night In-Birth. II contest. The three took home a $6,000 cash prize for winning a featured gaming event.