More pictures of Korean arcades...

I shit you not: this game is called "Wonder Dunk", and as far as I know, it's the only prehistoric-themed basketball simulation on the market. Arcades in Korea are filled with row upon row of sit-down machines that normally feature either the elite fighting games (Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Soul Calibur, etc.) or generic side-scrolling shooters. Every now and then though, you'll run into a gem like "Wonder Dunk".

"Come On Baby" and its sequel are incredibly simple button-tapping exercises (no joysticks in sight) that pit six different babies against each other in olympic-style events. It kind of sucks, so I can see why it hasn't caught on in the States, but it's always one of the more prominent machines in Korean establishments.

Like "Wonder Dunk", this skirt-lifting simulation was another gem among the mass of fighting games. I didn't get the chance to play this one, only because I wasn't sure whether or not it would be kosher with my girlfriend. When she's not around, I plan on feeding a few thousand won into this baby though.

A turntable rhythm game... yeah, I know they're a dime-a-dozen in the States, but it's definitely a blast watching 11 year-old Korean kids with lightspeed reflexes man one of these things.

I know you weren't planning on seeing a picture of my ass today, but at least I spared you from the video footage of this intense race between myself and some out-matched Korean kid. Junior didn't stand a chance. Girls love horse-racing machines, by the way.

Another arcade story to share: after the movie let out the day I was at Special Fun Zone, I decided to check out the video arcade, operating under the philosophy that mall arcades are almost always head-and-shoulders above the ones you find on the street. It was a pretty solid place, with all four Time Crisis games (including the spin-off "Crisis Zone") costing only 300 won to play (that's 30 cents-- quite a deal). In general, you're not going to find any games that cost you more than this, and if you're only interested in playing the sit-down games, you could stay at the arcade for a few hours and only find yourself out ten dollars. Anyways, this arcade had a Pop-A-Shot game with what looked like an abnormally-forgiving rim, so I figured I'd give it a go. Once I started feeding 100 won pieces into the slots, a group of six Korean kids wandered up to my side to watch what was surely going to be a Bird-esque demonstration of shooting skills. The timer started and I threw up my first shot: clank. Second shot: clank. Third shot: missed the hoop entirely... and so on. After my first seven or eight shots, the kids scattered and my stomach tightened. I finished strong, making three baskets in a row, but if I remember correctly, I only sank six in sixty seconds. If they only had a "Hoop Jones" machine...

Also, I've mentioned "Kart Rider" several times now, but have never really explained what it is. It's a nation-wide phenomenon at the PC Bangs here, and if you can work this out in your mind, it's basically a MMOMK (Massively Multiplayer Online Mario Kart). Not only do you race with hundreds of thousands of other like-minded gamers, but you also get to upgrade and design your cart and character from the ground up. The sign-up process is a pain in the ass without a Korean's help, but it looks like it's well worth it. Even though I haven't played it, it has captured my fancy enough that I bought a "Kart Rider" alarm clock and briefly considered buying a pair of "Kart Rider" socks. Good times.