SWDnovel Chapter 28 What Movies Can't Do
Chapter 28 What Movies Can't Do
Just as the crazed mob was about to demolish the shop owner's beloved arcade, a small pickup truck finally appeared at the end of the street.
The delivery guy has arrived!
"Everyone calm down, the machine has arrived. You'll all be able to play Contra in at most an hour!"
The truck is parked, and the unloading ramp is set up.
Two stylish arcade machines were unloaded from a cart and displayed to the public.
John, who was squeezed on the outer edge of the crowd, immediately spotted the image painted on the fuselage.
Schwarzenegger had a cigar in his mouth and a sleek machine gun in his hand.
The new look, so different from his previous "savage" image, instantly captivated John.
"Mike, no matter what, I'm going to try that damn game today!"
"Really?" Mike pointed into the terminal. "Then we're already too late."
Given the current queue situation, it would be a miracle if they even get a turn before dark.
Mike wondered if he had accidentally traveled to some parallel world.
Look at these guys, they're practically fighting with each other just to grab a seat. They're fighting like this for a video game.
What happened to the saying that video games are dead?
He clearly saw the players surging together, swarming into the arcade along with the two machines.
The arcade owner was beaming, looking ten years younger.
He was working hard with his employees to maintain the fragile order and keep the mob away from the two machines he had bought for nearly $10,000.
Ten thousand dollars!
If you bought all those cheap games, you could line up a whole wall with them!
But he felt no pain at all; in fact, he became quite smug.
Operating at $1 per game, he could recoup all his costs in less than half a month.
After that, these two machines will become the prized possessions of their arcade.
The daily gross income can reach hundreds of dollars; it's practically a golden goose!
Without wasting a second, the machine was quickly placed in place and powered on.
……
"Jump, Mike! Jump!"
John frantically pressed the button, using the fierce scattering firepower of the S-bullets to clear out wave after wave of endless enemies.
On the other side of the screen, Mike's situation was much worse.
The blue-haired tough guy in 2P kept rolling in the air, barely dodging the bullets that grazed his scalp each time.
Mike bit his lip hard and mechanically kept pressing the jump button.
In order to ensure that he had sufficient combat power to fight the enemy, John gave him many key items.
But he kept making stupid mistakes, wasting not only an M-bullet and a speed boost, but also all of their lives.
If they make just one more mistake, their game will be over.
Mike didn't dare stop and look back, but he could feel from the waves of heat behind him that there were quite a few people in line.
Once the game is over, it's simply impossible for them to play another one.
"John, I can't go on anymore, the rest is up to you..."
Mike ultimately made a wrong move and was struck squarely between the eyebrows by the cannon in front of him, instantly turning into dust.
John did not respond, but focused on the 1P he was controlling.
Although the image was still pixelated, he could clearly see that it was Mr. Schwarzenegger.
Or rather... that's what he wanted to become.
He stopped his futile cover and immediately turned and leaped backward onto the platform.
John suddenly pressed the direction keys repeatedly, and the gun barrel immediately turned to the lower right.
The upgraded S-shot weapon unleashed a fan-shaped barrage of bullets, quickly destroying the turret.
Such a risky maneuver immediately drew gasps from the surrounding crowd.
His actions just now put him right into a hail of bullets; a single misstep could have cost him his life.
In Contra's one-hit kill mechanic, any mistake can be fatal.
But he did it, just like a hero in an action movie!
Even John himself didn't expect he could do it; his breathing quickened, but a smile curved his lips.
Games and movies are completely different.
He went from being an observer to a participant, and then to the one playing the hero.
John still only has a pair of thin, delicate arms, unlike his idol's tough, muscular physique.
But at this moment, he clearly felt a sense of exhilaration he had never experienced before.
He charged into the enemy camp with his gun, and with heroic fighting spirit, tore through the enemy's defenses.
Mike stood beside him, marveling at John's absorbed state.
However, he didn't have such strong feelings for Schwarzenegger; his evaluation was more based on the game itself.
In the past, when evaluating an entertainment work, he would often give a comprehensive score from various perspectives.
But when faced with "Contra," he suddenly didn't know how to evaluate it.
It's like Conan the Barbarian – fast-paced and enjoyable, but lacks depth and profound values.
But Mike didn't have any negative feelings at all.
If you let him watch "Conan the Barbarian" a second time, he will feel annoyed because he has already experienced the same content once.
But if it were Contra, Mike would have no doubt that he would still enjoy it again and again.
If he were to give an evaluation, it would likely be just two words—
Fun!
This is fucking hilarious!
The only problem is that I'm really bad at the game.
Mike scratched his head, glanced at the clock on the wall, and suddenly came to his senses.
"How is it already this late! Damn it, John, stop messing around! We're going to miss our part-time job!"
As two ordinary people struggling to make ends meet while attending community college, they have to take on numerous part-time jobs even on weekends to supplement their income.
The reason I have the opportunity to kill time here today is because two of my jobs were recently taken by homeless people who don't follow the rules.
John then seemed to snap out of his daze and looked in the direction of the wall clock.
Including the time it would take to get back, they didn't have much time left to waste.
but……
He turned to look at the screen.
His character stood majestically inside the enemy base, ready to save the world.
He really couldn't bear to part with such a wonderful experience.
He didn't want to miss this moment.
"I really, really want to finish this game..."
John's expression fell.
Regardless of the final outcome, he had already regarded this game as a journey to another world.
But he also knew that now was not the time for him to act impulsively; if he lost his job, he would be in big trouble.
Just then, an impatient voice suddenly rang out from behind:
"Dude, hurry up, if you're in a rush, save your game and make way for me."
Those were the players behind them in line.
John's superior skills are not a good thing for him; he's already completely impatient.
"Save the file?"