[Closed] Video Game Upgrades

[kid_flash_found]

WHO: Bart Allen and Carol Danvers
WHERE: Dan & Brewster's Arcade/Restaurant in Heropa
WHEN: Early January
WHAT: Someone missed out on the modern video game renaissance, and this is a travesty.
WARNINGS: WIZARD NEEDS FOOD BADLY!!! (Mocking and insults of video games of all eras)


If there's one thing Bart Allen lives for, it's video games. So when he found out that Carol had missed out on even so much as the Commodore-64 or the Nintendo Revolution, he had to do something about it. But while he's always one to dive in, he had to think about the best way to do it. Which was when he found out that there was this totally awesome arcade and bar/restaurant that had everything. Well, not Pong, but in some ways, that was a blessing.

Unfortunately for Carol, he's running late because, well, he wasn't about to just run past that pile-up when he could help get everyone sorted and safe, right? So he'd at least remembered at the last second to text and suggest she get them a table and take in the atmosphere. Bart still remembered his first arcade. It was a little bit of sensory overload, and a whole lot of paradise to him, but not everyone had his childhood. Actually, he hoped nobody else did, because it kinda was awesome and totally sucked at the same time.

A quick dash home to change and do something about the smell of fuel had him dropping by with the kind a of lateness he wished he hadn't inherited along with his speed. "Sorry about that, got tied up with traffic on the Beeline."

Comments

[usaf]

Carol had been making strides in catching up with the technology she missed. For example, while she waited for Bart to arrive, she sat at the table she had been seen to, and checked the news on her smartphone. Which is how she found out about the trending topic of the pileup, and the intervention of an imPort hero bringing people to safety.

There are worse reasons to stand somebody up, she supposed.

When Bart finally did arrive, Carol has ordered herself a beer and a basket of fries. "Not a problem. I saw what you did." She wiggled her phone as evidence. "I don't mind waiting while you're off saving the day."

[kid_flash_found]

"It wasn't that big a deal, but at least I could help get people out of the way," Bart said, ducking his head a little, even as he stole one of the fries. "And I left you in this mess alone. So what do you think? We've got unlimited plays, so anywhere you want to go..."

He'd picked up the passes for that as soon as he got in, figuring that it was his idea, so he better spring for the deluxe package.

"Welcome to the world after Pac-Man."

[usaf]

When Bart reached for the basket of fries, Carol pushed it towards him across the table. She'd already picked her fill, waiting for him. At his question, she looks around the bright lights and loud noises of the arcade, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"I... honestly, have no idea." This really is far removed from the days of Galaga. "I don't know where to start."

[kid_flash_found]

"Well, I figure flight simulators or anything military is out because that's work, not play," Bart pointed out. "But there's always things like Gauntlet."

Finishing up the basket of fries, he grins, and nods to the aisles of games. "We can just look around until something catches your eye."

[usaf]

Honestly, Carol would probably get a kick out of mastering a flight sim, but yeah... Probably best to avoid stuff she does on the daily.

"Which one's Gauntlet?" Her gaze follows his, to the rows of bright colors and loud noises of the game machines. "They're all pretty eye-catching."

[kid_flash_found]

"It's a fantasy game where you fight monsters while trying to stay alive. Your health slowly trickles away over time, so you have to find food along the way as well. Classic they redo every few years for no real reason other than making more money and improving graphics," Bart says, nodding at the large four-player console at the end of one aisle.

[usaf]

Carol glances to the console Bart pointed out, eyeing it intently. "Can we play that just the two of us, or do we need four people?" How do multiplayer arcade machines work, anyway? She's used to the upright Street Fighter machines with two sets of controls, she's never seen one quite like the Gauntlet setup.

[kid_flash_found]

"Just the two of us. It's just that up to four can play at the same time. It really depends on who you're playing with if adding more people improves the experience," Bart said, starting over. "I'm kinda fond of the wizard, but the characters really aren't that different, either."

[usaf]

Carol finishes her beer, then grabs one last fry for the road and follows him to the console. "Which character gets to punch monsters in the face? That's the one I want to play as."

[kid_flash_found]

"Warrior. Although it's more sword than punching. I mean, we could pick something else if you really want to punch stuff. Maybe even one of the ones with motion-tracking so you actually get to swing a punch..."

He nods at that particular game, although the person with the plastic boxing gloves on his hands at the moment is clearly no fighter. Sadly, there's also a bit of a crowd heckling him, so there might be a wait for that game.

[usaf]

Oh, that poor guy. He should keep his chin up, keep his hands in front of his face. That would block more of the punches coming his way... Well, virtual punches, anyway.

"We can do that when that game's free. Sword's good for now." Carol starts examining the machine for where they need to put the quarter in to start playing.

[kid_flash_found]

Bart holds up the two magnetic cards he'd gotten that give them access to all the games until closing. "Just swipe this. No need for coins anymore. I got an unlimited pass for each of us. It's easier that way."

He takes the second position, letting her be player one since it's her first go. He'll just hang back and do what he can to prolong the game without monopolizing anything. There's enough random events in Gauntlet that even he isn't guaranteed a good run every time.

/frantically googles Gauntlet...

[usaf]

Carol takes the offered card, eyeing it suspiciously. "They do credit cards for arcades now?" Weird... But who is she to question it?

She swipes the card and situates herself in the player one spot, entering her initials: CSD. When it comes time to select a character, Carol can't help but laugh.

"The warrior's name is Thor? I guess that's fitting."

You can pick the next one?.

[kid_flash_found]

Bart chuckles. "Flat-rate gaming. They expect you never to stay that long, but it makes things easy," he said, and selected his own details, although rather than initials, he used SPD. He wished there was more than three characters sometimes, but that worked. "That's right, he's a little more real in your world."

Not that Bart wasn't familiar with the legends, but he had only really run into people like Donna as far as gods.

"On the plus side, with the cards, you don't feel as bad about using extra 'credits' to continue."

tbh I'm not a gamer, I won't know any of them... Pong, maybe.

[usaf]

"He was here, too. When I first showed up. He's the one who sort of... got me debriefed on the future."

She liked Thor. Misses him from time to time. Wonders how he's doing, back in her future.

She selects the Thor character and starts testing out the controls, learning what makes her run, what makes her attack, etc. "Okay, I think I get the hang of it. Attack the monsters, pick up the shiny stuff, right?"

Bart plays stuff I can't IRL, thanks to being inept

[kid_flash_found]

"And try not to run out of health," Bart agreed, grinning ever so slightly. It wasn't a bad game, rather simple, and the dash to try to get to a barrel or other obstacle that may contain some life-preserving goodies was always fun.

"Gold is used between levels to buy upgrades."

[usaf]

Carol nods, mashing the buttons perhaps more forcefully than she honestly needs to. "Got it, rack up as much gold as possible."

It doesn't take her too long to pick up the rhythm of the controls, attacking enemies with force and finesse. She's actually enjoying herself, smiling wide and laughing.

[kid_flash_found]

Bart smirks at her, but since he knows exactly how much he wants at each game checkpoint, he's willing to not fight too hard over loot. There's a reasonably chance the RNGods won't cooperate in making a complete win possible, but he'll go as long as she's not bored.

"Arcade games are a little different than home systems, because there's usually at least a little level of competition and trying to beat a clock or some other mechanic to make you have to pay more if you don't get there. I always find it either amusing or frustrating depending on how well they manage it. Like you have so long to hit a checkpoint in a lot of the racing games."

[usaf]

It's right when Bart says, 'beat a clock' that Carol's game timer runs out, prompting her to insert more credits. She grunts, frustrated, because she was just hitting her stride.

"Where's that credit card? I want to keep playing."

[kid_flash_found]

Bart does his best to keep his laughter on the inside as he puts her card on the console between them. "Might want to keep a hold of that," he manages.

He holds his place while she gets the continue bit taken care of, ready to keep killing.

"And this is a classic. You should see some of the newer stuff. Although I'm not putting you in anything with a cockpit because you'll never stop complaining about the lack of realism."

[usaf]

Carol's quick to grab the card and swipe it, diving back into the game with all the fervor of a true Gamer™.

"You just don't want to have your ass kicked by a newbie. I understand." Even if she's never played a flying game before, she has no doubt she'd be able to pick it up quickly.

[kid_flash_found]

"You don't have the reflexes to play on my level," Bart responds. "I'm trying to make it at least somewhat fair."

He knows she's a fighter pilot, but he still isn't sure he wants to hear her complaints about lack of compensation for g-forces and other things most games consider too complicated to simulate.

"I grew up in a virtual reality. My world for the first twelve years was a continuous video game." For all that it was really only a little over two years for everyone else.

[usaf]

Carol spares a glance in Bart's direction. That's... an interesting factoid about Bart's life that Carol didn't know about. But then a monster spawns on the screen and pulls her attention back to the game.

"Maybe..." She's fast, when she's zooming across the sky, but she can't keep up with a literal speedster when grounded.

For a minute or so, she's engrossed in the game, but once she builds back up to a rhythm, she ventures to dive into that lead. "So what's the story with the whole virtual reality thing?"

[kid_flash_found]

"I was born a speedster, and an AI-run environment was pretty much the only thing that could keep up with me until I finally learned how to put on the breaks and live at normal speed," Bart said, trying to hit the high points without mentioning the lab or the fact that the people 'studying' him weren't actually trying to fix his condition.

"But that was like a thousand years from now. My grandma finally decided the best thing for me was to go back to this time to learn from her nephew, since he'd been the first Kid Flash."

[usaf]

Carol nods, thinking this is one of the more out there things she's heard, but then, she's got her own experience dealing with AI-run environments. Not exactly the same, but similar enough she can understand the gist.

"Sure, because why not throw in some time travel, too? While you're at it."

[kid_flash_found]

"My best friend was literally grown in a lab from the genetic samples of two men who are basically sworn enemies. When is my life ever going to be simple?"