Shibuya Snapshots

Game

This one was kinda neat to write, but I def had to get into headcanon territory to make the different parts longer.

Four popular games and one secretive one; Games that connect the real world and the supernatural one. One that connects people together even tighter than before every time they're played.

-xXx-

Over the span of three years, there are four different games in Shibuya that have quickly risen to the status of arguably the most popular. They span from supernatural to simple toys, by yourself to people who aren't really there.

The eldest of the four is the most childish, many would argue. Tin Pin Slammer is, put simply, a battle in which one would launch a pin at another and whenever one fell off the arena, it'd be considered out of the game. It's nothing exceptionally out there, but the biggest mystery would have to be how the pins are being controlled. The pins aren't spun robotically through the medium of a controller, and they're, of course, pins, so no top-like features are attributed to them.

The common theory, and most unbelieved out of them all, is that the pins sync up with your heart and soul, and the stronger it is, the more control you have over your pins. Of course, not purely soul can get you a win through every match, though one Shuto Dan would beg to differ. The majority of players choose not to think about it and accept it for how it is. There are differences between every pin, though it is impossible to tell just by looking at them.

Some pins have different speeds and spin to them, along with different abilities for each. The amount of Hammer, Meteor, Stinger, and Hand uses will never match another pin, so finding the perfect pin can be nigh impossible at times. The game is advantageous to those who love to collect pins, or look for the pins made and released by the mysterious developers of the game made specifically for Tin Pin Slammer, with no other uses in mind.

The best Tin Pin Slammer, Shuto Dan, notably has an accessory to go along with the game. A red gauntlet that he refers to as Red Kaiser. It's a simple pin launcher, but it somehow grants the ten-year-old boy a win every match. It's unknown where he got one, the boy only stating that he got it from his "secret ramen base". Many have searched for this so-called base, but considering the number of ramen shops in Shibuya, it quickly becomes a lost cause.

The game became so popular, it had received TV shows, albeit the target audience was for younger children, much like the game, a reboot three years after the series had ended, merchandise and cosplay alike, and many many pins.

After its time of fame, the game's popularity eventually drifts into becoming a cult classic. Though, maybe in spite of its dropping popularity, the unknown developers release a mobile version of the game. It's a simple gacha with all the pay-to-win mechanics all games of its variety has, but not as expensive, which the fanbase counts as a win in the hope that there will be more funding to release more content.

So, Tin Pin Slammer joins the ranks of mobile videogames, among two others that have raised a storm of their own in the sudden popularity.

The less popular, but still popular, game is a real-time monster-catching app. FantasyGo, or FanGo for short, is a hit with those who love to walk around the city, giving them something to do every day. Parents love it, it encourages their children to get exercise and walk around instead of sitting inside all day.

FanGo features hundreds of adorable small creatures that you can catch, level up, battle, and even give to other players as a gift. The game has a friend system between players along with private chat rooms for them to converse in. While many players choose to battle each other, the real pride of the game comes from a player's monster collection.