Game Center Arashi

Game Center Arashi
Cover of the 2000 reprint of first manga volume
ゲームセンターあらし (Geimu Sentā Arashi)
Genre	Action
Manga
Written by	Mitsuru Sugaya
Published by	Shogakukan
Demographic	Children
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	1978 – 1984
Volumes	17
Anime television series
Directed by	Tameo Ogawa
Studio	Shin-Ei Animation
Original network	NTV
Original run	April 5, 1982 – September 27, 1982
Episodes	26

Game Center Arashi (ゲームセンターあらし, Geimu Sentā Arashi^?) is a Japanese manga by Mitsuru Sugaya, which ran in CoroCoro Comic from 1978 to 1984. It sold over 5 million copies and won the 1983 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga. The series was adapted as a popular anime television show that aired in 1982 in Japan on Mondays from 7:00pm to 7:30pm.; and in Hong Kong.

In Japanese, the word "Arashi" means "storm". In Hong Kong, the show aired under the title 電子神童, which translates to "Electronic Prodigy". The series was considered iconic in Asia, since it came at a time when the public was being exposed to video games for the first time. The manga and TV series opened the imagination and possibilities of what gaming entertainment was about, while boosting its popularity as a new phenomenon.

The story is about a young boy named Arashi Ishino who is obsessed with video games. He would spend all his time trying to beat the games and conquer the local arcades. He would meet competitors like Satoru Daimonji and Ishii, who would try to out match him with higher scores. At a certain point in each episode, he would display his special skill of unleashing a top which will spin so fast that both the top and his hands would catch on fire. On release, the spin would land on or near the cabinet panels, turning the ordinary button into a turbo button thus giving him a major advantage. His appearance is known for being bucktoothed, and he always wears a hat labeled "Arashi" with a picture of a sprited alien.