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Broken arms, broken hearts: Arm-wrestling game recalled over busted limbs

by Kaitlin | August 21, 2007 at 09:06 am

1816 views | 54 Recommendations | 6 comments

The makers of a Japanese arm-wrestling arcade game called "Arm Spirit" (I love Japan!) have had to recall their product after three people broke their arms playing the game.

Now, I don't know about you guys, but to me this is no laughing matter. This is how the machines will take us down: One by one if they have to. According to the CBC story, a rep for Atlus Co., which distributes the game, said that "Even a woman should be able to beat it" (I love Japan!). I don't think so. I think that they made it so that everyone can beat it, but then that little arm got ideas. First, three broken arms. Then... world domination! That thing's got thumbs. We're doomed.

"We think that maybe some players get overexcited and twist their arms in an unnatural way," she said. The company was investigating the incidents and checking the machines for any signs of malfunction.

Players of "Arm Spirit" advance through 10 levels, battling a French maid, drunken martial arts master and a Chihuahua before reaching the final showdown with a professional wrestler.

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Victoria Revay

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:16 on August 21st, 2007

Kaitlin, this is awesome! The story that is -- not the fact that some poor bloke broke is arm.

Jordan Yerman

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:27 on August 21st, 2007

This story is Over the Top.

grabbingsand

at 09:45 on August 21st, 2007

The classic Santo machine in my photograph is at least thirty years old.

It resides at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel and Resort, beckoning small children to trade quarters for a chance at greatness. Is this one dangerous? No, I'd say not. It might damage a ten-year-old's pride, but I think the vintage servos and gears would give way far sooner than a human bone.

Eric Fink

at 10:13 on August 21st, 2007

The machine in my photo is at the Musee Mechanique in San Francisco. Many of the arcade games on display came from the old Playland by the Sea amusement park, though I don't know whether this particular machine did. I believe that visitors can actually play the games, but I didn't attempt the arm wrestling machine. It was really the warning sign, not the machine itself, that caught my attention.