Update: May 27, 2004 «©NCSX» In preparation for the arrival of PS2 Yoshinoya, a couple of NCS staffers took a trip down to the Yoshinoya restaurant here in New York (255 W. 42nd St) to sample the gyuden beef bowl. There's ample competition for the fast food dollar in the neighborhood with a Burger King, a Popeye's Fried Chicken and a number of delis in close proximity to Yoshinoya. While there, the restaurant was busy and we had the standard beef bowl which is comprised of strips of lean meat, cooked onions and a soy sauce over a mass of rice. There's also a chicken bowl and a vegetable bowl variant which look promising for our next visit. While somewhat tasty, the beef bowl wasn't anything to go out of the way for - but it seemed to suit the local workforce downtown fairly well as we noticed many other diners ordering it. Yoshinoya has served the same food in Japan for over a hundred years so they must be doing something right. Booting up the game this morning, a frenetic cinema introduces players to the staff at a virtual Yoshinoya and some scary looking customers. The customers are drawn that way for a reason...as we'll soon explain. The decor in the video version of Yoshinoya looks fairly true to life with a simple counter area for customers to sit down at and steaming bowls of food that are served up with lightning speed. Players take up the role of a menial laborer who shuffles out food like an automaton. Customers line up outside the automatic door in an endless procession and alight upon the stools in hungry anticipation. Face each customer, press a button, and they're served with a bowl of food per their order. When customers are happy, they'll spin and seemingly do a little dance on a full belly. However, when an order takes a bit longer than normal to dole out, hell hath no fury... Watch fascinating facial expressions of anger and frustration appear on the face of the slighted one. Bosses who appear to be beef bowl connoisseurs appear after each successfully completed stage. These overly demanding customers have special needs and beef bowls have to be prepared according to their specifications or they simply won't be satisfied. View the back cover and screenshots. Jan Code: 4944076003618 This document is ©NCSX 2004. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.
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