An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games or merchandisers. Broadly, arcade games are nearly always considered games of skill, with only some elements of games of chance. Games that are solely games of chance, like slot machines and pachinko, often are categorized legally as gambling devices and, due to restrictions, may not be made available to minors or without appropriate oversight in many jurisdictions. An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. All arcade video games are coin-operated or accept other means of payment, housed in an arcade cabinet, and located in amusement arcades alongside other kinds of arcade games. Until the early 2000s, arcade video games were the largest and most technologically advanced segment of the video game industry. Early prototypical entries Galaxy Game and Computer Space in 1971 established the principle operations for arcade games, and Atari's Pong in 1972 is recognized as the first successful commercial arcade video game. Improvements in computer technology and gameplay design led to a golden age of arcade video games, the exact dates of which are debated but range from the late 1970s to mid-1980s. This golden age includes Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong. The arcade industry had a resurgence from the early 1990s to mid-2000s, including Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, and Dance Dance Revolution, but ultimately declined in the Western world as competing home video game consoles such as the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox increased in their graphics and gameplay capability and decreased in cost. Nevertheless, Japan, China, and South Korea retain a strong arcade industry in the present day.
The secret scrolls of Shinken-ryu tell of a forbidden method to unlock a fighter’s hidden spirit and grant them incredible power, albeit at the cost of their sanity. The method, known as “Yami” (闇; “darkness"), involves channelling one’s spiritual energy, or “ki” in a way that the equilibrium of yin and yang within the fighter’s spirit will be broken, allowing the dark, monstrous energy of the former to overtake the latter's natural and pure strength. Yami grants the user power above any human being, but when this power is abused, the dark energy would fully consume the fighter’s spirit, turning him or her into an unstoppable monster who only lives to fight and kill. Due to the dangers of abusing its power, for many years, the Yami method has been hidden amongst practicioners of the Shinken-ryu style. Not even the closest family members are told about it, and it was thought that the Yami method has been all but forgotten. During the climax of the second tournament, Ryuga once again reaches the final round of the tournament where he would face his brother Kabuto for the second time. The two fought a hard battle, exchanging blows one after another, and pulling off all of their absolute techniques. The battle ended with with both Ryuga and Kabuto within an inch of each other’s lives, with only one last finishing blow seperating them from victory. However, just as Ryuga was about to unleash the final blow, Kabuto, in a last-ditch effort, taps on the power of Yami, and in one fell swoop, proceeded to turn the tables and brutally beat down Ryuga, only stopping once his brother was unconscious, if not dead. Overwhelmed by Kabuto’s newfound power, Ryuga was forced to succumb to his injuries. Taking his loss against Kabuto in stride, Ryuga strived to train harder and harder in order to finally defeat the power of Yami without succumbing to the dark power himself. Around that time, a third World of Fighting tournament is announced, with a doubled prize pool from the previous tournament to attract more fighters from all around the world. However, to win the prize money is not Ryuga's goal. Instead, he joins the tournament in order to settle the score with his brother one last time.
