During the 1980's Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System) boom in Japan, Takahashi Meijin became the idol of Japanese kids for his ability to press buttons quickly. "Because I was a famous figure for kids, I was told, and myself believed, that I had to be careful not to get too close to anything too shady, to avoid the "grown-up" areas of Japan," Master Higgins told game site 1UP. "Because even though I might not have been going anywhere or doing anything specific, the fact that any gossip magazines were looking for dirt on me, and tailing me, if they got a shot of me just walking around those kinds of places, that alone would have been pretty damaging."

So Takahashi Meijin had to, in his own words, "lead an extraordinary careful life".

The means that the game spokesperson had to stay sober. "But there was one time when I got really really drunk, and even though there was nothing bad going on, I was just drunk, so I was concerned that might have been damaging, but I guess that wasn't enough," he recalled. "I used to smoke back then — I don't now, but I was really careful not to be photographed while smoking, obviously, because of the whole "role model" thing, but a lot of my colleagues smoked, and that was one thing I was extra careful not to have exposed."

Not only does Takahashi Meijin look like Mr. Clean, he is Mr. Clean.

Master Higgins Speaks... [1UP]

History lesson: Hudson talisman Takahashi Meijin (aka Master Higgins) got kinda famous in the 80's for being able to press a button 16 times a second. Which is pretty awesome. Anyway, to cash in on this, in 1987 Hudson released something called the "Shooting Watch", which let you try and match/beat Meijin's score by calculating how quickly you could press its buttons.

It's this Shooting Watch that's been ported to the iPhone (and is going for $0.99). It's not going to work anywhere near as well as the real deal - no way the iPhone's screen can register that kind of frenzied button mashing - but that doesn't matter. It's a crazy port of a crazy game-related thing invented by a crazy man, and fully-functional or not, that should bring joy to your life, if only for a day.

[Image: Gpara]

That was when Meijin was 27 years-old. He isn't 27 anymore. "I will turn 50 in about 2 months," says Meijin. "And I was 27 when I did the '16 shot'. Therefore, it is getting more and more difficult to do it at my age. Probably, I can do the '13 shot' at best now!"

At this rate, he'll still be able to do an "11 shot" when he's in his seventies, which nothing to sneeze at.

Try your button pressing skills here.

Takahashi Meijin Interview - Hudson's Adventure Island [WiiWare World]

Interview with Master Higgins [Zentendo]

Well, well, the other day my DS Lite got a hinge crack.

Didn't the white DS Lite go on sale in Fall 2006? I've used this for the past two years, and then like that, a mysterious crack.

Well, Takahashi Meijin was carting around a DS from the faulty batch. Nintendo's long since fixed that crack problem. Correct?
Master Higgins DS Problem [16Shot via my game news flash]

Two years from now will be the time when game-software developers' profits are expected to grow the most, after the winner and loser for consoles becomes clear. I will ensure earnings jump in the next three years by promoting licensing of our games and increasing spending on promotions.

Hudson's human mascot Takahashi Meijin is a living turbo switch. Into finger exercises, he can press the controller's "B" buttons something like 16 pps (presses-per-second). What about your skills? Above is a "B" button mock-up from the Famicom controller. It records how many times you can press it repeatedly in ten seconds. Me, I can't get my score above 65 pps. You?

P.S. Press your mouse. Not the actual screen. Brian Ashcraft

Button Pressing [Korokor Zai-ga]

Light years ago, when it was cool to wear yellow sweatshirts, Hudson's human mascot Takahashi Meijin taught Japan "Famicom taisou" ("NES exercises"). Well, yellow sweatshirts may not be hip anymore, but Takahashi Meijin still is. Here is his modern day bald version teaching game aerobics to former Morning Musume singer Mari Yaguchi and Mr. Bad Teeth. (Not his name, but fitting nonetheless.) Takahashi Meijin points out:

I don't know if it really helps with gaming. Back then if you put 'Famicom' on anything, everyone would do it.

Today, too! So, everyone. Ichi, ni, san, Famicon taisou, Famicom taisou, FAMICOM TAISOU!! Brian Ashcraft

Here, a Japanese gamer has assembled his collection of gaming great's signatures for all to see (gallery after the jump). Included are the likes of Mario maker Shigeru Miyamoto, Sonic creator Yuji Naka, Hudson's human mascot Takahashi Meijin, Namco founder Masaya Nakamura and Nintendo's resident odd-ball Benimaru Itoh!

While I am indifferent to the whole autograph thing, Weekend Editor Mike McWhertor is not. He loves collecting signatures. During E3, we actually had to take pens, pencils and crayons away from the boy to prevent him from stalking. Yet, that proved futile. In a fit of rage, Crecente rubbed the Nintendo Reggie signature right off Mike's DS, which led to shouting, crying and the requisite group hug. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [GK.Cool]