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EGM's Sushi-X - Unmasked At Last?

Posted by simoniker on from the not-that-taco dept.

Thanks to CJ Johnston's weblog for its discussion on the true identity of U.S. videogame magazine EGM's secretive early/mid-'90s writer, Sushi-X. Johnston, a former EGM staffer, muses on the origins of the character: "The way I figure it (and I'm guessing here, since he appeared in EGM before my [1994-era] time), the Sushi-X persona was inspired by [Japanese videogame magazine] Famitsu's Taco-X, a reviewer often dressed as a ninja", and goes on to claim that the Lloyd Mangram-esque Sushi-X, "often the 'swing reviewer' who would pan something the other guys 'liked'", was originally writer Ken Williams. However, "soon everyone else on staff was taking turns playing Sushi-X", and, even post-EGM removal, the often composite character was resurrected for the now defunct GameNow magazine in 2003.

20 comments

  1. As a Long Time EGM Reader... by FlipmodePlaya · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sushi's stuff was always fun to read, but it was fairly obvious it wasn't a 'real person'. I can't reference any specific clues, but you certainly got that feeling from reading the magazine. CJ's blog displays a guess no better than any of ours, so I'm not too sure this deserves a ./a article.

    What bothered me from the blog is that he thinks EGM created this character of SushiX, and then had him hate on certain games just to develop it. Does that mean games were given bad reviews just for that purpose? That makes me question the integrity of my favorite gaming rag...

    1. Re:As a Long Time EGM Reader... by forkazoo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, it makes sense to have a 'balancing' viewpoint on some games -- with a composite character like Sushi-X, you can still tell the publisher you wrote a good review, so they have to take you to dinner. It's that pesky 'other guy' who mentions all the flaws. Rather a reasonable solution, compared to the current, "This was the best game ever made" reviews for almost everything.

    2. Re:As a Long Time EGM Reader... by NonSequor · · Score: 1

      I'd say that it's more than likely that they simply gave the role to whoever had a dissenting opinion. I doubt they forced anyone to write a dissenting review.

      --
      My only political goal is to see to it that no political party achieves its goals.
    3. Re:As a Long Time EGM Reader... by nicksthings · · Score: 1

      A guess? I'm pretty sure he flat out says who was writing as the "original" Sushi-X.

    4. Re:As a Long Time EGM Reader... by FlipmodePlaya · · Score: 1

      'The way I figure it (and I'm guessing here...'

      He doesn't seem to know whether or not SushiX was a 'real' person at some point in his history, though he does seem to know he is no longer.

    5. Re:As a Long Time EGM Reader... by nicksthings · · Score: 1

      What I got from the "and I'm guessing here") was him guess HOW the Sushi X persona came about, not guessing as to who the writer behind him was. He seemed pretty clear that it was Ken Williams. There didn't seem to be much speculation on that, actually.

    6. Re:As a Long Time EGM Reader... by robbway · · Score: 1

      I read the magazine for years, too. The biggest clue was the drastically different writing styles that appeared in different issues, including particularly feminine POVs. And the special Sushi-X insert for subscribes was a guilty pleasure of mine.

  2. masked rider by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Isn't he Speed racer brother who left home fater crashing ... blah blah blah you know the drill?

    1. Re:masked rider by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That was Racer-X (at least in the US version)

  3. Sushi-X used to refer to Taco-X regularly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    as a colleague, as if to imply kinship. I always took this as EGM's attempt to benefit from Famitsu's credibility.

  4. Holy flashback by MachDelta · · Score: 3, Funny

    Damn, I remember being like 7 years old and drooling over the latest EGM with my buddies, and we ALL wanted to know who Sushi-X was. Hell, we all wanted to be Sushi-X too:
    "I call Spiderman!"
    "I call Wolverine!"
    "I call Sushi-X!"
    "Hey! I wanted to be the ninja! Sushi was mine!"
    "No he wasn't!"
    "Yes he was!"
    "I want Sushi! You can be Wonder Woman!"
    *Laughter*

    Ah, to be 7 years old again!
    ...excuse me while I go dig around in the basement for my NES.

  5. I wonder how good their translation was by foidulus · · Score: 4, Informative

    Taco(or Tako) in Japanese means octopus(which lots of people eat regularly)
    The mexican treat is Takosu
    I wonder if Taco-X was actually a play on words on Tako instead of Takosu.

  6. Old Quote by Black+Mage+Balthazar · · Score: 1
    A quote that has stuck around with me for a long time:

    "Sushi-X wishes he could just air-kajam the whole world into thinking straight again."

    I've had that feeling a lot more the older I get.

  7. I know who he was at one time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Several people wrote in EGM under the name Sushi-X. The reason behind the secrecy has to do with the fact that many of these reviewers were actually industry insiders. (Readers would think the reviewer was biased if they knew he worked for a certain Publisher or Developer).

    I know who was Sushi-X at one time (early 90's). Shall I say??

  8. onto the next mystery. by PaganRitual · · Score: 1

    okay great, now ... who is RedEye that writes for Edge magazine, and while youre at it, who is Biffo, who writes for the same mag?

    1. Re:onto the next mystery. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      RedEye is James Price.

  9. That great but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Who was the real Shen-Long? I could never get the code to work in Street Fighter!

  10. I always added a point or two to any Sushi score.. by CronoCloud · · Score: 2, Insightful

    of a game that wasn't a fighting game.

    I couldn't stand the guy and his Street Fighter obseesion/I'm more hardcore than you because I can play imports/I use the japanese words for fighting game attacks because I am more hardcore than you.

    Give me a break. He'd have fit right in at GameFan with their 2D/SNK worship/Fighting game worship/we liked anime before anyone else did attitude.

    And worse, all of EGM was a bit like that. They gave Samurai Showdown game of the year honors. A game for a system that no one other than editors and writers of video game magazines actually owned. I think they did it just to prove how "hardcore" they were.

    I'm glad that era is over and I'm glad Sushi is gone. Good riddance to him and all that blasted Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat letter art.

  11. Hmm...not what I heard. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A friend's boyfriend heard I was a video game nut. He asked me if I had ever heard of Sushi X. He said his college buddy "Howard" that was Sushi X.

    Ugh, I know how "my best friend's sister's boyfriend is going with this GUY who knows this GIRL who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night."

    So I will now check the Post Anonymously button.

  12. Re:I always added a point or two to any Sushi scor by qoa · · Score: 1

    The whole 2D/SNK/Fighting game worship thing goes deeper than you know. A crowd of us used to go to "Shidoshi" the anime reviewers house ,play fighters, and watch anime all the time. Yes he had a shelf full of actual NeoGeo Carts. When somebody hangs around people that are die hard into 2d fighters, they will lean towards them in thier reviews. Nice to hear from the other end of the spectrum though.

    --
    Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.