Chapter 219

Video Game DiPSIster is the 219th chapter of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (Saiki Kusuo no Psi-nan) manga series published on the 7th of November 2016.

Characters

 * Adver Tarou
 * Ban Nam
 * Saiki Kusuo
 * Nendou Riki
 * Kaidou Shun
 * Hairo Kineshi
 * Kuboyasu Aren
 * Teruhashi Kokomi
 * Yumehara Chiyo
 * Mera Chisato
 * Toritsuka Reita

Abilities Used

 * Psychokinesis
 * Invisibility

Short Summary
A slime monster named Ban Nam appears before a fifth grader named Adver Tarou in the middle of the street. Ban Nam gives Tarou a 3DS containing the video game Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan: Biggest Dipsister Ever!? before dissapearing. Tarou initially refuses to play the game, but after failing to remove it from the 3DS and with the reappearance of Ban Nam (who insists he should give it a try), Tarou gives in and plays it.

Playing as Saiki Kusuo, the game is shown to have at least two stages: Stage 1, where the goal is to reach Saiki's classroom without running into any of his classmates, and Stage 2, where the goal is to survive a conversation with Teruhashi without raising her affection nor inciting the wrath of the Kokomins. Tarou repeatedly messes up on both of these stages. Thoroughly frustrated with the game, he throws it at Ban Nam and tells him to get out. Ban Nam does so, but leaves the game behind. Tarou notices the game's cover is peeling off, and after removing it completely discovers a different game cover underneath. The chapter ends with Tarou considering buying the actual game when it comes out, just to see what it's really like.

Long Summary
A slime monster appears before a fifth grader named Adver Tarou in the middle of the street. Tarou regards the slime with horror as it addresses him by name, asking him if he's having fun every day, and claiming to be a "friend to all children." It then offers Tarou a new video game, which instantly wipes the horror off his face and replaces it with excitement. The slime gives him a 3DS containing the video game Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan: Biggest Dipsister Ever!? Once again Tarou's mood changes, and he regards the game with utter dissapointment. He tells the slime that he isn't familiar with Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan, to which the slime replies that he must not have any friends. Tarou responds to this with great offense, while the slime cheerfully continues to tell him that by playing this game he will make lots of friends. The slime then dissapears, leaving Tarou with his new game.

Tarou initially refuses to play the game, and attempts to pry it out of the 3DS. He fails, and comments that it's like "some unseen power is keeping [him] from taking it out." He also notes that the game never turns off, not even if he takes the batteries out, as if it's telling him to play it. Giving up, Tarou decides to sell it at a used game shop, at which point the slime monster reappears behind him and tells him not to do that.

Tarou freaks out and screeches questions like, "How did you get in my room!?" and, "What even are you anyway!?" The slime introduces itself as Ban Nam, the mascot of Bandai Namco Entertainment. Ban Nam claims to be an amalgamation of all of Bandai Namco's recognizable characters, despite appearing to be nothing but slime. Tarou continues to freak out, yelling that Bandai will get mad at them, a point which Ban Nam brushes off since "Bandai and Shueisha get along." Ban Nam then prompts Tarou to play the game, and Tarou does so with resignation.

Playing as Saiki Kusuo, the game is shown to have at least two stages. In Stage 1 the goal is to reach Saiki's classroom without running into any of his classmates. Tarou, however, is unaware that the other characters are enemies, so when he recognizes Nendou's sprite from the game's cover art, he leads Saiki to him without hesitation. This triggers Nendo's dialogue ("Hey partner! Let's go get some ramen!") before resulting in a game over. Confused and upset, Tarou asks if that was a glitch, and Ban Nam responds that he should've read the instructions. Tarou retries the level, this time running past Nendo's sprite until he reaches the classroom door. At that moment Kaidou's sprite emerges from the classroom, triggering another cutscene ("Hey... Saiki. Do you feel that...? An ominous wind...") and another game over. Again upset, Tarou questions whether that was a glitch, and Ban Nam responds that he's supposed to use ESP to overcome obstacles. In his next attempt, Tarou uses telekinesis on Nendo's sprite, a move which slams Nendo into the wall so hard he slumps to the ground and dies. This triggers a game over with no cutscene. Tarou asks for the third time whether that was a glitch, and for the third time the answer is no.

Tired of Tarou's lack of progress, Ban Nam starts to play the game for him. He uses Saiki's invisibility to run past Nendo and Kaidou without them noticing. He then finds Toritsuka, who can see through invisibility, and uses telekinesis on him to Tarou's surprise. Leaving Toritsuka's sprite bleeding on the floor, Ban Nam completes the level.

In Stage 2 the goal is to survive a conversation with Teruhashi without raising her affection and without inciting the wrath of the Kokomins. Teruhashi opens the conversation with a question: "Saiki, do you like cats or dogs better?" Tarou is given three response options, which he goes through one at a time. When he responds with "Shut up, stupid," he immediately recieves a game over, this time covered with blood stains to show that he's been murdered. When he responds with "Cats," Teruhashi's sprite changes to beam at him, and she says "Wow! I love cats too! I have a pet cat at home." An offu meter on the left side of the screen fills up, and he receives a "game offu," which is basically the same as a game over except the background changes to a sparkly image of saiki and teruhashi facing each other. When he chooses "Dogs," Teruhashi's sprite once again turns ecstatic, and she says "Wow! I have a pet cat at home, but I actually like dogs better too!" And then it's game offu.

Tarou becomes angry, since all three options caused him to lose. Ban Nam tells him that the correct answer is silence. Thoroughly frustrated with the game, he throws it at Ban Nam and tells him to get out. Ban Nam does so, but leaves the game behind.

Tarou notices the game's cover is peeling off, and after removing it completely discovers a different game cover underneath. The new game cover reads, Saiki Kunio no X Nan's Biggest Dixaster Ever!? The chapter ends with Tarou considering buying the actual game when it comes out, just to see what it's really like.

Trivia

 * The gameplay shown in this chapter was entirely made up by the author, as the actual game had not yet been released at the time of publication.
 * Bandai Namco's real mascot, since 1980, has been Pac-Man.