This arcade fighter features Tesla, Edison and a zap of current if you screw up

In most arcade fighting games, a slow reaction or a mis-timed special move lead to a thorough ass-kicking by your competitor. ‘War of the Currents’ takes a different approach, not only is your character getting a beat down, you’re going to suffer a bit as well.

The arcade cabinet features a choice of two playable characters, Nikola Tesla or Thomas Edison, and features a pair of conductive metal joysticks that deliver a small jolt when your opponent charges up a special attack. Not only does the blow do significant damages to your character, it’ll also start making you question your life decisions, notably: “why am I playing a game that lives to punish me?”

Designed and built by the creatives at Real Art, the War of the Currents machine debuted at SXSW, but it’s destined for a new home at the Proto BuildBar in Dayton, Ohio.

If you find yourself in Ohio, sans-pacemaker and pro-punishment, drop in and give it a shot.

➤ An Arcade Featuring Tesla Fighting Edison Also Lets Players Shock Each Other [ Gizmodo]