Join us as we find out what caffeine-enhanced instant noodles and curry tastes like.

Usually, you know what you’re getting with noodle makers Nissin. Even when they come out with new products like the High Protein Pro udon, what you’re getting is printed right there on the label.

▼ 高たんぱく = High Protein

▼ The newly released Tokujo Cup Noodle is equally understandable, with tokujo meaning “high-grade” or “special”, suggesting higher-quality ingredients are in the mix.

However, Nissin’s latest products had our reporter P.K. Sanjun feeling sullen. There were no hints to suggest what they were about other than the word “Gaming“.

▼ P.K., who prefers to have things spelled out for him.

Did “Gaming” mean these new products would taste like video games? For someone who likes to know what he’s getting into when he tries a new product, P.K. felt befuddled. There was only one way to get to the bottom of what a “Gaming” food might taste like in this situation, and that was by trying them.

Nissin Gaming Cup Noodle Japan instant ramen video games curry caffeine buy shop new taste test review photos top

Peering closely at the label of both new products, they appeared to contain caffeine, arginine, and niacin, which sounded more like ingredients you’d find in a line of energy drinks rather than instant food. At least P.K. now had some idea of what they contained, but he couldn’t help but think this didn’t sound like a particularly delicious combination. While the idea of “games, energy and Cup Noodles” was starting to make sense, P.K. still couldn’t quite get to grips with it.

Visiting the official website for more information, he read this:

“The strongest ‘buff meshi’!? Yakisoba and curry without soup, so you don’t have to worry about getting your hands or peripherals dirty, and it’s perfect for a meal in between playing games. Cup noodles and curry are a must-try for gamers.”

So, in short, the Nissin Gaming Cup Noodle was a new type of yakisoba and there was a Gaming Curry Meshi (“curry meal”) as well, with priority given to increasing gamers’ energy levels while reducing liquid levels to keep gaming equipment clean.

▼ Gaming Cup Noodle (left), Gaming Curry Meshi (right)

P.K. couldn’t help but think there was already a product like this on the market — the U.F.O yakisoba (pictured below), which needs to be drained of all liquid before being eaten.

Pushing his love for the U.F.O aside, P.K. decided to withhold judgment until he’d tasted the food that was marketed for gamers, starting with…

▼ …The Gaming Cup Noodle.

This Cup Noodle, or more accurately, Cup Yakisoba, contains a soy sauce-based sauce with a strong garlic taste. Taking a few slurps of the noodles, this was a good, reliable example of yakisoba. Not exactly excellent, but a stable version nonetheless.

These were lighter in colour compared to what yakisoba usually looks like, but this hue gave it more of a Cup Noodle look.

Next up, P.K. poured boiling water over the instant curry and waited the required five minutes for it to be ready. It certainly wasn’t without sauce, but it didn’t slosh about in the cup like soup, so if he were in the middle of a particularly challenging moment in a game he wouldn’t have to worry so much about potential spillages. As for the taste, it was mild on spice yet more flavourful  than the yakisoba, with a strong ginger kick that P.K. really enjoyed.

While both of these instant meals met the high standards P.K. has come to expect from Nissin in terms of taste and convenience, if he’s being honest he wasn’t particularly won over by the “Gaming” aspect of things.

Admittedly, P.K. isn’t a fan of fancy marketing when it comes to food, and he wasn’t playing games while eating them either so we’ll have to take his review with a game of salt. If you’d like to try them for yourself, they’ll be on store shelves nationwide from 18 September.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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