Cup Noodles Delivers Gamer-Friendly Instant Nosh—Powered Up With Caffeine

Background generated on AI, foreground image via Nissin

In a realm where high scores are a matter of life and game over, and where the call of duty is answered with a controller, one culinary sidekick has stood the test of time: the humble instant noodle. Yes, you heard it right, those squiggly, steamy strands of goodness that have fueled countless late-night gaming marathons. 

Now, Nissin, the inventor of instant ramen and the maker of Cup Noodle (that’s Cup Noodles in the US), is giving gamers an additional 1-UP to keep their health bars (kind of) nourished and their mental reflexes agile. Two new additions aim to power up eaters in Japan during their virtual battles: the Gaming Cup Noodle Energy Garlic & Black Pepper Yakisoba and the Gaming Curry Meshi Energy Ginger Keema Curry.

Images via Nissin

Apart from the punchy packaging, the instant meals are specially cooked up to prevent messes at the keyboard—they’re both soup-free and use a broth. The former features yakisoba, whereas the latter is rice-based and needs to be hydrated in boiling water for five minutes—instead of the usual three minutes—for the grains to plump up.

The yakisoba option is filled with mystery meat, which is really seasoned minced pork; shrimp; egg; and cabbage; with a peppery garlic soy sauce broth.

Image via Nissin

Meanwhile, the curry rice version consists of a spicy roux, onions, tomato, pork, and a dash of ginger.

And here’s the literal kicker: The ‘Gaming’ series is infused with caffeine, arginine, and niacin to pump gamers up with extra energy while boosting their circulation. In geek terms, this translates to greater attack power, defense power, recovery power, and speed with their consoles.

Explaining the decision to produce gamer-friendly meals, Nissin explains in a Japanese press release: “The gaming population in the country is said to be growing year by year, primarily among youths, and it is said to have surpassed 50 million people. As such, we are releasing a new product for gamers, a first in the history of Nissin Food Products.”

Gamers in Japan won’t have to perform too many quests to earn these offline boosters, as both pantry staples will be sold nationwide for only ¥280 (US$1.90).

[via CNN and SoraNews24, images via various sources]