80s or 90s Sci-Fi book of kid going into arcade playing a new VR game.

[Andrew]

All I can remember is that the kid goes to an arcade of sorts and goes into a room where they are displaying a "new" type of game. Now, this was literally pre game-cube era and I naturally thought of the name for this room to be "the game cube" room.

In the game, one of the first levels was for the kid to face off against some oversized bees.

The kid loses the first time and has to reset, but then soon realizes that the second (or third time) if he dies in the game, he dies in real life.

I read this book when I was in elementary school in the early 90s.

[Andy]

Eating through a giant's eye sounds like a scene from Ender's Game Ender's Game

See the description of the scene here http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/endersg...

[Conal]

Ender playing as a mouse claws through the Giant's eye in Ender's Game to win an unwinable game. Not sure if this is your book but it was published in 1985.

[Andrew]

I recently re-read Ender's game so I know it's not that one. Maybe I mistook that to be a part of this book as well. I'll edit my original question to remove that part.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Andrew, are you still looking for this or did you find it?