Chapter 36: The Mysterious Game
In the spring of 1987, a game called "Final Frontier" was released without much fanfare.
The tale of warriors vanquishing darkness under the protection of the crystal didn't grab anyone's attention during its initial release.
One week after the game's release, "Final Frontier" managed to sell around 3,000 copies thanks to Amano Yoshitaka's illustrations. While it was a decent achievement compared to the sales of its predecessor, "Kids Quest," it seemed that Mr. Kawaguchi wasn't satisfied.
"It seems my qualities as a director are lacking," he said gloomily from the other end of the phone. I, too, was quite busy at the headquarters, and I wasn't going to Tokyo on business often, so I was having this conversation with Mr. Kawaguchi in my dorm after work.
"It's only been a week; there's no need to be so down. There's a review coming in this month's "FamiCom" magazine. Just wait a little longer," I reassured him.
"Still, thank you for helping me all the way with my final game, Junhyuk. I won't forget this favor," he said.
"You've worked hard with the release preparations. Take a few days to relax and clear your mind," I suggested.
"I was actually thinking about going on a fishing trip by the sea for a few days," he mentioned.
"That's a great idea. Who knows, you might come back with some good news," I replied with a smile.
"I wish that could be true. Anyway, I'll be in touch when I get back."
After ending the call with Mr. Kawaguchi, I immediately contacted Junpei, a reporter for "FamiCom" magazine.
Thanks to him informing me in advance about "Karen's Legend: Golden Cartridge," he had become one of my close friends.
During the era without the internet, the only way to get game information was through magazines, and marketing for games also followed a similar pattern. A little later, I heard the sound of someone typing on the keyboard through the phone along with a man's voice.
"Thank you. This is Junpei from "FamiCom" magazine," he said.
"Junpei? You're not off work yet?" I asked.
Junpei and I, being the same age, always had the habit of speaking rapidly as if we were being chased by something. It was because of this habit that sometimes, if you didn't listen carefully, his words could be difficult to understand.
"I'm about to die because of the deadline. I have a mountain of games to finish, and I don't know when I'll have time to write review articles," he replied.
"You're really busy, huh? By any chance, did the review score for "Final Frontier," which was released about ten days ago, come out yet?" I asked.
"'Final Frontier'? Well, you know, it's not just me writing the review articles. Maybe someone else did it?" he replied.
"Someone else did it? What kind of answer is that?" I questioned.
"As you know, how many family games are coming out these days? I need more than one body to keep up. I'm so busy that I'd even borrow a cat's paw if I could," he explained.
"Whether it's a cat's paw or a dog's paw, please find out if the "Final Frontier" review has been assigned," I requested.
"Now?" Junpei asked.
"Yes, right now," I confirmed.
"Alright, alright, let me check it. Oh? I haven't been home for two days now," he mentioned.
"Oh no, come on, check quickly, then go home," I encouraged.
"You heartless guy," he said.
"Thanks for the compliment," I replied.
Soon, Junpei's voice rang out as he inquired with his colleagues if anyone had written a review for "Final Frontier." And a moment later, he responded.
"No, it seems no one has written it yet. Due to the number of recently released games, we'll have to postpone the 'Final Frontier' review until next month."
"What!? Pushing back the review of a recently released game to next month? What kind of game magazine does that?" I exclaimed.
"Well, there should only be one or two recently released games, right? I'm the reviewer, but the game guide team is practically on the brink of collapse. They've been stuck in their rooms for two weeks, playing games non-stop."
"In that case, could you do me a favor and write a 'Final Frontier' review? And somehow, try to get it into this month's latest issue," I asked.
"What!? Are you serious!?"
"You owe me for that 'Karen's Legend' limited edition article you wrote before, right? Think of it as paying back that favor."
"Junhyuk, even if you say that, it's a bit..."
"Please, Junpei, we're friends, right?"
"Sigh... Alright, I was planning to go home today..."
"Still, give it a try. It's a game I recommend; it should be fun."
"Fine, I'll give it a shot. But if it's a terrible game, I'm holding you responsible!"
"After you finish the deadline, let's grab a drink. Put in some effort!"
"Alright, I got it. Geez, you're a tough one."
A week later, I visited a large bookstore in Osaka. In the magazine section, high school boys in uniforms lined up, reading "FamiCom" magazine.
"Wow, a lot of new games have been released again. I'm out of allowance; what should I buy?"
"Get something that'll last, like an RPG!"
"I just finished 'Dragon Warrior 2' last week, and it's fun, but the story was a bit cheesy. Are there any new games worth trying?"
Then, a student who had been reading a review article nearby chimed in.
"How about 'Final Frontier'? It seems pretty good. Junpei, the RPG specialist, gave it 36 out of 40 points."
"Really? 'Dragon Warrior 2' got 38 points."
As their interest peaked, the student started reading the review article to his friends.
"'Final Frontier,' the debut work from the new company, Pentagon Soft. The protagonist, a warrior of light, receives the protection of the crystal and single-handedly defeats the forces of darkness. The beautiful BGM and Amano Yoshitaka's illustrations give it a feeling reminiscent of 'Dragon Warrior 1,' but 'Final Frontier' offers unique and outstanding battle scenes. You can experience a different fantasy charm from 'Dragon Warrior.'"
"Interesting. Is it considered a derivative of 'Dragon Warrior' then?"
"Well, the review says the combat is fun, and the score is decent. It might be worth a try."
"Hmm, I'm considering it. I'll go to the game shop and ask the owner."
At that moment, another student who had been listening to their conversation carefully spoke up with a cautious expression.
"Hey, guys... have you heard of a game called 'Dragon Emblem'?"
Their questions made my hand pause while flipping through the pages.
"'Dragon Emblem'? What's that? I've never heard of it."
"Right. Where is it from, and is it an RPG?"
Faced with their curious questions, the student seemed a bit hesitant. After contemplating for a moment, he spoke with uncertainty.
"Well... no, it's better if you don't know."
"What? Why are you keeping it a secret? What kind of game is it?"
"Yeah, spill the beans! And if it's fun, let us know so we can try it together!"
The inquisitive friends pressed him for more information. Among them, one of the friends had been searching through the game magazines in the bookstore, looking for the release date of family games.
"There's no such game?"
"Didn't I tell you? I said it's a game that hasn't been released. It's just a rumor."
While I was casually flipping through the pages, I couldn't help but chuckle at the student's words. Hmm, not entirely wrong, I guess. The friends, driven by curiosity, continued to inquire, and finally, the student, who had been holding back, opened up.
"Well, it's something I heard from my cousin. He called two days ago and bragged that he got an amazing game. Besides that, I don't know much about it."
"If the game was released, it should be in the magazines. When did it come out?"
"I don't know... it's just like an urban legend, and the game has never been released."
As I leisurely flipped through the pages, my hand stopped. The student continued, his voice uneasy.
"Actually, my cousin said he got it from a used game shop."
"He got an unreleased game from a used game shop!? What kind of game is it? What genre is it?"
"That's... it's a genre my cousin has never tried before. It's a fantasy setting where characters stand on a chessboard-like map and move around to battle the enemies. The issue is..."
"The issue is...?"
"Once your character dies, their data disappears in the game."
"What? What does that mean? So, if a character dies, they're gone for good?"
"That's right."
Upon hearing this, one of their friends sneered and said, "Then just turn off the console and restart, or load from a save point."
"Even if you load, the character won't be there," replied another.
"What!? So, you have to start from scratch?"
"That's not possible either. If all the characters die, it's just game over, and you can't play anymore."
"This is insane! Where's the game developer? How can they make a game like that and still sell it? We should complain immediately!"
"There's no information about the developer. That's why there's no customer service to complain to. As I mentioned earlier, the game was purchased without a case as an unmarked cartridge from a used game shop. The price was ridiculously low, just 1,000 yen."
"1,000 yen!? That cheap? It's unbelievable. Are you sure your cousin isn't lying?"
"He's not the type to lie, but either way, my cousin lost all his characters and got a game over. So, recently, he's been going around various used game shops looking for a game called 'Dragon Emblem.'"
"Wow, that's intense. If what he said is true, maybe we should try looking for that game too."
As the kids rushed out of the bookstore, the store owner shouted loudly, "You kids!! Keep it down in the bookstore!"
I closed my book and watched the kids run into the alley. A mysterious game that anyone couldn't play. Dragon Emblem...
The description of the game that the student mentioned earlier was fairly accurate. It was a simulation RPG, set in a fantasy world with a grid-like map where you moved characters one by one to battle enemies.
Dragon Emblem was the title of the first game created solely by me after the time slip. And... it boasted the highest difficulty level in the history of video games.
Of course, I designed it so that it could be cleared. But it was never possible to clear it in just one try. The moment even one character died, Dragon Emblem became an impossible game to clear.
I was able to release this game to the market without going through Nintendo's cartridge factory. How was that possible?
First, I didn't use the official distribution channels. Like the student said, I delivered the game to used game shops for the relatively low price of 500 yen per cartridge.
And they sold it to users for double the price at 1,000 yen.
Over the weekends, I slowly gathered cartridges, and I only sold them in small quantities to used game shops. If anyone were to ask how I got my hands on Nintendo's game cartridges... surely they wouldn't think I had thrown away all the excess inventory I collected from Triangle?
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