Chapter 6: Game & Watch
"Hey there, young one. If I may ask, if you were to go back in time, which era would you prefer?"
Did that conversation's meaning lead to this? I glanced at the flashing year display on the screen for a moment. It started in 1983, with the downfall of Atari, which had led an era, and the birth of new hope in Japan, the Famicom Family. Interestingly, as I moved the year marker, famous figures from the gaming world that drew attention in each year were displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Among them, there were still developers working on the field, and several figures who had passed away. I instinctively looked for the creator of the game I was currently holding, Nisekoi Gunpei. As I absentmindedly touched the bottom of the screen, a brief introduction page about him and the operation of the MinTendo 3GS popped up.
"Touch recognition... It seems the device itself has evolved with the latest trends."
While I casually swiped the introduction page at the bottom with my finger, I found something interesting. It was his schedule from 1983. It was meticulously recorded, including the travel routes and times for each city. It seemed like a kind of navigator that could lead me to meet that person, even if I went back to that time.
"If I use this well, I might be able to meet some amazing individuals by sheer coincidence."
In reality, I would prefer to return to a time when the gaming industry had stabilized more in the Super Family era. Still, I wanted to experience the dawn of true gaming media, just as the old man had said. So, I pressed the confirmation button for the year 1983.
"Which country would you like to go to? Please speak into the device's microphone at the bottom."
"Microphone?"
Following the displayed command, I carefully examined the bottom of the device. Indeed, even though gamers nowadays might not know, there was a time when the Famicom's controller had a microphone attached. Although there were no games that used the microphone in the Famicom, I remembered that the feature was there. I laughed softly and blew air into the microphone of Game & Watch.
"I choose Japan."
"To which city would you like to travel?"
A city... MinTendo's headquarters were in Kyoto, but if I went back to that time, I couldn't just waltz into their office, could I? I needed to create some sort of connection.
The only way to do that was to meet someone who would later become a key figure at MinTendo by sheer coincidence. With this crazy idea in mind, I responded to Game & Watch's question.
"Tokyo."
"You have selected Tokyo, Japan, in the year 1983. How old are you there?"
While the 1980s was the heyday of MinTendo, they would face a great crisis when they transitioned into the 1990s with Sony's PlayStation. To overcome all those challenges, it would be best to be young, but not too young, as to not get drafted into the military.
"I'm 23, freshly discharged from the military."
"Your age has been set to 21 in Japan. Do you agree?"
"Yeah."
"What is your occupation there?"
For now, let's go with a Korean exchange student studying in Japan alone.
"Acquiring two foreign languages. Please make your selection."
"English and Japanese."
With just this much, living in Japan shouldn't be too difficult.
"Setting complete. Now, with all your current knowledge, you will live the life of a 21-year-old Korean exchange student residing in Tokyo in 1983. Do you agree? If you have any questions, you can ask using the microphone."
What should I do? If I agree, am I really going back to 1983? I pondered between the flashing YES and NO indicators. Although I was single and didn't have a family to take care of, the thought of leaving my parents in the countryside made it difficult to press the YES button.
"What will happen to me in 1983?"
"Your time will stop until you return from the past to the present. At that time, you will have to make a choice."
"A choice? What do you mean?"
"Regarding which life you will live, either the one that has time-traveled from the past or the one you are currently living."
"Indeed... If I go back to 1983 at the age of 23 and return to 2015, I'll be 55 years old. Oh, no, I'll be completely old!"
I placed my hand on my forehead for a moment, feeling dizzy. What should I do? While I hesitated with Game & Watch in front of me, I picked up my phone and called my mother. After a brief signal, I heard my mother's warm voice.
"Junhyuk?"
"Yes, Mom..."
My throat tightened at the sound of her calling my name with such joy in her voice, even though she didn't know anything.
"Are you doing well?"
"Well, if Dad would just stop drinking, everything would be great."
"Is Dad still drinking a lot these days?"
"Why do you ask? It's not like my words can make my throat hurt."
"Haha... You're still the same."
"But, why did you suddenly call, my son?"
"Well, I actually quit my job last week."
"What? Why...? What happened?"
"Well... I just wanted to try something new. I'm not sure if it'll work out, but I'm thinking of traveling for a while."
"Traveling is good. So, you're 34 now. I believe you made a good decision."
"Thank you, Mom... Oh, by the way, when you check your bank account later, there should be some money. I put a good portion of my severance pay in there."
"Really? Just save it for your travels, then?"
"No, it's not for that. After working at the company for 15 years, I received a good severance pay, so it should be enough."
"I see. Thank you. Even though you send me an allowance every month, my son, when you come back from your trip, come home, and I'll cook something delicious for you."
"Yes, Mom..."
"Bring your girlfriend if you have one~"
"Haha... I'll try my best."
"Okay... My son, have a safe journey on your trip..."
Tears welled up in my eyes at my mother's warm voice, as if she knew everything. Afraid that continuing the conversation would reveal my choked-up voice, I bid her farewell and hung up the phone.
I took a moment to calm my mind and organize my thoughts. If there were choices awaiting me when I returned from time travel, I'd think about them then. How would the me who came back from the past differ from the current me? What would I accomplish?
I transferred the amount equivalent to my severance pay to my mobile account. If I sent too much money, it might raise suspicions about the source, so I sent a reasonable amount. Finally, I placed my hand on the confirmation button of Game & Watch.
"Alright!! Let's go once. To the hottest era in gaming history... A time when there were no smartphones, not even mobile phones, but the most brilliant period. Let's embark on a slightly long journey to that time..."
"Parents... Stay healthy until I return."
With those words, I pressed the confirmation button on Game & Watch, and my surroundings suddenly blurred into shades of gray. After a while, everything in my room and living room turned into 2D pixels, giving me the illusion of being inside a retro game.
"Wow... It's amazing, but?"
However, even that illusion didn't last long, as the pixel clusters started pouring towards me like bricks. At first, I could avoid a few, but as their numbers increased, there was no escape. What? What?
"Aaah!"
As I cowered, trying to avoid the flying pixel clusters, I heard a familiar guidance voice coming from somewhere.
Beep-beep-beep~
"In a moment, the train bound for Ueno will arrive."
"Huh?"
Looking around, I found myself at an underground subway station. I had shouted out loud, and as a result, everyone around was giving me strange looks.
"Haha... Can you believe it? I've really gone back to 1983...?"
The approaching train looked like something straight out of an old Korean movie. It was a primitive, no-frills train made solely for transportation, with no design to speak of. Shortly, it came to a halt in front of me, and the doors opened.
Despite the earlier commotion, the Japanese locals began boarding the train as if ignoring my strange attire and hairstyle, which was a far cry from 2015.
Narita International Airport... There was a Narita Airport even in 1983. As I looked around in amazement, the suspicious gazes from the Japanese who had been eyeing me intensified.
"Hmm..."
I should avoid drawing too much attention to myself. I casually took an empty seat, careful to act naturally. By the way, I noticed I had a backpack with me. I wondered if it contained anything I might need, so I opened it and checked.
There was a passport with a study visa stamp and an account book from Tokyo JBC Bank. Money was important, indeed. I opened the passbook to check my assets. Seeing the displayed amount, I couldn't help but smile. The approximately 20 billion won I had in 2015 had been transferred intact to this era.
"21 million yen... Not a bad start, huh? With this, I might even be able to start a company."
I put the passport and bankbook back inside my bag and continued to explore its contents. That's when I felt a sturdy plastic device inside. It was the Game & Watch that had transcended time and space with me.
"It's reassuring to have you with me."
I smiled slightly and took the Game & Watch out of my bag. The attention of the people on the train momentarily shifted to the small device in my hand, but they quickly lost interest.
In fact, several people inside the train were already holding similar gaming devices. They were playing the 1980 release, Game & Watch BALL. BALL used a gameplay mechanism so simple that it needed no explanation – you merely moved the ball displayed on the screen from your left hand to your right. However, for people living in this era, it was a fantastic game.
My company employee game was far more advanced in terms of gameplay, but to the onlookers, my device wasn't much different from their Game & Watch, so they lost interest quickly.
Clack. To avoid standing out, I sat down on an empty seat and unfolded the Game & Watch. It was a device with a built-in clock, as indicated by its name.
...
June 15, 1983 -
Just one month before the release of the Family Computer in Japan... It's the perfect timing. The clattering train soon emerged from a dark tunnel and was running energetically under the bright sunlight. As I gazed at the passing scenery outside the window, a smile naturally crept onto my lips. After living in 2015 for so long, this classic atmosphere wasn't so bad.
Come to think of it, in 1983, I should be 23 years old, as I was born in 1982. A slight disadvantage, but well, it means I'm 11 years younger than my age yesterday, so let's roll with it. A new life in Japan... This time, I'll try to enjoy it a bit more!!
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