Nintendo's Reaction

Nakayama Takuya's handheld console project proposal was unanimously approved by the board of directors. This result was not unexpected. The sales of the Mega Drive were unstoppable, and the entire Sega was filled with a positive and uplifting atmosphere. No one would refuse a project that could open up a new battlefield, especially since the handheld market's reaction had already been seen when the Tetris handheld version was released.

After the meeting, Nakayama Takuya returned to his office and saw Masao Suzuki from the Marketing Department waiting for him with a briefing.

"Take a look at this, the latest response from Kyoto."

Nakayama Takuya took the briefing, his gaze quickly landing on the most prominent item. On February 20th, Nintendo's ace game, Super Mario Bros. 3, finally surpassed Sega's Pokémon Adventure: Pokémon Land in weekly sales.

"It's too late to overtake them now." Nakayama Takuya's lips curled into a smile. The most difficult window of opportunity for the Mega Drive had been safely passed, and the amazing sales of the launch game had long been turned by Sega's sales team into the most powerful weapon to persuade third-party manufacturers.

The next news item in the briefing is the best proof.

"Konami and Bandai have officially announced their joining the Mega Drive camp." Masao Suzuki read the headline, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "We just finished our celebration here, and Nintendo is probably already in an uproar."

Nakayama Takuya pointed to the following text, "Let them be, but look at this: Nintendo has announced a ban on any games from Konami and Bandai being released on Nintendo platforms."

Masao Suzuki shook his head and couldn't help but laugh out loud, "This kind of ban is just a formality; it has no real effect. It only lets others know that they are just filled with impotent rage."

The office echoed with the two men's relaxed laughter. For the first time, the Oyama that had once weighed heavily on the entire industry was showing such obvious cracks. Their response was not to address the root cause, but rather to try to stop the bleeding by adding more water, revealing a sluggishness and hesitation.

Kyoto, Nintendo Headquarters conference room.

Everyone lowered their heads, no one dared to speak first, and no one dared to look at the old man in the main seat who seemed to be resting with his eyes closed. The news of Konami and Bandai's defection was like a resounding slap in the face to every Nintendo. This was no longer a matter of money, but a blatant challenge to the entire Nintendo empire's order.

"President, everyone—" a young director finally broke the suffocating silence, "I think we should perhaps re-examine our royalty policy with third-party manufacturers. Sega is coming on strong, their terms are too generous, and if we don't make adjustments soon, I'm afraid—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

"I'm afraid of what?" A voice abruptly interrupted him; it was an old retainer close to Yamauchi Haku. "Are we going to follow Sega's example and fawn over those half-hearted guys? How was Nintendo built? Through rules! Through an iron fist! If we give in to Konami today, Capcom and Taito will follow suit tomorrow, and this empire will rot from its very foundation!"

"But now our foundation is crumbling!" the young director exclaimed, standing up agitatedly. "We are losing allies! It's not a question of whether we want to concede, but whether we can afford to lose even more suppliers!"

"Then let them go! Even if Nintendo only relies on its games, it will still dominate the industry!"

Times have changed!

The argument suddenly escalated, and the entire conference room descended into chaos. One side believed that a price reduction was necessary to appease the other and stabilize the situation; the other insisted on not yielding an inch and demanded even harsher measures to uphold the empire's dignity. Both sides stuck to their own arguments, spittle flying as they spoke, yet both carefully avoided the silent figure at the head of the table.

Yamauchi Haku seemed completely detached from the situation, not even blinking.

After an unknown amount of time, the argument gradually subsided. Everyone was exhausted from arguing and could only look at each other, panting. Finally, their gazes converged on Yamauchi Haku, awaiting the final verdict.

Yamauchi Haku finally opened his eyes slowly, but no one could discern any emotion in them from behind his brown-tinted glasses.

But he didn't look at any of the arguing subordinates.

His gaze swept over everyone else and landed on the two people at the back of the conference room.

"Kamimura-kun, Takeda-kun."

Masayuki Uemura Genyo Takeda, who was in charge of chip pre-research, both jolted and immediately sat up straight.

"Exist."

Yamauchi Haku's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the entire conference room, and everyone held their breath.

He didn't mention a word about the dispute over royalties or the countermeasures of third-party manufacturers, as if the heated argument had never happened.

"Nintendo's 16-bit home console," Yamauchi Haku said emotionlessly, "Development must be put on the agenda now."

"Hi!"

The battle in the console market is raging, with manufacturers and game developers locked in fierce competition. However, after the noise subsides, the ultimate beneficiaries are naturally the players.

Several arcade masterpieces ported by Sega to the Mega Drive enjoyed soaring sales thanks to its massive player base. Being able to enjoy an arcade-level gaming experience anytime, anywhere on your own TV was a source of immense happiness for countless gamers.

But this was just the beginning. What truly ignited the market was a completely new and unexpected product.

When Pokémon Adventure: Pokémon Land was first released, core gamers were still somewhat hesitant.

The cover features adorable Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur, which seems a bit "childish."

But everything changed when countless home users and female gamers, on the recommendation of shopping mall sales assistants, inserted the cartridges into their consoles with a try-it-out mentality.

"Mommy, we can't get through here, there's fire!" On a weekend afternoon, a seven or eight-year-old girl shook her mother's arm.

"Don't rush, let Mom take a look—hmm, we have Squirtle in our team, right? Try switching to it."

On the television screen, the round Squirtle took a step forward, puffed out its little mouth, and a jet of water precisely extinguished the flame barrier. The girl cheered, and her mother smiled knowingly.

The fun of cooperative puzzle-solving is simple, intuitive, and incredibly pure, allowing many housewives who had never played video games before to experience its charm for the first time.

Soon, the game became a popular topic of conversation among housewives during afternoon tea and female colleagues during lunch breaks.

"Hey, how did you get past that part where you pull the switch with a rattan whip? I tried several times."

"Stand back a bit, aim carefully before pressing, but sometimes I deliberately misalign myself; Bulbasaur's expression is so cute then!"

"I still like Pikachu the most. It's so much fun to paralyze those clumsy robots with electricity!"

With its unique puzzle-solving mechanics and moderate difficulty, the game, backed by the Pokémon IP, quickly gained wider appeal. It's no longer just a children's toy, but a new bond for strengthening relationships between friends, best friends, and parents and children.

When the most dedicated young players, after countless efforts, finally defeated all the giant mechanical Pokémon in the park, they were surprised to find that the game was not over.

Deep within the amusement park, a hidden gate slowly opens.