Mewtwo Strikes Back Trailer

"Where is this? The control room?"

In the dimly lit room, a figure stood with his back to the player, and the background music became increasingly oppressive. When he slowly turned around, revealing a face that looked incredibly familiar from an animated film, countless children in front of their televisions gasped in shock.

"It's Giovanni! The gym leader of the Viridian Gym!"

The sudden boss battle abruptly changed the atmosphere of the game. Giovanni's cold face, coupled with the oppressive background music, made countless players' hearts leap into their throats.

"How could it be him?!"

This is no longer the carefree Pokémon Land it once was. Machamp, Rhydon, and Kingler — Pokémon that displayed terrifying power in the anime—are even more formidable in the games. Rhyperior is practically immune to Pikachu's Rhydon Dengeki.

With its Machamp four arms waving so fast and tightly that Squirtle's water gun felt like a mere tickle, the impact was barely noticeable.

"No way! We can't win!"

"My Bulbasaur was stunned instantly by its crab claw!"

What was originally a relaxed and enjoyable adventure in the amusement park instantly turned into a hardcore challenge that tested both skill and strategy. In countless family living rooms, the sounds of children's frustrated shouts and the rapid clatter of controller buttons echoed.

Fail, try again, fail again, try again.

Many children even cried and sought out their older siblings, or even their fathers, trying to form a "family strategy team."

This sense of frustration did not discourage players; on the contrary, it fueled everyone's competitive spirit.

On forums and at school, discussions about how to win over Giovanni are at an all-time high.

"We have to use Squirtle! Attack from behind the Rhydon —it works wonders!"

"When Machamp, never be greedy. Its punches are rhythmic, so dodge them carefully!"

After countless failures and attempts, when Giovanni's last Pokémon— the giant Kingler —slowly collapsed under Pikachu's all-out Quick Attack, a deafening roar of cheers erupted in front of the television. Some young players even jumped up from the sofa, excitedly waving their fists.

As the victory music played, the young players, panting and with sweaty palms, steered their characters into the deepest room, eagerly awaiting the final reward.

However, the room was empty.

Just as the players were wondering where Giovanni had gone, the central main screen flickered, and the silhouette of a Pokémon never seen before, covered in cold metallic armor, flashed by. The oppressive feeling that could be felt even through the screen far surpassed that of Giovanni's Machamp and the other Pokémon.

Immediately afterwards, a line of text appeared on the screen.

"This summer, look forward to the Pokémon movie, <Mewtwo Strikes Back>."

silence.

After a brief silence, an even larger outbreak occurred.

This discovery was like a nuclear bomb, detonating across the entire gaming community.

"They really did plant clues in the game, just like in the animation!"

I thought it was just a casual game, but who would have thought that the end of the game wouldn't be a completion animation, but a trailer for an unprecedented animated theatrical version!

And it perfectly echoes the game GG that happened after the anime aired!

"I've seen that armored Pokémon on TV before, and it's here again!"

"So its name is Mewtwo? Is it a legendary Pokémon? And what does 'comeback' mean?"

For a time, speculation about the identity of the "Armored Pokémon" and discussions about the plot of the movie became the hottest topics. The sales of the game cartridges also saw a second surge under this unexpected promotional offensive.

Countless players who were previously hesitant rushed to the store in order to witness the game's Easter egg related to the animated film.

After the trailer for the animated movie was released following the completion of the game, GALLOP, as Sega had planned, began airing the official trailer for "Mewtwo Strikes Back" during prime time, after the anime programming block.

The trailer is only a minute and a half long, but every frame is filled with a texture and amount of information completely different from the TV anime. It opens in a cold laboratory, where a blurry figure is huddled inside a huge glass container, surrounded by countless flashing instruments and researchers in white lab coats. Next, there is a close-up of the metal armor that flashed by in the game being installed piece by piece on the Pokémon, full of cold mechanical feel.

Who am I? Why am I here?

A low, bewildered voiceover instantly silenced the living room.

Countless children who had just finished the game and seen that figure deep inside the park immediately widened their eyes, pointed at the television, and shouted, "It's him! It's him!"

The scene shifts to the laboratory collapsing in a violent explosion. Mewtwo, clad in armor, floats amidst the flames, his eyes devoid of anger, only filled with empty indifference.

With a casual wave of its hand, an invisible force tore everything apart.

The trailer ended, and the movie title appeared on the black screen, but the discussion in front of the TV was just beginning.

"It's too strong! Even stronger than Giovanni's Rhydon!"

"It's the one that appears at the very end of the game!"

The next day, the topic exploded in elementary and middle school schools across Japan.

Those who beat the game became the most popular among their classmates, surrounded by people who described the final Easter egg to them over and over again. Those who didn't beat the game, or didn't have a Mega Drive at home, were filled with envy and resentment.

The trailer, riding on the game's growing popularity, provided the theatrical version with a promotional effect far exceeding that of conventional methods.

At Sega Headquarters, the phone in the Marketing Department rings almost non-stop.

"Mr. Nakayama, the TV stations are going crazy." Masao Suzuki strode into the office, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement. "Several TV stations that were previously charging outrageously high prices for our GG time slot are now calling us to ask if they can broadcast the trailer as a 'hot cultural phenomenon' in their news programs."

Nakayama Takuya was typing on his computer, merely raised an eyelid upon hearing this. "A free guy, why not?"

"I've already had the publicity department contact them." Masao Suzuki laughed. "The same goes for GALLOP; Toho's business manager came to visit them immediately, hoping to obtain the distribution rights."

It's clear to everyone that with such a powerful social media impact, <Mewtwo Strikes Back> has a very good chance of becoming a box office hit.

Our strategy worked, Mr. Nakayama. We weren't just selling games; we created an "event" that can only be fully experienced through our game.

The core of this "event" is to make the game itself a prequel to the movie's plot and the first wave of publicity.

Want to know who that powerful armored Pokémon is? Go beat the game!

This brand-new interactive narrative mode has aroused players' anticipation like never before.

It changed the player's sense of accomplishment from "I completed the game" to "I personally unveiled the prelude to a major event."

Nakayama Takuya saved the document, ejected the floppy disk, and nodded firmly. "I'm really looking forward to its performance when the theatrical version is released."