Golden Sun Goes on Sale
May 3rd is Children's Day.
Sega's promotional posters were prominently displayed at the entrances of major game stores in Akihabara.
On the poster, several chibi-style boys and girls are gazing at a lighthouse floating in the distance; the image is brightly colored.
Its style is unique.
The game's name and price are prominently displayed in bold font on the poster.
<Golden Sun: The Seal Opened>.
Suggested retail price: Japanese yen 9,600.
This price caused countless players who stopped in front of the poster to gasp in shock.
"9600? Has Sega gone mad? That's almost twice as expensive as a regular Mega Drive cartridge!"
"The price of a Mega Drive game is almost breaking the 10,000 Japanese yen mark. Are they robbing people?"
"I heard they added a coprocessor to the cartridge... but that's ridiculous! I could use that money to buy two regular games."
Questions and discussions quickly spread among the players.
Inside the Managing Director's Office at Sega Headquarters.
Nakayama Takuya stood calmly in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of coffee, overlooking the Ever Flowing street below.
In the office sat two people with very different expressions.
Yuji Naka, this technical expert, clasped his hands tightly, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and extreme nervousness.
Rieko Kodama appeared relatively calmer, but her frequent glances at the phone betrayed her inner turmoil. This was her first project as a producer, and she was risking her career reputation.
"The market reaction to the executive director's price of 9,600 Japanese yen seems to be quite strong."
Rieko Kodama finally couldn't help but speak, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry.
Nakayama Takuya turned around, a calm smile on his face.
"Keiko, you must believe in your work."
He looked at Yuji Naka, "Naka, you must also trust your skills."
"We're not making an ordinary RPG, but a work of art, a 'work' that can change players' perception of Mega Drive games. A work of art should have the price of a work of art."
He paused, his tone filled with undeniable confidence.
"Besides, in order to carry its soul, didn't you already stuff an extra 'heart' and a 'golden voice' into the cassette tape?"
He was referring to the coprocessor and audio enhancement components that Yuji Naka's team added under extreme operating conditions to improve image and sound quality.
These words reassured Yuji Naka and Rieko Kodama somewhat, but also made the stakes of this high-stakes gamble seem even higher.
Time ticked by, second by second.
At 2 PM, the Sales Department made the first report call.
"Executive, of the first batch of 30,000 cartridges shipped, about 40% have been sold so far. The pace is slower than expected."
The air in the office seemed to freeze instantly.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Yuji Naka's forehead.
However, Nakayama Takuya simply nodded. "Understood, continue observing."
It was as if everything was under control.
He knew that the real storm still needed some time to brew.
A few days later, players who had completed the game came to Akihabara.
The shop owner, in front of several hesitant players, stopped this slightly chubby player and asked him how the game was, if he had finished it, and if he enjoyed it.
He grunted to the shop owner and asked, "Where is the OST cassette for ' Golden Sun '?"
The shopkeeper was a little surprised, but still pointed him to the shelf. "It's on that shelf over there. Why did you decide to buy this?"
"The music of ' Golden Sun ' is amazing. I saw in the manual that it would be sold in 0ST format, so I came to check it out." He found the cassette tape.
I took one box.
The shop owner thought Sega was overconfident or that it was some kind of impulsive decision by higher-ups, but little did he know that this was exactly what was going on.
As he placed the cassette tape on the counter, he said, "Boss, I admit, I was attracted by the gorgeous promotional materials and the 'brand new RPG experience' slogan. My heart was bleeding when I gritted my teeth and paid. But! After playing it, I know it was totally worth the money!"
"The opening scene of the stormy night, the atmosphere, the sound effects—it was absolutely amazing! I've never heard such a powerful symphony on an MD!"
"Here's the key point! The mental power system! Can you imagine? Fire magic in the game isn't just for fighting! You can use it to light torches to solve puzzles and melt ice to clear paths! Those mazes will never be so boring again!"
"And there's the spirit system! Collecting, possessing, and combining different spirits can create completely different classes! The freedom is off the charts! I've been studying it all afternoon, and I feel like I've only scratched the surface!"
One by one, other players who had played Golden Sun came to Akihabara, also to buy OST tapes.
"Really? Is it that exaggerated?"
"Is this guy Sega shill? 9600 Japanese yen!"
"I'm in love... Can this kind of effect really be achieved on MD?"
A few days later, when the latest issue of Famitsu hit the shelves of bookstores and convenience stores, all doubts were completely shattered. Countless gamers opened the magazine and went straight to the "New Game Ratings" section.
When they saw the name <Golden Sun: The Opening of the Seal>, everyone's pupils contracted violently.
Review Editor A: This is a breathing, ingenious world. The design that uses mental power to interact with the scene is a great innovation in the RPG field. Score: 9 points.
Review Editor B: Motoi Sakuraba's music is epic and perfectly matches the game's grand world view. The spirit summoning animation during battles fully utilizes the Mega Drive's capabilities and is incredibly powerful! Score: 10/10!
Reviewer C: The plot seems like a traditional story of a teenager saving the world, but the details and foreshadowing are exceptionally well done. The depth of the spirit system is worth exploring for all RPG enthusiasts. Score: 9/10
Reviewer D: 9600 Japanese yen? After playing it, you'll feel it's worth 12000 Japanese yen. The only downside is that after finishing the game, it feels like the story has only just begun, and I can't wait to play the sequel! Score: 9/10
Total score: 37 points!
Platinum Hall of Fame!
Following Pokémon Red and Green, Sega has once again secured a Platinum Hall of Fame- level RPG masterpiece within just two months!
This score, like a most authoritative call to action, instantly ignited the entire market.
Platinum! It's actually platinum!
"Famitsu editor gave it a perfect score of 10! That's insane! Go buy it now!"
"I was still hesitating yesterday, but today the store is sold out! The owner said everyone in Tokyo Metropolis is scrambling for it!"
At Sega Headquarters, the Sales Department was constantly ringing with the phone.
"Get the remaining inventory out of the market immediately! All factories, three shifts a day, produce at full capacity the cartridges for ' Golden Sun '!"
"Our distributors' phones are ringing off the hook! They're urging us to deliver!"
Executive Director! Executive Director! First-week sales are projected to exceed 200,000 copies!
The news quickly reached the office, and Yuji Naka was waiting for sales updates, stood up excitedly. This usually taciturn technical genius had tears in his eyes and his face was filled with unbridled joy.
The gloom brought about by the sales curve of <Phantasy Star> has now been completely swept away!
Rieko Kodama also covered her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears.
She did it.
She proved to the entire industry with her talent that female producers can also create top-notch RPGs!
Nakayama Takuya walked over to her and gently patted her and Yuji Naka on the shoulder.
"Gentlemen, this is just the beginning."
"This is not just a victory for one game, it's a victory for our new team, and the first golden brand for Sega RPGs."
He turned to Rieko Kodama.
"By the way, regarding the second part of the <Golden Sun> trilogy—Miss Kodama, please inform the rest of the team to start development after next week's holiday."
"Hi!"
Then he applied more pressure to Yuji Naka's shoulder.
"As for Naka, the programming problems with <Golden Sun> should be resolved. There's another game at the arcade that you need to figure out."
"Oh? Isn't Suzuki- san from the arcade club? How did he end up here?" Yuji Naka, somewhat puzzled.
"Ahem - Suzuki- san has become obsessed with CD-ROM development. Only after mastering CD-ROMs can his ' Taiko no Tatsujin ' truly transform."
"Okay, I'll go check it out in a bit." Yuji Naka nods.