Release Date

Three days later, January 11.

Even the biting cold wind seemed unable to dampen the teenagers' enthusiasm.

Outside Sega arcades in major cities across Japan, long lines had formed early in the morning.

As the arcade doors slowly opened, the crowds surged inside like a tide.

Their goal was clear: the brand-new arcade cabinets plastered with Fatal Fury posters.

"It's here, it's here!"

"Let me go first!"

"Get in line, asshole!"

The noisy shouts, the crisp clatter of coins dropping into machines, and the fierce fighting sound effects from the games instantly filled the entire space.

On the screen, Terry's Burn Knuckle streaked across the display in a blazing trail.

Andy's Shadow Slash Punch was swift as lightning.

Joe Higashi's Hurricane Upper roared with force.

The dazzling moves that had only flashed by briefly in the animated trailer were now vividly displayed before the players' eyes.

Although the graphics definitely could not match the animation's resolution, the precise controls and intense battles quickly immersed players in their chosen characters.

Its expressive power even exceeded many players' expectations.

There were more spectators than actual players, everyone craning their necks with excited gleams in their eyes.

Cries of amazement, discussions, and shouted imitations of the moves rose and fell one after another.

A wave of heat rolled through the arcades, forming a stark contrast with the winter chill outside.

Inside the office of Sega's Third Development Group, Team Leader Shimizu and Takuya were in the conference room with the other development team leaders, listening to real-time reports from arcades across the country.

Telephones rang one after another, each call bringing even more exhilarating news.

"The line at the Shinjuku branch has already gone around the corner!"

"There aren't enough machines in Akihabara—the players are starting to complain!"

Shimizu clenched his fists, unable to suppress the excitement on his face.

The characters he had designed and the moves he had fine-tuned were now being personally experienced by countless players, drawing such frenzied enthusiasm.

That sense of accomplishment far surpassed anything he had felt on any previous project.

He looked toward Nakayama Takuya in the distance.

Takuya was calmly answering the phone, nodding from time to time, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.

It was as though this wave sweeping through arcades across the country had long been within his expectations.

After hearing the noon reports from all the directly operated arcades, Shimizu let out a long breath. His face bore a complicated mixture of exhaustion and wild joy.

He gave Takuya a thumbs-up, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Takuya... you... you really did it!"

Nakayama Takuya hung up the phone and nodded lightly.

"This is only the beginning."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a convincing strength.

"The animation and the 'tutorial' after the credits haven't even begun to show their power yet."

"The real storm is still ahead."

Meanwhile, at Nintendo headquarters in Kyoto, a report on the unprecedented sensation caused by the release-day launch of the Fatal Fury arcade version was delivered to Yamauchi Hiroshi's desk at the fastest possible speed.

The report detailed the massive lines outside arcades across the country, the players' enthusiastic reactions, and the media's scramble to cover it.

The astonishing coin-drop rate and player retention time left even the marketing staff member delivering the report with a dry throat.

For the first time, the atmosphere in the office had grown somewhat grave because of a Sega arcade game.

Yamauchi Hiroshi silently read the report.

His fingers tapped unconsciously against the desk.

His previous remark—"It's nothing more than some minor arcade fuss"—now seemed somewhat hasty.

Though he still firmly believed that the foundations of the home console market were unshakable, the explosive force Sega had displayed this time, along with this entirely new approach of linking animation and games, had indeed exceeded his expectations.

"Marketing bubble"?

The term circled through his mind, but this time, he did not jump so readily to a conclusion.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the executives present.

"Keep observing."

His voice remained low, but there was an almost imperceptible note of caution in it.

"Focus on their next moves."

Meanwhile, at Namco headquarters in Tokyo.

Nakamura Masaya had also learned that Fatal Fury was taking arcades by storm.

He was not particularly surprised. Instead, he felt a complicated sense of "just as expected."

Nintendo's "sniping" attempt had failed.

Sega had successfully ignited the market.

It seemed to confirm the vague concerns and judgments he had harbored before.

He looked out the window. Tokyo's sky was gray and overcast.

Perhaps the sky over this industry really was about to change?

January 11, 1986, six o'clock in the evening.

Countless household television sets lit up on schedule, illuminating young faces filled with anticipation or curiosity.

Episode one of Fatal Fury officially aired under the watchful eyes of the public.

With Director Oba personally overseeing it and money clearly poured into the production, its quality immediately seized the viewers' attention.

The tough character designs in Masami Kurumada's style brimmed with power and masculine energy.

The fight scenes were fluid, the move effects sharp and fierce, far surpassing the average TV anime of the era.

The plot moved at a brisk pace. Terry Bogard's backstory of avenging his father, along with its themes of revenge and fighting, swiftly set the boys' blood boiling.

"This animation is insane!"

"Terry is so cool!"

Exclamations rose one after another from in front of television screens.

When the first episode ended at its climax, viewers were still immersed in the thrilling fights and suspense, expecting the familiar ending theme to begin.

But then the image abruptly changed.

What appeared onscreen was not the production credits, but actual gameplay footage that had excited and frustrated them at the arcade earlier that day.

Below it, a clear small window displayed the input status of the joystick's eight directions and four buttons in real time.

The game character was none other than the anime's protagonist, Terry Bogard.

Onscreen, Terry assumed his starting stance.

Then, in the small window, the joystick swiftly traced a downward arc before being sharply pushed diagonally forward-right, while the A button lit up.

Terry lunged forward onscreen, a blazing trail of flame igniting around his fist.

"—Power Wave!"

The move's name and the simple, clear command appeared onscreen at the same time.

"↓→ + A/C"

Before the viewers could react.

The footage demonstrated another move.

The joystick was held downward for a moment, then jerked upward as the A button was pressed.

Terry leaped into the air, his fist carrying a powerful gust as it slammed fiercely toward the ground.

"Crack Shoot!"

"↓→ + B/D"

This was followed by demonstrations of several other basic special moves, such as "Back Jump Kick."

Every movement was accompanied by precise joystick and button input displays.

It was like a step-by-step tutorial.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the teenagers watching the broadcast exploded.

"Holy shit! You can do that?"

"It's a move list! The move list from the game!"

"So that's how you move the stick! No wonder I couldn't get it right no matter how I pressed it this afternoon!"

"That joystick display is so clear!"

"Hurry up and write it down! ↓→ + A/C!"

Players who had been beaten to a pulp by the computer or other players at arcades during the day, left sighing helplessly at those dazzling moves, now felt as if enlightenment had suddenly struck them.

Viewers who had originally only been drawn in by the animation and had never even visited an arcade were also completely fired up by the flashy moves and the seemingly "simple and straightforward" controls, their curiosity and urge to try it soaring.

The glow of the television screen shone over face after face flushed red with excitement.

The anime ending song? What was that?

Right now, the only thing in their minds was "↓→ + A/C"!