He briskly arranged the two boxed versions bearing the Sega Jupiter and Sony PlayStation logos neatly in the most central, eye-catching spot on the counter.
Konami's latest release—Castlevania X: Symphony of the Night.
Just after ten, the bell above the shop door chimed.
Suzuki pushed the door open, made his way to the counter as if he knew the place by heart, and vigorously rubbed his hands, stiff with cold.
"Boss, I finished Tomb Raider last night." Suzuki switched the briefcase in his hand to his left hand and pointed at the shelves. "Lara really is a great stress reliever. There isn't all that long-winded dialogue, and after beating it, I feel incredibly satisfied. It's pulled me out of Cloud's depression, at least. Got anything similar today? Something straightforward and satisfying."
The shop owner smiled mysteriously, picked up two copies of Castlevania X: Symphony of the Night, the Jupiter version in his left hand and the PS version in his right, and lightly set them down on the clear glass countertop with a smack.
"Fresh new stock from Konami. It's launching on both platforms at the same time. Whether you have a Sega console or a Sony console at home, you can play it."
Suzuki lowered his head and examined the box art.
It was a lavish Gothic-style illustration by Kojima Ayami. The silver-haired vampire noble exuded a gloomy yet alluring air.
Still, his brow instinctively rose.
"Konami? Didn't those big-budget RPGs they released in January sell terribly? And besides—everyone's playing 3D these days. Why is this still a 2D side-scroller?"
"You'll know once you try it. This isn't ordinary 2D. The in-store demo is on console number ten. We just powered it up." The shop owner raised his chin toward the console at the very back of the store,