Recaps

Kenji used Joy Island Adventure to arrange a weekend game session with Kyoko, Rena, and Tatsuya, bringing the four coworkers and friends closer. The gathering ended with Kenji receiving an invitation from Kyoko and Tatsuya getting Rena’s phone number.

• Kenji overheard Kyoko and Rena discussing Joy Island Adventure and invited them to play with him and Tatsuya.
• Kenji persuaded Tatsuya to buy the game and host the weekend gathering at his apartment.
• Kenji, Kyoko, Rena, and Tatsuya played minigames together, teasing and competing with one another.
• Tatsuya and Rena exchanged a high-five during a race, then Tatsuya asked for her phone number.
• Kyoko thanked Kenji and suggested they go to Saizeriya together, while Tatsuya grinned at Rena’s number.

Takuya visited Bandai Headquarters and presented a detailed proposal for a new Gundam strategy game, shaping its art, story, mobile suit development, maps, and battle systems. Bandai’s executives accepted his direction, and he named the game SD Gundam G Generation.

• After learning that The First Super Robot Wars and Joy Island Adventure had each sold over 200,000 copies in their first week, Takuya told his PR team to keep up promotion ahead of Final Fantasy’s release.
• At Bandai Headquarters, Yamashina Makoto and the development department head praised Takuya for the success of both games, and Takuya explained that Joy Island Adventure appealed to players as a social experience.
• Takuya proposed having Yokoi Koji oversee recognizable SD designs and Sunrise supervise a story following the timelines of Mobile Suit Gundam, Z, ZZ, and Gundam Sentinel.
• Takuya proposed using an MSV editorial representative to organize mobile suit development through key parts, square-grid maps, original pilots, squad support attacks, and capture mechanics.
• Takuya rejected Spirit Commands in favor of combat bonuses based on mental-state tiers, arguing that the new game should emphasize Gundam’s own strengths.
• When Yamashina Makoto asked for the title, Takuya named the game SD Gundam G Generation.

Final Fantasy became a hit on the Mega Drive, with player word of mouth and Famitsu’s Platinum Hall of Fame score driving sales and console purchases. As Square celebrated its newfound success and prepared to plan a sequel, Nintendo grew alarmed by Sega’s faster restocking and rumors that RPG developers were considering the Mega Drive.

• Players praised Final Fantasy’s graphics, music, job system, exploration, and story, and Famitsu awarded it a score of 36 and a place in the Platinum Hall of Fame.
• Masao Suzuki reported that Final Fantasy’s daily sales had surpassed its first-week average and that more than seventy percent of recent Mega Drive buyers had bought the game alongside the console.
• Nakayama Takuya ordered the Publicity Department to promote Famitsu’s review and player word of mouth, then announced that Yuji Naka’s Phantasy Star was nearing completion.
• Miyamoto Masashi told Sakaguchi Hironobu that Square’s emergency restock would ship within days and that the board wanted a proposal for Final Fantasy 1, leaving Sakaguchi worried about surpassing the original.
• Genyo Takeda grew concerned about Sega’s rapid restocking and rumors that established RPG companies were seeking Mega Drive development kits.
• A veteran critic’s article praised Final Fantasy’s job freedom, exploration, cinematic narration, and Nobuo Uematsu’s score, cementing its reputation as a masterpiece.

After Final Fantasy’s success left Yuji Naka and the Phantasy Star team doubting their work, Nakayama Takuya gave them a clear direction for making the game distinct. Naka regained his confidence and the team resumed development with renewed energy.

• Nakayama Takuya visited the Phantasy Star development room and found Yuji Naka and the team demoralized after playing Final Fantasy.
• Yuji Naka explained that he felt Phantasy Star’s characters, world, combat, and dungeons seemed inferior to Square’s game.
• Takuya reviewed the project records and advised the team to make Phantasy Star unique by improving its heroine, distinguishing playable characters, making exploration rewarding, and emphasizing the 16-bit console’s visual strengths.
• Takuya assured Naka that he would handle concerns about a longer development schedule so the team could focus on making a good game.
• Yuji Naka regained his confidence, and the developers began discussing and coding with renewed enthusiasm.

Nakayama Takuya visited Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear team and saw how Kojima had rebuilt the game into an ambitious stealth-action project for the Mega Drive. The game neared final testing, with Kojima adding a radio system, while Takuya reaffirmed his trust and support.

• Takuya watched Kojima defeat the TX-55 using distractions, explosives, and a rocket launcher, then heard him identify animation and gameplay issues to fix.
• Kojima explained that he wanted Metal Gear to offer polished, discoverable mechanics and not resemble Konami’s action-focused Metal Armed.
• Kojima proposed a radio system that let players contact support characters for tactical advice and conversations about the story.
• Kojima reported that the core mechanics were complete and that the game was expected to launch in late April after final testing and bug fixes.
• Takuya praised Kojima’s progress, promised to leave the project in his hands, and received Kojima’s heartfelt thanks.

Takuya reviewed the Mega Drive’s first-month sales and set plans for upcoming releases, third-party support, and coordination between developers. He left the story preparing to build a broader network of game studios and publishers for the platform.

• Takuya read a report showing nearly 1.94 million Mega Drive units sold worldwide in the first month, while Thunder Force and Zeliard also performed well.
• Takuya ordered an initial production run of 100,000 copies of Ace Attorney and directed the team to promote its detective theme.
• Takuya approved Ubisoft’s application for a development kit, reasoning that its publishing experience could help the Mega Drive enter French-speaking markets.
• Takuya summoned Masao Suzuki and ordered the Marketing and production departments to coordinate with third-party developers on progress, manufacturing capacity, and release schedules.
• Takuya told Masao Suzuki to help developers avoid competing releases and to work with them collaboratively rather than act like an overbearing judge.

After the MD’s strong launch, the board expanded Managing Director Nakayama Takuya’s authority, and he proposed an ACGN strategy to grow Sega through original IPs and global multimedia development. Nakayama Hayao postponed a decision until after the 1987 financial report and ordered the proposal kept confidential while the directors studied its feasibility.

• Nakayama Hayao commended Nakayama Takuya for the MD’s development, launch lineup, and marketing, then expanded Takuya’s authority to participate in company strategy and submit independent board proposals.
• Takuya credited Sega’s departments and colleagues for the MD’s success and explained how its hardware, third-party support, and launch games had met market demand.
• Takuya presented his ACGN Comprehensive Layout Strategy, proposing that Sega develop valuable original IPs across anime, comics, games, and novels, with global operations.
• Takuya cited Pokémon’s licensing, manga, animation, and merchandise profits as evidence that IP could earn far more than games alone and strengthen Sega’s resilience.
• Nakayama Hayao praised the proposal but deferred a vote until the first board meeting after the 1987 financial report, requiring strict confidentiality and further research.

Takuya explained how Sega’s ACGN strategy could benefit the arcade division through an eventual acquisition of Sunrise and Bandai. Director Takahashi and Yu Suzuki accepted his plan, leaving the arcade faction willing to support it.

• Yu Suzuki invited Takuya to dinner, where Director Takahashi joined them to question whether the ACGN strategy would benefit the arcade division.
• Takuya explained that Sega should expand into anime, manga, and novels through acquisitions and partnerships, identifying Sunrise and Bandai as prime targets.
• Takuya described how Sunrise’s and Bandai’s IP and merchandise could boost Sega’s arcade prizes and capsule-toy businesses.
• Takuya proposed building ties with both companies, acquiring Sunrise when possible, and waiting for Bandai to make a mistake before pursuing it at a favorable price.
• Director Takahashi expressed amazement at Takuya’s plan and promised the arcade division would support the strategy.

Takuya assessed the early response to Shinobi and Ace Attorney, trusting strong player feedback to drive Ace Attorney’s long-term sales. He introduced incentives for Sega developers to support third parties and called a meeting to plan the Mega Drive’s next push.

• Takuya learned that Shinobi sold eighty thousand copies in its first week, while Ace Attorney sold thirty-four thousand, and focused on Ace Attorney’s unusually enthusiastic player feedback.
• Takuya told the Sales Department to maintain normal distribution of Ace Attorney, avoid price cuts, and ensure stores had enough stock.
• Masao Suzuki reported that Sega’s third-party coordination was underway, but smaller developers needed technical help porting games to the Mega Drive.
• Takuya launched a technical support incentive plan, offering development teams larger budgets for future projects if they helped third parties release successful, bug-free games.
• Takuya reviewed gaps in the Mega Drive’s release schedule and called a meeting with the Marketing and Development Departments for the following Monday to plan the console’s next push.

Nakayama Takuya reviewed Sega’s development progress and led a brainstorming session to expand the Mega Drive’s game lineup. He assigned teams to refine new ideas into proposals, aiming to build a slate of major releases over the coming year.

• The development groups reported that their arcade ports were nearing release, Phantasy Star was back on track, Metal Gear was in final testing, and the DDR team was testing its dance mat and player.
• Takuya asked teams finishing their assignments to propose original Mega Drive games, and Yu Suzuki said he had no new game idea but was considering alternative control methods.
• Takuya suggested a taiko drumming game with a dedicated drum controller, which caught Yu Suzuki’s interest.
• Development Group Three proposed another fighting game in a larger shared martial arts world, while Development Group 8 proposed an original strategy war chess game.
• Other teams suggested sports games and a family-friendly athletic-meet collection, and Takuya urged Marketing to coordinate with Public Relations on a steady stream of announcements.
• Takuya ordered each development department to turn its ideas into executable proposals and set a goal of three to five major Mega Drive titles within six months to a year.

Takuya visited Sunrise, first presenting himself as a devoted fan and building rapport with Director Yoshiyuki Tomino before proposing that Sega acquire a small stake in the animation company. Masatoshi Ito personally approved of the idea but said he needed to consult Sunrise’s other shareholders.

• Takuya told Yokoi Koji that he admired Sunrise’s animation and asked him to arrange a visit with Masatoshi Ito.
• Masatoshi Ito welcomed Takuya at Sunrise, and Takuya described himself as both a fan and a game developer hoping to learn from the company.
• Yoshiyuki Tomino guided Takuya around the production site, where Takuya discussed creative interference and expressed sympathy for creators.
• Takuya proposed that Sega acquire a small portion of Sunrise’s shares to enable direct cooperation and bring Sunrise’s IPs to Sega’s game-development and publishing channels.
• Masatoshi Ito said he personally supported the proposal but needed to discuss the share sale with the other shareholders.

Nakayama Takuya learned that Nintendo had begun developing a handheld, so he urged Sega’s hardware team to accelerate its work on a Z80-based device. He left Nakamura with expanded authority and design guidance for a more distinctive, comfortable handheld.

• Nakamura showed Nakayama the successful first engineering sample of Sega’s Z80-compatible chip.
• Nakayama told Nakamura that Nintendo had secretly launched its own handheld project and warned that their hardware might be closely matched.
• Nakayama authorized Nakamura to spend, hire, outsource, and run parallel development as needed, insisting that the schedule could not slip.
• Nakayama reassured Nakamura that Sega’s chip capabilities and partnership with Toshiba gave it an advantage over Nintendo’s reliance on Sharp.
• Nakayama reviewed the handheld’s horizontal layout and proposed ergonomic grips, contrasting-color trim, and a strap hole to improve its comfort and appeal.
• Nakamura recorded Nakayama’s suggestions as design guidelines and planned to have the industrial design team incorporate them into the next prototype.

Nakayama Takuya proposed a peaceful Totoro game centered on rural life and chance encounters with forest spirits, winning Miyazaki Hayao’s support for the adaptation. The agreement was settled, and Miyazaki agreed to introduce Takuya to Hisaishi Joe.

• Nakayama Takuya visited Ghibli Studio and asked Suzuki Toshio about licensing Totoro for a game adaptation.
• Miyazaki Hayao rejected the idea, but listened when Takuya explained he had no plans for combat or violence.
• Takuya described a farm-management game where Totoro and other forest spirits appeared as rare, dreamlike encounters.
• Miyazaki Hayao praised the concept and agreed to the adaptation after Takuya offered him review of the game’s stories and final approval before release.
• Takuya asked Miyazaki to introduce him to Hisaishi Joe, and Miyazaki agreed.

Nintendo’s ban blocked Konami’s and Hudson’s Famicom releases, pushing Konami to commit its resources to Sega’s Mega Drive. Bandai instead seized the opening to begin developing Dragon Ball: World Martial Arts Tournament for the Mega Drive as March came to a close.

• Nintendo’s ban removed Konami games from the Famicom release schedule and stopped Hudson’s Fierce Battle Holy Warrior from being released on the platform.
• Kozuki Kagemasa weighed absorbing the losses and moving Konami’s projects to the Mega Drive against returning to Nintendo, then chose to support Sega.
• Bandai’s president publicly expressed regret over Nintendo’s blockade while Bandai’s executives saw Sega’s support as a new opportunity.
• A Bandai project lead proposed a Mega Drive fighting game based on Dragon Ball’s World Martial Arts Tournament.
• Bandai recruited veteran developers and Sega engineers and scheduled Dragon Ball: World Martial Arts Tournament for development.

Hudson, Irem, and Namco’s successful PC Engine releases showed third-party developers that they could thrive outside Nintendo, while Konami announced ports of Gradius and Salamander. The industry turned toward an all-out battle, with Nintendo facing growing pressure from multiple sides.

• Kudo Yuji launched Hudson’s Fierce Battle Holy Warrior for PC Engine and announced Kato Cha and Shimura Ken for April.
• Irem released R-TYPE for PC Engine, drawing praise for its arcade-quality graphics and strengthening the console’s reputation.
• Nakamura Masaya ordered Namco’s Monster Journey released on PC Engine, where it sold sixty thousand copies in its first week.
• Kozuki Kagemasa shifted Konami’s strategy toward an all-out assault and ordered Gradius and Salamander ported to PC Engine.
• A small-to-midsized developer’s president read Konami’s announcement and saw Nintendo’s exclusivity clause as worthless.

After Konami announced Gradius and Salamander for PC Engine, Nakayama Takuya saw the move as proof that Nintendo’s grip on third-party developers was weakening. He persuaded Sega’s directors to launch an urgent campaign to recruit wavering developers before Nintendo could win them back.

• Nakayama Takuya received the report about Konami’s PC Engine games and rushed to ask Nakayama Hayao to call an emergency meeting.
• At the meeting, Nakayama Takuya argued that Hudson, Namco, and Konami had shown developers they could succeed outside Nintendo’s control.
• Nakayama Takuya declared that Sega had a brief opportunity to secure third-party developers before Nintendo changed its terms and restored their confidence.
• Nakayama Takuya proposed a Third-Party Special Strategy Department under his command and a simultaneous recruitment drive targeting companies such as Taito, Capcom, Jaleco, and Data East.
• Nakayama Takuya offered lower royalties, independent production and sales, no forced exclusivity or IP control, and extensive engineering support for the first batch of third parties.

Nakayama Takuya pushed Sega’s third-party blitzkrieg forward, directing his team to reassure Capcom about the Mega Drive’s technical capabilities. After securing signing intentions from several manufacturers, he attended Ghibli Studio’s Totoro premiere, where Miyazaki Hayao introduced him to Mamoru Oshii and Hideaki Anno, and he arranged to visit Gainax Studio.

• Nakayama Hayao asked the directors to vote on the plan, and they approved it without any opposing votes.
• Nakayama Takuya led Sega’s two-week campaign to recruit third-party manufacturers and sent Capcom a Mega Drive demo to address its concerns about the hardware.
• On April 16, Nakayama Takuya marked signing intentions from manufacturers including Taito and Jaleco, then prepared to attend the Totoro premiere reception.
• Miyazaki Hayao introduced Nakayama Takuya to Mamoru Oshii and Hideaki Anno at the reception.
• Nakayama Takuya exchanged contact information with Oshii and Anno, and Anno agreed to his request to visit Gainax Studio.

Nakayama Takuya watched Hideo Kojima demonstrate the completed Metal Gear and praised it as the distinctive game Sega needed. As a striking poster stirred curiosity in Akihabara, Nakayama recalled how he recruited and mentored Yoji Shinkawa, leaving Shinkawa committed to completing his studies while developing his artistic skills.

• Hideo Kojima demonstrated Metal Gear to Nakayama Takuya, who praised the game’s stealth mechanics and storytelling.
• Sega unveiled a poster for Metal Gear in Akihabara, prompting curiosity among passersby, players, and magazine editors.
• Nakayama Takuya recalled introducing Hideo Kojima to Yoji Shinkawa’s artwork, after which Kojima invited Shinkawa to join the project.
• Nakayama Takuya advised Shinkawa to ground his imaginative designs in anatomy and mechanical principles and helped plan his studies.
• Nakayama Takuya encouraged Shinkawa to finish university and aspire to lead Sega’s artistic direction.

Nakayama Takuya saw that Metal Gear’s devoted players valued and deeply analyzed the game despite its less explosive sales, and he proposed turning their enthusiasm into a limited setting collection and soundtrack. Hideo Kojima embraced the idea and hurried to contact the magazine, eager to bring the game’s creative work to its audience.

• Nakayama Takuya reviewed Metal Gear’s sales report and pointed to its unusually high average playtime and low used-cartridge outflow as signs that buyers cherished the game.
• Players formed an informal movement to investigate Metal Gear’s dialogue, historical references, characters, and Yoji Shinkawa’s illustrations.
• A game magazine published a ten-page feature analyzing Metal Gear, and Nakayama Takuya found Hideo Kojima quietly moved by the players’ detailed attention.
• Nakayama Takuya proposed polling readers about a Metal Gear setting collection and soundtrack cassette, with plans for a limited hardcover edition if interest was strong.
• Hideo Kojima welcomed the proposal and rushed to call the magazine about collecting and publishing the game’s behind-the-scenes materials.

Nakayama Takuya shifted Sega’s third-party strategy from recruiting new companies to supporting its partners as Nintendo began approving games it had previously banned. After discussing deeper cooperation and possible exclusive content with Konami’s Kozuki Kagemasa, Nakayama secured his tentative agreement.

• Contra and Nobunaga's Ambition: National Edition achieved strong first-week sales on the Mega Drive, prompting third-party companies to send Sega cooperation offers.
• Nakayama Takuya praised his staff, then directed Sega to focus on technical support and profitability for existing partners rather than pursuing companies committed to Nintendo.
• Nintendo lifted its ban on The Goonies 2, quickly approved Konami’s Gradius and Salamander, and stamped applications from Hudson, Namco, and Fangdai for previously rejected games.
• Nakayama Takuya told his staff that Sega had won over enough third parties and had a hardware advantage, leaving first-party games as the next contest.
• Kozuki Kagemasa praised Metal Gear and Contra’s Mega Drive performance during a call with Nakayama Takuya.
• Nakayama Takuya offered deeper technical support and discussed exclusive content for Konami, and Kozuki Kagemasa tentatively agreed.

Nakayama Takuya struggled to turn his promise of a warm, combat-free Totoro game into compelling gameplay, so Nakayama Hayao sent him to rest at the family’s countryside home. A story from his grandmother sparked a new creative idea, and he ended the chapter eager to develop it.

• Nakayama Takuya worried that he could not make the Totoro game’s gentle feeling into engaging gameplay.
• Nakayama Hayao told him to take a vacation in the Ibaraki countryside and delegated his work to Yu Suzuki and Director Yoshikawa.
• Nakayama Takuya arrived at the old family home, changed into casual clothes, and relaxed with his grandmother.
• Nakayama Takuya’s grandmother told him local stories about foxes, offerings of fried tofu, and hopes for a good harvest.
• Nakayama Takuya connected her story to the small, kind interactions with nature in animation and manga, and found inspiration for the game.

After returning from vacation, Takuya turned his inspiration into a gentle, aimless Totoro game design and learned Sega had secured a 3% stake in Sunrise Animation. He proposed an independent Sega IP subsidiary to protect Sega’s own properties as external partnerships expanded, and the board approved it with Hattori in charge.

• Takuya returned to Sega and showed Yu Suzuki a Totoro game design built around acts of kindness without missions or rewards.
• Masatoshi Ito told Takuya that Sunrise Animation’s shareholders had agreed to sell Sega a 3% stake.
• At dinner, Nakayama Hayao warned Takuya to plan how Sega would manage external IPs and protect its own properties.
• At the board meeting, Takuya opposed placing Sunrise-related IP work in Hattori’s department and proposed creating an independent subsidiary for Sega’s IP assets.
• The board unanimously approved the subsidiary, and Nakayama Hayao appointed Hattori to lead it.

Takuya persuaded Sega's directors to establish a creative team to develop stories and shared worlds for the company's IPs. The team was named Children of the Star Ring, and the meeting ended with the proposal approved.

• Takuya proposed creating a dedicated Sega Galaxy team to guide the stories and worldbuilding of Sega's major IPs.
• Director Takahashi questioned the need for a separate creative team, arguing that arcade players cared more about gameplay than stories.
• Takuya explained that Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting shared a world and proposed a future crossover tournament game called The King of Fighters.
• Takuya argued that a connected world could support animation, manga, merchandise, and other commercial opportunities, citing Gundam and Pokémon as examples of enduring IPs.
• Director Hattori invited Takuya to name the team, and Takuya called it Children of the Star Ring (StarRingChild).
• The directors accepted the name, and the meeting ended.

After Sega completed its Mega Drive versions of DDR and Phantasy Star, Nakayama Takuya adjusted their marketing and production plans to limit risk. Their June sales showed that DDR’s limited edition sold out while Phantasy Star’s initial success quickly faded, leaving Takuya determined to strengthen Sega’s storytelling and find its development team a flagship RPG.

• Director Hattori left to negotiate the acquisition of Sunrise Animation after receiving the board’s authorization.
• Takuya tested the completed home versions of DDR and Phantasy Star, then ordered limited DDR editions for the top three tournament winners and a cautious preorder-based release for the standard edition.
• After finding Phantasy Star’s story and dialogue weak, Takuya shifted its marketing to its female protagonist and restricted the first production run to limit unsold inventory.
• In June, Takuya reviewed reports showing that DDR’s limited edition had sold out but its standard preorders remained modest, while Phantasy Star’s sales and word of mouth dropped sharply after its first week.
• Takuya concluded that Sega needed stronger storytelling and considered how to guide the newly established Children of the Star Ring toward creating a flagship RPG.

Nakayama Takuya recruited Rieko Kodama to join the Phantasy Star team and presented Golden Sun as Sega’s next major RPG project. He assigned Kodama and Yuji Naka’s team to adapt its story, art, and systems for the Mega Drive, planning it as a trilogy.

• Takuya contacted Yu Suzuki and learned that Rieko Kodama was between projects after finishing core art work for Altered Beast.
• Takuya praised Yuji Naka and the Phantasy Star team’s technical achievements while explaining that the project needed a stronger story and creative direction.
• Takuya introduced Kodama to the team and formally proposed adding her to Sega First RPG Development Team.
• Takuya revealed his Golden Sun proposal, and the team studied its Psynergy system, Djinn mechanics, and alchemy-based world.
• Takuya assigned Kodama to refine the story and establish the art style, while Naka’s team was tasked with implementing the systems on the Mega Drive and planning the trilogy.