Recaps

Nakayama Takuya used his enhanced Tetris to win support inside Sega and proposed a new fighting game, Project K, as part of a broader plan to challenge Nintendo. He secured Oba Kotaro and Masami Kurumada for a preliminary Fatal Fury collaboration as Sega prepared to exploit controversy around Nintendo’s NES promotion.

• Nakayama Takuya concealed his transmigration, told Nakayama Hayao he wanted to join Sega, and demonstrated an enhanced, two-player Tetris that persuaded Sega to pursue exclusive rights and form a project team.
• Nakayama Takuya guided the Tetris team’s arcade improvements, while Tanaka secured exclusive worldwide rights from ELORG for four million dollars.
• Tetris drew women to Sega arcades and increased coin sales, while Nakayama Takuya began planning console and handheld versions and urged Nakayama Hayao to consider a 16-bit strategy against Nintendo.
• Nakayama Takuya presented Project Proposal: K, a technically detailed fighting game concept, and Nakayama Hayao approved it for Development Team Three.
• Nakayama Takuya planned Project K around the story of Fatal Fury and met Oba Kotaro and Masami Kurumada to present its characters, plot, and finishing moves.
• Oba Kotaro agreed to direct the Fatal Fury animation, Masami Kurumada agreed to design its characters, and the three men shook hands on a preliminary collaboration.
• Minoru Arakawa ordered his staff to suppress criticism of Nintendo’s NES promotion, while David Rosen saw the controversy as an opportunity for Sega.

Takuya used Fatal Fury’s anime tie-in and tutorial to drive an arcade hit while Nintendo strengthened its home-console position with The Legend of Zelda and the Disk System. He won approval for Sega’s 16-bit console plan and began building Pokémon into a new electronic pet, anime, and merchandise project.

• Yamauchi Hiroshi arranged NES demonstrations to counter skepticism, while Takuya helped Masami Kurumada develop Saint Seiya and advanced Fatal Fury’s controls and performance.
• Fatal Fury’s promotional coverage drew attention, and Takuya demonstrated its moves as the team refined its characters, balance, and hit detection.
• Sega synchronized Fatal Fury’s arcade release with its anime premiere, while Nintendo pushed Namco to release Pac-Man ahead of it.
• Fatal Fury opened to crowds on January 11, and its anime’s post-credits move tutorial sent teenagers to arcades and drove record earnings.
• Nintendo promoted The Legend of Zelda and the Famicom Disk System, while Takuya warned Nakayama Hayao that Sega needed a strong 16-bit console rather than a copy of Nintendo’s strategy.
• Takuya proposed a console built around the System 16 and Motorola 68000, and Nakayama Hayao secured unanimous approval to accelerate Sega’s 16-bit plans.
• Takuya unveiled Pokémon as digital companions and proposed linking the devices for social play, alongside an anime and merchandise.
• Takuya presented Pokémon’s designs and story to GALLOP, whose creative team approved the project and moved to discuss partnership terms.

Nakayama Takuya expanded Sega’s Fatal Fury tournament and Pokémon plans while Nintendo faced pressure from rivals and a North American publicity scandal. The arc ended with Pokémon’s anime premiere drawing huge audiences and the electronic pet selling briskly, as Nakayama Takuya asked Director Yuyama to address potentially harmful flashing effects.

• Takuya secured GALLOP’s agreement to produce a hundred-episode Pokémon anime under Kunihiko Yuyama’s direction, then tasked Mr. Suzuki with pursuing San-X for merchandise.
• Tanaka Kenichi bought Dragon Quest and introduced Mrs. Sato and Mrs. Kawai to it as the game’s popularity grew, while Sega’s Out Run struggled to attract attention beside the hit.
• Nakayama Takuya organized Fatal Fury tournaments with standardized machines and media coverage, and Bai Ye fought his way through the qualifiers to join the national finals.
• Nagai Kenta led the Tokyo team to victory at the Budokan finals, thrilling Daigo Umehara and helping Sega secure strong media attention and sponsorship.
• Yamauchi Hiroshi pressured third-party developers as Hudson pursued cooperation with NEC, while Nintendo’s treatment of developers and its difficult games weakened its position.
• Nakayama Hayao sent Suzuki and the tournament organizers to plan a North American event, as Nintendo faced criticism after reports revealed Super Mario Bros. USA was based on Dream Factory: Doki Doki Panic.
• Nakayama Takuya arranged Hong Kong manufacturing talks with Huake Electronics, negotiated a production-line transfer, and secured a preliminary agreement for Pokémon electronic-pet components and accessories.
• Pokémon merchandise promotions preceded the anime premiere, where Kyosuke watched Ash and Pikachu bond, and strong ratings and toy demand followed, and Nakayama Takuya asked Director Yuyama to revise intense flashing effects.

Kyosuke’s Pikachu became part of the Pokémon boom as Sega expanded its Pokémon services and Nakayama Takuya prepared a new console and its games. After recruiting several developers, Takuya faced resistance over anime licensing and decided to investigate the business ties behind Sunrise’s refusal.

• Kyosuke drew Pikachu, accidentally played it during class, and promised Ms. Kinoshita to keep it put away until after schoolwork.
• Experience bars and Pokémon Center services encouraged children to walk their pets, buy Evolution Stones, and connect their electronic pets as Sega’s Pokémon business grew.
• Nintendo responded to Pokémon’s success with major releases, including Dragon Quest II, while Nakayama Takuya pressed Sega to develop its Pokémon operations and new console.
• Nakayama Takuya assembled a varied console lineup, assigning teams to Pokémon Adventure: Pokémon Land, The First Super Robot Wars, and Ace Attorney while Yuji Naka began work on an RPG.
• Nakayama Takuya sought anime licenses for The First Super Robot Wars and offered Square a stake and favorable developer terms, but Miyamoto Masashi asked for time to consider Sega’s proposal.
• Nakayama Takuya approached Konami, Compile, Game Arts, and Technosoft, securing promising discussions and development plans with several companies.
• Masao Suzuki told Nakayama Takuya that Sunrise had rejected Sega’s licensing request, so Takuya shifted attention to Space Battleship Yamato and other rights holders.
• Nakayama Hayao explained the influence of Japan’s financial groups, and Nakayama Takuya decided to investigate Bandai and Sunrise’s affiliations and seek a mutually beneficial plan.