Chapter Summaries

Takuya approved Rieko Kodama’s plan for Phantasy Star III and backed her choice of Toshihiro Nagoshi to direct its story, promising him a chance to lead a new project if he succeeded. Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s racing team then asked to pursue an original game instead of making VR Racing 2, and Takuya asked what kind of racing game they had in mind.

• Takuya approved Rieko Kodama’s Phantasy Star III proposal and tasked Toshihiro Nagoshi with directing its script and narrative.
• Kodama asked to make Nagoshi the leader of an independent team after the project, and Takuya approved her request while promising Nagoshi a new project if he delivered.
• Takuya met with Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his racing team, who explained that Yu Suzuki’s focus on Virtua Fighter 2 had left them without a clear role.
• Mizuguchi told Takuya that his team wanted to create a game of their own rather than make a sequel to VR Racing, and Takuya asked what style of racing game they wanted to develop.

Takuya proposed a highway racing game with police pursuit modes, while insisting the team keep the experience within one disc. A Pokémon development team then presented a paper-cutout approach for the next-generation Pokémon game, leaving Takuya to consider their 2D characters in 3D environments.

• Takuya suggested combining street racing with police chases, letting players evade patrol cars or pursue racers as police.
• Takuya warned Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s team to balance its racing modes and assets so the game would fit on a single disc, and Tetsuya agreed to reassess the plan.
• After a week without other development teams visiting, Ogasawara Eiji presented Takuya with a proposal titled Paper Pokémon Adventure.
• Ogasawara Eiji explained that the game would use 3D environments and hand-drawn 2D Pokémon processed to look like paper cutouts, avoiding crude-looking 3D models.

Nakayama Takuya approved Ogasawara Eiji’s paper-thin Pokémon adventure proposal after giving the team design requirements. The next morning, Rieko Kodama brought Uchida Makoto and other arcade developers to meet him, as they feared they had become obsolete in the shift to 3D.

• Ogasawara Eiji presented a paper-thin Pokémon game built around exploration, puzzles, and switching between Pokémon abilities, and Nakayama Takuya praised the proposal.
• Nakayama Takuya asked Ogasawara Eiji to make the camera comfortable, combat impactful, and puzzles intuitive without treating young players like idiots.
• Nakayama Takuya signed off on the proposal, and Ogasawara Eiji left with it.
• Rieko Kodama brought Uchida Makoto and other arcade developers to Nakayama Takuya after finding them drinking their sorrows away over their uncertain future.
• Uchida Makoto told Nakayama Takuya that the team struggled to imagine 3D games and feared they had become obsolete.

Takuya proposed a 2D action game that would evolve into an interconnected exploration maze, using Japanese yokai instead of Castlevania’s vampires. He outlined its sealing and possession mechanics for Uchida Makoto and the veteran planners, leaving them to consider the design.

• Takuya stopped Uchida Makoto and the others from blaming themselves for being unable to make 3D games, and argued that ambitious 2D games could still succeed.
• Takuya decided Sega should develop a Japanese-themed Metroidvania and wrote Castlevania and a Heian-period night parade of one hundred demons on the whiteboard.
• Takuya explained that defeating and sealing yokai would grant permanent movement abilities, letting players revisit areas and reach previously inaccessible paths.
• Takuya described possession as a high-risk combat power that increased attacks but drained sanity and vitality, potentially causing madness or death.
• Takuya proposed connecting Heian-kyo and nearby regions into a maze where players would unlock areas with yokai abilities and discover routes through exploration and backtracking.

Nakayama Takuya rallied Uchida Makoto and Rieko Kodama around a yokai-themed action game, defining its story, ukiyo-e art, and unusual musical direction. After the team rushed off to work, Tanaka from the Marketing Department arrived urgently at Takuya’s office.

• Takuya outlined a yokai adventure featuring sealed great yokai, a journey through Heian-kyo, and a final battle against Yamata no Orochi alongside Abe no Seimei.
• Uchida Makoto eagerly accepted the project, while Rieko Kodama proposed an animated ukiyo-e art style that Takuya approved.
• Takuya insisted the game focus on hardcore action and told the team to seek Kaoru Wada for orchestral music mixed with traditional instruments and enka for the final battle.
• Uchida, Rieko, and the others left the office energized to begin work.
• Tanaka from the Marketing Department urgently knocked on Takuya’s door, and Takuya opened it.

Takuya learned that a warehouse supervisor and two quality inspectors had stolen Sega consoles from its Hong Kong factory and sold them through a triad connection. He planned to pressure the triad boss with a British barrister, while the discovery that most of the consoles had gone to Mainland China revealed the strength of demand there.

• Tanaka reported that workers at Sega’s Kowloon factory had labeled good consoles as defective and smuggled them out for resale.
• Tanaka explained that the warehouse supervisor’s elder brother was connected to a Kwun Tong triad that controlled transport around the factory.
• Takuya rejected Tanaka’s suggestion to pay more and ordered him to hire a British barrister to confront the triad’s boss.
• Tanaka said thirty-two consoles had been stolen, with twenty-eight shipped across Lo Wu Bridge to Mainland China and four sold at a Mong Kok secondhand shop.
• Takuya noted that the flow of consoles into Mainland China showed how thirsty the market there was.

Takuya planned to turn Nine-Tattoo Dragon into a business partner and use his channels to bring Sega products into Mainland China. He proposed secretly supporting local factories in making pirated copies, shocking Tanaka.

• Takuya told Tanaka to have Sega’s lawyer demand compensation from Nine-Tattoo Dragon while offering him legitimate security or transport work if he dealt with the traitorous underlings.
• Takuya explained that he wanted to use Nine-Tattoo Dragon as a local partner for Sega’s warehouses and logistics.
• Tanaka warned that Mainland China’s factories could copy Sega hardware cheaply and that families might reject expensive game machines.
• Takuya proposed selling Mega Drives, Game Pockets, and games as scrapped goods in Hong Kong for Nine-Tattoo Dragon to channel into Mainland China.
• Takuya suggested connecting Nine-Tattoo Dragon with underground electronics factories in Shenzhen or Dongguan and secretly supporting them in making pirated copies.
• Tanaka nearly choked on his water when Takuya revealed the plan, protesting that Sega would be supporting piracy.

Nakayama Takuya proposed secretly helping Nine-Tattoo Dragon spread localized pirated Sega games in mainland China while strictly preventing them from reaching other markets. After Tanaka agreed to deliver the plan in person, Takuya visited Development Group Three and found its core members idle amid the busy office.

• Takuya told Tanaka to leak Chinese translations of Sega games to pirates and encourage cheap, pay-by-the-hour gaming shops in mainland China.
• Takuya warned that pirated consoles and cartridges must not flow back into Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, or other Southeast Asian markets, and argued that copying the aging Mega Drive would help Sega build future customers.
• Tanaka agreed to travel to Hong Kong and tell Nine-Tattoo Dragon that Sega wanted to make him a friend.
• Takuya toured Sega's development groups and found Development Group Three's new staff working hard while Shimizu and the other core members lounged around.

Nakayama Takuya visited Team Three and heard Shimizu pitch a soccer game, then gave him a proposal for a Gundam piloting battle game. The chapter ended as Shimizu examined the proposal’s dual-stick controls and weighty movement physics.

• Nakayama Takuya caught Shimizu and Team Three appearing to slack off, but Shimizu defended their work as gathering creative inspiration.
• Shimizu suggested developing a soccer game that used the new console to portray players’ individual appearances and abilities.
• Shimizu argued that King of Fighters 2 was ready for the new hires to handle, while Team Three wanted a more challenging project.
• Nakayama Takuya brought Shimizu and the core members to his office and handed over a proposal titled Mobile Suit GUNDAM: Battle Operation.
• Nakayama Takuya explained that the game would focus on piloting Gundams with dual-stick controls, inertia, and movement that conveyed their weight.

Nakayama Takuya outlined a hardcore Gundam arcade game with dual joysticks, detailed mecha, and dog-tag memory cards, and Shimizu’s team rushed off to develop it. By March, Sega and Madhouse posters in Akihabara announced another Anime-Game Crossover project, raising players’ expectations for a high-quality release.

• Nakayama Takuya proposed a one-on-one and single-player Gundam game designed to push the Model 2 board’s graphics and destruction effects to their limits.
• Nakayama said Sega had secured Sunrise’s cooperation and arranged for Hajime Katoki to design mecha that could also be recreated as Bandai model kits.
• Nakayama proposed dog-tag-shaped memory cards that would save players’ customized machines and serve as collectible status symbols.
• Shimizu praised the proposal, then led the developers out to begin work on the game.
• In March, Sega and Madhouse posters appeared across Akihabara, drawing attention to the Anime-Game Crossover strategy and Sega’s reputation for quality.

Sega’s Sakura Wars trailer captivated viewers, while Tanaka recruited Nine-Tattoo Dragon to smuggle and rent Mega Drive consoles and games in mainland China. The chapter ended as the anime premiered in Tokyo and the smuggling venture set out across the sea.

• A television trailer for Sakura Wars showcased its opera performers, mecha battles, and theme song, stirring anticipation for its April release.
• Tanaka secured compensation from Nine-Tattoo Dragon and pitched Takuya’s plan to distribute localized games and rent consoles in mainland China.
• Nine-Tattoo Dragon accepted the venture and promised Sega safe passage along his freight routes.
• Sega’s Hong Kong assembly plant loaded consoles and cartridges onto a truck labeled as promotional gifts, and Nine-Tattoo Dragon’s men shipped them across the sea.
• In Tokyo, viewers gathered for Sakura Wars’s television premiere as its opening theme sounded.

The first episode of Sakura's arrival in the imperial capital left viewers upset as she was humiliated by Sumire Kanzaki and ended alone in Ueno Park. TV Tokyo's operators directed worried viewers to the Sakura Wars game, and many bought Sega-CD systems to continue Sakura's story and comfort her themselves.

• Sakura Shinguji arrived in Ginza, struggled to adjust to the city, and accidentally damaged the Grand Imperial Theater's stage set.
• Sumire Kanzaki berated Sakura, who apologized and gathered her scattered belongings before walking alone through the city.
• Sakura sat beneath cherry blossoms in Ueno Park and cried as the first episode ended, prompting an outcry from viewers.
• TV Tokyo's hotline operators told callers that the Sakura Wars game continued the story and let them guide Sakura as Captain Ogami.
• Viewers bought Sega-CD systems, played the game, comforted Sakura, and stayed up through the weekend to continue playing.

Sega’s Sakura Wars anime and game sparked a nationwide craze, driving strong ratings, game sales, and Sega-CD purchases. The chapter ended with the pink Sakura storm spreading across Japan as players devoted their time and money to winning Sakura’s smile.

• Students traded rumors about the game while avoiding spoilers, and Sega producer Hiroi Ouji reported that the anime reached the top three in its time slot, the game sold over 100,000 copies on launch day, and Sega-CD sales surged.
• Nakayama Takuya told the Sales Department to restock quickly and let the anime and game’s reputation grow.
• The anime’s second episode drew more viewers into the franchise, and students and office workers crowded around shared Sega-CD consoles to play.
• Famitsu awarded the game 36 points and a place in its Platinum Hall of Fame, praising its LIPS System and blend of game and anime.
• By mid-April, Sakura game sales surpassed 200,000 copies, while Sakura merchandise and related products rose in price across Akihabara.

Nakayama Takuya moved the Mega Drive cartridge version of Chrono Trigger up to Golden Week to answer player demand and fill the gap left by Sakura Wars. It sold massively on release, proving the Mega Drive still mattered, while Nakayama turned his attention to what came next.

• Nakayama Takuya ignored petitions for a Mega Drive version of Sakura Wars and arranged a surprise promotion announcing Chrono Trigger's earlier release.
• Sega-linked magazines suggested the Chrono Trigger cartridge release demonstrated that a Sega-CD game could be converted well for the Mega Drive, calming players who hoped Sakura Wars might follow.
• On May 1, students crowded electronics stores to buy Chrono Trigger, and Tanaka Kenta found that the cartridge's pixel art, FM music, combat, and story still made the world feel alive.
• Chrono Trigger sold 1.02 million copies in Japan and 430,000 in North America and Europe on its first day, showing that the Mega Drive still ruled many living rooms.
• Sato tried to warn his friends about an upcoming boss, but they silenced him to avoid spoilers; players who had already finished the game kept quiet as newcomers explored it.
• Nakayama Takuya filed the first-week sales report, counted the release as a victory for both the Mega Drive and Sega-CD, and returned to work without celebrating.

Nakayama Takuya traveled to Sega of America to inspect the Jurassic Park game and discuss its simultaneous Mega Drive and Sega-CD release with Tom Kalinske. They went to Universal Pictures to see how the film's promotion was being handled, where strict rules showed how carefully the studio guarded Jurassic Park.

• Nakayama Takuya flew to San Francisco to inspect the Mega Drive version of Jurassic Park, whose development Mark Cerny had largely completed before returning to Tokyo.
• Nakayama Takuya and Tom Kalinske discussed releasing the Mega Drive and Sega-CD versions simultaneously, despite the cartridge's high cost and record-setting price.
• Tom Kalinske and Nakayama Takuya drove to Universal Pictures with Bernard Stolar to see how the film's promotion was being prepared.
• Tom Kalinske complained that Universal restricted Sega's commercials and posters, while Bernard Stolar explained that the studio was guarding its risky, groundbreaking film carefully.

Nakayama Takuya explained Sega’s plan to capitalize on Jurassic Park’s publicity while keeping its own marketing restrained, and the group defended the game against criticism of movie adaptations. Spielberg joined them at Universal, eager to see Sega’s game, as Tom Kalinske connected the Sega-CD to a projector.

• Takuya told Tom Kalinske that Sega would ride the film’s publicity instead of competing with it, while Bandai made dinosaurs on its production lines.
• Takuya, Tom, and Bernard met Universal’s publicity chief to review the campaign restrictions.
• Spielberg described hiding the dinosaurs during interviews and dismissed criticism comparing the game to Atari’s E.T.
• Takuya defended Sega’s year-long work on the game and assured Spielberg it would impress its critics.
• Spielberg invited the group to see the game, and Tom connected the Sega-CD to a projector in Universal’s curtained conference room.

Nakayama Takuya won Universal Pictures’ approval to expand promotion for Sega’s Jurassic Park game after Steven Spielberg praised its lifelike dinosaurs. Tanaka then reported that Mega Drive rental shops in southern China were thriving, leaving Takuya asking how localization was progressing.

• Steven Spielberg played Sega’s Jurassic Park game and praised its ability to make players feel hunted.
• Nakayama Takuya persuaded Universal Pictures’ publicity and distribution head to allow wider promotion using Sega’s five-million-dollar budget.
• Tanaka told Nakayama Takuya that Nine-Tattoo Dragon’s Mega Drives and cartridges had sold out quickly as shops rented the machines to customers.
• Tanaka explained that Nine-Tattoo Dragon’s underlings were loyal because the game business helped their relatives earn money.
• Nakayama Takuya asked Tanaka about localization, which he considered essential to spreading Sega’s influence.

Takuya directed Tanaka to expand Sega’s gray-market game business in China while keeping the company’s involvement deniable, then attended the Los Angeles premiere of Jurassic Park with Tom Kalinske and Bernard. The chapter ended as the film’s lifelike dinosaur effects stunned the audience.

• Takuya told Tanaka to have Nine-Tattoo Dragon arrange Chinese localization through Shenzhen factories without using Sega’s name, and refused to extend credit for more machines.
• Takuya instructed Nine-Tattoo Dragon to keep students from playing too long, protect the business from public backlash, and expand from Guangdong into Shanghai.
• Takuya emphasized that Sega must deny knowledge of where the inventory went, while Tanaka confirmed the paperwork and warned Nine-Tattoo Dragon to follow the rules.
• On June 9 in Los Angeles, Takuya, Tom Kalinske, and Bernard attended the Jurassic Park premiere at the Cinerama Dome.
• The audience gasped at the realistic brachiosaurus on screen, and Tom stared at the film in astonishment.

Jurassic Park became a record-breaking hit, and Sega turned the film’s dinosaur craze into a surge in Mega Drive and Sega-CD sales. By the end of the chapter, stores had sold out of even the expensive limited-edition bundles.

• At the premiere, Tom Kalinske told Nakayama Takuya that Sega had underestimated demand, and the audience erupted into cheers after the screening.
• Spielberg’s film drew huge crowds, sold out presale tickets across the United States, and earned $41.5 million in its opening weekend.
• Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill promoted the film as Michael Crichton’s novel surged in bookstores.
• Sega placed Mega Drive demo kiosks in theater lobbies, where excited moviegoers tried the Jurassic Park game and bought consoles and cartridges.
• Shoppers snapped up Sega-CD bundles featuring Tyrannosaurus rex artwork, leaving stores without stock or even unreserved display units.

Jurassic Park’s Sega-CD and Mega Drive releases became an enormous hit, drawing attention from American executives and Japanese gaming media alike. Famitsu awarded the game a Platinum Hall of Fame score, and Japanese shops struggled to keep it in stock.

• Tom Kalinske celebrated Sega-CD sales of 30,000 units in one week as Bernard reported two million cartridge copies sold in the first week.
• Matsui Sho and Kobayashi worked through the night in Los Angeles to send Weekly Famitsu their report and photographs of the game’s launch and premiere.
• Matsui credited Mark Cerny’s technology and Spielberg’s public support for the game’s prospects as a major seller.
• Hirokazu Hamamura and three Famitsu editors tested the game and gave it four scores of 9, earning it a Platinum Hall of Fame total of 36.
• Japanese players crowded around the game’s demo at Messe Sanoh, and the shop’s shelves emptied despite Sega’s ample supply.