Chapter Summaries

John and Mike began playing Stardew Valley and discovered that its farming, exploration, and daily routines were far more immersive than the game reviews had led them to expect. As they praised the game, Emma secretly hid Wolfenstein after noticing that GAMENOVA had released a new title.

• John and Mike endured the detailed character setup and opening cutscene, which showed John’s office-bound protagonist receiving a letter from his grandfather.
• John arrived at the farm, met Robin, planted seeds, and explored the town while Mike reacted to the characters’ relationships.
• After spending more than half a spring tending the farm and hiring Robin to build a coop, John and Mike agreed that Stardew Valley was deeply enjoyable and criticized the game review magazines.
• Emma pulled Wolfenstein out of the console and hid it before telling Vincent that GAMENOVA had released a new game.

Emma bought Vincent a copy of Story of Seasons, hoping its gentle gameplay would suit him, but decided to try it herself while he was out. Meanwhile, ElectronicGames faced growing backlash for its negative review of the game.

• Vincent asked Emma to take him to the game store for Story of Seasons, but she refused and told him to go on a picnic with his father.
• After Vincent left, Emma secretly went to the game store, where the children recognized her as Satan Mom, the top Wolfenstein 3D player.
• Emma uploaded her latest Wolfenstein 3D record, then bought Story of Seasons after hearing that its child-friendly gameplay might appeal to Vincent.
• Emma returned home, saw the game in her bag, and decided to test it herself instead of watching a soap opera.
• ElectronicGames' editor-in-chief worried as readers increasingly complained about the magazine's harsh review of Story of Seasons.

Minoru Arakawa sought a traditional RPG to help Nintendo answer GAMENOVA’s NovaBox as NES sales slowed. Hiroshi Yamauchi assigned the idea to Enix and Yuji Horii, while Lin Lixin arrived at NewWorldComputing with a third-party contract.

• ElectronicGames’ editor-in-chief ordered his staff to replay Story of Seasons after angry readers challenged their review.
• Minoru Arakawa saw slowing NES sales as a result of competition from GAMENOVA and considered how Nintendo could respond.
• Minoru Arakawa urged Hiroshi Yamauchi to develop a traditional RPG to compete with GAMENOVA’s games.
• Hiroshi Yamauchi said Shigeru Miyamoto was busy with another project and named Enix and Yuji Horii’s Dragon Quest as a possible answer.
• Lin Lixin brought a third-party contract to the creator of Might and Magic at NewWorldComputing.

Lin Lixin visited Jon Van Caneghem and discovered his ambitious Might and Magic project, then secured NWC as a third-party studio for GAMENOVA. He left for Texas to approach Ultima as well.

• Lin Lixin visited Jon Van Caneghem at his home and introduced himself as GAMENOVA's owner, prompting Caneghem to excitedly recognize him as a hero.
• Caneghem showed Lin Lixin the Might and Magic materials he had developed largely on his own, including design drafts, a map, and a turn-based combat demo.
• Lin Lixin asked whether Caneghem would consider developing games for a console, and Caneghem eagerly agreed to join GAMENOVA.
• Lin Lixin clarified that he meant a third-party contract, and Caneghem hurriedly signed the documents without checking the clauses.
• Caneghem asked why Lin Lixin had chosen him instead of Ultima, and Lin Lixin said he was heading to Texas to approach them too.

Lin Lixin recruited Origin Systems to develop for the NovaBox and then visited Sir-Tech, where Minoru Arakawa had just failed to secure a deal. Lin entered the meeting room with a cooperation agreement, while Arakawa left suspecting something was wrong.

• Lin Lixin met Richard Garriott and invited Origin Systems to become a NovaBox third-party developer rather than sign an exclusivity agreement.
• Richard agreed to bring Ultima IV to the NovaBox, making Origin Systems one of GAMENOVA's third-party studios.
• Lin Lixin considered approaching Sir-Tech, the independent company behind Wizardry, despite its fierce resistance to major companies and its location near Nintendo of America's home base.
• Lin arrived at Sir-Tech and heard angry voices from a meeting room after Minoru Arakawa had apparently argued with the company.
• Lin shook hands with the departing Arakawa, then entered Sir-Tech's meeting room carrying a briefcase, leaving Arakawa to wonder who he really was.

Lin Lixin examined the GAME&WATCH and discussed the threat of Nintendo’s next-generation handheld as GAMENOVA considered developing its own portable console. He identified cartridge capacity and saving as key obstacles, then proposed battery-backed saving technology.

• Lin Lixin returned to Santa Clara, handed Sam the signed contracts, and inspected the GAME&WATCH units Sam had obtained from Japan.
• Gerald explained the machines’ specifications, and Lin Lixin warned that Nintendo’s next-generation handheld could threaten GAMENOVA.
• Gerald reported progress on the NovaWonder graphics card and the first Z80Y trial chips, and Lin Lixin ordered development of the NovaPocket to begin.
• Lin Lixin and Gerald discussed the NovaPocket’s limited game storage and lack of floppy disks, and Lin Lixin wrote “Battery-backed saving technology” on the whiteboard as a solution.

Lin Lixin showed Gerald how a button battery could keep RAM powered, solving the NovaPocket’s save-data problem, and revealed Pokémon as its launch title. After handing Carmack reusable battle code, Lin Lixin struggled to draw Pokémon and asked the team whether anyone spoke Japanese.

• Lin Lixin explained to Gerald that a button battery could keep SRAM powered so it could preserve game saves.
• Gerald realized the battery-backed RAM approach could provide cheap, reliable storage for the NovaPocket.
• Lin Lixin announced Pokémon as the NovaPocket’s launch title and planned to compress it to fit the console’s limited cartridge capacity.
• Lin Lixin returned from Caneghem with a copy of Might and Magic’s combat code and gave it to Carmack to adapt.
• Lin Lixin tried drawing a yellow Pokémon, realized his hand-drawing skills were poor, and asked whether anyone on the team spoke Japanese.

Lin Lixin learned Japanese through the system while preparing for a trip to Japan, then confronted Steve, the founder of ElectronicGames, who came to apologize for his magazine’s negative review of Story of Seasons. Steve admitted he had judged the game after playing it for less than half an hour and said his team later played it for several days.

• Lin Lixin gained basic Japanese and fused his language skills into a comprehensive language-learning ability.
• Lin Lixin had Sam study Japanese for their upcoming business trip, though Sam gave up and suggested hiring an interpreter.
• Steve arrived at Lin Lixin’s home with wine and introduced himself as the founder of ElectronicGames.
• Lin Lixin and Sam mistook Steve’s visit for a challenge, and Sam accidentally punched him before Steve explained he had come to apologize.
• Steve admitted he had reviewed Story of Seasons after playing it for less than half an hour and said he regretted his mistaken assessment.

Lin Lixin agreed to an interview with ElectronicGames after Steve apologized for the magazine’s damaging review of Story of Seasons. During the interview, Lin revealed Contra’s hidden cheat code, leaving the arcade’s players stunned.

• Steve impressed Lin Lixin and Sam with his knowledge of video games, then asked Lin for an interview in the next issue of ElectronicGames.
• Lin agreed, and they scheduled the interview for the following afternoon at the GAMENOVA arcade.
• Steve asked Lin about undiscovered Easter eggs in The Legend of Zelda and mentioned the name-entry trick that unlocked its second quest.
• Lin shared Contra’s code, “Up up down down left right left right BABA,” and players entered it on NovaBox consoles to raise their characters’ lives from three to thirty.

Lin Lixin organized an Easter egg hunt for hidden content in several games, and ElectronicGames publicized the challenge alongside an interview and a revised Story of Seasons review. Players uncovered the Metal Gear secret and Contra’s eight additional stages, while the search for the remaining Easter eggs continued.

• Lin Lixin proposed a treasure hunt and gave Steve clues to Easter eggs in Contra, Metal Gear, and Wolfenstein 3D.
• ElectronicGames published an interview with Lin Lixin, a detailed Story of Seasons review, and a notice offering rewards to players who found the Easter eggs.
• Henry discovered a hidden room in stage 11 of Metal Gear and won a gold-and-precious-metals mech figurine.
• John recognized Contra’s hidden mutation stages, wrote to ElectronicGames, and news of the eight extra stages sparked a wave of discussion.
• Lin Lixin laughed at the response, having deliberately added Contra’s extra stages to turn a familiar rumor into real game content.

Lin Lixin saw Micro-Nova complete its first general-purpose graphics card, NovaWonder, and approved Vivian's plan for a more flexible Graphics Array standard. He then traveled to Tokyo with Sam, arriving at Game Freak ten years before it would create Pokémon.

• Vivian showed Lin Lixin and Ho Kwok Yuen the NovaWonder prototype, which matched or exceeded IBM's EGA performance.
• Vivian proposed the Graphics Array standard, with multiple palettes that could be switched rapidly, and Lin Lixin approved developing it within two years.
• Vivian reported that NovaWonder used up to thirty percent less power than comparable cards and could cost thirty dollars or less in mass production.
• Lin Lixin told Vivian to begin fabricating a trial batch of chips, then left for Japan with Sam after dropping Carmack at Gerald's house.
• Lin Lixin and Sam arrived at Game Freak's Tokyo office and met its president, Satoshi Tajiri, and illustrator Ken Sugimori.

Lin Lixin visited Game Freak to recruit Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori for illustrations for a new game. After seeing GAMENOVA’s games and recognizing Lin from an overseas magazine, Satoshi learned that Lin wanted them to help develop a game featuring a creature called Mew.

• Sam and Lin arrived at Game Freak, where Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori doubted Lin’s claim to own GAMENOVA.
• Lin showed Satoshi and Ken a NovaBox and introduced them to 1942, whose gameplay amazed them.
• Lin showed the pair Wolfenstein 3D, leaving them stunned by the advances in GAMENOVA’s games.
• Satoshi spotted Lin’s face on the cover of Electronic Games and realized Lin was genuine.
• Lin showed Satoshi and Ken a sketch of Mew and explained that he wanted illustrations for his new game.

Lin Lixin recruited Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori to create a monster encyclopedia for GAMENOVA and proposed making Game Freak its foothold in Japan. After Carmack demonstrated Tetris on the NovaPocket test platform, Lin required handheld communication for trading and ended by asking Gerald about a Pokémon Center.

• Lin Lixin hired Game Freak to create a monster encyclopedia and floated acquiring the studio, while Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori hesitated at the prospect of moving overseas.
• Sam proposed establishing Game Freak as GAMENOVA's Japanese office, and Lin Lixin approved the plan as Satoshi Tajiri agreed to join.
• Lin Lixin asked Satoshi Tajiri to introduce a music-minded friend, and Satoshi named Junichi Masuda.
• Lin Lixin returned to California and saw Carmack run Tetris on Gerald's NovaPocket test platform, where the game played smoothly on the small screen.
• Lin Lixin told Gerald that the NovaPocket needed cable or infrared communication for trading, then asked whether he had heard of a Pokémon Center.

Lin Lixin enlisted Meyer to help establish Pokémon Centers and unveiled plans for a Pokémon Trading Machine, while GAMENOVA began building eight themed Pokémon Gyms across America. The press speculated that the buildings were flagship stores, and Lin approved an advance copy of the coverage.

• Lin Lixin showed Meyer the plan for Pokémon Centers and introduced the Pokémon Trading Machine, an unfinished device intended for the console version of Pokémon.
• Meyer agreed to help persuade stores to set up Pokémon Centers, but Lin said the Eight Gyms would have to wait until later.
• Game stores and arcades began renovating areas, and GAMENOVA soon acquired eight buildings across America and started constructing themed Gyms.
• ElectronicGames published a commentary suggesting the buildings were GAMENOVA flagship stores and that their themes reflected their locations.
• Steve showed Lin Lixin a preprint sample of the commentary, and Lin approved it.

Lin Lixin introduced Schwarzenegger and Brandon Lee to NovaPocket, a sleek portable console that impressed them with its design and preinstalled Tetris. After Schwarzenegger became absorbed in playing, they began filming the console’s promotional video, which showed him gaming between action scenes.

• Lin Lixin brought Schwarzenegger and Brandon Lee to the set and showed them the red and blue NovaPocket units.
• Schwarzenegger and Brandon Lee admired NovaPocket’s design, and Schwarzenegger played its preinstalled Tetris for half an hour.
• Lin Lixin explained that the promotional video would include solo scenes for each actor and a scene with both of them.
• Schwarzenegger filmed a Guile-style rainforest action scene, then played Tetris during a break before returning to the set.

On Black Friday, Mike and John joined the crowds waiting to buy GAMENOVA's NovaPocket after weeks of promotion. Three promotional videos revealed its portable version of "Street Fighter" and its multiplayer connection features, leaving the shoppers eager for the handheld.

• Mike and John waited outside a store, where John read the newly released "ElectronicGames" issue detailing the NovaPocket's appearance and specifications.
• Mike praised John for winning the hidden "Contra" Easter egg prize, which gave them money to shop freely.
• A promotional video showed Brandon Lee practicing martial arts, then playing "Street Fighter" on the NovaPocket.
• John and Mike realized the handheld could bring games to work and other spare moments, but worried it could only support solo play.
• A third video showed Brandon Lee and Schwarzenegger connecting two NovaPockets with a cable to play against each other, and John found the magazine's explanation of the wired and infrared communication modules.

GAMENOVA’s NovaPocket sold out its entire million-unit launch stock on the first day, while demand continued to overwhelm retailers and distributors. After a weeklong shortage, fresh units arrived as the first Pokémon Center opened in California, unveiling Pokémon merchandise, new cartridges, and unfamiliar machines.

• Mike and John rushed through the mall, grabbed NovaPockets and launch cartridges, then tried to force their way out through the crowd.
• Sam told Lin Lixin that GAMENOVA had sold all one million NovaPockets on launch day, and Lin wondered whether built-in Tetris had driven the sales.
• On the second day of the Christmas shopping season, shoppers found the NovaPocket sold out, while Meyer fielded nonstop calls from retailers demanding restocks.
• A California newspaper reported that Schwarzenegger had played his NovaPocket on a plane, and supermarkets received a fresh batch of consoles after a week without stock.
• GAMENOVA opened its first Pokémon Center in California, where players found Pokémon merchandise, new cartridges, and strange trading machines.

John and Mike discovered that Pokémon Red and Green had version-exclusive Pokémon that required trading to complete the Pokédex, then began playing and explored the game’s opening. Mike learned the basic controls and item storage as the story left them at the start of their adventure.

• John read that players could trade Pokémon at local stores and realized the handheld game had become difficult to find.
• John and Mike compared their Red and Green cartridges and learned that each version had exclusive Pokémon obtainable through trading.
• Mike chose his player name and named his rival John, while John also secretly looked at Mike as they started the game.
• Mike explored his bedroom, interacted with a NovaBox in the game, and discovered that the computer stored and retrieved items.

Mike played Pokémon, chose Squirtle, defeated John, and reached Viridian City, where he unlocked the Pokémon encyclopedia and resolved to complete it. Meanwhile, Pokémon trading drew crowds to the game store, and Lin Lixin told Meyer that the eight real-world Gyms could open.

• Mike explored Professor Oak’s laboratory, chose Squirtle, and defeated John’s Bulbasaur in their first battle.
• Mike battled wild Pokémon on his way to Viridian City and received Professor Oak’s package from the Pokémon Center attendant.
• Mike unlocked the Pokémon encyclopedia, saw that he had seen four Pokémon and caught one, and decided to catch them all.
• Players gathered at the game store’s trading machine to exchange version-exclusive Pokémon, while Meyer praised Lin Lixin for the sales from the Red and Green versions.
• Lin Lixin watched Sam battle Brock and told Meyer that the eight real-world Gyms could open.

John and Mike visited GAMENOVA’s Fire-type Gym in New Mexico, where Mike defeated Gym Leader Blaine while John lost. Mike received the Volcano Badge and learned that collecting all eight Badges would let him challenge the Pokémon League.

• John and Mike joined the long line of players waiting to challenge Blaine at the volcano-shaped Fire-type Gym.
• John battled Blaine with his Charizard, whose Fire-type moves were ineffective against Blaine’s Fire-type Pokémon, and lost.
• John bought a Charmander plush in the Gym’s gift shop while he waited for Mike’s battle to finish.
• Mike defeated Blaine’s Magmar with his carefully chosen team and earned the Volcano Badge.
• Blaine told Mike to collect TM38-Fire Blast at the front desk and explained that Trainers with all eight Badges could challenge the Pokémon League.