Game Market 1983

Chapter 8

hapter 2 part 4: Toy Company

“By the way, when do you plan to develop a sequel to the Donkey Kom made in the 80s?”

“Actually, the sequel is almost completed, and we’re planning to release it any day now . ”

“Really? Can I ask what type of a game it is?”

Perhaps because the copyright system for games have not been fully developed yet, Mr . Kumamoto freely explained the contents of the game .

“This time, I have decided to slightly switch the theme and make an entirely new game out of the character that saved the princess from Donkey Kom . ”

He must have completed this game to show support for the Family console that was released a month ago .

Mr . Gunpei was observing our conversation with a proud smile .

Mr . Kumamoto’s Marigee Brothers was a 2 player game, like Donkey Kom, where you had to defeat the mushroom soldiers and the turtles in a stage . While I was talking to Mr . Kumamoto about the Marigee Brothers, I offered one suggestion .

“Mr . Kumamoto…”

“Yes? Do you have any questions about the Marigee Brothers?”

“Actually, rather than this completed game that’s about to be released, I have a question about the next project that would be made after Marigee . ”

“You mean the sequel? We haven’t seen how the players will react to this game, so for us to start planning the next game is a little…”

The 1980s was a time where developing a sequel to a game would take a considerable amount of time . In 2015, sequels were being concurrently made alongside the original game, so I could understand Mr . Kumamoto’s hesitation .

“I think that currently, the character Marigee has an easily recognizable image, even surpassing Donkey Kom . From this, we can deduce that the Marigee Brothers will have a certain amount of popularity when it’s released . So, I was wondering if we could utilize a special method in the sequel to Marigee?”

“A special method?”

Kumamoto stared at me with a confused expression; Mr . Gunpei who was right next to him flashed a knowing smile of ‘So it has started’, and he adjusted his glasses .

&

Side Scrolling . This was the magical technique that would revolutionize the screen from its limited size . It was the most common of methods utilized in games of 2015, but this was the year 1983 .

In this period, every game was restricted to an unchanging background . The start and end of every game had to be executed within the set background; popular games like Galug and Donkey Kom were no exception .

Just like how humanity first stepped on the moon, I was trying to make the footstep that would greatly revolutionize the gaming industry .

“We would scroll the background . ”

“What? What are we doing?”

Mr . Kumamoto and Mr . Gunpei couldn’t understand me at first . Of course, understanding the Side Scrolling method would be difficult at first . I took a notebook out of my backpack and laid it in front of Mr . Kumamoto, and I lifted a pen .

“Now, look here . This box represents the screen of the game . And standing inside here is Mr . Kumamoto’s Marigee . And then…”

I extended the pen from the box outside and drew a long line .

“And this is the stage . ”

“Ah!!”

At that moment, Mr . Kumamoto slapped his thigh and excitedly shouted . However, Mr . Gunpei still didn’t know what was going on as he took turns looking at both of us .

“So that was the case!! That’s right! The start and the end does not always have to be contained within a screen . The background could be a moving animation, just like a film roll, and it would give the game characters a sense of moving forward . ”

He figured out ten when I only taught him one? I only gave him a hint, but Mr . Kumamoto was instantly able to figure out the concept of Side Scrolling .

“Gunpei, you were right . Mr . Kang Junhyuk is a genius! A genius!!”

“H-Hey Shigeru, I still have no clue about what’s going on . What does it mean to have a stage that moves out of the screen? What I’m asking is, how would you show something out of the screen…?”

Kumamoto had to explain to Mr . Gunpei in simpler terms for him to understand, and, after a while, Mr . Gunpei who was nodding his head suddenly gaped and stared at me .

“How are you able to come up with ideas like this? You’re completely revamping the way how games have been thought of . ”

“With this, the experience should feel more adventurous inside the game . ”

Mr . Kumamoto murmured something under his breath like an incantation while he stared at my Side Scrolling method . Huh? What is he doing now? He closed his eyes as if he were imagining something . A while after, Mr . Kumamoto opened his eyes and had a smile drawn on his mouth .

“I thought of a simple concept for the next sequel . ”

So fast? He could already thought of an idea for his next project? Mr . Kumamoto grabbed the pen that was lying on the table and rapidly sketched bricks, a box with a question mark, and a flag with a mushroom inscribed on it… These were the items that would act as the main sauce for the emerging Super Marigee game .

“Marigee will save the princess . ”

“A princess?”

“Knights have been saving the princess up until now, but Marigee is a modern character . He who symbolizes modernness will save the Mushroom Kingdom’s princess from the monster . ”

After listening to Kumamoto, Mr . Gunpei beamed and replied:

“Ho… This is an interesting idea as well . Continue on…”

“First of all, the character Marigee is a plumber . He works in a dark and a damp place . So the monster would be… Hmm… A cold and slimy reptilian creature would fit the image well . This monster would kidnap the Mushroom Kingdom princess, and Marigee, who coincidentally falls from the Mushroom Kingdom, would embark on a journey to save the princess and fight the enemy . ”

What is this guy . He made an entire game in this short period of time? A genius is indeed a genius! I leaned on the chair and stared at Mr . Kumamoto while I crossed my arms .

The tips of my fingers were tingling from the fact that I was currently witnessing the birth of a project that would give the gaming world a huge impact . Mr . Gunpei let out a cheerful smile and asked Kumamoto .

“Then… That monster and the princess should have names too . ”

Mr . Kumamoto turned the question to me and asked .

“Kang-kun, what food do you enjoy eating most, in Korea?”

“Me? I’m not sure…”

Until now, I’ve been eating greasy foods from Japan like fried steak and rice bowls; one food popped into my head . A sizzling meat soup inside of a warm pot… adding a bowl of rice on top of that and wrapping a piece of kimchi to put in my mouth~ Kyaa~~

“A GookBap”
(TL: Gook means soup, Bap means rice . Soup rice xD)

“Kookpat?”

“A GookBap . ”

“Goop . Bak?”

It would be a bit hard for both of them to pronounce because of the unique Korean vowels… After trying several times to pronounce GookBap, Mr . Kumamto flashed a grin and said .

“Kang-kun inspired this idea so let’s call the reptilian monster ‘Koot Pah’ . ”

What!? You bastard, why are you deciding this so easily!? And why should the name of the food I like be the name of a villain that will be harassed by Marigee for the next 30 years to come!! Mr . Gunpei, who was next to me, gave a burst of laughter and nodded his head .

“Then what would be the name of the princess?”

At that moment, a waitress came to our table and put fruits on the table, and she said .

“These peaches are for desserts . ”

Kumamoto was staring at the peaches and opened his mouth .

“We can call her the Princess Peach . ”

So this was the birth of Princess Peach that will be fated to be kidnapped by the monster Koot Pah for the next 30 years . What the hell is this~?!!

&

Two weeks passed by, just like that, and I stood in front of the headquarters of Mintendo wearing a suit…

“Haha… I came here in the end . I played around for the last two months, so should I start working?”

I exhaled a long breath, and I slowly entered the headquarters building . Even though it was September, the heat waves were still around, so it was too hot to wear a suit; however, the interior of the building was cold enough to give me the chills . Maybe it was because there were no warnings against the dangers of catching a cold through the AC, it was blasted almost all the way to the coldest temperature .

“It-It’s cold!!”

“What could I help you with?”

An employee in the lobby asked me, who had just came into the building .

“Ah, I came for an interview with Mr . Niseko and Mr . Kumamoto’s recommendation . ”

“Oh? Then would you be Mr . Kang Junhyuk?”

“Yes, that’s right . ”

“I was worried because you were Korean; however, you speak Japanese really well . ”

“Thank you . Where do I go from here?”

“Mmm, Mr . Kang Junhyuk is a special case, so you should be able to be interview at the president’s office . ”

“What?”

So I was being interviewed directly at the president’s office instead of a panel of judges? With the president of Mintendo, Mr . Yamauchi? I slightly tilted my head and asked the employee again .

“The president is interviewing me, himself?”

“Yes, our Mintendo’s president directly interviews every employee one by one, and he assigns them to the right department . ”

Mintendo currently gave off an image of a toy company rather than the world-renowned gaming company that they would develop into . I followed the desk employee, and I knocked on the door of the president’s office on the highest floor .

“Come in . ”

I swallowed my dry saliva and calmed my heart before the door opened . This was still an interview after all, so I was pretty nervous…

“You can go inside . ”

The employee gestured his hands for me to go inside, so I slightly lowered my head and thanked him before going inside the office . The president stood up from his seat, allowed me a seat at the reception table, and asked me:

“Hmm… Are you the Kang Junhyuk from Korea?”

“Yes, that’s right . ”

“Gunpei-kun and Shigeru-kun were praising you so much, they begged me to take you in . ”

“I’m thankful that they view me in such a good light . ”

“I’m actually reluctant about developing games, but, from what they said, the game industry will have a huge part in the children’s toy market . ”

“I also agree with that . ”

“Really? How did you come to that conclusion?”

Why is this guy asking so many questions the moment I step in? However, I already prepared for these questions, so I was able to answer right away .

“It wouldn’t get boring . ”

“Wouldn’t get boring?”

“That’s because you can enjoy a variety of games with one device . Also, it’s plenty enjoyable playing by yourself . ”

“A device that can host a variety of games… interesting . However, wouldn’t a toy have to be easy to get bored of so new products would sell?”

“A device is not a toy . ”

“What?”

“Adults don’t play with toys . From what I know, many people in Japan enjoy playing games whether they’re children or adults . Just in a nearby gaming center, there are a lot of parents that bring their kids to play games together . This is why the game industry will be a business that caters to people of all ages, from a child to an adult . ”

“Really? However, contrary to the 70s, the Atari shock caused a stagnation to the current game industry; so, I don’t know if it’s right to jump into the market . ”

“How about taking a step forward when everyone else is backing off?”

“Huh? You actually want me to jump into this sinking hell?”