1988 Retro Game Tycoon - Chapter 124



Only Noblemtl

Episode 124 – Mr. Gentleman

I flew to Japan and went to .

Editor-in-chief Ryo Ishima and reporter Misato welcomed me.

The editorial department was in a state of chaos as they prepared to produce a special New Year’s edition. Some people were playing games, some were typing articles, and some were talking on the phone.

The office seemed both lively and tense at the same time, anticipating the new change.

“Okay, attention. This is Starbeat’s CEO, Seo Nam-joon, who developed .”

When the editor introduced me to the reporters, they all looked at me with curiosity. They exchanged glances with each other, and I could hear them whispering, “You’re really young, aren’t you?”

“By the way, you speak Japanese better than our reporters.”

When Misato warned her, the reporters who had been whispering in her ear were startled and smiled faintly. As if she had not intended to do so.

Well, it’s only natural that there’s this much interest, since the game I made is one of the belt-scrolling games that is promoting.

In Japan, the success of is directly linked to the success of .

was trying to change the trend of Japanese game centers, and for them, who did not know the history of the future, it was almost like a gamble.

With so much money at stake for the magazine’s fate, it must feel even more so when they have to put it on me, a Korean.

After a brief greeting and introduction, the editor got straight to the point. He asked about the thing he was most curious about: our next work.

“I heard from reporter Misato that there are more arcade games currently in development?”

“Yes, I brought it anyway. It’s still in development, but I’ll give you a taste.”

I brought the in-development demo versions of Dark Moon and Modern Fighters to show to the editor.

First, I showed , which is similar to . I think the editor will be more interested in this one.

“It’s a demo that was slightly modified for internal development, so there are many things missing. There’s only one background, and two modes: test mode and battle mode.”

I explained about while setting up the game.

As of now, there are a total of five characters confirmed for .

– Korea: Swordsman Kim Do-kwon / Jazz singer Suzy

– USA: Bank robber and gangster ‘Dallinger’

– England: ‘Gentleman’, an unidentified gentleman

– Hong Kong: Tao Tao, a movie star who fled to Hong Kong after learning martial arts and Peking opera in China

“We are currently developing characters that fit the game concept. We plan to increase the number of playable characters to ten by the time of the official launch.”

When first came out, there were eight basic characters.

However, all of the characters in SF2 have a somewhat humorous feel to them. It is said that when Capcom was making SF2, the character designs had to make the PD and designers laugh in order for them to pass.

Characters like Blanca, Chun-li, and Dal-sim were created because of the emphasis on strong personalities and humor.

Since I already knew what SF2 would be like, even if I didn’t want to know, I went in as different a direction as possible with the game design.

, which is its parent game, is an action game, but it has a serious atmosphere, so will also be relatively serious and have a serious feel compared to SF2.

“Would you like to try it together?”

“Is that okay?”

Since it is a competitive game, the real fun of the game can only be had by competing one-on-one with other people.

Editor Ryo took Gentleman on the left as Player 1, and I took Kim Do-kwon on the right as Player 2.

“There are four buttons.”

I also brought a custom-made 4-button controller from Seunsangga.

“Yes, the two buttons above are weak/strong hands, and the button below is weak/strong kick. The techniques and combos are still in development, so they are not perfect. Most techniques have guards that can block them or reduce damage, and big techniques will greatly reduce your stamina if successful, but if you get caught in a counterattack, you can get hit instead, so you have to be careful.”

First, I explained various techniques and controls in test mode.

The gentleman character is a character based on the British gentleman, who is an essential character in modern times.

A gentleman in a frock coat, with a long bowler hat, a monocle, a grey moustache like a lion’s mane, a pocket watch in one hand and a cane in the other, appeared with an arrogant gait.

The gentleman’s signature pose was to throw down the gloves he was wearing before starting a fight as a sign of combat.

“Let’s learn the basics first. I’ll attack, so guard. They say that attacking is the best defense, but in fighting games, you can never become an expert if you don’t know how to guard properly.”

I attacked by telling him in advance how I was going to attack, and Editor Ryo defended me.

At first, I made a lot of mistakes because I couldn’t get the timing and distance right, but like an arcade game expert, I quickly adapted.

“Oh, but your arm···?”

“Yes, that’s right. As expected, you’re sharp. The gentleman’s left arm is a mechanical arm. That’s because Britain achieved the Industrial Revolution.”

The Gentleman always guards with his left arm, no matter how his opponent attacks, but as damage accumulates, his sleeve wears away, revealing a mechanical arm.

“Then shall we attack? Try pressing the strong hand while turning the stick clockwise from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock.”

“Drawing a semicircle? Oh!”

Then the gentleman took out the hand cannon he had hidden in his left arm and fired the cannon. When I deliberately hit it, an explosion occurred and my energy was reduced by more than a third, and Kim Do-kwon’s face and suit were covered in soot.

“Ah! This is the directing I saw in . They reused it. It’s ingenious!”

Editor Ryo’s eyes lit up and he liked it.

It seems like he feels good to attack after having been on the defensive all along. Plus, he landed a cool blow with a flashy performance.

I kept teaching him how to fight.

“Okay, so now let’s get serious about it?”

“Okay. I’ll learn a thing or two.”

I left test mode and entered battle mode.

Gentleman and Kim Do-kwon are both characters with strong fists. Kim Do-kwon doesn’t have a long-range attack like Gentleman’s hand cannon, but he’s a bit faster than Gentleman and also has body blows and grab techniques that can temporarily incapacitate opponents.

It is advantageous for Gentleman to keep hitting and retreating while maintaining a suitable distance with his hand cannon, while on the other hand, Kim Do-kwon must continue to dig into his opponent.

In boxing, Kim Do-kwon is an infighter, and Gentleman is an outboxer.

Editor Ryo quickly figured out the principles of the fight, so he slowly backed away, fired his hand cannon, and ran away, then fired his cannon again and ran away.

“Ah, Editor-in-Chief. It’s a bit of a slog from the start.”

Reporter Misato spoke from behind, as if the editor was feeling sorry for her.

“Misato, what a trick! This is just a strategy that takes advantage of the character’s traits.”

“Editor, your adaptability to games is no joke. Even I, the creator of the game, find it difficult to fight.”

“Hahahaha! If you want to survive as an arcade game expert, constant training and diligence are not enough. Should I say you need an innate sense?”

I deliberately took advantage of this opportunity to catch Editor Ryo off guard by praising him.

Editor Ryo, who may not have played many fighting games, either listened to my basics lectures too faithfully or instinctively knew how to survive tenaciously, did not give me an easy way to approach him.

In that case, I should make them come instead of going.

“I got caught!”

“oh?!”

The gentleman’s cannonball flew in, but my guard missed it just in time.

Kim Do-kwon was hit directly by a cannonball. With a loud explosion, Kim Do-kwon fell down screaming, and my stamina plummeted.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll end this now!”

Then, Editor Ryo, who thought he had seized the opportunity, hurriedly approached me.

At that moment, I woke up Kim Do-kwon and ran towards Gentleman.

It was the ‘dash’ skill that allowed Kim Do-kwon, an infighter, to close the distance in an instant.

“Huh?!”

I quickly closed the distance, leaving an afterimage, and delivered a body blow to the gentleman. The gentleman’s body rose slightly into the air, and for a moment he became defenseless.

“I’m sorry, editor.”

“NO~!!!!!”

As I landed a series of powerful straight punches on the gentleman, he lost most of his stamina and staggered.

Editor Ryo tried to keep his distance again, but I no longer deliberately let myself get hit by the cannon, and I ducked down, approached him slowly, and ended the game with an uppercut.

The gentleman’s monocle cracked, his gold pocket watch flew away, and Kim Do-kwon struck a victory pose, shaking off his suit as if it were nothing.

“As expected, it was a very shameless ending, Editor-in-Chief.”

“Ha~, hiding the fact that Kim Do-kwon has such a skill. This is foul play, sir. It’s not fair.”

“I’m sorry. The editor-in-chief is much better than I thought.”

I laughed and apologized to the editor’s complaint.

“I want to try it now.”

Reporter Misato, who had been watching from behind, stepped forward, and she chose Tao Tao. Tao Tao, a master of Chinese martial arts, was a character who was not easy to handle due to her unique fighting style and irregular rhythm, but she had a strong charm.

“This is really something! is fun, but if comes out, the arcades will go crazy.”

“There are still many aspects that need to be worked on, such as characters, skills, combos, guards, and power balance. However, I am confident that if it comes out next year as scheduled, it will be much more popular than .”

“This is something that Japanese game companies should really be nervous about. However, as the editor-in-chief of , I would absolutely welcome such fun games! We are glad that we could help Star Beat arcade games enter Japan.”

The editor really liked Modern Fighters and nodded his head to Dark Moon, which he played next.

“This is also a good concept. These days, Japanese shooting games are so full of bullets pouring in from all directions that it’s hard to tell whether it’s a game about destroying things or a game about avoiding them. But a game that gets harder as you get weaker is really refreshing.”

“And another thing that’s different from other shooting games is that instead of dying with one hit, your armor breaks when you get hit. Just like the armor in where it disappears. So, while the firepower is strong in the beginning, you can survive getting hit 2-3 times without dying, so we plan to make it so that you can easily clear Stage 1.”

“It’s a good idea. Not everyone needs to go all the way to the end to see the ending, but there should be room for people to have fun in the beginning. That’s what motivates them to play the game. Although we aim for high scores, Japanese shooting games are too one-sided at the moment. could show a new direction.”

When the editor of a Japanese arcade game magazine gave our game a favorable review, I became more confident.

In the afternoon, I visited the office of Ultra Japan, one of the big three arcade distributors.

The president of Ultra Japan was a very thin and hunched-looking man, almost like a grandfather, and his office was filled with Ultraman and various monster-related figures.

It seemed like the president was a fan of special effects movies like Ultraman.

“I was yelling at this guy for getting dementia before me because it was a Korean game. Thank goodness, Ryo-kun. I guess you don’t have dementia yet.”

“Hahahaha! Am I right, teacher?”

The president of Ultra Japan looked at me with suspicious eyes, but nodded after playing the game.

“Sega may be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but they’re not completely stupid. Alright. Let’s do it.”

With Editor Ryo already laying the groundwork, and the fact that the game was coming out from Sega, was able to sign a contract with Ultra Japan without much difficulty.

“Should we start lightly? A thousand would probably be about right.”

At that moment, when I was about to answer, the editor apologized and interrupted.

“Oh my, boss. If you have a thousand, you can just put them in Tokyo. Don’t ask for more later. Just take a lot in the beginning.”

“Then how much of a headache is it to return something? You know I don’t accept things from Americans, right? They’re always babbling. They make the game boring.”

“This is going to be different. I’m already in the Sega arcade, and I’m already standing in line. And I’ve already sold it to arcades in major cities, starting from Tokyo. You know Capcom’s Final Fight? I’m thinking of putting it right next to it.”

“Huh? Look at this guy. He’s going to pick a fight openly?”

“It’s a game where you fight and take turns anyway, right? Games also grow together by fighting and competing with each other.”

“However, what makes us different from is that we support 4-player play. So, when you go into an arcade, it’s best to go in pairs.”

“Huh! This young boss is smarter than he looks. He’s using his head well. When he makes a game and sells it, he’ll definitely sell two copies.”

“And we will be delivering the game through a company called Myungsung Trading Company. If you want to return the board, I don’t think that will happen, but I will make arrangements to make it possible through Myungsung Trading Company at any time.”

The president of Ultra Japan, who had only snorted when the editor and I attacked him from both sides, finally seemed to take notice when I told him that I would handle the return through a major trading company.

“Really? You’re going to go through a big trading company? Why would they trust a kid like you to do the job?”

“I am the son of that house.”

“uh?!”

Only then did the president of Ultra Japan nod as if he understood.

After all, there is no more powerful persuasive force in the world than bloodline.

“Just wait a minute.”

The president of Ultra Japan made several phone calls and asked about various things. I could vaguely hear our company name and Myeongseong Trading Company name, so it seemed like he was checking references with people he knew.

“Okay. Then let’s just get 3,000 boards. I’ll install them at the place Ryo promised me and the game centers I know first to see how they go. Then I’ll decide whether to increase the number or return them.”

“Thank you.”

“But you really made this game? You’re talented.”

Having easily concluded a difficult contract, I had a lighthearted chat with the president of Ultra Japan about various things related to games.

The president of Ultra Japan was a man of means who was born poor and almost died in the war, but started making money through pachinko, pinball, and jukeboxes, and expanded his business to include video games.

Myeongseong Trading Company helped convince him.

I know about games, but I don’t know much about international trade, so I decided to leave the export-related work to Myeongseong Trading Company.

It’s really fortunate that I opened my eyes in a conglomerate family, otherwise the game business would have been ten times more difficult.

Even if you outsource it, it’s really hard to find a company that you can trust and leave it to, but I can handle most things within the group.

There was not enough time to do all the paperwork, ship the items to Japan, and then ship them to game centers all over Japan.

We moved immediately. We cleared out our A1 board inventory and shipped it to Japan, and our factory went straight into additional production.

As Christmas approaches, games that were being prepared in Korea are starting to be released one by one.

On TV, advertisements for the game pocket, , began to appear.

The CF featuring Kim Do-kwon and Suzy, which captured the feel of Gyeongseong in the 1930s, became a hot topic as soon as it was released. This time too, the bromide giveaway event was not missed.

Lee Mi-young, who shone as an icon of youth through the CF, perfectly digested a mature feeling through , making many men lose sleep at night.

Having secured an export channel for the A1 board to Japan, we spared no expense in advertising the game pocket. The game pocket advertisements for and could be seen on TV, radio, game magazines, newspapers, and other media.

We were now a big player in Myeongseong Planning. At first, we were just a client that did the most creative advertising for Myeongseong Planning, but now we were second to none in terms of advertising volume.

Oseong Electronics also started selling Oseong Gyeomboyong’s .

The 8-bit team worked through the night to finish the game despite their tight schedule.

With the college entrance exam just a few days away, Ji-seok volunteers as a relief pitcher and helps the busy 8-bit team complete the game.

“But, Ji-seok. You have an important test tomorrow or the day after. Wouldn’t it be better to go in and study?”

“What difference would it make if I studied now? I studied enough, so don’t worry.”

As expected, Ji-seok is the youngest but the coolest in our company.

As expected, he just didn’t want to study, but he made up an excuse to play games and continued coding late into the night.

The completed Oseong Gyeomboyong and two game pockets were safely released into the world.

I decided to sell for the Master System through Sega in Japan.

A well-made game can branch out to multiple platforms, creating new revenue streams over time.

This was possible because it was the Warring States period, with various platforms and game companies competing endlessly.

“Sir, the New Year’s special edition has finally been printed safely. It will be out in two or three days. This time, I almost died. I burned it completely.”

And reporter Misato, who had stayed up for several nights in Japan, announced the publication of the special New Year’s edition of in a very tired voice.

It was finally time for the final blow to end the year.

This last one will be the New Year’s Eve bell that will mark the end of the 80s and the beginning of a new golden age for 90s retro gaming.