I didn't have to worry about the schedule in the United States. Unlike three years ago when we had to launch the Family console with Gameboy, this time, there was no need for my direct involvement. The portable Gameboy seemed to secure its place in the American market quite stably, considering there was no console that could rival it in popularity across the entire USA.
Gunpei-san seemed ...
2023-11-02 18:27:34 +0000 UTC View Post"Wow, this is Chikurin!!"
As we entered the Chikurin bamboo forest in Kyoto's Arashiyama, the sound of bamboo rustling in the wind brought smiles to our faces, almost involuntarily.
Yuki and I were now at Chikurin, a bamboo forest in Kyoto's Arashiyama. Yuki, just like me, was seeing this place for the first time, and she gazed in wonder at the bamboo-lined path that surrounded us.<...
2023-11-02 18:27:31 +0000 UTC View PostJanuary 1, 1988
It was a New Year's Day holiday, and I was at home, catching up on the latest gaming trends through my Game & Watch.
Five years had passed since the release of the Family Computer, and it was now in the twilight of its glory, rather than its heyday. Each new game release maintained a certain level of quality. However, the industry was shifting away from the easy-...
2023-11-02 18:27:23 +0000 UTC View PostThe launch event for the game console had just concluded, and it was Christmas Eve. Gunpei and the other employees had left the venue to head back to Kyoto, but I remained in Tokyo because there was still work to be done.
Why, you ask? Because there was something I needed to take care of.
Hastily boarding the train, I made my way to the outskirts of Tokyo, to the Rytex factory locat...
2023-11-02 18:27:20 +0000 UTC View PostAfter taking a short break with Gunpei, we returned to the event venue, only to find the line still stretching endlessly outside.
Even the display shelves for the demo devices were crowded with people eager to get their hands on the latest portable devices.
"Boss, please save me!"
Mina, who had been shivering in the cold inside a van until dawn, had now transformed into a kimc...
2023-11-02 18:27:08 +0000 UTC View PostDecember 20, 1987. Five days before Christmas. Akihabara, Tokyo.
The streets, covered with a record-breaking amount of snow that had fallen since late afternoon, were lined with heaps of trash. Why were there so many garbage bags strewn in a row on the streets? Sorry, let me correct that. In reality, those were people.
"Excuse me. Hey!"
"Yes?"
"I'm a MinTendo employee. T...
2023-11-02 18:26:53 +0000 UTC View Post"Kang. Can you please have a seat for a moment?"
"Yes?"
Taken aback by the uncharacteristically serious tone, I looked at President Kamauichi. He slightly raised the corner of his mouth and gestured to the seat opposite him. What's going on? I have a strange feeling...
Could he have found out that I acquired LighTex? Or is he suspicious of my identity as the developer of Drago...
2023-11-02 18:26:44 +0000 UTC View PostIn the Tokyo Pentagon office, I met Mr. Kawaguchi and leisurely returned to Kyoto in the afternoon. However, the atmosphere at the MinTendo headquarters was chaotic.
"Director Kang Junhyuk, why are you only arriving now? How long has President Kamauichi been looking for you since this morning?" a staff member responsible for information at the headquarters lobby exclaimed upon seeing me.<...
2023-11-02 18:26:36 +0000 UTC View Post"Hey, want to bet on this game? The winner gets a wish granted!"
Huh? This is an unexpected challenge, isn't it? Well then, I'll join in for the sake of reliving my childhood memories!
We amicably inserted 50 yen coins each and started the game.
Soon, two dinosaurs emerged on both sides of the stage, and the game began.
With a total of 100 rounds prepared, this game had ...
2023-11-02 18:26:29 +0000 UTC View Post"Yuki-san, what do you think of this concept?"
"Yes? What...?"
As Yuki showed interest, I took out a notebook from my briefcase.
Although it was somewhat rough and messy compared to Yuki's neatly organized diary, I always carried a notebook to jot down ideas that occasionally popped into my head. (Mainly for helping Chandra and Gunpei-san understand, but also for sketching.) 2023-11-02 18:26:21 +0000 UTC View Post
"No way!!! I can't talk about this at all~!! How can I tell you that when sexy female characters fly through the sky and get hit by ultimate moves, their clothes are partially torn off and they fall down?!"
In the end, I decided to show Yuki the image of 'Ryu Hwayoung,' the character with the most modest design (comparatively)!
This would be the first time anyone had seen her charac...
2023-11-02 10:56:00 +0000 UTC View PostIn front of the famous Hachiko statue, a place renowned for meetings, there were already numerous people, each checking their watches while waiting for someone.
And within this crowd, I easily spotted Yuki.
"Ah~!! Junhyuk-ssi~"
Yuki noticed me among the bustling crowd and greeted me with enthusiasm, waving her hand.
We only had a brief encounter during the Dragon Emblem ...
2023-11-02 10:55:52 +0000 UTC View Post"Stop staring at it. I'm afraid the paper will get holes in it. Geez..."
"This is amazing! Wait, does that mean every other magazine is putting each character on the main cover?"
"Yeah, next month, every game magazine will feature Psych Battle."
"Wow, you really... This marketing strategy is incredible!"
"Marketing genius, I'd say!"
Furthermore, to collect all thes...
2023-11-02 10:55:44 +0000 UTC View Post"Kang Junhyuk..."
As I heard my name being called, I lifted my head to see Shige-san walking towards me from the opposite end of the corridor.
Shige-san also had some approval documents in his hand, presumably for a report to President Kamauji.
He glanced at the approval file in my hand and asked, "Is the report done?"
"Yes, just finished. How's the progress on Super Mar...
2023-11-02 10:55:36 +0000 UTC View Post"Junhyuk? I've been so busy lately making those expansion cartridges we promised. If we want to send money back to our hometown, we've got to work. Any job prospects?"
"That's why I called you, Chandra. I have a favor to ask."
"A favor? Chandra can do anything if it's a favor from Kang Junhyuk. Are you planning something fun again?"
"Just hear me out first, and let me know if ...
2023-11-02 10:55:26 +0000 UTC View Post"Did you try Psyche Battle back then? Mr. Kang's gaming skills are incredible! The scale is on another level."
"Well, it's just a shooting game, you know. In my opinion, Super Mirage 3, which was released recently, is the best. It's going to be a massive hit again."
"Just a shooting game, you say? Haven't you tried Psyche Battle? The immersion is out of this world!"
I was enjo...
2023-11-02 10:55:20 +0000 UTC View Post"Rotate the D-pad while pressing the B button."
"W-what... Rotate the D-pad?"
That's right. Psykick Battle was the very first command input shooting game.
Following my advice, Junhyuk completed the command input. Ka-boom! A cheerful sound effect burst forth, and a blue barrier formed around the character, beginning to block the barrage of enemy bullets.
"Wow!"
More...
2023-11-02 10:55:10 +0000 UTC View PostOn that fateful night, after leaving the office, I sat in front of my room's telephone, feeling a sense of unease. A piece of paper with Yuki's contact information lay before me.
"Why am I so nervous about making a simple call!?"
To an outsider, I might have appeared pathetic, but for someone who had lived through 2015, making a call to someone else's house felt incredibly awkward.<...
2023-11-02 10:55:05 +0000 UTC View PostWith just one question from me, everyone, including Director Kamauji, was left dumbfounded.
It seemed like no one had ever considered this scenario before. Honestly, what I was about to say was a form of threat as a developer for Dragon Emblem. Mr. Shige quickly understood and hurriedly intervened.
"Well... thinking about it, Kang is right. With our marketing skills and development ...
2023-11-02 10:54:56 +0000 UTC View Post"Kang! Kang! Kang is here!"
"Oh, it's Kang. Let's work hard. We... We want a bonus. We want a lot!"
As I stepped into the workshop after a long absence, Chendra's colleagues greeted me, looking at me with enthusiasm. Despite their limited Japanese, they stumbled through their words but had cheerful smiles on their faces.
"Got it. I understand. But where's Chendra?"
"Chen...
2023-11-02 10:54:50 +0000 UTC View Post-Katrina and Mirea... Who will be sacrificed to protect the protagonist?-
"What did you say?!"
"Damn it! No!"
"Argh! This developer, damn it!"
Inside the headquarters, the players gathered, all in a panic. That's right... to clear the Dragon Emblem, it was an absolute necessity to sacrifice one of the heroines. The system allowed one of them to enter level 25 with the pr...
2023-11-02 03:24:49 +0000 UTC View PostIn the latest issue of FamiTongshin released this month, something really interesting happened.
Users who played Dragon Emblem gathered to tackle its strategy guide. I think the event was called something like "Conquer the King," right?
To prepare for the strategy guide for Dragon Emblem, which had a total of 25 stages, users voluntarily expressed their willingness to participate in...
2023-11-02 03:24:42 +0000 UTC View Post"Kang Junhyuk, what does this '[email protected]' even mean? And there's a message telling us never to abandon this game. Lastly, 'To Be Continued...'! It's clearly hinting at a sequel. Perhaps those alphabet symbols can be used as a password in the next installment, creating a connection between them. If we do that, it might not be easy to find used copies of the game. Whoever did this is not ...
2023-11-02 03:24:37 +0000 UTC View PostJunpei's praise sparked a positive response among users, and Final Frontier began to gain popularity. Junpei was known as one of the most trusted reviewers among family users. Even though he had a critical nature and didn't give a perfect score to even outstanding games, he awarded Final Frontier 36 points in his review.
Intrigued by his review, users who had doubts decided to give Final ...
2023-11-02 03:24:29 +0000 UTC View PostIn the spring of 1987, a game called "Final Frontier" was released without much fanfare.
The tale of warriors vanquishing darkness under the protection of the crystal didn't grab anyone's attention during its initial release.
One week after the game's release, "Final Frontier" managed to sell around 3,000 copies thanks to Yamano Yoshitaka's illustrations. While it was a decent achie...
2023-11-02 03:24:22 +0000 UTC View Post"But this company has what I truly desire..."
I watched CEO Kudo's expression for a moment, then gave him a slight smile as I spoke.
"Sir, how about we try this?"
The conversation was now entirely in my hands. Struggling with debt and wearing a gloomy expression, CEO Kudo had already given up halfway, looking at me.
"Hand this company over to me."
"What did you say...
2023-11-02 03:24:10 +0000 UTC View Post"Nice to meet you. I'm Kudo, the CEO of Triangle Soft."
"Ah, hello. I'm Kang Junhyuk, a Korean exchange student."
"Korean?"
"Yes, is that a problem?"
"No, it's just that this is my first time interviewing a foreign student, so I was a bit surprised. You speak Japanese very well. Have you been here for long?"
"Yes, for about three years."
"I see. Junhyuk, do y...
2023-11-02 03:23:27 +0000 UTC View Post"Kawaguchi-san!!"
As soon as I called out his name, the man turned towards me with a bewildered expression.
"Are you Mr. Hiromobu Kawaguchi from Triangle Corp!?"
"You know me?"
"You're the director of Kids Quest, right?"
"Well, yes, but... How do you...?"
"I'm Kang Junhyuk, an employee of MinTendo. I saw your introduction on the Fami Communication show."
<... 2023-11-02 03:23:02 +0000 UTC View Post-Kang Junhyuk has exceptional skills, but he's an unpredictable character. I shouldn't get too attached.-
Well, well... Is this speech bubble expressing the emotions the other person feels about me? How amusing. But really, to send me off in the morning with a smiling face and then harbor such thoughts inside, that's so typically Japanese, keeping their true feelings hidden.
I nestl...
2023-11-02 03:22:50 +0000 UTC View PostA grand and impressive title track played as I leisurely enjoyed the game, comparing it with the guidebook given to me by the uncle.
First, this game had something called "levels."
In other words, you couldn't just enter the cave near the village without a care. You had to raise your level by defeating weak monsters around the village.
As you got used to defeating the nearby m...
2023-11-02 03:22:44 +0000 UTC View Post