In the history of gaming, certain genres have proven timeless, such as casual puzzle games.
Games like Bubble Bobble, Zuma, Tetris, Bomberman, and even traditional board and card games remained popular well into 2025.
Bomberman is a prime example of such a game. In Japan, titles like Bomberman Online and QQ Tang were once immensely popular.
The gameplay strategy is remarkably simple: players control a protagonist who plants bombs, avoiding self-detonation while strategically eliminating enemies to clear levels. The game also features numerous hidden elements, making it a classic title on the FC (Famicom).
Initially, Bomberman's levels were confined to a single screen, but later stages expanded to span multiple screens, with enemies moving at terrifying speeds.
While the game's programming isn't particularly complex, its success hinges on meticulous level design and diverse enemy types.
Kobayashi Tetsu entrusted this task to Iwata Satoru.
—Mainly because Kobayashi Tetsu had recently noticed Naka Yuji's tendency to frustrate players. He suspected this stemmed from a childhood incident where Naka stepped in dog poop and couldn't scrape it off, leading to a warped mindset.
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't mind challenging games, but difficulty and being deliberately annoying were two different things.
Wander and the Colossus was challenging; Black Myth's Da Shigan Dang was just plain annoying.
The fundamental difference lay in the interactive nature of Wander and the Colossus's difficulty, whereas Da Shigan Dang was pure repetition.
Naka Yuji was currently in the phase of mistaking annoying players for creating difficulty.
"I'll correct him again when the opportunity arises," Kobayashi Tetsu thought, setting aside the matter for the time being. He changed into a simple set of clothes, looking remarkably human.
He had an appointment today. Bandai's Yamashina Makoto had said he had something important to discuss and had specifically invited Kobayashi Tetsu to meet him.
The meeting place was in Ginza. Kobayashi Tetsu made sure to check: this wasn't a yakitori restaurant, so he could relax.
"It's rare for you to come looking for me," Kobayashi Tetsu said, raising his hand to order. He casually asked Yamashina Makoto, "I wonder what's so important."
Yamashina Makoto leaned closer, his expression mysterious. "Guess what I got."
"The rights to Gundam," Kobayashi Tetsu replied.
"Nope," Yamashina Makoto said. "I got the rights to Super Dimension Fortress Macross!"
Kobayashi Tetsu's head snapped up.
Super Dimension Fortress Macross, an anime series that aired in Japan in 1982, served as a major inspiration for Gundam SEED, which borrowed many of its settings and concepts. It's almost as if Gundam SEED was a tribute to Macross.
To be precise, the 1982 version was titled Super Dimension Fortress Macross, telling the story of Hikaru Ichijo piloting a hybrid mecha fighter. The series also introduced the iconic character Lynn Minmay.
Yes, her surname was Lynn. A mixed-race Chinese-Japanese character, she's a classic archetype of the songstress in Japanese anime, predating Lacus by two decades.
Kobayashi Tetsu stared at Yamashina Makoto's face, deep in thought. "So you're planning to develop tie-in products."
Yamashina Makoto nodded. "Since Super Dimension Fortress Macross already has an anime, I want to try making a game, just like before. A game-plus-toy combo."
Kobayashi Tetsu hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
He remembered the original FC version of Super Dimension Fortress Macross, a scrolling shooter developed by Namco.
However.
The key point was that Namco hadn't put much effort into the game, resulting in a rather poor-quality product.
While not the worst shooter on the FC, it fell short compared to other space shooters of the era.
Kobayashi Tetsu pondered for a long while. "If we have Atlas develop it, that could work. But there's a serious question here: do you want to use a fixed commission fee, or switch to a profit-sharing model later on?"
If they went with a fixed commission fee, Kobayashi Tetsu wouldn't personally get involved. He'd been wanting to focus on researching game store operations lately.
But if Bandai agreed to a profit-sharing arrangement, even if the initial revenue might be lower, Kobayashi Tetsu would be eager to get involved.
Yamashina Makoto shrugged. "What's there to think about? Given Atlas's track record, profit-sharing is the only sensible option!
Ten or twenty million yen might be enough to buy out another company to develop a game for Bandai, but Atlas would never agree to that."
Leaning closer, Yamashina Makoto added, "Besides, I wouldn't dare approach other unfamiliar companies. I'm afraid they'd scam us, or worse, that the game wouldn't make any money!"
The Sonic anime was nearing its end, and GAINAX's notorious tendency to burn through money was becoming painfully evident. The final episodes were already padded with numerous empty shots.
This left Yamashina Makoto deeply shaken.
If they had entrusted GAINAX with the Royal Space Force project, Bandai might have lost everything.
Kobayashi Tetsu considered this for a moment.
Modifying the Jormungandr's base code to create a large-scale Super Dimension Fortress Macross game was straightforward. However, the two works were fundamentally different, and the Super Dimension Fortress Macross had a unique feature: the ability to freely transform between robot and aircraft modes.
When Namco developed this game, they clearly overlooked a critical flaw: players could easily beat the game by simply positioning their aircraft in the lower right corner of the screen.
From another perspective, this oversight revealed that Namco hadn't even conducted basic testing during development.
Bandai likely commissioned Namco to create this game for just a few million yen, leaving Namco with minimal profit and little motivation to invest in quality.
Kobayashi Tetsu studied the production costs. MS cartridges and SG cartridges weren't identical; the MS cartridges were more expensive but offered greater storage capacity. Standard cartridges held 40KB, while higher-end ones could store 64KB, providing more room for expansion.
"Modifying the Jormungandr's code and adding new features should take no more than two months," Kobayashi Tetsu concluded, clasping his hands together.
"Five million yen plus forty percent, and Atlas will accept the commission. Cartridge production will remain outsourced to Bandai, and promotional costs will be shared equally."
Yamashina Makoto gripped Kobayashi Tetsu's hand tightly.
He felt relieved now that the Super Dimension Fortress Macross project had been entrusted to Atlas.
After their meal, Kobayashi Tetsu didn't rush back to Atlas to announce the news. The unique aspect of Super Dimension Fortress Macross lay in its direct adaptation of the original work. To some extent, it had to retain elements recognizable from the source material.
Yamashina Makoto had secured full copyright ownership, allowing them to freely use the original music and characters without fear of infringement.
Kobayashi Tetsu hung up the phone with Osaka and waited patiently for over ten minutes before receiving a reply.
"President Kobayashi," Higashino Miki's voice came through the line with a soft chuckle. "I saw the news on TV. You certainly don't hide your intentions, do you?"
"Exceptional individuals naturally strive for even greater excellence," Kobayashi Tetsu replied, refusing to dwell on the matter. He immediately issued the commission: "Have you seen Super Dimension Fortress Macross? Atlas needs a synthesized arrangement based on the theme song. My only requirement is that it must be recognizable as music from Super Dimension Fortress Macross, yet it can't be a complete copy. It needs to incorporate original melodies. As compensation, Atlas will offer 500,000 yen."
A thoughtful hum came from the other end of the line before Higashino Miki replied, "I'll do my best. Should I have the contract mailed directly, or would President Kobayashi prefer to discuss it in person?"
Kobayashi Tetsu considered the timing and shook his head. "Mail it."
There was a promotional opportunity right now to showcase the Super Dimension Fortress Macross franchise and propose a game adaptation.
After all, Macross remained a wildly popular space opera in Japan, a cornerstone of the science fiction genre.
Coincidentally, the Japan SF Convention in September was the perfect gathering place for Japanese science fiction enthusiasts.
Kobayashi Tetsu planned to visit Niigata Prefecture, as this year's SF Convention would be held there!
Though the convention only drew around a thousand attendees, its influence extended far beyond the venue.
Moreover, the target audience of the SF Convention perfectly overlapped with Macross fans—they were essentially the same group of people.
Kobayashi Tetsu still harbored some resentment about attending the convention rather than organizing it himself.
If he hadn't been so preoccupied with Sonic-related matters this year, diverting his energy to marketing efforts in North America, he would have applied to host the Japan SF Convention.
Now that he'd missed his chance, he had no choice but to wait until next year.
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