After the Mega Drive and its launch titles were released in Japan, Japanese players, of course, got to play these games.
The revolution brought about by 16-bit consoles was indescribable. Whether it was the graphics, the sound, or the overall performance and smoothness, none of it could be compared to the past.
In Nintendo's Game Development Department, Miyamoto Shigeru led his staff in playing through the entire set of games.
"Gentlemen,"
Miyamoto Shigeru, adopting someone's habit, pulled over a whiteboard and spoke as he wrote.
"Game developers must play games. This is an idea that can never change. Right now, these two games released by Atlas are incredibly popular overseas. The reasons for this are all hidden within the games themselves."
"As a sequel, Sonic already had a certain level of attention. Therefore, as long as it maintained the style of the first game while introducing new elements and avoiding any subversive changes, it could ensure a steady output."
"So our focus is on Metal Slug. This is a game with no precedent—it hasn't even released any anime or other media tie-ins, unlike Atlas's past titles. Yet, this very game has become a massive hit overseas. The reasons behind this are what we need to delve into. Everyone, please feel free to share your thoughts."
He casually pointed to an employee. "Oshima-kun, you go."
"Yes, Manager." Oshima stood up. "I believe it's because the game has a well-designed two-player mode. The two players can actually cooperate, rather than just playing as two separate entities fighting the same enemies. In this regard, it's a major evolution over Contra's level design. For example, in the first stage, if both players stay on the ground or both stay on the roof, they'll encounter dangers from the opposite side."
"But if one player takes the ground and the other takes the roof, they can maximize the number of enemies they clear, thereby minimizing the risks they face. This kind of implicit cooperation is woven throughout the game. You could say this game was practically built for two-player co-op."
Miyamoto Shigeru nodded slightly. "You're on the right track, but not quite. Nabeshima, what do you think?"
Nabeshima stood up. "Beyond the usual talking points like graphics and music, I believe it's the more subtle monster design. Whether it's the manually operated fortress, the other characters we encounter, or even General Morden himself, all the monster designs have clearly been carefully considered. They apply just the right amount of pressure to the player, without making them want to give up on the game."
Miyamoto Shigeru nodded again.
"Right, but still not quite there."
He questioned several others in turn, and everyone offered their own ideas.
Beyond the success of the audio and visuals, there were the game's fine details, the feel of the controls, and so on.
When everyone seemed to have run out of things to say, Miyamoto Shigeru drew a circle, enclosing the most crucial point.
"The target audience! That's the most important part. While this game sells reasonably well here in Japan, it hasn't achieved the same miraculous success as it has in the United States. In my opinion, the core reason is that when Atlas developed this game, they targeted North American users as their primary audience. Every design choice in the game was made to cater to the habits and preferences of North American players."
"The exaggerated character expressions, the comic-book-style panels, the straightforward and classic plot that seems complex but is actually simple—even the characters, the enemies, and the image of the dictator General Morden himself."
"You could say that every highlight of this game was designed specifically for the North American target audience. Without them, it would just be another high-quality side-scrolling shooter."
"And that's precisely why this is the most crucial point for us."
When developing a game, you must aim directly at your target audience! You don't need to worry about anyone else's needs. For example, this game clearly didn't generate the same buzz in Japan as it did in the U.S., but even so, its sales in North America were more than enough to make up for that gap.
In Japan, it won on quality alone. But in North America, it succeeded because of all those familiar and relatable elements that American players love.
Take the plot of Metal Slug, for instance. It seems dramatic and sweeping, but it's actually very simple: two freedom-fighting soldiers, Marco and Tarma, defeat the dictator General Morden.
This was exactly the kind of story North American players loved.
After explaining his thoughts, Miyamoto Shigeru let out a long, genuine sigh of relief.
"So, choosing your target audience is truly crucial! Sometimes it's just awe-inspiring. That Atlas president... for a developer his age, he possesses judgment that's far beyond his years. It's truly... formidable!"
When the Mega Drive launched, Kobayashi Tetsu had just returned to Japan from Los Angeles and was still adjusting to the jet lag.
While others couldn't get accurate sales figures, Kobayashi Tetsu, of course, could.
He decided to ignore the Japanese market for now, since it had only just launched.
Based on the sales estimates for the Mega Drive in the US alone, the console sold over 2.8 million units in its first week.
This number was even higher than the actual first-week sales of the Mega Drive in reality.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 sold four-fifths as many copies as there were Mega Drives—2.2 million cartridges.
Metal Slug, on the other hand, sold fewer copies than Nintendo had predicted. In fact, it didn't even reach one-third of the Mega Drive's sales.
One-third of the Mega Drive's sales was 930,000, but Metal Slug only sold about 850,000 copies.
This made Kobayashi Tetsu sigh in frustration.
Ah, damn it!
What kind of garbage is Metal Slug? It didn't even ship a million copies, yet it dares to call itself a Hall of Fame-worthy game!
With this busy period finally over, Kobayashi Tetsu planned to slack off for a few days.
He'd spent all his time running around for speeches and promotions, leaving his head spinning. If he split his skull open, he was sure the marrow inside would be completely burnt dry.
It was time for a break, time to rest. At the very least, he didn't want to go back to making games before the New Year.
After a quick wash, he threw on a bathrobe, draped his legs over the coffee table, and started making calls to harass people.
"Hello, Big Brother Yamashina? It's me, Kobayashi Tetsu. Long time no see! How are things on your end?"
"Me? I didn't sell much either—just over 800,000 copies. Sigh, it's terrible. How can I even call it a Hall of Fame-worthy game when it didn't even hit a million? But for cartridge shipments in Japan, we still have to rely heavily on Bandai!"
"Hello? Capcom? Yes, pop the champagne right now! I'm sorry to be the one to say it, but we've sold a little too many copies. I'm authorizing you to develop the arcade version of Metal Slug. Let's celebrate together!"
"Hello?"
Kobayashi Tetsu paused before saying the name: "Nintendo Headquarters? Put me through to your president. Which president else? The old man himself, Hiroshi Yamauchi!"
The moment the call connected, Yamauchi wanted to strangle Kobayashi Tetsu.
You think selling a few damn cartridges is something to brag about? Sure, your first Sonic game sold ten million copies in North America, but my Mario sold ten million there too!
But as he brought the phone to his lips, Yamauchi changed his tune.
"Congratulations to Atlas on another great success. However, while Sega's Mega Drive is impressive, Nintendo isn't exactly lacking."
"Why not consider collaborating with Nintendo to release a new game?"
Kobayashi Tetsu smiled. "If you release a new generation of handhelds, Atlas might be open to a partnership."
Yamauchi Hiroshi was amused.
This Kobayashi Tetsu, this little— a president who was doing quite well for himself.
Did he really think such words could fool me!
Sega had already released the Mega Drive, a 16-bit console, yet Kobayashi Tetsu was coming to him to talk about collaborating on handheld games?
Yamauchi Hiroshi had even suspended development on the Game Boy just to rush the Super Famicom to market!
Yamauchi Hiroshi couldn't help but sigh.
"Kobayashi-kun, you're so... so cunning!"
Kobayashi Tetsu sighed in return. "Why don't you believe me when I'm telling the truth! I really don't mind collaborating with Nintendo on handheld games. As for 16-bit consoles, I'd advise you to hurry up and finish your handheld. The SFC is great, but the Game Boy is also very important!"