113 Street Fighter
[Tokyo, Japan]
Many people in and around Tokyo, as well as in numerous cities, had already swarmed various stores and malls to purchase the video games Contra and Street Fighter.
Meanwhile, media outlets were featuring scenes of people in chaos, all just to get their hands on KiShin video games.
Once again, propaganda resurfaced, portraying KiShin as a negative influence on Japan's youth, but this narrative primarily resonated with the older generation.
As for the younger generation, they enthusiastically bought KiShin video games.
Given KiShin's established reputation for quality and popularity in the market, many people in Japan were already expecting these games to be excellent.
-In a random store-
A Tora supporter said to his friend, "A new KiShin video game? I doubt it can compare to the quality of their initial releases..."
His friend chuckled and responded, "It's KiShin! KiShin's video games are always great!"
The Tora supporter retorted, "You're just blinded by fanaticism..."
His friend smiled and said, "Maybe you're right... But its popularity speaks for itself, doesn't it?"
The Tora supporter fell silent upon hearing that.
---
[USA]
In various states across the USA, many people were not yet fully aware of KiShin video games.
But there were already a significant number of people who became fans of KiShin after playing 'Super Mario Bros' and 'The Legend of Zelda.'
In the various stores and malls where KiShin products occupied shelves, what had started with a few people looking for KiShin's products had now grown to dozens of people.
-In a random Kmart store-
Popularity was gradually on the rise in the USA.
Larry Pena, a middle-aged man who had been a fan of video games since the 1960s, had a particular fondness for Tetris and Pong, along with some simple space ship shooting games. However, everything came crashing down when the video game industry suffered a 97% loss and seemed irrecoverable.
Then, in 1990, a Tora product related to video games was released in the USA, and news of a slow recovery in the video game industry made headlines.
Initially, it gained only limited popularity, until Suzuki also introduced their video game console and video games.
What truly revitalized the video game industry was when Suzuki secured Michael Jackson as an endorser for their video game console and games.
Michael Jackson's endorsement became a sensation, and many people began to take notice of the once-dormant video game industry.
And then, it became an even bigger sensation when Tora secured contracts with Whitney and Nirvana to endorse their video game console and games.
Many of these artists' fans also became interested in the video games.
While Tora and Suzuki's video games weren't on par with KiShin's quality in Japan, many people in the USA still found them entertaining.
However, this was mainly because KiShin's video games hadn't yet graced the USA market in 1990.
For several months, both of these major companies, Tora and Suzuki, led many Americans to believe that they were the saviors of the video game industry.
As stated in a Tora advertisement in the USA, the narrator exclaimed, "THE SAVIOR OF AN INDUSTRY IS HERE! TORA VG 16-BIT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM!!!"
Of course, Suzuki wasn't to be outdone, and they released a similar advertisement, directly contradicting Tora.
Many people began to think that these two Japanese giants might be the ones responsible for reigniting people's interest in video games.
Larry Pena also held this belief for months until KiShin entered the USA market.
Although this Japanese company was considerably smaller compared to the other two, Tora and Suzuki, it gained significant attention as a few emerging music stars endorsed KiShin.
Larry Pena's interest was piqued, and he purchased a KiShin video game console and games. When he played Super Mario Bros., he was completely captivated and endorsed it to his children, who now had families of their own.
Larry Pena, just after playing Super Mario Bros., felt that the video games he had played for several months, such as those from Tora and Suzuki, had lost their appeal in his eyes.
He couldn't believe he had been able to endure playing video games from those two major companies with such limited gameplay, and he remembered enjoying them at the time. However, after playing Super Mario Bros., it felt like he had struck gold.
Now, he was at the Kmart store to purchase the new video games advertised by KiShin, 'Contra' and 'Street Fighter.'
After making the purchase, he returned home to fetch his KES (KiShin Entertainment System) and then headed to his first son's house.
He rang the doorbell, and his portly son, Rody Pena, opened the door, exclaiming, "Dad? What brings you here?"
Larry chuckled and asked, "Did you buy a KES like I suggested?"
His first son, Rody, nodded and said, "I didn't... but I have an SES and Tora."
Larry furrowed his brow upon hearing that and replied, "Didn't I tell you? The KES is the real deal! The best option!"
Rody smiled wryly and retorted, "Oh, really? But it still uses an 8-bit system. How can it compare to the SES or even Tora? Besides, it's quite expensive! $130 for lower specs doesn't seem like a good idea..."
Larry just smiled at Rody's words as he entered the living room.
Rody noticed that his father was holding a box and casually asked, "Dad, what are you holding?"
Larry didn't reply immediately. As they proceeded to the living room, Larry observed his grandchildren engrossed in playing on the SES (Suzuki Entertainment System).
His two grandchildren immediately spotted Larry and joyfully exclaimed, "Grandpa!"
Larry warmly smiled and hugged his grandchildren. "Roy and Rony," he greeted.
The younger of the two, Roy, asked with excitement, "What did you bring, Grandpa?"
Rony mirrored the enthusiasm as they saw their grandpa holding a box.
Larry beamed and answered, "This? Oh, this will be a gift from Grandpa to you two."
"A gift!?" both grandchildren exclaimed in delight.
Meanwhile, Rody couldn't help but smile at the heartwarming scene.
Larry nodded and carefully extracted the KES and several KiShin video games from the box.
Rody and his two sons looked on with curiosity, realizing that it was indeed the KES and KiShin video games from the advertisements.
Roy voiced his disappointment, saying, "Is that the gift, Grandpa?" Rony shared in the disappointment.
Larry noticed the crestfallen expressions of his two grandchildren and asked, "Don't you like it?"
Roy and Rony nodded in agreement, with Roy adding, "We already have the SES and Tora 16-bit... I don't think we need another one."
Rody observed his children's reaction and chuckled, remarking, "It seems they're not very enthusiastic, Dad."
Larry simply smiled and assured them, "Hoho, trust me, after you've played KiShin's video games, you'll forget about SES or Tora." Despite his son and grandchildren's expressions, he proceeded to disconnect the SES from the TV and connect the KES.
Rony spoke up with watery eyes, "We were in the middle of playing Samurai Lord, Grandpa..."
Larry quickly comforted his two grandchildren, saying, "Oh, don't cry. If you're not satisfied with the video games Grandpa has brought, Grandpa will take you to Disneyland. How does that sound?"
His two grandchildren were instantly swayed and nodded eagerly, their sadness evaporating in an instant.
Rody observed the situation and chuckled, "You really know how to handle them, Dad." He paused, then continued, "But be prepared to spend your money if they don't like it."
Larry smiled and reassured, "Don't worry, they'll like it." After saying that, he inserted Super Mario Bros. into the console and handed the controller to Roy, while Rony watched with curiosity.
After a while, Roy became engrossed in the video game, and Rony eagerly wanted to play. When Roy eventually encountered a game over, it was Rony's turn. Rody, who had been watching from the side, couldn't help but admit his own interest in playing 'Super Mario Bros.'
However, after just half an hour of playing, the two siblings, Roy and Rony, began to argue over who should have the controller. "You already had your turn! Give me the controller!" they insisted.
Rody, seeing the disagreement, intervened, saying, "Roy, it's Rony's turn now. Please give him the controller."
Roy shook his head and held onto the controller. Rody felt somewhat helpless but had to admit that his father was right – his two sons really enjoyed the KiShin video games.
Rody turned to his father and asked, "How will you handle this, Dad?"
Larry smiled wryly as he replied, "Roy, Rony, no need to argue anymore. I brought a game that both of you can play at the same time."
Roy and Rony gazed at Larry with anticipation, and Roy inquired, "Really? Is it as good as Super Mario?"
Larry simply nodded, even though he couldn't be sure, having just purchased 'Street Fighter.' However, he had faith in KiShin, as all the KiShin video games he had played so far had been excellent in his opinion.
"Here," Larry retrieved the 'Street Fighter' cartridge and inserted it into the console.
Instantly, the scene on the television transformed. It displayed 2D pixelated walls, with 'KiShin' painted on the walls and some small hidden text easter eggs in the corner. The wall cracked as a green-haired man behind it delivered a powerful punch. The man's back bore the title and logo of 'Street Fighter,' and the title transitioned onto the screen, accompanied by the Street Fighter logo on a black background.
Everyone watched the television screen with curiosity as the text appeared, "Press Start."
Larry observed this and said, "Press start, Roy."
Roy nodded, pressed start, and then pressed the button to begin.
On the screen, four flags appeared for him to choose from with the text above, 'Course Select.' The flags represented Japan, USA, Britain, and China.
Roy swiftly selected the USA flag without hesitation, and the narrator announced, "U.S.A."
Everyone was intrigued, and Roy was given the option to choose between one player and two players.
Larry quickly advised, "Roy, choose two players." He inserted another controller and handed it to Rony.
Roy selected two players, and the screen displayed 'Round 1' as the lively music played.
On the screen, four faces appeared with 'vs' in between them.
"It's 2v2?" Larry exclaimed in surprise.
The first player, controlled by Roy, was 'Ryu,' and the second player, allied with 'Ryu' and controlled by Rony, was 'Ken.'
The game commenced, with Roy and Rony working together to defeat the enemies. The gameplay was captivating, and Roy and Rony were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
As the game progressed, Larry and Rody exchanged glances and, without even realizing it, they too felt the urge to join in and play the game.
