Takuya Nakayama's fingers traced the edge of a stack of sales reports. *Phantasy Star*'s lackluster sales curve stung like a thorn. Technical triumphs and market damage control couldn't hide the core flaw: an RPG without a compelling story was a robust skeleton without a soul. He needed someone to breathe life into it.
He recalled *Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium*, the series' true takeoff, led by a female producer, Rieko Kodama. Without hesitation, he dialed the arcade division. Yusuke Suzuki answered. "Suzuki-san, it's Nakayama. I'm inquiring about someone in your team."
"Oh? The executive himself, poaching talent?" Suzuki teased, unfazed. "It's a loan, for Sega's future," Takuya replied. "Rieko Kodama—is her schedule full?" After a pause, Suzuki said, "Kodama? She just wrapped core art for *Altered Beast*. She's got rare talent, in a project lull. Need her for something big?"
Takuya's mind settled. "Yes, a critical project." He hung up and called again. "Get Yuji Naka and *Phantasy Star*'s core team to my office." Soon, Naka and his programmers and planners arrived, looking like defeated soldiers, heads bowed. Naka, *Phantasy Star*'s father, stared at his hands.
"Your technical achievements are industry-renowned," Takuya began warmly, breaking the silence. "Your combat effects showcased MD's power—a massive success." Naka's shoulders twitched, but he didn't look up. Takuya stood. "A soccer team with the best strikers and defenders still needs a midfield maestro to win. You're Sega's sharpest spear, sturdiest shield, but we need a tactical genius. It's not anyone's fault—it's team composition."
A knock—tap, tap. The assistant ushered in Rieko Kodama, dressed sharply, long hair cascading. "Executive Nakayama, you called?" Naka's team glanced up, puzzled. They knew the arcade division's rising art star but didn't grasp her presence at an RPG debrief.
"Ms. Kodama, please sit," Takuya said, gesturing. "This is Rieko Kodama, a name you all know." His eyes gleamed with admiration. "In *Altered Beast*, despite constraints, you built a complete, unique, captivating world. Your knack for storytelling through art is exactly what we need." He turned solemn. "I propose Ms. Kodama join Sega's premier RPG team."
Silence gripped the room. Naka's head snapped up, shocked. Kodama froze, speechless. Amid stunned stares, Takuya approached a safe, entered the code, and retrieved a thick, meticulously bound manuscript. He placed it on the table, its cover bearing his bold handwriting: *Golden Sun*.
The room was pin-drop quiet. Naka, Kodama, and the *Phantasy Star* team pored over copies of the *Golden Sun* proposal, engrossed. Pages turned softly, the only sound. Takuya watched their expressions. This "MD's secret weapon" was a test for the new team's synergy.
The proposal wasn't just a game—it was a world. A Psynergy system let players manipulate environments and solve puzzles. A novel Djinn mechanic allowed collecting, bonding, and combining spirits to shift classes and abilities. The alchemy-based world brimmed with suspense and epic scope. Naka's eyes blazed with a tech zealot's fervor, algorithms dancing in his mind. Kodama's fingers traced the settings for "Weyard" and "Hedia," her eyes alight with the narrative's potential. All were awed by the intricate, interlocking fantasy.
Takuya smirked inwardly. *Golden Sun*, a GBA beast, was impossible to port directly to MD, but capturing its essence through smart "dimension reduction" was feasible. Lavish 3D summons could become striking 2D art; complex 2.5D maps could simplify to detailed 2D scenes. He wouldn't let Nintendo claim this gem.
Clearing his throat, he drew their focus. "This project challenges us all." To Kodama: "Ms. Kodama, refine the core story to be nuanced yet accessible, even slightly juvenile, but logically consistent. Craft a 2-3 head chibi art style—fantastical, low on MD resources, with high character clarity and emotion." She nodded fiercely, eyes burning.
To Naka: "Naka-san, lead your team to realize Kodama's art and the proposal's vast systems within MD's cartridge limits. Optimize algorithms, squeeze every drop of MD's power. And note—this is a trilogy. Plan the story and stats for three games." The *Phantasy Star* gloom lifted, replaced by fiery ambition fueled by this grand challenge.
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