Chapter 53 The First RPG
On May 27, 1986, the first light of dawn had just pierced through the Tokyo mist.
It was an ordinary workday, and the heart of the city had not yet fully awakened.
However, in Akihabara, in Shinjuku, outside the various electronics stores and toy shops, an unusual scene had already formed.
Winding long queues lay quietly, and the crowd was filled with suppressed whispers of excitement.
An inconspicuous corner of the newspaper, a brief message on the morning news on TV, all conveyed the same information—Enix's FC game, dragon quest I, was released today.
"RPG," a term still very new to most people, was repeatedly mentioned in the queues.
Following Nintendo's own the legend of zelda, this was another highly anticipated "masterpiece" on the FC platform.
It promised a fantasy world that required playing as a hero, exploring, battling, and growing.
The advertisements had long since whetted players' appetites to the extreme.
In the air, the anticipation was almost tangible.
...
Kenichi Tanaka sat behind his desk, feeling as if he had thorns under his buttocks.
Each tick of the quartz clock on the wall seemed to strike his nerves.
He pretended to organize the files on his desk, which were already tidy, but his gaze uncontrollably drifted towards the window.
Outside was the world currently being stirred by dragon quest, with undercurrents surging.
No, he had to go.
A thought grew wildly in his mind.
He took a deep breath, stood up, forced a professional smile onto his face, and walked towards the Section Chief's desk.
"Section Chief, here are the documents you requested yesterday."
"Hmm, just put them down."
The Section Chief did not even lift his head, meticulously reviewing the documents in his hand.
"Also, I need to go out to visit that client in Chiyoda Ward and conduct some market research at the same time."
Tanaka tried to keep his voice steady and natural.
The Section Chief, engrossed in his documents, waved his hand casually, indicating approval.
Kenichi Tanaka was overjoyed and practically rushed out of the office with his arms and legs moving in unison, barely managing to steady himself at the door to avoid actually falling.
He suppressed the urge to run wildly and rushed towards the nearest electronics store at his fastest pace.
When he saw the queue, which was even longer than he had anticipated, from afar, he was not discouraged; instead, his heart beat faster, and his blood seemed to rush with excitement.
The process of waiting in line was anxious yet exhilarating.
He pricked up his ears, listening to the guesses and discussions about the game from the people around him, feeling as if he was participating in a grand secret gathering.
"I heard the music for this one is by Mr. Koichi Sugiyama; it's definitely going to be amazing."
"The graphics look simple, but they say the content is incredible."
"I wonder how long it will take to defeat the Dragon Lord…"
Finally, it was his turn.
When the game cartridge, adorned with the hero and dragon illustration, was handed to him, Tanaka felt as if he was holding not a game, but a heavy key to another world.
He practically flew back to his small rented apartment.
The door closed with a "bang," cutting off the outside world's noise.
He eagerly turned on his dusty FC, which had not been used since he completed the legend of zelda.
He carefully inserted the brand-new dragon quest cartridge. He pressed the power button.
The TV screen lit up, and a unique pixelated title screen appeared.
Then, the epic opening music, which would later become a classic, began to play.
Kenichi Tanaka felt a surge of excitement, as if he was about to embark on an adventure to the tune of the opening music. So, he wholeheartedly chose "Start Adventure."
A simple pixelated character appeared in the center of the screen, with the castle of Tantegel Town in the background.
The King's majestic voice came through the simple text: "O Hero, heir to the bloodline of Erdrick…"
He tried to move the character, walk out of the castle, and talk to the NPCs in the town.
"To go defeat the Dragon Lord, you must first find the three legendary items…"
"I heard the Princess was captured by the evil dragon, how pitiful…"
"It's dangerous outside the castle; you'd best buy some equipment first."
Each simple dialogue sketched out a vague but captivating outline of a world.
He walked out of town and onto the vast overworld map.
Soon, the screen flickered, switching to a completely new interface.
A blue, jelly-like monster blocked his way—a Slime.
Below, command options appeared: "Attack," "Spell," "Item," "Run."
This was completely different from the action games and shooting games he had played before, which required quick reactions.
It required thought, it required choice.
Tanaka chose "Attack."
The pixelated character swung his weapon, and a "2" appeared.
The Slime also wriggled its body and crashed into him, and a "-1" appeared above the hero's head.
The turn-based combat was filled with a fresh sense of strategy.
He became completely immersed, forgetting the time, forgetting that he should currently be "visiting clients" or "conducting market research."
After defeating a few Slimes, experience points accumulated, and his level increased.
Just as he was fully concentrated on calculating whether his next attack could defeat the stronger red Slime in front of him, the doorbell rang at an inopportune moment.
"Ding-dong—"
Tanaka's hand twitched, and he pressed the wrong command, causing the hero to waste a turn.
He frantically put down the controller, a wave of irritation washing over him, and he impatiently got up.
"Who is it? It's not the Section Chief sending someone to check up on me, is it?" He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be out on official business.
He hurried to open the door, his heart beating faster than when he was in line earlier.
Standing outside the door was Mrs. Sato, his landlady, a kind-faced middle-aged woman dressed in a traditional kimono.
She held the community notice documents in her hand.
"Tanaka, excuse me, this is this month's circulation board."
Mrs. Sato said, but her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the static, strange pixelated image on the TV screen behind Tanaka.
It wasn't a racing game, nor was it an airplane; it was a small person facing a red, jelly-like thing.
She then looked at Tanaka's slightly flushed cheeks and somewhat flustered expression; this young tenant was clearly not working, but rather seemed to have been caught doing something he shouldn't.
"Tanaka, what new and interesting thing is this… you're playing?"
Mrs. Sato's voice carried clear curiosity.
Tanaka's face flushed, and he stammered, but also showed a hint of irrepressible desire to share.
"Ah, Mrs. Sato, this is… dragon quest, a new game that just came out."
He scratched his head, trying to explain.
"It's about playing as a hero, adventuring in the world, defeating monsters, improving oneself, and finally saving the princess and defeating the evil dragon."
Mrs. Sato nodded, half-understanding, her eyes seeming to convey, "This is probably child's play."
She handed the circulation board to Tanaka but showed no intention of leaving immediately; instead, she poked her head into the room with interest.
Tanaka took the circulation board and instinctively wanted to close the door to continue his adventure.
But seeing Mrs. Sato still standing at the door, her gaze still fixed on the TV screen, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and sit back in front of the TV, praying that she would leave quickly. But he never heard the sound of the door closing.
He looked back and saw Mrs. Sato still standing at the door, watching the TV.