On the way back, Kobayashi Tetsu made a brief stop at the agreed location and picked up the game proposal Miyamoto Shigeru had sent over.
At first, Kobayashi Tetsu thought Miyamoto might have just been going through the motions to settle the bet.
But to his complete surprise, Miyamoto had been extremely serious—printing out a thick stack of documents.
When the owner of Old Dixie's shop handed over the briefcase, he couldn't help but marvel.
"I didn't expect that gentleman to leave so many documents. It's heavy as hell! Tetsu-kun, he even asked about you. I brushed him off right away. You guys are acting all secretive—this isn't some kind of spy rendezvous, is it?"
Faced with the shopkeeper's exaggerated winks, Kobayashi Tetsu replied solemnly, "That's right, it's a spy rendezvous. I'm actually a special envoy of the American Illuminati stationed in Japan, here to run for prime minister."
The Old Dixie owner just laughed it off.
On the way back to the garage, Kobayashi Tetsu couldn't help but sigh.
This garage really was getting too small. When he had time, he should look for an office building nearby and see about relocating Atlus.
Okada Toshio was already working out of a three-story building—there was no way Atlus could keep operating out of a garage forever.
Kobayashi Tetsu clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.
"I've got two things to announce. First, since Sonic's release timeline is relatively late, Atlus plans to develop an additional game in the short term. Second, Atlus is preparing to move offices."
Yuji Naka looked up. "President, what game do we have planned?"
Kobayashi Tetsu nodded. "Since no one has objections to the second item, it passes unanimously. I'll have someone look for a suitable office space soon. Now, let's talk about the first matter."
He opened the briefcase and casually pinned the title page to the whiteboard with a magnet.
"Code name: Snow. Hah—old Miyamoto really did put in the effort."
He flipped another page. The gameplay looked increasingly familiar.
After studying it for a moment, Kobayashi Tetsu's eyes widened, even as his pupils tightened.
He knew exactly what this game was.
He hadn't expected Miyamoto Shigeru to be this sincere—to actually hand over a fully workable game proposal.
This wasn't some perfunctory gesture. It was a thoroughly professional plan, detailing everything from concept to design, with both the framework and the flesh laid out in full.
This game was Snow Bros—also known as Snow Bros: Nick & Tom or "Snowman Brick Breaker."
The game featured two Eskimos in fluffy outfits climbing snowy mountains, scaling all kinds of brick platforms. It was the sort of game that could only be made after scrolling technology had matured.
That said, Kobayashi Tetsu had to point out that calling it Snow Bros wasn't entirely accurate—the two characters were actually a man and a woman.
And not siblings, either. They were a couple—a snowman husband and wife.
As Kobayashi Tetsu skimmed through a few more pages, his expression grew complicated.
He hadn't taken the bet very seriously to begin with. After all, it was just a verbal agreement—if Miyamoto reneged, there was nothing he could do. But he hadn't expected Miyamoto not only to accept defeat gracefully, but to hand over such a complete project.
Snow Bros was also a classic on the FC, with lifetime sales exceeding a million copies. While it didn't have many action elements, it was perfectly suited for two-player play.
"Since the proposal is this complete, let's send it over to HAL and let them use it to get familiar with home console development."
A studio bought for thirty million yen couldn't just sit idle.
The proposal was already highly polished, with even handwritten notes pointing out pitfalls Miyamoto believed should be avoided. The development cycle would likely take no more than two months.
By the time it released, it would be winter—perfect timing for Snow Bros. What could be more fitting?
Snow falling outside, Snow Bros on the screen—breaking blocks, climbing snowy mountains. Perfectly tailored to the season.
As for Sonic, even once development was complete, it would have to wait until the MS console launched next year. It was already September—nearly a year of downtime in between. Atlus needed income during that stretch.
Kobayashi Tetsu made a downward pressing gesture with his hand.
"That's it for the announcements. Everyone, get back to work."
Yuji Naka asked, "So when are we moving?"
That night, Kobayashi Tetsu stayed up late reviewing the entire proposal. To his surprise, there were no hidden traps at all—Miyamoto really had delivered a complete game plan.
Even if Kobayashi Tetsu changed nothing and preserved the original design, they could still produce Snow Bros as it was meant to be.
After finishing his review, the next day Kobayashi Tetsu headed to HAL Laboratory—now Atlus's Second Development Division.
"Everyone, Sonic's development can be slowed for now. Before that, we'll use this project to build experience." Tetsu pointed to Iwata Satoru. "Iwata, you'll be in charge of this project."
"Yes!" Iwata Satoru accepted the briefcase with both hands and bowed deeply, excitement evident on his round face.
This counted as a major project. The experience alone would be invaluable to him.
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't linger at HAL. After a brief discussion and assigning the task, he turned and left.
He was swamped lately—driving lessons, scouting office locations, everything piling up.
Only after Kobayashi Tetsu left did Iwata Satoru open the briefcase and examine the proposal.
"It's this complete? You could practically make the game straight from this."
The thick stack of documents even included handwritten corrections. Iwata Satoru's eyes welled up.
How incredible—the president!
"With such a complete proposal, HAL—no, the Second Development Division—just needs to follow the plan step by step. The president really thought this through. Using a simple game first to build experience with home console development, then moving on to large-scale projects together—this ensures the pipeline runs smoothly. Truly worthy of Atlus's president!"
Iwata set the documents down, sorted out the most important sections, pinned them to the whiteboard, and began assigning tasks.
Masahito Tanimura crossed his arms, sighing with emotion.
"So HAL really is on the upswing. Look at this new equipment, this new work—we're about to develop home console games, and the workflow is already so complete."
"Maybe there'll be a place for HAL in the game industry after all."
He picked up his cup to take a sip, only to find it empty. He casually waved to a new employee.
"Kondo-kun, get me some water."
The employee froze, glancing between Tanimura and Iwata.
He was working—how did he have time to fetch water?
And fetching water wasn't part of his job.
Tanimura frowned.
Iwata cleared his throat softly and stepped forward, taking the cup.
"How can you ignore the department head's instructions? Tanimura-san, I'll do it instead. Kondo-kun, next time make sure you follow the department head's requests."
Iwata walked over to the water dispenser. The sound of flowing water filled the room.
Tanimura looked at the new employee, then at Iwata Satoru. He swallowed unconsciously, a sudden sense of unease rising in his chest.
HAL's people were starting to stop listening to him.
Tanimura clenched his hand quietly, then smiled and nodded at Iwata when he returned with the water. They exchanged polite bows.
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