As Sakura Wars anime continued to captivate audiences, Sakura Shinguji's pink shrine maiden outfit, adorned with red cherry blossoms, became the stuff of countless young boys' dreams.
Yet reality proved even harsher than the anime's villains—The Sega CD's exorbitant price stood like an insurmountable wall, separating ordinary students from their "Imperial Combat Revue."
During this period, Sega Headquarters' customer service phone lines and mailboxes were flooded with a single, desperate plea:
"Can you release an MD Cartridge Edition? We'll even accept lower graphics quality!"
"Do students without a Sega CD have no rights?"
"Please, just let me be Captain Oogami! I'll play even if it's just pixelated blocks!"
Faced with this overwhelming wave of petitions, Takuya Nakayama remained impassive, like a perpetually smiling statue.
At an internal meeting, he casually set aside the thick stack of petitions and instructed the marketing department to drop another bombshell.
In the final week of April, Akihabara's usual pink cherry blossom–themed advertising landscape was suddenly overtaken by a mysterious black-and-gold storm.
There was no official announcement about a Sakura Wars MD version. Instead, a massive poster featuring a pendulum and a young boy appeared, boldly declaring in large letters: "The Legend Descends in May."
Chrono Trigger MD Cartridge Edition releases early.
The original summer release plan was scrapped entirely. To fill the void left by Sakura Wars on the Mega Drive, Takuya Nakayama, with a decisive stroke of his pen, moved the highly anticipated cartridge version of this critically acclaimed masterpiece to early May, just in time for the Golden Week holiday.
This masterstroke of strategic diversion was executed with flawless precision.
Players were still cursing Sega for its deafening silence when they saw the poster. Their curses died in their throats.
It was Chrono Trigger!
That overhyped "masterpiece" that only the wealthiest gamers could afford!
Meanwhile, several game magazines with ambiguous ties to Sega dutifully hinted in their columns:
"According to informed sources, although Sega hasn't officially confirmed it, the cartridge port of Sakura Wars is being actively developed. The release of Chrono Trigger's MD Cartridge Edition is a way to showcase the quality of Sega CD titles ported to the Mega Drive format."
This single sentence completely calmed the restless player community.
Now that Sakura Shinguji was on her way, the wait was no longer an agonizing torment, but an anticipation for another grand feast.
"Never mind. Women would only slow me down when drawing my sword. I should try Chrono Trigger first."
"I heard the MD Cartridge Edition has a massive capacity. This is a win!"
The players who were just shouting "Sega, you scoundrel!" instantly performed a dramatic about-face, like a master of the Chinese opera art of face-changing.
Holding money they'd saved up to buy a Sega CD or their newly received allowance, their eager eyes shifted from the pink cherry blossoms to the red-haired youth slung with a massive sword.
After all, having something to play is better than just staring at the wall.
And being able to play a perfect masterpiece like Chrono Trigger in May was itself a tremendous blessing.
As for Sakura Shinguji? That was a worry for several months down the line.
May 1st.
Before dawn had fully broken over Tokyo, long lines had already formed outside the doors of major electronics stores.
This time, the lines lacked the usual crowd of curious parents, replaced by students with feverish eyes clutching their New Year's money and part-time wages.
They weren't waiting for some limited-edition item, but for that hyped-up, long-awaited masterpiece they'd been unable to play until now.
"It's here! The doors are open!"
As the rolling shutters clattered upward, the crowd surged inside.
"Give me one! Now!"
Black cartridge cases were snatched up by eager hands, swiftly stuffed into backpacks or pockets, and the students turned and ran, afraid that a single second delayed meant a minute less of gameplay.
Back home, Kenta peeled off the plastic packaging, tossed the rather thick manual aside, inserted the heavy cartridge into the Mega Drive console, and pressed the power button.
"SEGA—"
After the familiar boot-up sound, the screen lit up.
There was no full-screen animation like in the Sega CD version that had wowed audiences. Instead, a series of meticulously crafted pixel graphics flickered in sequence.
The grand orchestral overture had been replaced by the distinctive FM synthesis sound of the Mega Drive chip.
The weightiness was gone, replaced by a pronounced electronic flavor.
Kenta Tanaka sat before the TV, his heart skipping a beat.
Is this what they call "downsizing"?
But when the iconic pendulum sound chimed in 16-bit form, and Chrono was roused by his mother to push open the window and greet the sunlight of the Millennial Festival, that familiar sense of dissonance instantly vanished like smoke.
Though the graphics weren't as crisp, and the music lacked its symphonic depth, the world still felt alive.
The characters from Akira Toriyama's pen remained spirited within their pixelated forms, and Yasunori Mitsuda's melodies, even in their electronic incarnation, still gripped the heart.
Most importantly, the seamless combat transitions and the grand narrative spanning time and space remained intact, without a single element missing.
This is the game we've been waiting for! Kenta gripped the controller tightly, unaware that lunchtime had come and gone.
When the sales figures reached Sega Headquarters, even Takuya Nakayama paused mid-sip of his tea.
Japan's first-day sales: 1.02 million units.
North America and Europe's first-day sales: 430,000 units.
These numbers were suffocating to all competitors.
In just one day, the Mega Drive version had achieved what many major games never could in their entire lifespans.
This meant that even though the Sega CD had pointed the way forward, the "veteran" Mega Drive was still dominating living rooms across the globe.
The most intriguing phenomenon, however, was unfolding in schools and arcades.
The "rich guys" who had bought the Sega CD Collector's Edition months earlier, strutting around with a self-satisfied air, suddenly found themselves frustrated.
Sato was among them.
He had envisioned that once his poorer friends got their hands on the game, he could position himself as a seasoned veteran, offering sage advice and basking in their adoring gazes.
Just as he leaned over to his friend playing the Mega Drive version, about to say, "Hey, this boss transforms later—"
"Shut up!"
Three friends turned simultaneously, their eyes glinting with a ferocity that could devour a man whole.
"If you dare spoil even one word, we're done."
Sato choked, the smug superiority swelling in his chest abruptly stifled in his throat.
"But—I just wanted to warn you about that treasure chest—"
"We don't need your help! We'll find it ourselves!"
This unspoken pact of silence rapidly spread through the gaming community.
Those who had cleared the game were forced to remain tight-lipped, watching new players struggle and scratch their heads in frustration at the same stumbling blocks they had once fallen prey to. Wanting to spoil the solution yet daring not to speak, they flushed crimson with the effort of holding back.
Takuya Nakayama glanced at the sales report for Chrono Trigger's first-week sales on his desk before casually tossing it into the "Archived" folder.
This battle had been a decisive victory: the Mega Drive had defended its core market, while the Sega CD had won the prestige. A complete triumph.
But there was no time to celebrate with champagne.
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