David slammed the pizza box down and started to collapse onto the sofa. "I just got the third disc. I was about to go to the Crater. If my mom hadn't called yesterday and threatened to cut off my credit card, I would never have left."
"You smell like fermented sourness," Marcus said, pinching his nose and tossing a can of beer to David. "Go take a shower. If Susan across the street saw you like this, she'd definitely call the police."
David popped the tab and took a huge gulp. "I'm going back after I finish the turkey. Sephiroth is still waiting for me."
Mike walked over to the TV and pressed the eject button on the Jupiter console.
The disc tray slid out. He removed the Final Fantasy VII disc and placed it back into its heavy plastic case.
David bolted upright. "What are you doing?!"
"No Sephiroth tonight," Mike said, stuffing the case into a TV stand drawer. He turned and grabbed the N64 console sitting nearby. "Tonight is party time."
He slid the Mario Kart 64 cartridge, now coated in a thin layer of dust, into the slot and flipped the power switch.
Four N64 controllers were tossed onto the couch.
"Come on, guys," Mike said, grabbing a green controller. "Let's see if you've learned any new tricks over the last ten days, or if you can still only mash Circle and Cross."
Marcus snatched up a red controller, tossing it lightly in his hand. "I'm gonna knock you right off the track."
David scoffed, but still picked up a blue controller.
The screen split into four windows.
Half an hour later.
"Fuck! Who threw that Red Shell?!" David shot to his feet, nearly smashing his controller against the TV.
On screen, his Mario was blasted into the air just before the finish line, coins scattering everywhere. Mike's Luigi seized the opportunity, zooming past him to cross the finish line first.
"That was me," Marcus said, leaning back on the couch and laughing hysterically. "The homing logic is just perfect. David, your driving is as bad as your game with the ladies."
David sat back down and mashed the Start button. "Again! Rainbow Road this time. I'm gonna send you all over the edge."
"You can say that again after you finish Bowser's Castle," Mike said, taking a bite of cold pizza.
The garage echoed with shouts and the clinking of beer cans.
The lonely, breathtaking immersion of FF7 had been replaced by pure, unadulterated noise.
December 25th. Christmas.
Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.
The kotatsu in Takashi's room was turned up to its highest setting. On the table sat a half-eaten bucket of KFC and a strawberry cream cake.
Kenta, sporting dark circles under his eyes, sat cross-legged on a cushion. Naoki yawned beside him. Takuya was stuffing the last piece of fried chicken into his mouth.
"I could have maxed out all my Materia today," Kenta muttered, his hands still gripping the N64 controller.
"Your girlfriend cornered you at the school gate yesterday, and you didn't even show your face," Naoki retorted mercilessly. "She said she's breaking up with you when school starts tomorrow."
"Women aren't as important as games," Kenta said, his eyes glued to the screen.
Takashi pressed the Start button.
"Finally, we've got all four of us," Takashi sighed in relief.
He'd bought the cartridge ten days ago, and he was sick of running time trials all by himself.
"Three, two, one!"
Four karts shot off the starting line.
At the first turn, Kenta's Bowser shoved Naoki's Princess Peach right off the track and into the grass.
Peach's speed plummeted instantly.
"Hey! Have you no respect for a lady?" Naoki yelled.
"There are no ladies on the track—only enemies!" Kenta countered, drifting Bowser around the bend and tossing a banana peel behind him.
Takashi's Yoshi hit the peel perfectly, sending his kart spinning in place.
"Kenta, you're dead," Takashi hissed through gritted teeth.
"Bring it on! Let's tear each other apart!" Kenta mashed the accelerator.
For the next two hours, the atmosphere around the kotatsu reached a boiling point.
They sabotaged one another, roared with laughter, and fought red-faced over every single item box.
At the final stretch, Takuya's Toad snagged a Super Star, smashed through the three racers ahead of him, and claimed first place.
"See that? That's real skill!" Takuya cheered, throwing his arms up in victory.
Kenta slammed his controller onto the cushion in frustration. "Again! That round doesn't count! My hand slipped!"
Takashi watched his three boisterous best friends, and a grin finally spread across his face.
This was the right way to play Mario Kart 64.
No rigid computer AI—just the purest form of friends screwing each other over. As long as there were people to play with, this game was invincible.
December 26th.
Nintendo Headquarters, Kyoto.
Shigeru Miyamoto stared at the sales report in his hands, his shoulders finally relaxing after ten days of tension.
During the Christmas week, Mario Kart 64 had defied the trend, selling 450,000 copies in a single week. Many parents had bought it as a Christmas gift for their children, and many couples had purchased it as a holiday pastime.
Players whose solo gaming time had been completely drained by Final Fantasy VII discovered that when they had to leave their bedrooms for the holidays, the N64 was the perfect choice for the living room.
Yamauchi Hiroshi sat behind his desk, sipping hot tea.
"I told you, this is a long-term play," Hiroshi Yamauchi said, setting down his teacup. "They still have to celebrate the holidays, still have to see people. Square can monopolize their bedrooms, but they can't monopolize the living room."
Shigeru Miyamoto nodded. "The feedback from Europe and America is the same. Restock orders from Best Buy and Walmart have doubled. Especially the controllers—the four-color bundles are sold out."
"Increase the TV-GG ad spend," Yamauchi ordered. "The visuals should highlight a family laughing together on a sofa. Don't emphasize the graphics; emphasize the people."
"Understood," Miyamoto said, folding up the reports.
"How is the progress on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time?" Yamauchi asked.
"The core mechanics are finalized, and we're currently filling out the levels," Miyamoto replied. "We need more time for polishing."
"Take your time," Yamauchi said, rising from his seat. "This console's lifespan is far from over."
Tokyo, Ōta Ward.
Sega Headquarters Building.
Takuya Nakayama flipped through the reports submitted by their distributors.
"Nintendo's recovered," Oguchi Hisao said, seated opposite him. "Mario Kart 64 sales spiked over the Christmas break. The numbers are up in both North America and Japan."
"Expected," Takuya Nakayama replied, closing the report and tossing it onto the desk. "A holiday bonus. People need social activities during the holidays."
He wasn't concerned.
The Jupiter Console's sales had already skyrocketed over the past two weeks. Final Fantasy VII had far exceeded its targets.
"Square's pressing plants are still running twenty-four seven," Oguchi added. "Resale prices are staying high. A lot of players are refusing to sell their copies even after beating the game."
"Tell Square to hurry up with the review process for all the merchandise. A game this good—it's a waste to only monetize it once," Takuya said, tapping his fingers on the desk. "After Christmas, players will need to return to Midgar. In the meantime, let Nintendo earn a little pocket change in the living room."
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