May 20, 1991.
Pokeni Corporation.
President's Office.
Aoki Haruhi's irate voice echoed through the walls.
"Unbelievable!"
"Damn Nintindo!"
Ayase Akane, the HR manager whose office was just across the wall, trembled in fear. She had never seen the President lose his temper like this before.
Aoki Haruhi slumped in his chair, his eyes unfocused.
How could he not be angry?
He had just received a notification from Nintindo stating:
[ Due to The Mermaid's Heart ] failing to meet Nintindo's publishing standards, we regret to inform you that we are unable to release the game on the Super Famicom platform. Please revise the game accordingly and resubmit it for review.
The only consolation was that the phrase "shoddy and hastily made" hadn't been included. At least that meant the game's quality wasn't completely unacceptable.
When Aoki Haruhi read the notification, he was stunned.
A chill shot up his spine, and his entire body felt like it had plunged into an ice cellar.
No way!
This is happening now?
Isn't this fatal?
A small boat like Pokeni can't withstand any major storms.
Just the monthly expenses for our current members are nearing 10 million yuan. Every day Nintindo withholds payment is another day Pokeni bleeds dry.
Even the profits from the Onmyoji series won't cover these costs.
Excessive blood loss is fatal.
According to Aoki Haruhi's original plan, The Mermaid's Heart was supposed to be the opening salvo. With its exceptional game quality and graphical standards, it would undoubtedly reign supreme on the Super Famicom, unmatched in visuals by any other title.
Not only would The Mermaid's Heart fund the development of the next game, but it would also establish Gen Urobuchi's reputation.
This would alleviate some of the pressure on Diablo. Even without making it a galgame, Aoki Haruhi was confident it would shine brightly on the Super Famicom.
This year was supposed to be "Pokeni's Year."
But...
Now...
The entire plan has been completely derailed.
Outside the window, it was clearly daytime, the May sun shining brightly.
Yet Aoki Haruhi only felt a sense of gloom.
Based on his understanding of Nintindo—or rather, the dictator Yamauchi Hiroshi—if they tightened the approval process for the Super Famicom this time, they would never relax it in the future.
The Mermaid's Heart, no matter what, would likely face immense difficulty in ever being released on the Super Famicom.
He sat in his chair for a moment.
Aoki Haruhi's eyes shifted slightly.
When he looked up, he noticed several heads at the door quickly retracting.
A second later, another head poked in—it was Ayase Akane's.
"President, are you alright?" the young HR asked, concerned.
"I'm... I'm fine," Aoki Haruhi said, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
"Are you really alright?"
"Yes. Really," he sighed. "There's been an issue with Nintindo that I might need to handle personally."
"Oh."
Hearing his response, the employees gradually returned to their desks.
The HR's greeting finally brought Aoki Haruhi back to his senses.
For the sake of his team, he had to find a way to save the project.
Several options lay before him:
First, abandon the Super Famicom entirely and switch to Sega's Mega Drive or NEC's PC Engine platform.
The PC Engine was flooded with galgames, so releasing there would definitely avoid any censorship issues.
But—
The Super Famicom was destined to dominate the market. Nintendo's reign would continue until the Sony PlayStation's debut in 95.
Second, he could try reaching out to President Yamauchi again, hoping to truly convey the charm of The Mermaid's Heart.
No, convincing the stubborn old man of the game's appeal was probably futile.
He'd start by visiting with the Mermaid's Heart proposal.
Nintindo had scheduled a meeting between President Yamauchi Hiroshi and Aoki Haruhi for 4 PM on Friday.
If he was lucky, he might have about an hour.
Or even less.
The timing of this appointment made it clear that Pokeni was a small company, and Aoki Haruhi was no one of note.
Therefore, President Yamauchi was only willing to spare a brief moment before lunchtime to meet him.
Aoki Haruhi could only take a chance.
Aoki Haruhi arrived at Nintindo's headquarters at the scheduled time. After explaining his purpose and confirming his appointment, the receptionist escorted him upstairs to a conference room.
After waiting for about ten minutes, the door opened to reveal an elderly man in a black suit, his physique remarkably fit for his age.
Aoki Haruhi recognized him immediately: Yamauchi Hiroshi, the legendary President of Nintindo.
In his previous life, Aoki Haruhi had been just another player, never imagining he'd one day have such a close encounter with the gaming giant.
"I'm Aoki Haruhi. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please take good care of me!"
Aoki Haruhi bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, presenting the gift he had brought.
President Yamauchi glanced down at the gift box, noting the two bottles of茅台 (Moutai) inside. This premium Chinese liquor was notoriously expensive in Japan, retailing for around 100,000 yen per bottle.
"Hello, I'm Yamauchi Hiroshi."
President Yamauchi gave a slight nod, accepted the gift, and casually placed it beneath the conference table chair.
After exchanging business cards, Aoki Haruhi explained the purpose of his visit.
"I see..." President Yamauchi's expression grew visibly displeased.
However, since the meeting had already been scheduled, he sat down and took the proposal Aoki Haruhi had brought.
With forced patience, President Yamauchi flipped through the proposal. When he reached the accompanying images, his eyelids lowered slightly, and he gently closed the document.
"President Qing, I deeply regret to inform you that your company's game does not meet Nintindo's publication standards. Please adhere to our review guidelines."
"Of course, we welcome your company to continue submitting outstanding, high-quality games. But this one is definitely unacceptable."
With that, Yamauchi Hiroshi glanced at his watch. "It's getting late..."
"President, you haven't even finished reading it," Aoki Haruhi interjected. "Please read it thoroughly before making a judgment. This game possesses wild imagination and creativity. Though it's a galgame, the pure and passionate love within it will surely resonate with players. I believe anyone with a heart will be moved by it."
Hmm...
Yamauchi Hiroshi pondered for a moment, his expression shifting rapidly, clearly teetering on the edge of an outburst.
"President Qing, I've only read two pages, but I already know how twisted this game is, and how utterly devoid of substance. Didn't you feel any moral qualms while developing this?"
"I..." Aoki Haruhi opened his mouth, a tightness gripping his chest.
"I firmly believe, and stand by our review department's decision, that this game will never see the light of day on the Super Famicom."
"No, as long as I'm the President of Nintendo, such a vulgar game will never be released on any of our consoles."
At this point, Yamauchi Hiroshi's words were utterly resolute.
"Our games aren't like that," Aoki Haruhi countered.
Yamauchi Hiroshi stood up, his voice rising as he glared at Aoki Haruhi. "If not like that, then what are they like?!"
His roar silenced the entire conference room.
Aoki Haruhi stared at the man before him, the sixty-something elder, with disbelief.
This isn't how it's supposed to be, he thought.
"My apologies. That was rude of me."
Yamauchi Hiroshi straightened his suit jacket.
"President Qing, you haven't convinced me. This game proposal itself is flawed; it could never be a source of genuine enjoyment."
"Nintendo will never allow such a game to be released on our platforms."
"President! Please, give us a chance!" Aoki Haruhi pleaded, rising from his seat.
But Yamauchi Hiroshi ignored him, simply pulling open the conference door and striding out.
As the door closed behind him, Aoki Haruhi saw Yamauchi Hiroshi's lips move slightly.
Though no sound escaped, Aoki Haruhi understood the unspoken words:
"You fool. All you know is how to beg."
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