When Famitsu's Editor-in-Chief, Hirokazu Hamamura, received the review scores for June's new releases from his editors, he didn't feel well at all.
He quickly sought out several editors for communication and clarification, calling an emergency meeting.
"What is going on here? What were you all thinking?"
Hirokazu Hamamura threw the as-yet-unprinted game review content onto the table and pointed to one spot, "You actually gave 'Patema Inverted' a perfect score of 10?!"
At its inception, "FAMICOM Tsūshin" existed as a magazine specifically for the Nintendo FC.
In Chinese-speaking regions at that time, this magazine was translated as "Nintendo Tsūshin".
Given Nintendo's influence in the Japanese gaming industry, for the first perfect-score game to not come from Nintendo—how could that possibly be justified?
These editors weren't making things difficult for Nintendo, or slapping Yamauchi Hiroshi in the face.
They were making things difficult for me!
Several editors looked at each other, signaling that this was not a pot they were willing to carry.
The only female editor, Watanabe Miki, observed the others before being the first to speak up: "Editor-in-Chief, didn't you ask us to score based on our own criteria?
Graphics, music, story, and gameplay—the four dimensions.
Based on my knowledge of the current game market and my personal experience, I believe 'Patema Inverted' has reached the highest standard in all four areas, perhaps even surpassing this era.
If I don't give it a perfect score, it would be a disservice to my professionalism."
"Besides, we all experienced and scored it independently. We didn't discuss it beforehand, so how would I know that everyone else gave it a perfect score?"
After Watanabe Miki finished, the other three editors all gasped.
They looked at each other, and a realization suddenly dawned on them—
In this situation, speaking first was actually an advantage.
Kato Katsuaki hurriedly spoke first, "Yes, Editor-in-Chief, I also made this rating based on my own independent judgment. After all, there have been high scores of 38 or 39 in gaming history, right? Based on my standards, giving it a 10 was the correct judgment. Before this, I hadn't communicated with anyone else; the final perfect score of 40 was truly unexpected."
The other two also quickly added, "Yes, none of us knew that the others had given it a perfect score."
"President, should I... take a point off?" Kato Katsuaki asked cautiously.
Hamamura Hirokazu's face turned green.
Famitsu had always upheld the principle of independent and impartial judgment when selecting games that players recognized for their Platinum Hall of Fame. It was precisely because of this that editors were encouraged to speak freely, without worrying about game manufacturers, and to award whatever score they deemed appropriate.
If they had already given it a perfect score, and now one of them wanted to take a point off, what would people think?
This was just a stopgap measure, but it went against Hamamura Hirokazu's principles.
"Credibility! Credibility!"
"Do you know what credibility is?!"
"Are there any major Nintendo titles this year? Find one immediately!" shouted Hamamura Hirokazu.
"Yes! Editor-in-Chief!"
The editors received the order and hurriedly flipped through the materials on hand.
After sorting through them, they found that the games Nintendo had released this year seemed just okay.
The one that received the most acclaim was probably Kirby's Dream Course, released on the SFC in the first half of the year.
In Kirby's Dream Course, players must use wisdom, ability, and agile movements to control a ball through various environments, escorting Kirby to the destination within the allotted time to clear the stage and successfully challenge the even more difficult next level.
There was also Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, but that was a black-and-white pixel game released on the Game Boy; in terms of quality, it was certainly lacking.
There was also another boxing game called Super Punch-Out!!.
But no matter how they looked at these games, none of them could be rated as a perfect score.
At least compared to Patema Inverted, they were far inferior. In terms of gameplay, storyline, and graphics, they were far below Patema, so if these games were rated with a perfect score, the players certainly wouldn't be convinced.
At the very least, it is far inferior to Patema Inverted; its gameplay, plot, and graphics are all far behind Patema. Players would certainly not be convinced if such a game were given a perfect score.
Could it be that the only option is to adopt the "deduct one point" method mentioned by Katsuaki Kato?
Hirokazu Hamamura frowned, unable to bring himself to do such a thing.
So, he immediately consulted with the company president, Kazuhiko Nishi.
Kazuhiko Nishi, known as the Bill Gates of Japan, was the president of the ASCII Corporation and the founder of Famitsu magazine.
To make the magazine more authoritative and to compete with Tokuma Shoten's Fami-Maga, Nishi boldly promoted Hirokazu Hamamura and listened to his advice on reforming Famitsu.
First, he pushed the company to rename FAMICOM Tsūshin to Famitsu to signal its independence from the Famicom console.
This move inevitably angered Nintendo, but it successfully attracted fans of consoles like Sega.
Next, its focus was not limited to games; Famitsu began to frequently "dabble" in the music and even film industries, intending to truly diversify the publication.
Lastly, and most crucially, Hirokazu Hamamura changed the magazine's singular model of focusing mainly on strategy guides, boldly introducing new elements such as gaming culture and background features.
During this period, the "New Game Review" section, which evolved from "CROSS REVIEW," gradually became Famitsu's trump card.
To this day, it is precisely because of the fairness and fearlessness of this section—giving scores that align with players' expectations, regardless of pressure from game manufacturers—that Famitsu has gradually become an authority among gaming magazines.
When Hirokazu Hamamura informed Kazuhiko Nishi of this thorny problem over the phone,
The 38-year-old Nishi, then at the peak of his career, was silent for a moment before asking: "How do you see it, Hamamura? Do you think we should improve our relationship with Nintendo, or should we just publish the issue with the 40-point score given by the editors?"
Hamamura was speechless. I'm just the editor-in-chief, can I really make such a big decision?
I'm asking you because I can't decide, why are you throwing the question back at me?
However, after thinking it over carefully, Hamamura still decided to convey his thoughts honestly: "Famitsu's achievements today are all due to the credibility of the magazine. Making game reviews that are fair and in line with what players truly think is the cornerstone of Famitsu.
However, I'm not sure whether I should give this game a perfect score.
39 and 40 points—although it's only a one-point difference, there is a world of difference between them.
39 points is the highest score Famitsu has given so far, and the number of games that have achieved this is few and far between. Even giving it that score would already be quite impressive for Patema Inverted.
A perfect score of 40 will invite huge controversy, and might push us into the eye of the storm."
When Nishi Kazuhiko heard this, his eyes lit up slightly, "Then do you think being in the eye of the storm is a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Emmmm..."
Hamamura Hirokazu was silent for a while, "It's hard to say. On the positive side, giving such a score would increase the magazine's popularity.
If it sparks discussion and becomes a hot topic that everyone is talking about, it might just make this issue sell exceptionally well.
On the other hand, it will definitely incur Nintendo's dissatisfaction.
Players might also write to the editorial department to attack us and vent their frustration..."
"I can't make an accurate judgment, I just have this strong, uneasy premonition."
Nishi Kazuhiko listened on the other end for a moment, then fell silent.
"Hamamura, I'll just ask you one last question."
"Yes, President."
"Do you think this game, this 'Patema' thing, deserves a perfect score?"
"All four editors gave it a perfect score, so I suppose it must be a perfect score," Hamamura Hirokazu replied.
"No, I'm asking for your opinion. If you were the one judging it, what score would you give it?"
Hamamura Hirokazu gritted his teeth, recalling his own experience playing the game, and then answered, "Whether it's the graphics quality, gameplay, creativity, story, or music... I believe it represents the highest level of this genre currently available.
If it were up to me, I'm afraid I would also give it a perfect score."
This was indeed Hamamura Hirokazu's initial judgment.
It had to be said that Pokeni had made this game too well.
"I don't know games as well as you professionals do. So," Nishi paused for a moment and said,
"Hamamura, just do what you think is right. I will support you regardless of the outcome, and I'll take the responsibility when the time comes."
Huh?
Hamamura Hirokazu was slightly taken aback, then, without caring whether the other person could see him or not, nodded vigorously.
"Understood, President."
***
"Huh?"
Hamamura Hirokazu was slightly taken aback, then, without caring if the other party could see him or not, nodded vigorously.
"Understood, President."
***
Shortly after, in the latest issue of their "Cross Review" column, Famitsu gave a score to Pokeni's new game, Patema Inverted.
[The core design of gravity and anti-gravity makes the entire game radiate with a dazzling brilliance. Even players who have played countless side-scrolling games will surely be attracted and amazed by its unique creativity.
The exquisite and beautiful game graphics create a marvelous illusion of being in a world drawn by Hayao Miyazaki.
What's even rarer is that a game with such high playability and gameplay naturally integrates its level design with its plot.
Of course, the plot itself also possesses a soul-stirring power.
This is a game that you wouldn't want to miss in your entire lifetime.
So, I give it a perfect score of 10.]
The comments from the other editors were similar. What was most incredible was that all four editors gave it a perfect score of 10.
"Nani?! A perfect score game?!"
"For real?!"
Countless players were stunned when they saw this score.
You have to know that in the previous life, it was Nintendo that first achieved this honor; the first perfect score in game history was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in 1998.
Countless players were stunned when they saw this score.
You have to know that in a past life, this honor was first achieved by Nintendo; the first perfect score in gaming history was "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" in 1998.
The second perfect score game... well, it's not important.
It was Namco's "SoulCalibur" in 1999. Although the game was excellent, in terms of overall experience, it was actually a notch below "Ocarina of Time."
Later, there were more and more games with perfect scores, and their significance became less and less high.
In other words, the first game to receive a perfect score was definitely an incredible honor.
It was truly admirable that Famitsu could withstand the pressure to give such a high score.
"What kind of game is this, anyway?"
Countless players, upon seeing this rating, were incredibly curious about "Patema Inverted." Famitsu, just like Gorotsu, had given it a large, beautifully illustrated report, which finally allowed people to get a glimpse of it.
Seeing the male and female protagonists holding each other in opposite orientations only made people even more confused.
***
Thus, under these circumstances, sales of the game Patema Inverted continued to soar.
What would have originally taken a month to break the one-million mark was achieved in less than three weeks.
At this rate, Patema Inverted is very likely to surpass three million units or even more.
Patema Inverted has achieved remarkable results, garnering praise throughout the industry.
"As expected of Pokeni, they are truly beyond reach!"
Hiruta Masato, president of ELF, has nothing but admiration for Pokeni. Ever since he started following Kogahara Tsubakiaki, Pokeni has always been the leader that ELF looked up to.
He didn't expect that after Kogahara Tsubakiaki left, the company would develop even better.
At the very least, this shows that juniors like Mikami Shinji and Gen Urobuchi have truly grown up.
It is extremely difficult to cultivate an outstanding producer in the industry, and it is truly remarkable that in just a few short years, Mikami Shinji could rapidly grow from a small-time game planner into a top-tier talent capable of handling things on his own.
And it wasn't just a flash in the pan.
Whether it was The Witcher or Patema Inverted, Shinji Mikami has proven his extraordinary talent with high-quality games.
The only thing Masato Hiruta felt regret about was—
Why couldn't such a talent appear in his own company?
But thinking about it carefully, even if Shinji Mikami had been recruited into ELF back then, could he have really developed him into a producer like this?
From a certain perspective, the president of Pokeni not only has an eye for talent but is also capable of cultivating that talent to bring out their strengths.
This is something Masato Hiruta feels he cannot match.
"This game company is just too amazing, isn't it? In just a few short years, they've made such a huge splash?" Masaki Takei, the scriptwriter for Doukyuusei, also sighed with emotion.
"I was originally looking forward more to the new work after Master Kogahara Tsubakiaki's comeback, but this time, Patema Inverted has really given me many surprises."
"Ah~ I'm so envious, so envious. When will we be able to have a game like this?"
***
Unlike the other companies that expressed envy and admiration for Pokeni, inside the president's office at Nintendo, Hiroshi Yamauchi was currently flying into a rage.
"Damn it!"
He slammed the Famitsu magazine onto the desk, his entire body trembling with anger.
"This magazine's ratings are completely unprofessional! How could a game from a small company get a perfect score?!"
"'Patema Inverted'? What kind of garbage is this, to get a 40?!"
Beside him, Shigeru Miyamoto didn't even dare to look his way; just from the sound of his voice, he knew the president's fury had reached a terrifying level.
He didn't earn the title "The Game Tyrant" for nothing.
Miyamoto couldn't help but think:
The editor-in-chief of Famitsu really has guts, to be able to withstand the pressure and give out a perfect score.
But then again...
He looked up and glanced at President Yamauchi, who was currently blinded by rage.
If he could just calm down and properly experience this game, he might arrive at the same conclusion.
From Miyamoto's own experience, "Patema Inverted" really seemed worthy of a perfect score.
As for now—
Miyamoto cursed his luck inwardly.
The pressure had shifted to him, and in the end, he would be the one to bear it all.
Who told them not to make the first perfect-scoring game?
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