This year's Tokyo Game Show could be described as a feast of 3D games.
While not entirely due to Aoki Haruhi, the influence of Pokémon 3D was immense; this small engine roared, propelling the entire world of games forward.
It made everything so vibrant yet traceable.
On the first morning of the press conference, Konami brought their new work, "J.League Jikkyou Winning Eleven 97."
(On the Sony PS, it was called this name, and later introduced to China and translated as "Pro Evolution Soccer." For ease of narration later, it will be directly referred to as Pro Evolution Soccer in this work.)
Ever since Pokeni's pokémon 3d world became popular, major game manufacturers have flocked into this field.
At the press conference, Konami's Producer, Shingo Takatsuka, was demonstrating the game.
At this Time, the game models for Pro Evolution Soccer were still quite rough, with players mostly resembling block figures. It was difficult to clearly see what these guys looked like; at most, differences in hairstyle and physique allowed people to identify who these players were.
"Wow, it's Pro Evolution Soccer!"
Aoki Haruhi sat below the stage, clapping and exclaiming.
Pro Evolution Soccer was the football game he played the most in his previous life, the other being the simulation management game Football Manager.
Last year, Konami produced "J.League Jikkyou Winning Eleven," which also marked the true birth of "Pro Evolution Soccer."
At that Time, among Konami's sports games, only "DDR" was popular among players, while football games like "Pro Evolution Soccer," due to Konami's own lack of technical skill and experience, as well as hardware limitations, did not receive widespread attention from sports game enthusiasts at the Time.
However, the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 1 laid the foundation for the future in two aspects.
Firstly, 3D modeling.
Konami, in this game, for the first Time introduced 3D modeling, making the entire game appear closer to reality.
Secondly, the overall game framework. Because football games emphasize rhythm, the "FIFA" series produced by EA at that Time focused on a sense of exhilaration, placing game rhythm in a very secondary position.
Konami, at that Time, very wisely chose a realistic football presentation method to create such a football game, which also laid the foundation for the success of this series later on.
Unlike the Pro Evolution Soccer in Aoki Haruhi's future memory, this version of Pro Evolution Soccer featured almost all local Japanese players. As the name suggests, the J.League is Japan's own football league.
Without Batistuta, whom Aoki Haruhi was familiar with, and without aliens like Ronaldo, it always felt like something was missing.
However, the flaws did not obscure the virtues. In such an era, it was already quite remarkable for Konami to make Pro Evolution Soccer runnable, perfectly adhering to football rules, and in 3D.
Undoubtedly, this game will open up a new market for Konami.
…
After Konami finished their presentation, it was Capcom's turn.
This Time, Capcom also brought a brand new 3D game called "Lonely Journey."
The entire game takes place in an abandoned old castle, with a generally eerie and terrifying atmosphere. Players need to collect different clues, and NPCs constantly die, further intensifying this terrifying atmosphere.
In this process, the player, portraying a detective who accidentally stumbles into the castle, must not only escape the castle but also solve puzzles and find the real murderer or the truth behind the scenes.
Seeing this, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but stand up and applaud Capcom enthusiastically.
He hadn't expected that Capcom, even without Shinji Mikami, would still enter the 3D realm.
However, it was very different from Shinji Mikami's resident evil.
But this type of 3D game truly had no precedent on the market so far.
It combined puzzle-solving and strong horror atmosphere, interspersed with NPC deaths, directly maxing out the fear factor.
Moreover, the most crucial point was that this game was produced in 3D, instantly elevating the sense of realism by several notches.
The light also followed only the character, covering a very small area. Rats scurrying from corners or large bats accidentally flying in would occasionally startle people.
The fact that the audience present dared not even breathe was enough to show how excellent this game was.
Was it the convergence of timelines? Even without Shinji Mikami, Capcom still embarked on a similar path.
Truly remarkable.
…
The games brought by Capcom and Konami were already quite stunning, but the highlight of the entire morning's press conference was Square.
This Time, Square brought the game "final fantasy 7."
As soon as the game's music started playing, Aoki Haruhi felt his DNA stir.
My youth is back.
Since its birth, RPGs have been developing for quite a few years now.
Even within the same series, the earliest final fantasy, born in 1987, has been around for almost 10 years now.
However, only Aoki Haruhi in the audience knew the significance of "final fantasy 7" in the entire history of RPGs.
This game could be said to be the peak of the FF series, successfully leading the entire final fantasy series onto the path of 3D, and after that, this RPG sold a terrifying 10 million-plus copies.
It was the success of final fantasy 7 that finally decided the winner, sending Sony PS to the top spot in the console war, thereby ending Nintendo's hegemony in the console domain.
The game created many classic characters.
Such as the beautiful and brave Tifa, who is definitely the big sister of the final fantasy series, one of the most beloved characters by players with explosive popularity.
There's also the male protagonist, Cloud, with his spiky golden hair like a Saiyan, and the most charismatic villain, Sephiroth…
Aoki Haruhi recounted these characters as if they were household treasures.
Including Cloud's golden hair and Claymore, almost every game character had clear personalized markers.
Barret, the leader of the resistance organization, had a striking Gatling gun prosthetic arm.
The series' iconic character, Cid, became an old chain-smoker.
Red XIII, the talking lion with typical Native American features, and teammates like Yuffie, the ninja girl, and Cait Sith, who rides a giant Moogle, were all unforgettable.
As for the two female protagonists, Aerith and Tifa, they each possessed two distinct feminine temperaments, which in his previous life, for a long Time, sparked a prolonged "main heroine" debate among players.
In short, Aoki Haruhi was actually very excited to see "final fantasy 7" live.
He had a deep affection for the characters in final fantasy 7.
To pay tribute to Sephiroth, Aoki Haruhi even had his team members name the final villain Pokémon in "pokémon 3d world" Lucifer, who also had a tuft of long white hair and large wings.
It was truly elegant and possessed that charismatic villainous charm, both righteous and evil.
It carried the meaning of the fallen angel Lucifer, and at the same Time, it was a small homage Easter egg from Aoki Haruhi himself.
…
This Time, when the main artist and original character designer of final fantasy, Tetsuya Nomura, introduced the corresponding characters, and talked about the creation process of Sephiroth, the reporters below were all stunned.
They didn't know why, but seeing this guy, they always felt a sense of familiarity.
"Do you feel that Sephiroth looks familiar? It's as if we've seen him before the press conference."
"Nani?! I thought I was the only one having this illusion. So, you guys feel the same way?"
"Is there a possibility that it's because the elements are quite similar, and final fantasy 7 seems to have referenced many Western myths and legends, which is why it feels familiar?"
"There have been too many games created before, so it's not strange to encounter similar characters, right?"
"No, no, it's not that Sephiroth is similar to characters in other games. I mean… Ah!"
A light bulb went off in this reporter's mind, and he slammed his fists together, exclaiming, "Don't you think Sephiroth looks very similar to Lucifer in pokémon 3d world?"
"Huh? Are you crazy?" Everyone voiced their doubts.
"Pokémon don't even look like humans. How could it be similar to Sephiroth?"
"Wait, wait… now that you mention it, if you look closely, it really does look like him. That white hair, plus the wings, the black and white body… Hahahaha, damn it! Once I start thinking about it, I can't stop."
"It's over, it's over, I can't look at Sephiroth the same way anymore."
...
Since pokémon 3d world from Pokeni was released earlier, aside from Aoki Haruhi knowing the truth, it was impossible for anyone else to believe that their Lucifer was inspired by Sephiroth.
However, Tetsuya Nomura on stage smiled calmly and said, "Regarding the character Sephiroth…"
"Actually, we drew inspiration from Pokeni's Pokémon 3D."
"Nani?!"
As soon as he said this, there was an uproar below.
Even Aoki Haruhi was stunned.
"Speaking of which, regarding the 3D production of final fantasy 7, our team members were actually very unsure, especially the art creation team. To make 3D characters, we racked our brains and thought of all kinds of modeling expressions."
"After Pokémon 3D was released last year, we finally gathered the courage to firmly pursue the path of 3D, because 3D games are simply too captivating.
Sephiroth was one of the earliest characters to be conceived.
Even at that Time, there was no protagonist Cloud yet, but when I saw Lucifer, the final BOSS in pokémon 3d world, I was shocked by him.
That one glance.
I was able to determine that this was the Sephiroth we wanted.
Based on this, we created this character."
Tetsuya Nomura was quite open about it, seemingly not feeling any shame at all. Perhaps this was a kind of confidence for a concept artist.
"Lucifer should have drawn inspiration from the image of Lucifer," Tetsuya Nomura looked down at the audience.
The camera followed suit, giving Aoki Haruhi a big close-up.
The audience couldn't help but laugh.
The host quickly jogged over and handed the microphone to Aoki Haruhi.
"That's right, when we created Lucifer, we referenced Lucifer, so the name is also similar," Aoki Haruhi nodded.
"I hope President Aoki, you don't mind us drawing inspiration from your Pokémon," Tetsuya Nomura smiled.
"Not at all, not at all," Aoki Haruhi waved his hand, "I am honored. And if Mr. Nomura hadn't said anything, no one would have noticed the connection between the two."
"Good, then we don't need to change his image, right?"
The atmosphere in the venue was made light and pleasant by the interaction between the two.
In the gaming industry, borrowing is actually a harmless thing; only plagiarism is against the law. However, the line between the two is actually quite blurry, depending on how much you borrow.
Cross-species differences between a person like Sephiroth and a Pokémon like Lucifer would never lead to a lawsuit.
Tetsuya Nomura saying this was actually giving Aoki Haruhi face, and at the same Time, it was also a form of promotion for the game.
Win-win.
Aoki Haruhi's impression of him immediately improved.
After the host retrieved the microphone, Tetsuya Nomura continued to introduce the game content:
"After Sephiroth was finalized, we initially designed Cloud with short black hair, forming a sharp contrast. Later, we felt it wasn't cool enough, so it gradually evolved into its current appearance…"
The introduction of final fantasy 7 was unique, and with the interaction with Pokeni, it was immediately remembered by everyone present.
Various flashlights flickered, and even without the speeches from the subsequent game companies, these reporters had probably already drafted the headlines for tomorrow's reports.
"Shocking! final fantasy actually drew inspiration from Pokémon!"
Aoki Haruhi smiled a bit bitterly.
Tetsuya Nomura drew inspiration from Lucifer in Pokémon to create Sephiroth,
while Aoki Haruhi, on the other hand, drew inspiration from Sephiroth to create Lucifer.
Oh, wow.
After all that, it turns out Time is a loop, isn't it?
...
In fact, the host was quite regretful, even feeling that there was no need to take the microphone back from Aoki Haruhi, because after Square's presentation ended, the next person to start presenting their product was—
Aoki Haruhi.
"Let's welcome, Pokeni!"
Thunderous applause erupted below.
Countless reporters quickly aimed their cameras at Aoki Haruhi.
Although Pokeni was not as old as the previous companies in terms of seniority, this company had a huge reputation.
Especially in the past two years, Pokeni has been soaring like a rocket.
Last year's Pokémon 3D directly accelerated the entire gaming Time into 3D, and countless companies were turning their attention.
And last month, the promotion of princess mononoke, a collaboration with Hayao Miyazaki, further made people realize the company's strength.
A new 3+2D game expression form has kept everyone confused until today.
Therefore, Pokeni's participation in this Tokyo Game Show was destined to be the focus of attention.
A true male protagonist.
Everyone was waiting for Aoki Haruhi to reveal what this 3+2D would ultimately look like.
"I'm really looking forward to it."
"But, what if, in order to maintain the mystery, Aoki Haruhi ends up not mentioning princess mononoke at all?"
"Haha, that would be a disaster. The reason I've been waiting here is to see what Pokeni's princess mononoke actually looks like."
"Don't worry, Aoki Haruhi won't miss this opportunity for promotion."
"As long as princess mononoke appears, it will definitely be the focus of today, good or bad," one reporter said definitively.
"Hahaha, if it's good, they'll praise it to the heavens, and if it's bad, they'll drag it to hell, right?
A big rollover scene is actually quite interesting."
Everyone came with the mentality of watching a show, as they were not stakeholders.
But, the scariest thing is if you don't come.
...
Just then, the lights in the entire venue dimmed.
A spotlight shone a beam of moonlight onto the stage, and as the light circle slowly moved, a man in a black tuxedo walked onto the stage with steady, agile steps.
Everyone held their breath, but soon realized something was wrong.
"Is that Aoki Haruhi?" a reporter whispered.
"Doesn't feel like it, does it? I remember Aoki Haruhi should be a very handsome young man, but the one on stage is clearly an old man."
"And he's bald."
Yes, the middle-aged man walking onto the stage now had no hair at all; his head was as smooth as a braised egg.
He walked to the center of the stage, then slowly pulled out a conductor's baton, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed deeply.
"Wow, it's Joe Hisaishi!"
A voice shouted out.
Finally, someone recognized him. This was not President Aoki Haruhi of Pokeni, but Mr. Joe Hisaishi, an important guest performer specially invited by Aoki Haruhi, and also the Producer of princess mononoke's music.
Upon hearing Joe Hisaishi's name, the audience erupted in excitement.
Everyone stood up, and a round of warm applause broke out.
"Nani?! Why is it Joe Hisaishi?!"
Everyone had the same question in their minds.
Why was Joe Hisaishi here, and where was Aoki Haruhi?
What was Pokeni going to do?
It was simply terrifying!!!
"Oh my god, I'm getting goosebumps all over."
"Yeah, me too."
...
Joe Hisaishi turned around, and the large curtain behind him was pulled up, causing everyone to exclaim once again—
Behind the curtain, an entire symphony orchestra sat neatly.
Aoki Haruhi had specially invited the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, which was now in Joe Hisaishi's hands.
He confidently and calmly nodded slightly, exchanged glances with the first violinist, then raised his hands and slowly began to conduct.
The melodious violin sounded, like flowing river water.
It had both the ancient beauty of the East and the elegance and delicacy of the West.
The violinist's fingers glided gently over the strings, each note filled with emotion and power. The audience was drawn in by the beautiful music, stopping what they were doing and listening intently.
As soon as the music started, countless people felt a jolt in their hearts.
"This, this is the soundtrack from The Witcher, red moonlight!"
"Terrifying, I never expected to hear Joe Hisaishi conduct a symphony orchestra at the Tokyo Game Show, and it's The Witcher, and my favorite among them, red moonlight!"
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