139 Three video games

[Tokyo, Japan]

On November 25, 1991, the same day the President of the Soviet Union resigned, KiShin unveiled three highly anticipated video games.

The first game was 'Castlevania,' the second was 'Megaman,' and the third was 'Dragon Quest.' This consistent release of video games sparked excitement within the Japanese gaming community.

Meanwhile, Tora and Suzuki breathed a sigh of relief because KiShin had not released the video game they were eagerly awaiting — Pokémon.

The Pokémon anime had gained immense popularity in Japan and Asia, but Tora and Suzuki were unsure whether it would have a similar impact in the United States of America.

For now, they were just relieved that KiShin hadn't launched a Pokémon video game. The fact that the Pokémon anime hadn't gained much influence outside of Asia was another matter. However, Tora and Suzuki were already anticipating KiShin's potential release of the Pokémon anime in the US or Europe. That's why they were preparing to launch their own anime franchise, determined not to be outdone.

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[Osaka, Japan]

Okura Iwao had just acquired three new KiShin video games simultaneously.

Okura Iwao could easily be described as a devoted fan of KiShin video games. To him, every KiShin video game was either exceptional or a certified masterpiece. He paid no mind to what others might say; for Okura Iwao, Kid Icarus, one of the most challenging video games alongside Metroid and 'The Legend of Zelda,' was his personal favorite.

Due to his masochistic gaming preferences, few of his classmates chose to interact with him.

Upon returning home, he promptly connected his FamiCom to the television and inserted 'Castlevania' into the cartridge slot. The game booted up, and the title appeared on the screen. Nonchalantly, Okura Iwao began playing.

A muscular 2D pixel character strolled in front of an apparently abandoned castle, coming to a halt at the crimson gate. As per the game's manual, the character was Simon Belmont, a 22-year-old Vampire Hunter and the descendant of Christopher Belmont, the legendary hero who had vanquished Count Dracula in 1591.

As Okura Iwao controlled the character, he attacked with a whip. When he struck a torching vase, it released a heart, indicating Simon Belmont's health, which he promptly collected. Hitting other vases yielded various items, transforming the character's appearance and abilities.

Okura Iwao continued, with his character walking rather than running. As mobs appeared, he dispatched them with his whip, causing items to drop. He collected these items and encountered a leaping panther.

Further into the game, Okura Iwao attacked bats and struck a wall that broke, releasing more items. However, he couldn't figure out how to proceed beyond a certain point. Bats constantly attacked him, leaving him bewildered, wondering, "Where should I go?"

Returning to a previous area proved impossible, but Okura Iwao noticed a candelabra he hadn't interacted with before. Hitting it, he obtained an item, but he still couldn't find a way past the wall. After some time, he finally spotted an unassuming stairs leading downstairs, on the left side that he had entirely overlooked.

With a wry chuckle and a shake of his head, Okura Iwao proceeded to guide his character downstairs by pressing the down button on the controller.

As Okura Iwao continued to play, he initially believed that 'Castlevania' would be a breeze, but slowly he came to realize that it was quite challenging.

After this revelation, Okura Iwao removed the 'Castlevania' cartridge from the FamiCom. He planned to return to it later, still eager to try the other KiShin video games he had purchased.

Next, he inserted 'Dragon Quest,' and as he played, he noticed that the gameplay bore a resemblance to titles like 'The Legend of Zelda' or 'Final Fantasy.' 

After spending some time with 'Dragon Quest,' he decided to give 'Megaman' a try.

Upon inserting 'Megaman,' he found that, like 'Super Mario Bros' and 'Castlevania,' it was a side-scrolling video game. 'Megaman' featured a futuristic setting, akin to 'Metroid,' with the main character being a robot named 'Megaman.' Okura Iwao pressed the start button as the game's title screen appeared.

He was presented with a choice of stages: "Cutman," "Gutsman," "Elecman," "Iceman," "Fireman," and "Bombman." Being unsure, he selected the "Cutman" stage, which happened to be the default choice, and pressed the start button to begin the stage.

Cutman jumped, and a message displayed: "Cutman clear points - 80000."

With that, the video game 'Megaman' was now underway. As the game commenced, Okura Iwao took the reins of his in-game character, 'Megaman.'

He skillfully controlled 'Megaman,' using his shooting ability to attack. Floating enemies suddenly appeared. Initially, Okura Iwao assumed it would be an easy encounter, but he struggled to accurately target and shoot the flying foes. His attacks became somewhat reckless, and as the enemies evaded his shots, Okura Iwao believed they might just fly away.

To his surprise, the floating foes, referred to as 'Bunby Heli' in the game's story manual, returned and mounted a relentless, simultaneous attack on Okura Iwao.

Okura Iwao attempted to fight back, but he struggled to accurately target and shoot the flying enemies. Frustrated, he chose to ignore them and tried to proceed through the stage. However, more 'Bunby Heli' suddenly appeared and launched an assault on Okura Iwao's in-game character, 'Megaman.'

His character's health dwindled rapidly until it resulted in a game over.

Upon restarting the game, Okura Iwao made the decision to systematically eliminate the 'Bunby Heli' despite the considerable health cost. He realized he had no other option, as he would be persistently attacked until a game over was inevitable.

Continuing in the video game, Okura Iwao realized that the challenge he faced this time was a peculiar red contraption, a wall-mounted gun with a beak-like armored shell that opened and closed. With no pesky 'Bunby Heli' in sight, Okura Iwao breathed a sigh of relief as he took on the 'Blaster.'

However, his relief was short-lived. As he advanced further, Okura Iwao noticed that several 'Blaster' units were continuously firing in all directions. A slight movement of his in-game character resulted in a hit.

Undeterred, Okura Iwao climbed a ladder, successfully eliminating some 'Blaster' units as he progressed. But as he ascended, he encountered a multitude of 'Blaster' units that relentlessly shot projectiles.

His in-game character, 'Megaman,' was struck and sent back to the previous level. Thinking he could climb back since he had completely eliminated the 'Blaster' units in the previous area, he was surprised to find that the area had seemingly reset, with several 'Blaster' units still in place and shooting incessantly. Consequently, when Okura Iwao's in-game character was hit again, it resulted in another game over.

Despite the challenges, Okura Iwao couldn't help but chuckle wryly. "Yet another demanding KiShin video game..." He paused and flashed an eccentric smile, adding, "But I enjoy the challenge."