Time Skipped

With the launch of ToSuKi, Tora and Suzuki witnessed a surge in their video game sales. ToSuKi was consistently compared to Gameboy.

While Gameboy boasts the popular Pokémon video game, Tora and Suzuki introduced a game with similar gameplay. This enabled them to attract individuals who enjoyed the Pokémon gaming experience.

The video game created by Tora and Suzuki was named "Mech-O-Battle," focusing on collecting mechs rather than magical creatures.

Additionally, they produced an animation for this game. Despite these efforts, Tora and Suzuki faced tough competition against Gameboy and Pokémon.

However, they couldn't quite match the sales of KiShin Gameboy and its video games.

However, Tora and Suzuki maintained silence as they worked on developing their own 32-bit video game console, concurrently advancing their video game development.

Simultaneously, they launched new video games for their 16-bit consoles and introduced a console capable of running Tora and Suzuki's 16-bit video games.

As a result, the sales of their video games soared with the introduction of the ToRaKi 16-bit video game consoles. Priced more affordably than SKES, ToRaKi became a budget-friendly choice for many gamers.

ToRaKi represented an improved version of Tora and Suzuki's 16-bit video game consoles, leading to a surge in players enjoying Tora and Suzuki video games.

Meanwhile, KiShin captured attention by releasing games like 'Killer Instinct,' 'Super Mario Kart,' 'ActRaiser,' and 'Yoshi Island' for SKES.

Despite this, Tora and Suzuki remained composed, planning to stun KiShin with the later development of their video game consoles. Through joint research, the two companies anticipated completing the console development in approximately 3-4 years.

The joint partnership of Tora and Suzuki allowed pooling resources, making research finances more efficient.

Simultaneously, with the rising popularity and substantial profits in the video game industry, it expanded into the computer sector. Apple and Microsoft began incorporating video games into their operating systems.

Recognizing the potential of developing video games for computers, various companies initiated efforts in computer game development.

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Meanwhile, Shin's investment in the World Wide Web is beginning to demonstrate its potential, with several companies starting to utilize the domain.

Web browsers also benefited from the gradual rise of the World Wide Web. Although the sites were only text-based, it was still a positive indication of the initial stages of the World Wide Web's ascent, and Shin's investment didn't go to waste.

As time passed, June arrived, and Shin received a message from Yakuza leader Obi Yuu, informing him that they had successfully taken control of the Yakuza Gang behind Kenshin. Shin couldn't help but be speechless; a few months ago, he had merely suggested dealing with Kenshin, and now they had conquered an entire gang. Although it took a few months, Shin found it quite unbelievable.

However, Shin chose to overlook that development as the release of the TV animated series of EarthBound was on the horizon. TV Asahi unveiled two anime trailers, both under KiShin—EarthBound and Yu-Gi-Oh.

The anime industry experienced growth following KiShin's success. Dragon Ball garnered widespread acclaim and was on the verge of being released in other countries.

As a result, other animation studios began adapting manga into anime, generating substantial profits. Some achieved significant financial gains, while others faced losses due to poorly animated content or less engaging storylines.

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Meanwhile, in the competition with the Apple operating system, Microsoft launched their own video game on MS-DOS featuring 16-bit graphics and a side-scrolling gameplay.

They also introduced a word puzzle and other intriguing video games for MS-DOS, effectively enticing customers away from Apple who were considering purchasing their computers primarily for the video games in their operating system.

In response, Apple executives convened to discuss the situation, leading Steve Jobs to call Shin and inform him about Microsoft's strategic moves.

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[KiShin Headquarters]

Shin sensed that it was time to soon release their video game "Doom," which had been developed using the prototype game engine currently under development at KiShin.

In their phone conversation, Shin remarked to Steve Jobs, "It seems I have to release the video game that will be the breakthrough in the gaming industry..."

Upon hearing this, Steve Jobs felt confused and inquired, "A breakthrough in the gaming industry? Can you elaborate?"

Shin proceeded to explain "Doom" to Steve Jobs, who gradually became intrigued and excited by Shin's explanation.

Following their conversation, Shin arranged for his video game "Doom" to be delivered to Steve Jobs for a firsthand look.

Time passed and as Steve Jobs played the game himself, he experienced excitement, as the video game clearly surpassed the current 2D pixelated games. Despite being categorized as a 2D game, it was, as Shin explained, simultaneously somewhat 3D.

Although it had limitations in its 3D elements, it was sufficient to leave a lasting impression on Steve Jobs.

Therefore, in June, Microsoft celebrated the surge in their sales attributed to the video games they were currently releasing. However, come August, KiShin took the stage by releasing Doom for Apple DOS, compatible with Macintosh OS 7.

Initially, Microsoft didn't perceive the threat posed by this video game, as they were still enjoying a sales boost. However, sales gradually and slightly declined, causing a bit of alarm at Microsoft.

Towards the end of August, Apple, on the other hand, experienced a bit of rise in sales.

Microsoft was confused because KiShin hadn't released any advertisements for the video game Doom. Consequently, many video game enthusiasts still weren't aware of the game.

Meanwhile, whether non-video game fans or dedicated gamers who played Doom, they experienced a feeling of exhilaration and enjoyment as if they had discovered gold among the trash.

Despite computers being expensive at the time, when people spread the word about Doom to their friends and showcased the game to them, Apple experienced a slight rise in sales.

Furthermore, those who already owned Apple computers purchased the Doom video game, causing a significant surge in sales for KiShin's Doom.

Despite the increase in sales for Apple and a significant surge in KiShin's Doom, the game remained relatively unknown to casual Americans, except for Apple users or those contemplating Apple for gaming.

A considerable portion of the USA's population was still unfamiliar with Doom at this point. Nonetheless, both Apple and KiShin experienced a modest rise in sales despite Doom's limited popularity within the broader video game community.