The parent-child challenge, featuring live gameplay by voice actors, went off without a hitch.
Especially noteworthy was the fact that the two voice actors had been thoroughly trained beforehand, specifically on how to clear the first level, under Kobayashi Tetsu's personal guidance.
In Japan, entertainers don't enjoy particularly high social status or salaries, so they'll wholeheartedly cooperate with any event as long as the compensation is generous.
For example, a certain action actor had been filming TV dramas for years and managed to save up several million yen—still not enough to cover the cost of a single Sega development kit.
Thus, during their appearance, the two well-trained voice actors delivered a masterclass to the live audience.
The next day, Kobayashi Tetsu received the review from *Kadokawa Game Magazine*:
"As a fan-made adaptation, the game perfectly captures the original's iconic soundtrack, maintains the usual high-quality visuals, and adheres to Atlus Studio's signature gameplay style."
"The two distinct forms offer completely different control experiences, making this an outstanding work!"
Kobayashi Tetsu set down the magazine, unsurprised.
"Calm down," he thought. "How could anything I personally oversee possibly be anything but top-notch? It's guaranteed to be a masterpiece!"
Before him, Yamashina Makoto seemed to have a realization. "So your marketing plan was to bring the voice actors to the event and have them perform live using Hikaru Ichijo and Lynn Minmay's voices? Looks like that five million yen marketing budget wasn't wasted after all!"
"How could that be?" Kobayashi Tetsu scoffed. "My plan hasn't even been set off yet."
Since he was personally overseeing this project, Kobayashi Tetsu had naturally invested significant effort into it. He had prepared a classic marketing strategy, but it hadn't been triggered yet.
He checked the time. *It should be about time now.*
This was a classic marketing tactic that Namco had once used, but due to the unique development process of *FC Iron Plate Formation*, the plan had ultimately been abandoned.
Now, it was Kobayashi Tetsu's turn to be the first to deploy it.
"Japan is just a sprinkling of water," Kobayashi Tetsu said. "What I really look forward to is seeing the reaction when Sega releases this game overseas!"
*Super Dimension Fortress Macross* had an official American anime adaptation, and the theme perfectly aligned with American tastes!
The series even had an official domestic release, and "Lynn Minmay" was the official translation of her name provided by that version.
Yamashina Makoto didn't fully understand, but seeing Kobayashi Tetsu's unwavering conviction, he decided to trust him for the moment.
"Then I have to ask," Yamashina Makoto said. "Exactly what marketing strategy do you intend to use?"
Kobayashi Tetsu raised a finger.
*Developer Mode leak!*
When Namco was developing *FC Iron Plate Formation*, they accidentally left the Developer Mode in the released cartridge. This allowed some less skilled players to access later levels, contributing significantly to the game's popularity. For the player community, it was an exceptionally effective marketing tool.
However, without an insider exposing it, it would have been nearly impossible to discover.
Kobayashi Tetsu had considered having Hikaru Ichijo's voice actor reveal the secret on the game's release day, but he ultimately restrained himself.
The voice actor's appearance was already generating enough buzz. If everything were to be revealed at once, there would be nothing left to build on later.
Instead, he deliberately waited a week.
Only after things had settled down did he prepare to unleash the news.
In that issue of *Kadokawa Game Magazine*...
An article personally written by Kobayakawa Rinko, under the pen name "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," was published.
:::box
Super Dimension Fortress Macross Has a Hidden Mode?
:::
The article briefly described the game's difficulty and the key points of combat using its two forms.
After this brief introduction, the tone shifted dramatically.
The game actually has a hidden mode!
By entering the code "up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A," you can activate Developer Mode.
In Developer Mode, you can adjust the game to have infinite lives!
This is probably the most astonishing revelation.
To think that a fully developed game still had such a loophole, allowing players to set infinite lives!
This opens up a whole new set of options for players.
People buy games to complete them, and with the high cost of physical games, few players fail to finish them. This is unlike the digital games of later eras, where low prices mean many buyers never even open the game.
In Japan, at the Iwasaki household, Iwasaki Daisuke personally tested this out.
"It really works! Infinite lives!"
The middle-aged man, Iwasaki Daisuke, was deeply shaken.
If he couldn't pass a level with one life, how could he possibly fail with infinite lives?
That day, Iwasaki Daisuke proved one thing to Iwasaki Isao.
It wasn't actually infinite lives—it was 99 lives.
San Francisco, California, the home of Lin Dengwan.
"Holy shit! Oh my god! This is amazing!"
Lin Dengwan covered his head with both hands, his face contorted in exaggerated shock.
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross had been adapted and rebranded as Robotech for American audiences, gaining considerable influence among North American fans.
Naturally, Americans are highly vigilant against cultural infiltration, so the protagonists had been renamed with American-sounding names—Hikaru Ichijo and Lynn Minmay were now Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes.
Even so, Lin Dengwan had naturally seen this classic work.
He gripped the controllers tightly, starting the game with palpable excitement.
The Japanese promotions and marketing campaigns were completely unknown in the United States, so Lin Dengwan had no idea about the Developer Mode or the accompanying Bandai toys.
At that moment, he was completely focused on the game before him.
Behind Lin Dengwan, his girlfriend glared at him with burning anger.
"Lin En, it's so hot. I'm going to take off my clothes."
Lin Dengwan nodded, absorbed in the game, then suddenly exclaimed.
"Wow!"
His girlfriend secretly rejoiced, but Lin Dengwan continued to exclaim.
"Wow, it can transform! Look, it can change into a mecha and a fighter jet!"
Girlfriend: ——
The girlfriend couldn't help but think bitterly, *Are you dating me or Lynn Minmay? If this keeps up, I'll just dress up like her next time!*
Lin Dengwan suddenly looked up.
"Great! Great! That's perfect!"
He gestured dramatically, starting to critique earnestly.
"First, your hair needs to be dyed, and your style completely changed. Especially no more stockings—female leads never wear stockings!"
Girlfriend: ——?? What is he talking about?!
Seeing the strange gleam in Lin Dengwan's eyes, a peculiar feeling suddenly stirred in the girlfriend's heart.
In a daze, she suddenly felt she understood how to handle her little boyfriend.
On that day...
Iwasaki Daisuke discovered through trial and error that Developer Mode wasn't actually unlimited lives, but ninety-nine lives.
On that day...
Kobayashi Tetsu, after publishing an article that exposed the secret of Developer Mode, spent a relaxed afternoon with Koyakawa and Anegasaki Nene.
On that day...
Lin Dengwan was pinned down by Lynn Minmay, brutally taken for a ride like a fighter pilot.
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