When Meyer left, his steps were unsteady, as if he had gotten drunk.
Ethan always managed to come up with something new to surprise him.
...
Henry rubbed his tired eyes. The bags under them were frighteningly swollen.
He stopped in front of his shop and quietly looked up at the somewhat worn sign hanging in the morning sunlight.
Arcade Area
It was a small arcade he owned.
Henry sighed, pulled out his keys, unlocked the door, and hung up the OPEN sign.
The impact of the Atari crash hadn't hit small arcades like his particularly hard. Although he had chosen an absolutely terrible time to enter the industry, he had at least managed to make a living.
What Henry hadn't expected was how quickly things would change. The thing that had transformed his peaceful life was a small arcade game called Tetris.
As the owner of a small arcade in Riverside, California, Henry had been fortunate enough to secure part of the first shipment, purchasing two machines at a very low price.
No one had imagined that those two machines would prove so incredibly profitable. In less than a week, players from half the neighborhood had gathered at his arcade.
Naturally, he hadn't hesitated.
He took out another loan and purchased two more 1942 cabinets. The results were obvious.
The already-enthusiastic players became even more devoted to his arcade, spending entire days there trying to break records.
Henry loved that feeling.
Not just because he was making a lot of money, but because he could see signs that video games were coming back to life.
He loved watching players immerse themselves in the pure joy of gaming.
Walking over to the counter, Henry casually wiped down the glass display case. Inside sat a small bronze trophy. He had specially commissioned it from a manufacturer.
He had planned to host a simple Tetris tournament in his arcade and had even prepared free drinks and snacks for the occasion.
But sometimes God simply wasn't reasonable.
Contra had been released.
With its market-friendly action-hero narrative and spectacular visual presentation, Contra instantly became a phenomenon.
Combined with Schwarzenegger's endorsement, the entire country seemed to rush towards the game overnight.
The entrance bell rang, and Henry put on a welcoming smile.
"Morning, Henry. Am I the first one here today?"
The customer casually greeted him and sat down in front of the Tetris machine. Looking around, he noticed that Henry was the only person in the arcade.
Henry let out a bitter laugh.
"They all went to the arcade on 14th Street. You know, the one that has..."
"Contra."
The player clearly understood and continued while inserting a coin.
"Why don't you buy one, Henry? Then your arcade wouldn't be this empty."
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He still remembered the days when players from half the neighborhood packed the place.
And now, simply because they didn't have a Contra cabinet, the arcade had become this deserted.
"I'd like to. But guess how much one costs?"
Henry rubbed his temples. Just thinking about the number made his heart ache.
"Five thousand dollars! And they're out of stock! If you want one sooner, you have to pay extra to jump the queue!"
Henry was just a small arcade owner.
Even if he emptied his savings, he couldn't come up with that much cash. Buying those 1942 cabinets had already required a loan.
"Is the new game really that good?"
The player had obviously never played Contra.
The arcade on 14th Street was nearly seven miles away.
Factoring in travel and waiting in line, he probably wouldn't even get two games in over the course of a day.
His strategy was simple.
While everyone else was lining up for Contra, he could enjoy these older games without any competition.
"Haha..."
Henry's laugh sounded a little stiff. He didn't want to lie.
"I've played it. It's really good..."
The player nodded and said nothing further, returning his attention to the screen. He wasn't an impatient person.
Once the hype died down and the crowds thinned out, he'd get his chance to play it naturally.
Henry sat behind the counter, occasionally coming out to clean. Throughout the entire morning, only a handful of customers drifted in and out, and none stayed very long.
At noon, the entrance bell rang once more. Henry greeted the newcomer.
But this person clearly wasn't here to play. Unlike the others dressed in light casual clothing, he wore a neatly pressed business suit.
Henry immediately snapped to attention and hurried over.
It was someone from the bank.
And if a bank employee had appeared at his arcade, it could only mean one thing...
"My mortgage loan application got approved?"
Henry had used his car as collateral to secure ten thousand dollars in cash.
The banker nodded and took several documents from his briefcase, indicating where Henry needed to sign.
Without the slightest hesitation, Henry quickly signed every line.
Although he no longer had a car, as long as he used the money to buy two Contra machines, his arcade would quickly get back on track.
...
"Hello, thank you for calling Silicon Oasis..."
"Contra is out of stock? You've got to be kidding me!"
Henry's voice was filled with frustration.
He had finally secured the money, only to discover that he still had to wait through a lengthy production queue.
What kind of joke was that?
"Mr. Henry, please don't worry."
The operator offered a comforting response.
She had already handled countless similar calls over the past two days.
"Although Contra is currently unavailable, we do have a new machine published by GAMENOVA studios. Would you like to hear about it?"
"A new machine?!"
Henry was startled.
As an arcade owner, he was naturally familiar with GAMENOVA's name.
The current three blockbuster arcade hits had all come from GAMENOVA.
"That's right. Metal Gear. You're quite lucky, actually. We only received our first shipment today."
"...How much does it cost?"
Henry quickly calmed down.
Judging by the title alone, it sounded like some kind of mecha-themed science-fiction action game.
That would put it in direct competition with Contra.
Spending all of his savings on two games that might not become hits made him hesitant.
"Twelve hundred dollars per unit, sir."
"Huh... HUH?!"
Henry practically shouted into the phone.
"Just over a thousand dollars each? You're not joking?"
"No, sir."
"Then... I'd like to order two, no, four units! And one Contra cabinet as well."
Henry ultimately decided that he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket.
An arcade machine this cheap was probably some small game like Pac-Man.
It might be fun, but surely it couldn't compare to a major title like Contra. If he wanted to turn things around, he still needed to focus on premium arcade machines.
"Certainly, Mr. Henry. We'll arrange delivery immediately."