I Just Want Players to Save Money, They Insist on Giving Me!
Chapter 483 - 164: The Center of Attention! The Handheld Console Launch Event Taking the Lead!_4

Chapter 483: Chapter 164: The Center of Attention! The Handheld Console Launch Event Taking the Lead!_4

But as a side-scrolling platformer, even on Blue Star where game genres are scarce, Mario could not be considered the first of its kind.

The reason it was able to dominate the market on Earth, with each release selling like hotcakes, lay largely in the considerable boost of nostalgia.

But on Blue Star, if you were to release a version with the original NES pixel art style, even with the IP boost from Number One Player, Mario was destined to be a game that would flop spectacularly.

Therefore, as a title launching alongside the Switch, it had to have some added prestige.

The previous generations of Mario had been quickly exhausted by Ke Jin.

Looking at the entire series,

The only one left to carry the flagship banner

Should be that one.

Super Mario: Odyssey

As the best-selling entry in the entire Mario IP series,

Odyssey could be said to be a culmination of the best of Mario.

Just as its name would suggest.

The meaning of Odyssey itself is somewhat abstract.

It usually refers to a long and arduous journey.

When applied to a video game, it takes on the connotations of an expedition, adventure, voyage, or quest for the unknown.

Whether it’s Kassandra’s epic journey in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

Or Mario’s adventures in Mario Odyssey, where he travels from one wondrous and fantastical kingdom to another aboard a spaceship,

Their themes all highlight the core concept - ’an adventure-filled coming-of-age journey.’

To give a more straightforward example,

Journey to the West could also be interpreted as Tang Dynasty: Odyssey

And Mario Odyssey, as a 3D diorama-style adventure action game,

Its core is not action, nor is it about leveling up.

But the diverse and interesting experiences encountered along the journey.

With boundless imagination, it lays out a world filled with childlike wonder and fun for the player.

"In addition to Mario Odyssey, according to the plan, it would be ideal to release one or two more titles."

After some thought, Ke Jin finally chose Kirby of the Stars Wii + Jet Warrior.

The reason for choosing Star Kirby doesn’t need much explanation.

Just one word.

Incredibly cute!

The round, pink, Kirby effortlessly attracts children’s attention more than adults.

And the choice of Jet Warrior was purely because FPS games sell the worst among handheld games on Blue Star.

Having run through the idea in his mind once more and confirming there were no major issues with this strategy, Ke Jin began to summon Brother Tong Zi.

There were some leftovers from the previous blind box, and he had been awarded another one after completing Cloud Top.

With three word entries to choose from, it was nearly impossible to go wrong.

Ke Jin successfully selected the games he wanted without trouble.

Three of the games were Switch exclusives.

Mario Odyssey

Kirby of the Stars Wii (which would later be renamed)

Jet Warrior (the second installment, but it would be known simply as Jet Warrior upon its Blue Star release)

As well as an all-platform release from Number One Player, Slaughter Spire

Beyond these,

Ke Jin planned to additionally port a batch of already completed indie gems from Number One Player such as Stardew Valley, Hollow, Wind Traveler, etc., to the Switch as part of the channel offerings.

He would also integrate Eternity into the online games.

As for Pubg and Cloud Top,

The former, being a competitive online game that demanded burst reflexes, offered a considerably worse experience with a joystick compared to a mouse, so it wasn’t considered for porting.

The latter, Cloud Top, already playable on PC and mobile, didn’t have considerable benefit moving to the Switch and was also not considered for the time being.

"This way, with some old games serving as a backdrop, the Switch will attract a segment of the veteran gamers, securing a portion of its base sales,"

"While invigorating titles like Mario, Kirby, and Jet Warrior will appeal more to children, avoiding the pitfall of catering too much to adults. Since kids don’t have as much purchasing power, it would reduce the likelihood of them buying all three games at once, lessening the expected cash flow."

"Lastly, Slaughter Spire will serve as a backup during the periods of aesthetic fatigue with rogue-like games, as the ultimate insurance."

Tsk tsk tsk.

With these multiple layers of insurance in place,

Steady... all we can say is, here’s hoping for the best!

With all thoughts in order, Ke Jin began issuing tasks to the two companies.

Oasis was in charge of developing Mario + Kirby of the Stars Wii.

Number One Player, with its rich experience in designing multiplayer games, was in charge of Jet Warrior.

They also took on the development of Slaughter Spire.

This time there was a relatively ample amount of time, three months.

With the addition of his own planning documentation, there shouldn’t be any major issues, and he even had time to refine the final product.

All that was needed was to wait as time progressed.

————

The three months passed by as swiftly as a stream of water.

This time, everything was aimed at ensuring a smooth launch for the Switch, so much so that Number One Player didn’t even announce any game development news through ’Number One Info’ to maximize the impact at the Switch’s debut presentation!

In contrast, SE had been leaking insider tips over the three months, indicating that a major 3D title was about to land on the Slover13.

From the short teaser that was released,

The unnamed game showcased a Western fantasy world with intricately modeled and realistic characters.

The weapons in hand could evolve in multiple layers during battle, and were designed to be used in conjunction with magic.

According to official SE leaks, the gameplay revealed in the first CG teaser was just the tip of the iceberg, with more content to be showcased in sync with the Slover13 reveal.