After a series of discussions, Masuko Tsukasa officially joined Atlas Studio.
Counting Kobayashi Tetsu, the studio now had four people:
programming and music by Nakayama Yuji,
art by Kitagawa Takeshi,
music by Masuko Tsukasa,
and Kobayashi himself as lead programmer and planner.
Small as it was, the studio now had all the vital organs.
By early 1984, Japan's economy continued to rise, and salaries increased accordingly. After asking Kentarō about Sega's pay standards, Kobayashi adjusted Nakayama and Kitagawa's salaries to 150,000 yen per month—slightly above the average white-collar wage.
Masuko, as a newcomer with no prior experience, would start at 80,000 yen, just as Kitagawa once had.
When the team produced a finished game, each would also receive a percentage-based bonus.
To celebrate the new hire, they all enjoyed a lavish meal before going their separate ways.
The next day.
When Masuko arrived at the garage, he found Kobayashi directing Nakayama and Kitagawa as they hauled an electronic keyboard inside.
The two did the lifting; Kobayashi did the talking.
Kobayashi Tetsu would never do manual labor—he only moved his mouth.
"Oh! Masuko-kun, you're here. Come help carry the rest—there's still plenty outside."
He pointed toward the open door. A van was parked there, and the sunglasses-wearing driver, Koizumi, leaned against it smoking, ignoring everything around him.
Masuko answered quickly and ran off to help.
Moments later, shouts of astonishment echoed from the van.
"Wha—what is this!? Isn't this Sony's newest electronic synthesizer? It's insanely expensive!"
"And this one!!"
"And these!!"
"So many!!"
"Oh my god!!!"
"These… these must cost tens of millions of yen!!"
Kobayashi lounged back on the sofa, spreading his hands casually.
Please.
Eight hundred million yen? A trivial sum.
This entire set had originally belonged to a Sega-owned arcade music studio. Since that department had merged with headquarters, the equipment was idle. Through connections, Kobayashi bought it at Sega's internal price—barely anything at all.
Brand-new, the whole set would have cost over twenty million yen.
"Is everything in place? The soundproof booth is ready, and all the equipment, computers, and workstations are set up."
The already small garage now had a simple soundproof room installed, leaving only two-thirds of the original space.
Kobayashi pointed. "Masuko-kun, Nakayama-kun—you two will share this area for music production. Your computers and workstations are here. Nakayama-kun, guide him when you can and help him get up to speed."
Everyone nodded.
Masuko surveyed his workstation, looking both stunned and overwhelmed.
A giant desk, a high-end computer, and a chair that looked dangerously comfortable.
"This… this is still a workplace!?"
He could hardly believe such luxury existed.
Kobayashi pulled over the whiteboard—class was about to begin.
For the first project of the new year, and also the first with the full team assembled, Kobayashi planned to go big.
This game would become one of the Famicom's early benchmarks in music and sound design—widely considered one of the console's most outstanding titles in that field.
He uncapped the marker and wrote a line on the board:
"Everyone, have you heard of Jörmungandr?"
Nakayama raised his hand.
"I've heard of it. A creature from myth—said to be able to swallow an entire world. A terrifying monster in Norse legends."
"Exactly." Kobayashi clapped his hands.
"And that will be the title of our new game: Jörmungandr!"
As he wrote, he explained, occasionally jotting down keywords.
"There exists a mysterious beast—Jörmungandr—an unimaginably vast creature that seeks to devour the Earth. All reconnaissance ships sent ahead were swallowed. And with time, Jörmungandr only grows larger.
"At this critical moment, the Earth Federation constructs two prototype fighters—fastest speed, strongest firepower, and unmatched endurance. Players will pilot these prototypes through space, cosmic ruins, the serpent's belly, and the swallowed battleships, ultimately destroying Jörmungandr from within!"
What he was actually describing was Salamander.
The salamander of myth was a fire spirit—but in the game, it swallowed battleships whole.
According to later sequels, "Salamander" actually referred to the Prophecy of Fire, which made its usage in the first game even stranger.
A giant serpent that devours ships and planets—yet the game calls it "Salamander"?
Nonsense.
It was just a name anyway, so Kobayashi simply renamed it to Jörmungandr.
When he finished outlining the concept, his expression turned serious.
"I estimate development will take at least half a year. That's a long cycle. I'll reach out to nearby companies—we may be able to outsource part of the work. If possible, I want this game to become the early benchmark of home console graphics and music!
"And to achieve that, I can't do it alone. I'll be relying on all of you. Let's give it everything we have."
He bowed deeply to the three of them.
Masuko panicked and jumped down from his chair.
"P-President—please—don't! I'll do my absolute best!"
Nakayama and Kitagawa also stood and returned the bow.
"We will not betray your expectations!"
"Yes! Let's create a miracle in gaming history together!"
Kobayashi smiled and raised his head.
"No need to get that emotional. If every game we made were a miracle, then we've already created more miracles than gaming history could hold."
He erased the earlier notes from the board.
"Now, the actual development plan. This will be a side-scrolling shooter. These games are already common in arcades, but on home consoles, this will be the first of its kind. To maintain smoothness, we'll use techniques proven in arcade development."
Nakayama raised his hand.
"President, if the combat takes place inside Jörmungandr's body, can the scene handle fast movement? Or do we need to divide the environment into segments?"
"No. We won't divide anything. We need one continuous giant stage. You've played Iron Plate Formation in arcades, right? This game will use the same method—scrolling backgrounds."
"This technique is called—the scroll system."
And Kobayashi Tetsu would introduce scroll technology to home consoles—ahead of its time
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