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About Tokyo Game Show 2009 (part 1)

Hosted by Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), Tokyo Game Show (TGS for short) is the largest videogame convention in Japan which is held every autumn at Makuhari Messe, Chiba Prefecture. First held in 1996, this year was its 19th trade show.

At TGS, you get to see promotion graphics and movies of various games making companies' latest works, to experience demoware, getting freebies and commemorative goods for experiencing the game, to watch various stage shows at the event stage, to buy limited items at the company booths, and much more.

Year before last, I heard that at the Level-5 booth, they will be distributing a supplementary software for the first two volumes of "Professor Layton" series. To get this software, I reached the convention center at 5 A.M despite the door opens at 10 am - and cried my eyes out because I was no way near obtaining it. Last year, I wanted to play the trial version for CAPCOM's latest "Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban)" game called "Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (Gyakuten Kenji)", and I spent a lot of my time sticking around CAPCOM booth to find out when it will come out.

If the company gives out the numbered tickets, then you'd get to grasp the situation, but if they don't... and especially when they tell you "the registration is temporarily closed" while you are waiting within the big crowd, you can't calculate the time when you should leave or come back to the booth. I had many bad experiences that I was "out" by a touch of few seconds, and that's really, truly depressing.

Reflecting back on my last two years of somewhat sad experiences, I went to the show again - which I'll tell you what happened in the 4 panel comics coming up next.

explanatory notes

• Professor Layton series

The mystery (puzzle) solving fantasy adventure game released by Level-5. The player controls Professor Layton and his assistant, must progress the story by solving various mysteries (puzzles) given by the people of the Curious Village, etc. It was a pretty hard game to play with my rock-solid, stiff brain, and how many times have I visited its online strategy guides...

• Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban)

Released by CAPCOM, this "Ace Attorney" series is a law court battle adventure game based on Japanese legal system. By taking the information and evidence you obtained through investigation, or with the evidence given by the prosecution side, and by hearing the testimony from the witness and cross-examining them, the player must find discrepancy to the charge of the client. By clearing up more discrepancies, the player will reveal the truth of the case, and finally to prove that the client is innocent, thus "not guilty".

Four titles were released as "Ace Attorney" series, and in May 2009 a spin-off work with a different concept: "NEW Gyakuten NOT Saiban (NEW Turnabout, NOT Trial)" called "Gyakuten Kenji (Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth)" was released. This game does not take place in the court, but the concept of hunting down the evidence, facts, and coming up with discrepancy points are the same as the original series.

• About the 2nd and 3rd panel of manga

The photographs on the second panel show the model of Honda Tadakatsu at CAPCOM booth at Tokyo Game Show 2007 (right) and my precious trophies of that year (left). The picture on the third panel is the demoware booth of "Gyakuten Kenji" at the TGS 2008. The booth was built to recreate the office of the defense attorney Mitsurugi Reiji (Miles Edgeworth). Inside the "office", the "figure of Tonosaman" was placed by his table, as well as a detailed replica of the old outfit of young Mitsurugi was on display, etc. It was like the fan's dream - my dream - to come true - with brilliant intention and design. Oh, how I love the Game Show!!