(?'s POV)
One of the first formal studies of the phenomenon was at Harvard Medical School in the year 2000. Those who participated had played the game for seven hours each over the course of three days. Remarkably, sixty-three percent of the participants reported seeing imagery from the game hours after they had finished playing. Most commonly, when they were just falling asleep. ON its own, this fact, itself, was quite extraordinary. However, the biggest surprise was that amnesiac patients with brain damage that prevents them from forming new memories had also reported seeing game imagery well after they had finished playing. Those participants were unable to recall ever playing the game at all, but their descriptions completely matched those of players with perfect memories. Blocks. They all saw blocks falling from space, sometimes rotating or fitting neatly into empty spaces between other blocks. Most of the time, those blocks fell in conjoined sets of four. Some participants had also reported seeing completed lines disappearing. This was a phenomenon that had held a deep place in my heart. The very same game that was conducted in this experiment was the game that was my childhood. The game that I had always held close, no matter what, where, or when. Name; Hoshizora Kame. Age; 28 Origin; Sapporo, Japan. Current Residence; Worcester, Massachussetts. Occupation; Professional Gamer. College Education; Massachussetts Institute of Technology. High School Education; Deep Well High School. High School Diploma Received; Hope's Peak Academy. For me, the game has been more than just a hobby, but a way of life. If you want my honest opinion, no other game manages to be able to determine one's skill, be a source of relaxation, be as enthralling, or be as competitive than this. And to think that the game that was once my Ultimate Title was used as a scientific breakthrough. In fact, the researchers gave this phenomenon a name…
(Chiaki's POV)
"Tetris Effect?" Hajime asks me. Hajime Hinata, a long-time friend of mine, and member of the Reserve Course. He's a bit of a realist when it comes to, well, actually just about everything. But all of his friends, myself included, know that he's always trying his best. As for me, I am Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer. For as long as I've known, games have been a specialty of mine. They've brought people together. More prominently, at least for me, it's managed to bring together my class and two other classes of underclassmen. And today, I'm showing a new game that's been on my eye lately.
Tetris Effect, a Playstation 4 exclusive game. It utilizes every mechanic from modern Tetris, but it puts more of an emphasis on the Effect part of the title. Unlike the traditional Tetris theme many gamers have come to recognize, the music in this game is well varied, and the background matches the BGM as well. Interestingly, the game also has it so that your actions in the game make sounds and musical notes alongside the game's music as well. I've seen a few full playthroughs of the game's 'Journey Mode', which takes you through every music stage. Also, the Zone mechanic implemented in the game is interesting. While active, the blocks stop falling and cleared lines are sent to the bottom of the screen. It's a short period of time that allows the player to clear as many lines as they can. Once they reach the top of the screen or time runs out, the Zone ends, all complete lines are removed, and the remaining Minos drop down. It's really interesting.
"Yeah, I've been keeping my eye on it for a while. I really hope to play it someday. Though it could be a bit pricey…" I admit. Hajime raises an eyebrow. "How much is it?" he asks. "Oh, the game I can buy. About ¥4400. But…" I drag out. "Ah. No PS4?" He asks. I nod my head 'yes'. "It's not a big problem. Besides, Hoshizora prolongs his playthroughs of the game because, he himself said, he wants his viewers to be immersed in the music, not the gameplay. I'll be satisfied watching his playthroughs." I say. "Pardon me, did you happen to say, 'Hoshizora'?" We hear a man's voice say. We both look up.
He was a man with a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and grey jeans. His shoes looked a bit formal and were entirely black. He had obviously dyed his hair green, and it was in a bowl-haircut. "Yes. He's a regular Tetris player and streamer on Twitch and YouTube. You know him?" I inform and ask him. "Know him? I should. That is me, after all." He chuckles. Wait, what? "Hoshizora Kame. I use my first name online. Nice to meet you two." Hoshizora reaches out for a handshake from both of us. "Hajime Hinata…" Hajime says. "Chiaki Nanami." I said. We awkwardly accept. Who wouldn't? I mean, a well-known internet persona is in front of you in person. It feels exciting, and also terrifying. "Are you two students here?" He asks. "Well, technically not me." Hajime admits. "Oh?" Hoshizora looks intrigued. "Reserve Course." I tell him. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that. But I suppose all schools do change once you leave them." He says. "You were a student here?" Hajime asks. "Yes. Ultimate Tetris. I remember the good ol' days with my class. I remember everyone gathering watching me play. Sometimes, I even got challengers. No one, not even the Ultimate Arcade Player, who was an upperclassman of mine, could beat me." Hoshizora reminisces. "Oh. I have the title of Ultimate Gamer. Maybe we could play a game of Battle?" I offer. "I'll warn you, she's pretty good at just about every video game there is." Hajime says. I puff my cheeks a little at Hajime giving him help. "Thanks, but I didn't earn the title for fun. Even though I've been long gone from here, the title's kind of stuck." Hoshizora says. And with that, we fire up our games and prepare to do Tetris Battle.
(20 Minutes Later…)
"Ah. I lost." It was best 3 of 5, and Hoshizora came out on top, 3-1. "I can definitely see how you've earned your title. Definitely gave me a good run for my money there. However, there's a reason my title has been maintained for a good decade now." Hoshizora says. We had both gave it our best, using the best techniques we could. From T-Spins to Back-to-Backs, we both pushed for victory. I won the first game because I got lucky with a triple Perfect Clear. But after that, it was a battle of attrition and speed. And Hoshizora was faster. "Well then… Hm. Still have plenty of time." Hoshizora checks his watch. "What for?" Hajime asks. "I bet you're wondering why I'm here. Am I wrong?" Hoshizora asks. We both nod in response. "Well, I was invited here. Before he became the headmaster you know now, Jin Kirigiri was my teacher. He was once the Ultimate Detective, a title that, I've heard, has been passed down to his daughter and someone else." Hajime decides to speak up. "Shuichi Saihara?" Hoshizora shrugs. "I never got their name, so I suppose so. Anyway, my old teacher called me up all the way over in America asking for a favor. Considering how thankful I was for his guidance to what I am now, how could I refuse? So here I am." Hoshizora states. "I should probably start heading down there right now. You'll be okay?" We both nod. "Well, then I'm off. Nice meeting you. And thanks for the game, Chi- Oof… silly me. Forgot I was in Japan again. I can never remember the honorifics after I moved halfway across the planet. Thank you for playing, Nanami-san." And with that, Hoshizora Kame had left for Kirigiri's office, allegedly.
But here's the thing, it wasn't even three minutes before my teacher, Chisa Yukizome, came over to us. Yukizome-sensei is friendly, lively, and quite quirky. She does odd things sometimes, but she is always doing her best to make sure we do our best. In short, she's the perfect teacher for us. "Oh there you are, Nanami-san. Hi Hinata-san. Anyway, come with me. There's an assembly going on, and attendance is mandatory! Oh, and you're coming too, Hinata-san." What? We look at each other and we're both confused. What assembly? And why is Hajime going with us? I don't have time to answer my questions as Yukizome-sensei is, quite literally, dragging us to the assembly hall.
What could be in store for us?
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LEVEL 0: ENTRY GRANTED
COMPLETE
Author's Notes
I do not own Danganronpa, any of it's characters, or Tetris. I only own Hoshizora Kame.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sorry about the sudden shut-down. It's just that… things sometimes happen, and it doesn't put you in the mood to write this stuff. I'll be blunt; Someone very close to me, close to everyone in my family, has passed on. Died 12/28. Christmastime had messed with my schedule horribly. I had to push back typing this stuff a deadline. But after losing someone dear to my heart, I couldn't bring myself to write. I knew New Years would elevate my spirits a bit, which is why this is happening. But, I had to prolong the releases of countless stories because of this. Please do try to understand. The new release dates of the next chapters of all other stories with be on my profile shortly after this gets published. In addition, this story will be a daily thing, but I will also be writing my other stories as well. I'm going to be pretty busy during January, I can already tell. Regardless, I wish you all a Happy New Year, and may fortune smile upon 2019. Until next time, I'll stay Enigmatic.
-UltimateEnigmatic