The Gameboy Advance video games released in the USA, such as "Pro Skater," "NBA Jam," and, finally, "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters," were showcased and previewed in television advertisements.

The US versions of these games looked promising, with some not yet released in Japan.

These video games were specifically tailored for the USA market, and their popularity in Japan was uncertain.

However, "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters" stood out—a game allowing characters from Marvel and fighters from KiShin fighting video games to be matched and engage in battles.

Fighters from "Street Fighter," "Mortal Kombat," and "Tekken I" can battle against Marvel characters like Spiderman, The X-Men, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and the Fantastic Four.

The merging of these fighter universes in a video game was undoubtedly a great idea, capturing the attention of comic fans, especially Marvel enthusiasts. While many of these fans were casual gamers, the introduction of Marvel Comics into video games, even for handheld consoles, piqued their interest.

Rudy, a young guy exploring the "Toys R Us" game and console section, gazed at the "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters" poster on the wall. He and his three friends came to the mall to purchase the hyped Gameboy Advance.

"Marvel and Street Fighters, Mortal Kombat crossover?" Rudy asked curiously. Though familiar with Marvel from childhood comics, he didn't anticipate its adaptation into video games. His friends overheard and joined him in examining the poster.

One friend informed him about the video game, saying, "Yeah, that's also a Gameboy Advance video game."

Afterward, Rudy and his friends finally acquired the sought-after handheld console. At this moment, Rudy was quite excited, especially when he observed the Gameboy Advance box placed inside the "luxurious" KiShin paper bag.

Once they had the Gameboy Advance in hand, they each headed home, eager to unbox their precious acquisitions.

Rudy, sharing the same enthusiasm, rushed home and promptly grabbed his digital camera. Turning it on, he aimed to capture the moments of unboxing his Gameboy Advance.

Unbeknownst to Rudy, what he was about to do mirrored the popular unboxing videos that would become a trend on the future internet. Little did he realize that his footage of unboxing a Gameboy Advance would become a part of electronic handheld console unboxing history.

"This is the best day of my life," Rudy exclaimed, positioning his camera just right to film the unboxing.

As Rudy noticed the Gameboy Advance box wrapped in shrink wrap—a plastic film tightly heated around the product's box—he appreciated how it enhanced the box's visual appeal.

"I have to be careful opening this... I need to find something sharp," Rudy muttered, his voice captured by the camera's recording.

Rudy went to the kitchen, bringing a sharp pair of scissors with him. With great care, he meticulously cut open the shrink wrap, maneuvering around the corners and tight spaces of the box. Rudy treated the task as if he were handling the most precious thing in the world.

The camera captured this perfectly—the carefulness of Rudy's actions, from his hands delicately opening the box, was truly admirable.

After dealing with the shrink wrap, Rudy finally opened the box to reveal the Gameboy Advance neatly packaged inside.

Taking the Gameboy Advance in his hands, Rudy continued to handle it with utmost care, and the camera captured every moment of his meticulous attention. He then powered on his Gameboy Advance, and the logos of both Gameboy Advance and KiShin appeared on the screen. However, the screen indicated that no video game cartridge was inserted into the handheld.

Observing this, Rudy inserted the video game "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters."

He found the concept intriguing—Marvel characters facing off against Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat characters. As for the other characters, he wasn't familiar with them.

At the time, Tekken wasn't as widely recognized among gamers worldwide compared to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Only those who frequented arcades were likely familiar with Tekken characters.

Once the video game was inserted into the handheld cartridge slot, the Gameboy Advance and KiShin logos flashed before the title "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters" appeared.

As the intense soundtrack played, Rudy pressed start and selected the one-on-one fight mode. The list of characters then appeared.

Rudy opted for the character "Spiderman" and, following that, selected a character named "Kazuya Mishima."

Honestly, Rudy was unfamiliar with "Kazuya Mishima," judging solely from the Japanese-sounding name.

The round commenced, and Rudy found himself controlling the character "Spiderman" in the 2D pixelated fighting gameplay. He skillfully maneuvered his in-game character, and the animation of "Spiderman" trapping Kazuya with his spiderweb looked smooth and impressive.

"Damn, this guy is much tougher than I expected..." Rudy muttered as he guided "Spiderman" to jump and evade Kazuya's attacks.

He continued playing the video game for half an hour, forgetting that his camera was still recording the moments. However, as the camera's battery gradually drained, Rudy realized it was still on, with only about 3 percent remaining. He promptly stopped recording and charged the digital camera.

--

The Gameboy Advance, without much suspense, became quite successful after its first week in the USA market.

Gameboy Advance video games also became a topic of discussion among many gamers. Comics fans, driven by curiosity, purchased the handheld and were not disappointed.

Similarly, some skaters bought the handheld to play "Pro Skater," but it didn't seem to satisfy them enough. However, they found satisfaction in other video game offerings.


Around the month of September, the KiShin Pictures have long finished filming "Spiderman," and it was already in the process of editing and assembly. It was editing the raw footage and assembling with a rough cut, outlining the movie's structure and narrative flow. The CGI artists received this rough cut as a reference point for their work.

The process involved putting visual effects, sound design, and music. This process took a long time, and if these processes were finished, the film would be color graded by colorists. Once all are complete, the film is assembled into a final cut. The final cut undergoes further refining and adjustments based on feedback from test screenings and studio executives. "Spiderman" will probably be good enough to be distributed to cinemas and DVDs.

After KiShin finished filming "Spiderman," the project "Harry Potter" film had not even started yet. The production team couldn't find a suitable protagonist, a kid that looked exactly like Harry. When they were able to find a suitable one, the kid was still too young.

Upon learning about the issue, Shin realized that the actor for Harry Potter might still be too young or may not exist in this world. However, he received a report that the UK team was actually able to search for the actor, but unfortunately, the actor was still too young.

Despite Shin's desire to produce the film promptly, without the appropriate cast, it may not even match up to his previous life's version. However, it seemed like fate had chosen the kid for the role of Harry Potter.

Shin decided to postpone the "Harry Potter" film project for now, considering alternative searches for suitable actors or waiting for Daniel and the other cast members to grow up. He explained these difficulties to Mira, his wife, and she didn't mind waiting for a few years.

In the meantime, Shin had KiShin Pictures start film projects titled "Titanic" and "The Lost World: Jurassic Park."

With the budget and funds KiShin Pictures is receiving, they can handle the production of two film projects simultaneously.

At the KiShin Pictures Headquarters in New York, the writers and director for the "Titanic" film gathered in the dedicated writer's room. This creatively designed space featured comfortable furniture, whiteboards, and even a model of the doomed ship to inspire collaboration.

The "Titanic" film project was still in the production stage. The writers were actively brainstorming ideas and polishing the plot. Filming was about to begin, and the team didn't need to worry about the cast, as casting had been handled a few weeks ago.

"The Titanic" was also penned by James Cameron in this world, and Shin didn't even need to lift a finger. James Cameron had actively sought out KiShin Pictures studio for the production of "Titanic" in the year 1995.

Flashback*

Around 1995, James Cameron approached studios like Warner Bros. for the production of "Titanic." After negotiations, he couldn't accept the terms provided by the studio. He also approached 20th Century Fox, but they were hesitant and doubtful of the film's success. The studio imposed too many conditions, and the negotiations dragged out. Facing this, James considered other film studios that might be willing to produce and fund the film.

Then, he remembered the film studio behind "Jurassic Park" – KiShin Pictures.

James went to KiShin Pictures and submitted the script to the company. He was aware that his script would undergo a multi-layered analysis, so he patiently waited.

What James didn't know was that, unlike ordinary film studios, although KiShin Pictures' development executives and script readers would analyze the script, it would be reported directly to the studio executives. However, these executives wouldn't be the ones making the final decision; they would inform the true controller of KiShin Pictures, Shinro Suzuki, thus streamlining the process.

The positive aspect was that, upon hearing James Cameron's name and the script title "Titanic," Shin promptly had someone contact James and presented him with a favorable offer.

James, who had submitted the script to KiShin Pictures just two days prior, was personally invited by the KiShin Pictures executives at that time.

Though James was a bit surprised, he went to the KiShin Pictures Headquarters, where the studio executives treated him exceptionally well, unlike executives from other film studios.

This unexpected warmth raised suspicions for James. He felt that something wasn't quite right, not because of the offer itself but because of the unusually pleasant treatment he was receiving. Despite the excitement deep inside him after KiShin Pictures presented a compelling offer to produce "Titanic," he remained composed, calming himself to consult a lawyer for any potential contract clauses.

Gradually, James decided to choose KiShin Pictures over other film studios due to their willingness and generosity.

KiShin Pictures offered better terms and had fewer conditions for the film. They simply wanted a fictional love story between the male and female leads. James was willing to accept, given the favorable offers from the film studio; he couldn't ask for more, and certainly, he wouldn't face the same treatment as the other film studios, especially the stingy big six.

Back to the present*

KiShin Pictures had even constructed a replica of the Titanic ship in Mexico.

James, now the director of "Titanic," was genuinely impressed by KiShin Pictures' quick decision to build the Titanic ship replica. He believed the studio had ample funds to spare, and the replica had been completed a few weeks ago, with filming about to commence.

The last-minute polishing of the script had also concluded, and after a while, in September, the "Titanic" film project finally began.