Carson didn't really understand why the young bartender was treating the two consoles so differently.
But he didn't have to think about it for long—because the bartender had already finished loading the game and had entered the Super Soccer Showdown main menu.
As the game performed its first disc read, a cinematic CG animation began to play.
On a lush green pitch, a world-famous football star stood at the center of the field, one foot resting on the ball, eyes gazing toward the horizon.
A rhythmic, energetic soundtrack kicked in—an original tune no one had heard before, but one that immediately felt like it belonged to football.
Then, with a powerful kick, the player sent the ball flying. The camera followed it, as if the viewer themselves had become the ball, soaring through the air.
The ball seemed to travel through time and space—the background shifted from clear daytime skies to night, then back to day, and then to a rainy, overcast field. Just as the ball was about to land, another famous player caught it with his chest, juggled it skillfully, then passed it on.
Carson and the young bartender stared wide-eyed at the screen.
...
...
The CG cutscene looked incredibly realistic—especially for Carson. He had never seen anything like it. For a moment, he thought it might be actual footage—but he remembered what the bartender had said: this was some kind of computer-generated animation.
Still, that real? He could hardly believe it.
The animation was clearly a flex by GameStar Entertainment—an over-the-top showcase of their technical prowess. This level of CG quality far surpassed the current generation, rivaling even PlayStation 3-era visuals.
After all, CG cutscenes didn't tax the console's performance—they were pre-rendered video. So the quality could be cranked up to the max.
And with their experience producing the Final Fantasy VII movie, creating a highly realistic football CG like this was no challenge for GameStar.
While other studios might struggle, GameStar knew exactly how to push the Unreal Engine to its limits.
The cutscene lasted about three minutes, and during that time, the game's full atmosphere had already been revealed.
Even just the intro had stunned them both.
As the CG ended, Carson and the bartender remained silent, as if deep in thought—but really, they were just dazed.
The bartender was the first to snap out of it. He quickly grabbed his controller and waved to Carson: "Come on, let's play a match."
Carson knew the game could be played in two-player mode. Seeing the bartender's invitation, he immediately picked up the second controller and sat down.
By now, he was already familiar with the controls.
The first thing he noticed when holding the GS1 controller was how comfortable it felt.
It fit perfectly in his hand, giving him a solid, satisfying grip.
Far more comfortable than the Suri console's controller.
That's what smart ergonomic design could do.
To create the perfect gamepad, Takayuki had taken inspiration from Microsoft's Xbox design in his previous life—and invested $100 million into R&D. Countless rounds of testing and tweaking had refined the design to be better than the original Xbox's.
Now, the GS1 controller wasn't just on par—it surpassed it.
The bartender, of course, was already used to it. He owned both the Suri and GameStar consoles, but he'd always kept the GameStar one for himself. It was just too good to share.
He navigated to the Super Soccer Showdown main menu. At a glance, it looked similar to FIFA's.
But then he quickly selected a "Quick Match" mode.
He'd already plugged in an ethernet cable.
With the GS1 connected to the internet, features like online play, achievements, and social integration kicked in.
And then came the real surprise: once connected, the Quick Match mode automatically displayed the real-life matches scheduled for today.
And since Super Soccer Showdown used official player names and teams—unlike FIFA, which often used sound-alike names due to licensing issues—it felt all the more authentic.
"How about it? Wanna play today's actual match?" the bartender asked, glancing back at Carson.
Carson nodded eagerly.
Today's match was one of his favorites. His team had actually won—but he wouldn't mind reliving the game from the inside.
"Alright, let's go."
The bartender set the settings, and they entered the team selection screen.
Carson instantly chose his favorite team. The bartender picked the opposing side.
Even the team selection screen was a whole new level compared to FIFA.
It displayed 3D models of the team's star players, each showcasing signature moves and tricks as you hovered over them—bringing them to life.
Finally, the game began, and they were taken to the main match screen.
The TV briefly went black, then text appeared in the lower-left corner:
[Region], [Stadium Name], Home of [Team Name].
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's match!"
A familiar announcer's voice rang out from the screen.
Carson and the bartender looked at each other.
For a moment, they thought this was a real broadcast.
If it weren't for the slightly obvious crowd animation in the background, they might've believed it.
But the roar of the fans, the announcer's commentary—it all sounded too real.
While the GS1's hardware couldn't perfectly replicate high-end graphics, GameStar had found a different way to bridge the gap:
Immersion. Through hyper-realistic commentary, crowd soundscapes, and authentic details, they made the experience feel alive.