Chapter 10: A New Dawn

"Oh—Fxxk!!! Did that really just work?!"

Ethan stared at the screen in disbelief.

"I told you it was simple!" Evelyn replied with pride. "Light gun technology has been around since the 1920s! Photoelectric mechanics have been a well-mastered technique for years! Video games are merely a combination of these matured technologies—nothing groundbreaking."

"So, can I play it now?"

Ethan whipped his head around, eyes full of anticipation as he looked at Evelyn. At this moment, he cared nothing for technical explanations! All he wanted was to grab the joystick and dive in. After all, it was 1975!

What lay before him wasn't some future digital game—it was pure, physical brilliance.

"Of course."

Evelyn couldn't help but smile at Ethan's excitement. As an engineer, nothing brings more joy than seeing one's creation met with genuine appreciation.

"Wait a moment, I'll connect the joystick."

With that, Evelyn turned off the power. After attaching the wires from the circuit board to the joystick, she switched the machine back on.

This time, the TV screen didn't flicker.

Holding the rough joystick, the tiny silver lever barely the size of a fingernail seemed almost fragile. Since joysticks of this era were mechanical and couldn't rotate, only move back and forth, playing required both hands—one to control left and right, the other for up and down.

But that didn't matter, right? Ethan had mastered Nokia's brick phones, so this tiny joystick was a breeze!

Within two minutes, he had it figured out.

As he deftly manipulated the controls, the little white snake slid gracefully across the screen, its body lengthening with each piece of "food" it devoured. When the dark void of the game was fully consumed by light, the game drew to a close.

"Perfect!!!"

Ethan clenched his right fist and swung it in triumph.

"This is exactly what I wanted! It's absolutely incredible!"

"Evelyn! Thank you! I swear, I love you!"

He tossed the joystick aside, sweeping Evelyn into his arms and spinning her around in circles.

"Wow~~~"

The sudden burst of affection caught Evelyn off guard, and she let out a surprised squeal.

But the palpable joy brought a radiant smile to her face.

Once her feet touched the ground again, Evelyn, catching her breath, pushed her hair back and laughed. "Okay, okay, Ethan! I know you're thrilled, but next time, can you avoid twirling me around when you celebrate? My head's spinning!"

"Alright, I'll try!"

Ethan nodded casually, adding, "But I don't know if I'll be able to control myself. It's just too exciting!"

And no wonder he was excited—Snake wasn't just a game; it represented endless money! In other places, money might not buy everything, but in America, the land where everything could be bought, money was king!

Everyone loved the green glow of cash!

But just as Ethan was about to say more, a sudden knock—thud thud thud—rang through the room.

The sound made Ethan frown slightly in surprise, though Evelyn tilted her head knowingly and whispered, "Thomas."

Sure enough, when she opened the door that led from the garage to the house, there stood Thomas in his pajamas, his face a mask of fury—the kind born of a deep, interrupted slumber.

"Kids! It's midnight already! Why are you still making such a racket?!"

"Evelyn, I know it's the weekend, and you don't have school tomorrow. Ethan, I know you're out of a job, so you don't have to go to work. But me, your dear old dad—I still have to go to the orchard tomorrow morning!"

"Yes, the spring oranges are already harvested, but the trees are about to bloom again! I've got a lot on my plate, alright?!"

"I know you two have made up, and that's wonderful! But it's time to sleep!"

"Whatever it is, talk about it tomorrow. Now, both of you, get out of here and head to bed! Get out!!!"

As spittle flew with his words, Ethan and Evelyn exchanged a glance.

The next moment, they shrugged and raised their brows in unison.

In perfect sync, they both burst into laughter, quickly gathering their things and making a hasty retreat under Thomas' death glare. As they ascended the stairs, they couldn't resist calling out to him.

"Goodnight, Uncle Thomas~"

"Love you, Dad~"

Thud!

No matter how sweet their words, the only reply was the sound of the door slamming shut.

They didn't take it to heart, though—after all, they had been a bit noisy.

At the doorway to their rooms, they exchanged goodnights.

"See you tomorrow, Evelyn," Ethan said with a wave and a smile.

"See you tomorrow, Ethan," Evelyn leaned against her door, adding, "Don't wake me before nine—I want to sleep in a little."

"You're the boss," Ethan agreed.

Her lazy demeanor piqued his curiosity, though. "How do you know I'll need to see you again tomorrow?"

"Because I'm a genius!" Evelyn made a playful face before continuing, "Last night—actually, considering the time, it was the night before last—I rushed the circuit diagram, and it's full of flaws. I only designed the photoelectric response for the game, nothing else, so you'll definitely need me to fix it."

"Alright, I admit, you are a genius." Ethan nodded. "Goodnight."

"Hehe~ Goodnight~"

As Evelyn had predicted, the Snake game Ethan just played was quite rudimentary. There was no start menu, no background music, no sound effects, no score display. Aside from the core gameplay, there was nothing to enhance the player's experience.

If this had been the 21st century, Evelyn's creation would only have been considered a prototype.

But for now...

A single successful game loop was already enough to call it perfection.

Ethan believed that with enough time, Evelyn—the skilled engineer she was—could transform a mere circuit board into a fully functioning gaming console. And indeed, the next day, Evelyn approached him to ask for the complete specifications. From there, she began making adjustments and improvements according to Ethan's vision.

First, she created three newly labeled circuit boards, marked 1, 2, and 3, which would handle the game's start menu.

Once the main board labeled 1 was powered on, the TV screen would display the Snake Game logo, simultaneously energizing board 2 to activate the background music.

Then, when board 3 detected a coin insertion via a physical switch, it would connect to the original board 4, leading the machine into the gameplay screen.

Board 4, too, was modified by Evelyn.

Originally, this board used NTSC standards, wrapping the outer boundary of a 640x480 pixel field to serve as walls. But after the adjustment, the game screen was slightly reduced, with a fixed game title at the top, and a score display in the upper right corner.

Every time the player maneuvered the snake to consume food, not only did the snake's light source grow, but an electric signal would also trigger the counter. With scores now representing the player's performance visually, the game became far more engaging, encouraging competition.

Of course, beyond just the interface improvements, board 4 was also connected to a sound board. After much effort, Ethan managed to record the sound of himself biting into an apple, and now, each time the snake ate, a satisfying crunch would play through the speakers.

Once the core components were completed, an entire week had already passed.

Ethan then spent another day assembling a casing for the machine.

It stood like a "giant refrigerator," and if one had to describe it, it bore a striking resemblance to future self-service payment kiosks.

And so, on April 13, 1975, the arcade machine bearing the Snake Game logo finally made its debut.

Gazing at the roughly painted, green contraption—simple but not unattractive—Ethan felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

"At least I didn't disgrace the hometown folks," he muttered, patting the machine on its back.

"What are you talking about?" Evelyn, exhausted from a week of classes by day and building machines by night, but still thrilled, didn't quite understand.

"Nothing," Ethan replied with a grin. "I was just saying the next step is to sell this thing."

Though Evelyn had expected this all along, she had her own thoughts about Ethan's eagerness.

"No, before that, there's one more thing," she said, her tone taking on a fatherly air.

"What?" Ethan paused, surprised.

"Magnavox," Evelyn mentioned the name of Ethan's former company.

"Oh!" The reminder made everything click for Ethan.

Nodding with a smile, he said, "Yes, there's one more thing—we need to find a lawyer and settle that damned copyright issue!"

"Bingo!"

Evelyn was pleased with his response, and this time, it was her turn to snap her fingers.