IS JAPAN COOL? GAME CHRONICLE

Objective

All Nippon Airways (ANA) created this game to raise global awareness of Japan's pioneering and evolving role in video game culture and history. As part of the 'Cool Japan' initiative to promote Japanese culture internationally, the campaign aimed to engage international audiences through interactive storytelling about Japan's gaming heritage spanning four decades.

Solution

A free browser-based quiz game playable on PC and smartphones without installation. Players progress through 100 questions spanning four eras of Japanese video game history (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s), earning achievement points for each article read and video watched. The core mechanic dynamically adapts graphics and audio to match the visual and sonic aesthetics of each era's gaming hardware, creating an immersive time-travel experience through Japan's technological and gaming evolution. Collectible items spanning arcade classics, traditional Shogi, and modern e-sports bring together Nintendo's Mario, Sony's PaRappa the Rapper, and Square Enix's Dragon Quest in a rare cross-publisher collaboration. A companion documentary series features interviews with gaming figures including Masahiro Sakurai (Super Smash Bros.), Daigo Umehara (pro gamer), Kazunori Yamauchi (Gran Turismo), Masayuki Uemura (Famicom developer), Masatoshi Ito (PlayStation), Tomohiro Nishikado (Space Invaders), and Shogi master Yoshiharu Habu. Launched October 30, 2019 as an addition to the IS JAPAN COOL? website (first launched in 2012, available in English and Chinese). Hosted at ana-cooljapan.com/contents/game/.

Results

Won Bronze at Cannes Lions (Entertainment — Digital & Mobile Games) and the Good Design Award 2020. Also recognized with a Merit at The One Show (Digital Craft — User Experience), a Bronze at Spikes Asia Digital (Craft UX & Journey Design), and a shortlist at Spikes Asia Digital (Craft UI). The cross-publisher character collaboration was covered by major gaming media outlets and became an instant talking point.