A peculiar gathering took place in Tokyo recently, inviting players who registered for the ultra-obscure Japanese PC game Cookie's Bustle over 25 years ago. The event, described as a "25th secret event" and a "time capsule event," was held by Japanese technology firm QualityTime Consulting to celebrate the game's anniversary.
Despite being released in 1999, the game's journey has been marked by legal battles and obscurity. Invitations sent to select players read, "We hope that your adventure with Cookie was wonderful. For certain reasons, Cookie's Bustle was discontinued in 2001, and Cookie, along with Gray the rabbit, went into a long hibernation. And as the end of that deep slumber approaches, you, our most valued customer, will be the first to receive the news."
Attendees at the event in Tokyo reportedly enjoyed live music featuring tunes from the game, received exclusive merchandise, and saw a performer dressed as the game's protagonist, Cookie. Cookies shaped like Cookie herself were also served. While attendees were asked not to take photos, news and images from the function have since surfaced online.
Cookie's Bustle: Mysterious Bombo World is a surreal point-and-click adventure game where the titular character, a Jersey girl who believes she is a bear, travels to an island nation founded by space aliens to participate in their athletic games, only to become entangled in a revolution.
Japanese PC games from the '90s are notoriously difficult to track down, and Cookie's Bustle developed a dedicated following over the years, similar to other obscure titles like Garage: Bad Dream Adventure, Zeddas, and Cosmology of Kyoto. However, the game's notoriety is largely tied to a protracted legal dispute over its ownership.
Earlier this year, the Video Game History Foundation successfully intervened to end the actions of an individual known as Brandon White, who had been using copyright law to issue DMCA takedowns and attempt to erase the game's digital footprint. This legal action ultimately stopped the "patent troll" and allowed content related to the game to be restored.
The nature of QualityTime Consulting's relationship with the game remains unclear, but the fact that attendees were invited using pre-millennium registration cards suggests a connection to the game's original player base. While no announcements regarding re-releases or remasters were mentioned by attendees, the secretive event and the reactivation of the game's legacy suggest that its "long hibernation" may be coming to an end.