The story takes place in Japan in both 1986 and 2006. The 1986 storyline follows a gamer named Daisuke who wants to confess his feelings for Kumiko, a girl he likes — all while trying to reclaim his copy of the Famicom (NES) game Mighty Bomb Jack that he lent out. In 2006, the hapless game company manager Arino-kacho struggles to complete Mighty Bomb Jack in front of fans. The storylines of the boy who loves Famicom and the middle-aged man who loves Famicom eventually merge into one.

Takeshi Kitano plays a version of himself in which he's a struggling director cycling through a number of different genres in an effort to complete his latest project.