Zaborn_1997

Chapter 499: Tournament Reactions, The Helmetless Reveal, and a Surprise Visitor

Sunday, 8 June 1994

Zaboru sits quietly at the USA branch of ZAGE, focused on designing a custom card for Sevin W—the winner of yesterday’s Mortal Kombat tournament. The event is still the talk of the gaming community.

He also decided that the Tekken Trailer should not be revealed during the Tournament because Tekken still needs another week to finish. Zaboru doesn't want hype to die down too fast and make the developers rush.

He chuckles...

Chapter 498: Mortal Kombat Tournament in USA

Saturday, 7 June 1994

Now, in a bustling all-purpose venue owned by ZAGE—officially named ZEB [ZAGE Event Building] America—the space is packed with excited video game fans. For American ZAGE supporters, this marks a brand-new kind of experience, one they’ve never encountered before because so far ZAGE events are always held in Japan.

First, the fans are delighted to find many exclusive ZAGE merchandise items that only appear at specific ZAGE events. One standout piec...

Chapter 497: Rest of May 2

ZEPS 2 games are making waves this month. Two games—Kirby Super Star and Super Ghouls and Ghosts—are really great additions to the ZEPS 2 library. Next, ZAGE also created two games for their old 8-bit console, ZEPS 1: Mega Man 4 and River City Ransom.

For Mega Man 4, it delivers everything fans expect from the series. It features sharp level design with clever gimmicks, like gravity tricks in Toad Man’s stage and the shifting con...

Chapter 496: Rest of the May 1

The rest of the May kicked off with a bang—Joe & Mac Arcade—and it quickly became a sensation among players and spectators alike. Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja immediately stood out from the crowded field of beat 'em up games in arcades and on consoles. It wasn’t just the fast-paced action that drew people in, but also the bright, cartoon-like graphics and the absurdly fun prehistoric theme that gave it a totally different energy. Unlike other games i...

Chapter 495: Plan for First Tournament in USA and Stuff

Saturday, 3 May 1994 – Japan

After the meeting with Masami Kurumada yesterday, Zaboru wasted no time and jumped straight back into work. Today, his full attention is on planning one of the most ambitious international expansions ZAGE has ever attempted—bringing the energy and excitement of Japanese arcade tournament culture to American shores. The clock is ticking, because the first-ever official ZAGE event in the United States is coming up fast, slated for mid-June. The main...

Chapter 494: Saint Seiya

Friday, 2 May 1994

While Sonaya is having a rough time, Zaboru is extremely busy—this time reviewing non–video game sectors of ZAGE, including comics, manga, and anime.

In the U.S., SpongeBob SquarePants—airing on Nickelodeon, which ZAGE partially owns—is doing exceptionally well. Viewers love the yellow sponge, and at this point, SpongeBob might even be more popular than Mario in certain states, largely due ...

Chapter 493: Sonaya Alert

Friday, 2 May 1994

It’s the verge of the weekend, but it couldn’t be more hectic for Sonaya. The development floor is buzzing with tension and urgency as they push forward on two major projects for their 16-bit console, Titan Drive. In the past, Sonaya had a steady rhythm, releasing one game every 30 to 40 days. But recently, Hikaru Kurata upped the ante with a bold challenge: the team must develop two complete games in just 50...

Chapter 492: Rest of April

After the meeting with Mitsu Tadano, Zaboru continued working as usual.

First, over at the Tokyo branch, development on Joe & Mac Arcade was progressing smoothly and steadily. The team remained on schedule, and the game was expected to launch in the early days of the following month. There was a quiet confidence among the developers, a feeling that this title could be a sleeper hit.

Meanwhile, the Osaka branch had already scored a double success by the end of A...

Chapter 491: Zemitsu

Wednesday, 23 April 1994

Zaboru is currently in Japan, stationed at the Tokyo branch, and tomorrow he will head to Osaka to personally oversee the development progress of two ZGB titles: Mario Tennis and Harvest Moon ZGB. Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, one of the branch’s buildings is undergoing a major renovation—and it's nearing completion. The structure has been expanded into a modern 4-story facility, with construction having s...

Chapter 490: Zaboru – April 1994 USA Venture

After finalizing the deal with Flocks and Risa Miller, Zaboru spent a few more days in the United States wrapping up additional business before heading back to Japan.

One major stop on his agenda was a visit to Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, accompanied by Jack Kirby, ZAGE USA’s official legal counsel. Zaboru was immediately struck by how cutting-edge and expansive the Microsoft campus was. It made ZAGE’s current headquarters in Japan feel outdated by comparis...

Chapter 489: Europe Expansion Meetings

Monday, April 7, 1994 – Morning

Zaboru was currently at the Emerald Wings office. Just yesterday, ZEPS 2 officially launched in the U.S., and just like in Japan, it was flying off the shelves. American gamers were hyped—not only was ZAGE’s 16-bit console finally available, but it came with eight launch titles that were already creating buzz. Each one brought something different: a platformer, a fighting game, a shoot 'em up , a racing title, RPG , and eve...

Chapter 488: Zaboru Meeting with Bill Gates

A short while after the meeting with Ryan and James from Emerald Wings, Zaboru made his way to the ZAGE USA developer space—where Tekken was actively being built. The room buzzed with focused energy as developers pored over lines of code and design boards. Zaboru moved through the space with quiet confidence, occasionally stopping to observe a screen, ask questions, or offer input. He was particularly interested in the technical challenges around the 3D engine—one of the m...

Chapter 487: Zaboru Arrive at USA

Zaboru leaned back in the plane seat and talked with Ayumi.
“So Ayumi, I might be really busy when we arrive in America, so I can’t accompany you at all times. It’s okay, right?” 

Ayumi chuckled. “Of course, Zabo, it’s okay. Don't worry about me. But you promised me one date, right?” Zaboru chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I promise that.”

Ayumi nodded and pulled out her ZGB, diving into a session of Super Mario Land 2. Zaboru glanced over, smi...

Chapter 486: America ZEPS 2 Release Prep

Thursday, 3 April 1994 – Japan

Zaboru sat in his office, reviewing his itinerary and packing notes. He was preparing for his upcoming trip to America this Friday, where ZEPS 2 was set to launch on April 6. His presence there was essential.

Back in Japan, the situation at the Japanese branch was steady. Just this week—following last week’s successful ZEPS 2 release—Zaboru had finalized important deals with both Philips and AKAI.

With Philips, Z...

Chapter 485: Player Reactions for ZEPS 2 Part 3

Chapter 485: Player Reactions for ZEPS 2 Part 3

The last 3 games of ZEPS 2 release titles are Final Fantasy 3, Legend of Zelda: Link Through the Past, and Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman.

For Final Fantasy 3, the players absolutely loved it. One of the biggest reasons fans fell in love with it was the ensemble cast of characters. Instead of focusing on a single main hero, FF 3 featured over a dozen playable characters, each wit...

Chapter 484: Player Reactions for ZEPS 2 Part 2

The next game is Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and players absolutely loved it. The smoother frame rate and enhanced graphics over Sonic 1 on ZEPS 1 made a powerful first impression. The game felt faster, cleaner, and more responsive. As players dashed through loop-de-loops and zipped across sprawling levels, they could truly feel Sonic’s speed in a way that felt thrilling and new. It wasn’t just a visual upgrade—it was an experience that delivered on the promise of spe...

Chapter 483 ZEPS 2 Officially Released and Players Reactions

 
Sunday, 30 March 1994 – Evening

On the evening following the official release of ZEPS 2, the event was widely regarded as a major success. Excitement was high, and the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation from fans who had been waiting months for this day. The initial shipments of ZEPS 2 ZAGE consoles—manufactured and distributed from Japan—were estimated at around one million units. Remarkably, nearly every single unit had already been sold by nightfall,...

Chapter 482: ZEPS 2 Release Date Frenzy

Sunday, 30 March 1994

Today marks a historic moment—not just for ZAGE, but for gamers all across Japan. Why? Because this is the official release day of ZEPS 2, the most anticipated console of the decade. It’s barely 06:00 in the morning, but fans are already flooding the streets, forming massive lines outside every ZAGE-affiliated store. The excitement is electric.

One of the most crowded spots is ZAGE-U, ZAGE’s offi...

Chapter 481: ZAGE Worth

*Disclaimer : This is based on my fantasy calculative and i’m not good at finance stuff so don’t take this too deep!

Saturday, 29 March 1994

A day before the long-awaited launch of ZEPS 2, Zaboru sat in his private office, sipping coffee and nibbling on cookies while thumbing through a thick stack of financial reports from his head of finance, Trusty Sayuri Yamaguchi. The figures in the documents were nothing short of st...

Chapter 480: ZEPS 2 Hype and Zaboru's Casual Break

Friday, 28 March 1994

With just two days remaining until the official release of ZEPS 2, excitement among gamers has reached a fever pitch. Ever since the trailer dropped last Sunday, anticipation has been building rapidly. ZAGE has distributed additional flyers and promotional material, teasing details about the console and its upcoming game library. Most fans are counting the hours, hyped beyond belief.

In high schools across the city, boys were buzzing w...

Chapter 479: Negotiate With AKAI

26 March Wednesday Morning

After concluding negotiations with Philips the previous day, Zaboru received an update from Akechi. He informed Zaboru that the CEO of AKAI was ready to enter negotiations. Akechi also mentioned that the owner of AKAI preferred to hold the meeting at ZAGE headquarters—a request that Zaboru readily accepted. For the time being, he returned to his work, awaiting the arrival of the AKAI delegation.

It wasn’t long before Yumi, his...

Chapter 478: Meet Philips

Monday, 24 March 1994

Zaboru was working diligently in his office, eyes scanning over paperwork, when he suddenly called his secretary over. “Yumi-san, please contact the people from Philips Japan and tell them I’d like to meet them,” he said calmly but firmly. Yumi nodded without hesitation and quickly got to work, dialing contacts and organizing logistics with practiced precision.

Zaboru leaned back in his chair, contemplating. In this world, Philips h...

Chapter 477 Visit from Akechi

23 March 1994 Sunday Night

Zaboru is still in his office, the day slowly shifting into night. After the whirlwind of excitement surrounding the ZEPS 2 ad campaign that launched earlier in the morning, a quiet finally settled in. Zaboru had assumed this would be a peaceful day to work alone, especially since Ayumi had informed him she wouldn't be coming in. She claimed to be struck with a wave of creative inspiration for a new game idea and had decided to stay home t...

Chapter 476 Official Ads of ZEPS 2

Sunday 23 March 1994 Morning

Many gamers across Japan were holding their breath, eyes locked on the clock, waiting for it to strike 10:00—the exact moment when the long-awaited ZEPS 2 official advertisement was set to air on TV Tokyo. As the seconds ticked down, living rooms buzzed with excitement and tension. Then, right on time, the screen changed and the ad began.

First, the screen went dark, then the ZAGE logo shined on the screen. Then Zaboru appeare...

Chapter 475 ZEPS 2 Teasers

Friday 21 March 1994

On Friday night, anticipation surged across Japan. People everywhere—especially gamers—were glued to their TVs, counting down to 19:00, the long-awaited release of ZAGE’s official teaser ads. It was more than just a commercial—it was an event, a cultural moment that thousands had been eagerly waiting for.

Earlier that March, ZAGE had begun ramping up the hype machine to full throttle. Flyers were plastered across every major city, cryptically teasing a...

Chapter 474 ZEPS 2 100% 

Thursday 20 March 1994

Zaboru now held a very important meeting that all ZAGE higher-ups in Japan were attending. Even Nando Michio, the co-owner of Nanco along with Zaboru, was present. Nanco was playing a crucial role in distributing the ZEPS 2 across Japan, making their involvement vital. As for the USA-based executives, Zaboru planned to hold a separate meeting at a later date.

The meeting officially began when Zaboru stood up and spoke. “Good morning...

Chapter 473: 8 Games

Zaboru examined the lineup of eight games that would accompany the launch of the new console. Interestingly, these games had required even more effort than the console itself. While the hardware he personally had been meticulously planned and its blueprints finalized well in advance, for each of the eight games demanded a full creative and technical build from the ground up. The ZAGE teams had poured their energy and passion into every pixel, crafting experiences meant to define and el...

Chapter 472 Project Blue

Wednesday, March 19, 1994 – ZAGE Offices

Zaboru smiled as he looked over the document in his hand. Beside him sat a compact gray-and-white box with distinct purple lines, immediately evoking memories of the SNES from his previous life. This sleek, modern machine was none other than the culmination of Project Blue—the ZEPS 2 console, the embodiment of his vision and the next major step for ZAGE.

Yes, Zaboru decided to name it ZEPS 2 for many reasons, and now he chuckled ...

Chapter 471 Project Blue progress March

May 5, 1994, Monday.

Zaboru is now in his office at ZAGE's Tokyo headquarters, where the team is actively testing the prototype that will soon become the ZAGE 16-bit game console. He closely monitors the progress of four games being developed in the Tokyo branch, while another four are simultaneously in development at the Osaka branch. Zaboru has been working tirelessly, pouring his energy into every detail of the project. He hasn’t slept in weeks, and now, as night falls, exha...

Chapter 470: Time Skips to March Part 4 [February 1994]

In February, several significant developments unfolded. First and foremost, the 16-bit ZAGE project—also known as Project Blue—is progressing at a critical pace. By this month, both the console and its accompanying games have reached approximately 70% completion. If there are no major obstacles in the coming weeks, the ZAGE 16-bit console is expected to launch in early April 1994, accompanied by eight launch titles. Zaboru doesn't want to mess this up, so he is carefully planning a...