After the interview with Sakaki and getting a glimpse of his new ability, the Game Scanning Eye, Zaboru returned to work, diving deep into preparations for ZAGE's upcoming December release. The encounter with Sakaki left him energized. Not only had he discovered an eager new employee, but he'd also confirmed the emerging pattern of gaining new abilities every time he ini...
2025-05-13 04:06:01 +0000 UTC View PostThursday, 27 November 1992 – Late Morning
Sakaki took a breath and began to explain his answer. “In my opinion, Street Fighter is such a polished game, especially for arcades. Although it’s almost perfect, for me personally, there’s no such thing as perfection—everything can be improved. The first thing I would tweak is the character roster. The current lineup is solid, b...
2025-05-13 04:05:30 +0000 UTC View PostThursday, 27 November 1992 – Morning
Sakaki inhaled deeply, steadying his breath as he stood before the looming glass facade of ZAGE HQ. "Alright, I need to ace this interview with Zaboru," he told himself. It had been a nerve-wracking wait since Monday when he had spoken with ZAGE’s HR department. They’d told him he would need to return Thursday for a final interview with Za...
2025-05-12 04:34:36 +0000 UTC View PostIn Rollerdance, an intriguing easter egg appears as a string of characters: L1GM4. If the player manages to find all six hidden throughout the stages, a special mode unlocks in the menu—"Fantasy Circuit." This kind of secret feature isn't new to ZAGE fans. Both Punch Out and Rad Racer have included similar hidden stages tied to these mysterious words. Players still speculate about the ...
2025-05-12 04:34:11 +0000 UTC View PostRollerdance, one of ZAGE's November releases for the ZEPS console, stood boldly apart from its siblings, The Mighty Lion King, Lunar Knight, and Mr. Driller. Where those titles delivered inspiring narratives or great puzzle gameplay, Rollerdance aimed straight for pure, unfiltered chaos. It wasn't just a game—it was a rollerblading riot wrapped in an explosive beat-'em-up platformer. Z...
2025-05-12 04:33:46 +0000 UTC View PostWednesday, 26 November 1992, Morning
After visiting Osamu Tezuka the night before, Zaboru returned to ZAGE Headquarters early, feeling focused and invigorated. The sun filtered in through the glass windows of the executive meeting room as a small group of ZAGE's top brass gathered for what would be one of the most pivotal meetings of the year.
Present at the table:
Tuesday 25 November 1992 Evening
After leaving Dream Catcher Arcade, Zaboru drove through the quiet evening streets of Tokyo, his mind occupied with more than just games. For once, he was letting his employees enjoy a short breather until Wednesday. By Thursday, he planned to assign development tasks for the upcoming December slate. But tonight wasn’t about work; it was about res...
2025-05-11 02:31:53 +0000 UTC View PostOne of the standout games released this month alongside Mr. Driller, Lunar Knight, and Rollerdance was The Mighty Lion King. Unlike the rushed, story-light adaptations of movie-based games in his previous world, this version carried more weight, more care, and a richer narrative. In his past life, The Lion King game had been little more than a companion to the blockbuster film—a side p...
2025-05-11 02:31:27 +0000 UTC View PostMonday, 24 November 1992
While Zaboru allowed himself some breathing room after the explosive success of November’s game launches, his mind never fully rested. Today, he wasn’t scribbling down game mechanics or refining a new narrative—he was thinking far beyond games. Investment. Not the kind that gave short-term returns, but the sort that built empires.
He sat back in his ...
While Lunar Knight stole much of the spotlight during ZAGE's November game release, another title quietly rose in popularity, especially among younger players and puzzle game enthusiasts: Mr. Driller for the ZGB handheld.
Driller launched alongside three other titles: Lunar Knight and Rollerdance for the ZEPS console, and The Lion King and Mr. Driller for ZGB. While it didn’t car...
2025-05-10 05:16:49 +0000 UTC View PostInside one of Tokyo’s luxury hotel suites, the famous Sujin sisters—Hana and Mina—were curled up on a plush velvet couch, each with their ZEPS cotrollers in hand. The room was lined with snacks, game magazines, and unopened merch boxes from ZAGE. Despite their busy schedules as chart-topping duo singers, both girls were in the middle of a heated handheld gaming session and they hav...
2025-05-10 05:16:24 +0000 UTC View PostAs the night of ZAGE's November release rolled on, the atmosphere at Sonaya's Tokyo headquarters was anything but celebratory. Hikaru Kurata, CEO and major shareholder of Sonaya, was fuming. Despite it being the weekend, he had summoned Junpei Hoshida, Sonaya's game development lead, to his office. Hikaru wasn’t just irritated about another successful ZAGE launch he was infuriated over...
2025-05-09 01:40:34 +0000 UTC View PostSaturday, November 22, 1992
Today marked the highly anticipated release of ZAGE's November game lineup, and the excitement across Japan was palpable. On shelves now were four new titles: Lunar Knight and Rollerdance for the ZEPS console, and Mr. Driller and The Lion King for the ZGB handheld. The momentum for ZAGE had never been stronger, especia...
2025-05-09 01:40:11 +0000 UTC View PostAfter the national airing of the New ZAS arcade ad, the Japanese arcade industry saw a resurgence unlike anything in the last decade. Orders at Nanco and ZAGE surged, their phones ringing off the hook. Arcades across Tokyo and beyond scrambled to place orders for the three featured titles—ZAS: Street Fighter, ZAS: Streets of Rage, and ZAS: Rampage. Players lined up around corners, eage...
2025-05-09 01:39:36 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys I'm on break tomorrow because of overtime and i can promise you after this week at least for this month i will not take a break , well at least if something bad didn't happen to me lol.
ill be back for Friday.
2025-05-07 01:29:54 +0000 UTC View PostWednesday, 19 November 1992
The morning light had barely spilled through the streets when Zaboru kept the promise he made the previous night. With his trusted lawyer, Kudou, at his side, he returned to the Utsunomiya household, bringing the paperwork and a certified bank draft to finalize the purchase of their electronics store. Hinoko and her father, Hisamu, were waiting for him i...
2025-05-07 01:28:18 +0000 UTC View PostTuesday, 18 November 1992 - Night
The night air was cool and crisp as Zaboru pedaled through the quiet streets of his old neighborhood on his trusty bicycle, the Silver Wrecker. It had been a while since he took a ride like this—alone, beneath the stars, away from the pressure of work. The soft hum of the tires and the street lamps flickering overhead brought him a rare moment of...
2025-05-07 01:27:35 +0000 UTC View PostMonday, 17 November 1992
It had only been two days since the launch of the newest New-ZAS arcade systems, but the response was already overwhelming. Both Bakudan Arcade and Dream Catcher Arcade had seen an unprecedented surge in visitors over the weekend. The buzz surrounding the trio of new arcade cabinets—ZAS: Street Fighter, ZAS: Streets of Rage, and ZAS: Rampage—had turned ...
2025-05-07 01:26:25 +0000 UTC View PostSaturday, 15 November 1992
Not long after the ZAGE arcade machines were delivered and installed at Bakudan Arcade, the doors officially opened to the weekend crowd. While Zaboru enjoyed a quiet breakfast nearby, sipping tea and reflecting on the moment, a steady stream of regulars began to filter into the arcade, completely unaware of the surprise that awaited them.
Among the...
2025-05-06 01:18:42 +0000 UTC View PostSaturday, 15 November 1992
Zaboru let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes. "Damn, who would've thought I'd end up gaming until morning? But it was worth it," he chuckled to himself. Thankfully, his Enlightenment ability dulled the physical toll—he wasn’t exhausted despite pulling an all-nighter.
He'd stayed overnight at the ZAGE office, something he’d informed his family abo...
2025-05-06 01:18:04 +0000 UTC View PostFriday, 14 November 1992
After the heartfelt reconciliation with the Hamazou family the previous evening, Zaboru wasted no time getting back into work mode. Despite the emotional exhaustion, the pulse of ZAGE never slowed, and he dived back into his tasks with trademark focus. But that morning, a small ripple of surprise caught his attention.
"What? Sonaya just released two g...
2025-05-06 01:17:37 +0000 UTC View PostThursday, 13 November 1992
After the meeting with Bill Gates that afternoon, Zaboru returned to His workshop at ZAGE and continued working late into the evening. He was reviewing ad drafts for the new arcade cabinets, preparing for the full rollout in Bakudan and Dream Catcher arcades and prep for Warcarft and November release. Despite the day’s events, his focus remained razor-s...
2025-05-05 01:04:38 +0000 UTC View PostThursday, 13 November 1992
Akira Hamazou sat alone in the dimly lit hall of the Hamazou clan headquarters, the scent of old wood and sake thick in the air. A bottle sat half-empty beside him, but his mind was far from the numbing comfort of alcohol. The memories weighed heavier than ever.
Ever since the violent confrontation with Zaboru—his daughter's boyfriend—and the gu...
2025-05-05 01:02:50 +0000 UTC View PostThursday, 13 November 1992
As usual, Zaboru was deep in his workflow, refining the November game releases and finalizing plans for the ZAGE arcade advertisements. He had already drafted several concepts for the upcoming commercial spots, intending to air them only after the official rollout of ZAGE arcade cabinets at Bakudan and Dream Catcher arcades. Every move was timed with prec...
2025-05-05 01:02:21 +0000 UTC View PostAfter returning from his strategic meeting with Junpei and Hikaru Kurata, Zaboru didn’t waste a moment. The moment he stepped back into ZAGE headquarters, he shut himself in his office and dove straight into work.
Development for the November game lineup was moving smoothly, and with the major ZAGE event concluded, Zaboru saw an opportunity to shift his focus. There was a project...
2025-05-04 04:08:49 +0000 UTC View PostAfter the meeting with Zaboru, Hikaru Kurata and Junpei Hoshida returned to the Sonaya corporate offices. Hikaru walked into his executive suite, set down his briefcase, and sipped from the steaming cup of coffee his secretary had just brought him.
He leaned back in his leather chair, staring out over the Tokyo skyline, and muttered, "Zaboru... is he naive, or just a fool? He has t...
2025-05-04 04:07:45 +0000 UTC View PostWednesday, 12 November 1992
The day after testing the ZAGE arcade machines with Nando Michio, Yugo, Ayumi, and Akechi, Zaboru was already on the move again. Today, he had a meeting lined up with some of the most influential figures in the Japanese gaming industry, including ZAGE Rival and Number 2: Hikaru Kurata, CEO of Sonaya, and Junpei Hoshida, Sonaya’s lead developer.
T...
2025-05-04 04:06:44 +0000 UTC View PostThe group began to approach the arcade cabinets, but before they could split up, Zaboru raised a hand.
"Rather than scattering, let’s check out each arcade one by one. That way you can all decide which one excites you most," he said with a grin. The group nodded in agreement.
Zaboru clapped his hands. "Let’s start with Rampage."
They all moved toward the Rampage cab...
2025-05-03 04:25:15 +0000 UTC View PostTuesday, 11 November 1992
Zaboru sat in his office, grinning ear to ear. And for good reason: the first three arcade machines developed under the ZAGE and Nanco partnership were finally complete. The titles? Street Fighter, Streets of Rage, and Rampage. Early that morning, Nando Michio, the CEO of Nanco and ZAGE’s arcade hardware partner, had called with great news. The prototype...
2025-05-03 04:24:52 +0000 UTC View PostMonday 10 November 1992
Following the explosive success of ZAGE's first-ever official event, the company’s name soared across Japan. The coverage aired nationwide on TV Tokyo, and while it wasn’t broadcast live, it was given prime-time treatment in a dedicated special. The broadcast included event highlights, performances, fan interviews, and exclusive behind-the-scenes clips, ...
2025-05-03 04:24:17 +0000 UTC View Post