Tuesday 1 October 1995
Zaboru was now in Tokyo’s main office district, where the ZAGE Tower was under construction. He was accompanied by Shinsuke, ZAGE’s Head of Marketing, and Zanichi, his father and the company's Chief Technology Officer.
Shinsuke grinned proudly. Ever since Zaboru bought the land in 1992, he had been overseeing the progress of the ZAGE Tower, and so f...
2025-08-31 02:22:21 +0000 UTC View PostOutside of video game releases, Zaboru assigned each ZAGE team with additional tasks to prepare for the months ahead.
ZAGE Osaka is currently focused on developing the Rurouni Kenshin game for the ZEPS 2, but Zaboru has also assigned them two additional projects scheduled for release in December. Both are for the ZGB platform: the shoot-'em-up classic R-Type DX 2025-08-31 02:22:00 +0000 UTC View Post
After the first two high-octane days of the ZAGE Fighting Tournament wrapped up, Day 3 took a completely different turn — and it did so with a blast. The spotlight shifted from arcade battles to music as Zaboru and the Zankoku band, better known as Z&Z, delivered a thunderous live performance to debut their newest album. Titled “Blast,” the album was fully recorded in Japanese ...
2025-08-30 02:48:42 +0000 UTC View PostOn September 12, 1995
The second day of the ZAGE Fighting Tournament is just as thrilling as the first, and even more exciting, since the remaining two fighting games are the ones players and fans have been most hyped for: MARVEL VS ZAGE and Tekken. The venue is packed once again, buzzing with energy as cameras roll and lights flash. The excitement is palpable — you can feel the crowd'...
On September 11th, ZAGE will air its first-ever official Fighting Tournaments as part of its landmark event. This tournament features a wide array of fighting games that have already been released in ZAGE arcades, including great titles such as Street Fighter, MARVEL VS ZAGE, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, and the newest addition to the ZAGE fighting lineup, Guilty Gear. This marks a historic mo...
2025-08-30 02:47:22 +0000 UTC View PostWednesday, 9 September 1995.
After acquiring 30% of Studio Ghibli, Zaboru made his way to HanDai HQ in Tokyo. He had important meetings scheduled regarding the launch of a new line of collectible miniature cars called Hotwheels.
Zaboru was set to meet with the current HanDai CEO, Mido Mitoma. Although Mitoma only held 10% of the company shares, he retained full profit access ...
2025-08-29 02:12:39 +0000 UTC View PostInside a modest animated studio known as Ghibli, three individuals are gathered, each absorbed in thought. The studio, newly established this past July, is humble and unassuming—its walls lined with sketches and storyboards. Despite the earlier success of Hayao Miyazaki’s previous films and help from Publisher company Takuma Shoten, the fledgling studio is struggling financially. The...
2025-08-29 02:10:58 +0000 UTC View PostWednesday 2 September 1995.
Zaboru is currently busy working while also preparing for the upcoming ZAGE Tournament, which is scheduled to take place later this year in Japan. Unlike previous tournaments, this one will place a strong emphasis on a wide variety of fighting games, including Tekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, MARVEL VS ZAGE, and even the newest ZAGE fighting ...
2025-08-28 02:44:26 +0000 UTC View PostTuesday 1 September 1995
ZAGE Offices USA
Gabe Newell is now inside the ZAGE building and is about to be formally introduced as the newest member of the team.
Ever since he visited Zaboru in June following their meetings, Gabe quickly submitted his resignation from Microsoft, where he served as the Head of Engineering. He expected that Microsoft—and especi...
2025-08-28 02:43:28 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 606 Rest Of August.
During the rest of August, plenty of things happened .
First of all the Zanki and Hamazou drama.
After Akechi informed his grandfather, Azai Hamazou, about the troubling situation with Zanki, Azai immediately understood the gravity of the issue and took action. Drawing on his connections within the Japanese government, he requested their assis...
2025-08-27 02:23:57 +0000 UTC View PostWhile a shadowy scheme involving Akechi and Zanki was quietly unfolding elsewhere, Zaboru was simply enjoying a peaceful night. After devouring a plate of delicious gyoza at a small restaurant near the ZAGE offices, he returned to his Tokyo headquarters. With a full stomach and a clear mind, he leaned back at his desk and resumed work on an ambitious project—his plan for the graceful...
2025-08-27 02:23:11 +0000 UTC View PostThe truck and a convoy of black cars came to a halt in the center of a dimly lit warehouse district. Akechi's subordinates dragged out three unconscious individuals—two men and one woman—and securely tied them to chairs arranged in a triangular formation. Moments later, Wakizou, Akechi's trusted lieutenant, stepped forward with a metal bucket full of cold water. With a sharp toss, he...
2025-08-26 02:15:11 +0000 UTC View Post10 august 1995 ZUSUGA offices.
After Zenzou Zagashira requested that Zukechi Zagashira step away from any involvement with ZUSUGA, Zanki Zagashira officially assumed full rights over the company. Now in complete control, Zanki began restructuring ZUSUGA from the ground up. Using his strong negotiation skills and persuasive communication, he successfully convinced the company’s inv...
2025-08-26 02:14:40 +0000 UTC View PostMonday 3 August 1995.
Zaboru and the ZAGE higher-ups held a morning meeting to discuss the situation with Yoshi Motohira. In the end, Yoshi was punished by being immediately terminated from ZAGE and officially blacklisted. This action severely damaged his CV and reputation, as he had violated company policy by stealing sensitive data and handing it to a rival corporation. Despite Y...
2025-08-25 02:10:56 +0000 UTC View PostSaturday 1 August 1995 ZAGE offices Japan Tokyo
Zaboru was in his office, working as usual, surrounded by the steady hum of machines and paperwork. However, this wasn’t a typical workday—two other people were present with him. One was his cheerful girlfriend, Ayumi, and the other was her sharp, serious older brother, Akechi Hamazou. Their presence made the normally quiet room f...
2025-08-25 02:08:50 +0000 UTC View PostIn July 1995, many developments were underway at ZAGE. First, Zaboru assigned new tasks to the Tokyo team, entrusting them with two additional projects for the ZEPS 2 system. These projects were none other than Sonic 3 and Knuckles and an original game by Zaboru himself—SpongeBob SquarePants 2. Both titles were scheduled for a September release.
With these new a...
2025-08-24 02:49:17 +0000 UTC View PostFriday, 24 July 1995
It had only been a week since the official launch of the ZAGE Forums, and already the global gaming community was buzzing with excitement. Players who had never even considered joining an internet provider were now doing so just to be part of the experience. The forums became a lively, digital hangout—full of energy, curiosity, and connection. Zaboru had anti...
2025-08-24 02:47:53 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys, quick question for you all:
Have you noticed I’ve barely mentioned Zabo-man lately? He still exists in the games—he’s always popping up as a cameo or hidden character in ZAGE titles—but I haven’t really brought him up recently because I figured most of you already know he’s there.
Also, I realized I’ve been skipping out on featuring my OG games—like the o...
Saturday 18 July 1995.
After a couple of months in development, the ZAGE website and game forums are finally ready for launch—and in fact, they’ve already gone live. The official website is accessible at www.ZAGE.com, while the dedicated forums can be f...
2025-08-23 03:12:24 +0000 UTC View PostFollowing the successful release of Paperboy 2 and Quake Zaboru in June, and a series of key meetings with Philips in early July, Zaboru continued to focus on advancing ZAGE’s ongoing projects in both the USA and Japan. Momentum was building, and he was determined to keep it going on both fronts.
The Tokyo team was focused on two main projects. First was Pha...
2025-08-23 03:10:10 +0000 UTC View PostJuly 1 Wednesday 1995 Philip Offices.
Zaboru was invited by Jan Timmer, the CEO of Philips, to their offices in Japan. The agenda for the meeting was to discuss progress on their joint development of a larger-capacity CD drive—one that could store significantly more data than current models.
Zaboru then arrived at Philips’ main lab, where he was shown a CD tha...
2025-08-22 02:24:36 +0000 UTC View PostIn June 1995, several notable events shaped the gaming world. ZAGE released two major titles that month: Paperboy 2 on the ZEPS 2 console, developed by ZAGE Japan in Tokyo, and Quake on PC, launched by ZAGE America.
Paperboy 2 is the sequel to the infamous, goofy game from ZEPS 1, and players were thrilled to see a follow-up to the cult favorite.
Ov...
2025-08-22 02:24:08 +0000 UTC View PostJune 24 1995
At Zagashira Mansion, Zukechi—the owner of the ZUSUGA company, which created the game console ZU-Gen 1—was fidgeting nervously. “Wh... what should I do? What should I do?! It’s all Zaboru and ZAGE’s fault! They monopolize the video game market! That’s why ZUSUGA’s games can’t sell!”
Zukechi had been blaming Zaboru for the ZU-Gen 1’...
2025-08-21 02:49:54 +0000 UTC View Post24 June 1995 Wednesday Evening.
Zaboru is in his office at ZAGE USA, carrying on with his usual busy routine. Earlier that morning he had presented the Unreal Engine to a large group of video game developers. The presentation sparked great interest, and soon many developers began reaching out to ZAGE and Emerald Wings. Plenty of them expressed a strong desire to collaborate, eager ...
2025-08-21 02:48:44 +0000 UTC View Post24 June 1995 Wednesday ZAGE USA.
After a couple of months of development, the Unreal Engine was finally ready to be used in full production. Alongside it, the first game created with the engine, Quake, was scheduled for release on June 27, 1995. In the meantime, Zaboru had already begun shifting his USA-based ZAGE team to work on major upcoming projects such as NBA LIV...
2025-08-20 02:32:46 +0000 UTC View PostAfter the release of Mario Kart, another notable title launched in May was the JRPG Breath of Fire. Although it largely followed the traditional formula of Japanese role-playing games, it managed to capture players’ attention by combining familiar mechanics with fresh twists and distinctive ideas that made it stand out in a crowded genre.
First of all, Breath of Fire...
2025-08-20 02:32:21 +0000 UTC View PostSaturday, 23 May 1995.
Sakaki and Sawada, both employees of ZAGE, were practically buzzing with excitement as they called up Kumogi and Rikki to meet them at Bakudan Arcades. The reason? None other than to experience Super Mario Kart! — the hottest new game from ZAGE, officially released that very day. Thanks to their employee privileges, Sakaki and Sawada had secured an...
2025-08-19 12:28:09 +0000 UTC View PostBefore Zaboru even returned to America to attend Sanika’s school, he had already assigned his Tokyo team another set of projects to plan and develop. At that moment, the Tokyo team was juggling two major titles: Mario Kart, which promised to bring fast-paced multiplayer racing, and Breath of Fire, an RPG with a unique fantasy world. Zaboru, however, was always thinkin...
2025-08-18 23:58:07 +0000 UTC View Post15 May 1995 Friday.
Right Now , Zaboru would be attending Sanika’s school because the school was holding a family competition where students had to bring either their parents or older siblings to participate in different games and activities. It was meant to be a cheerful community event, filled with laughter, friendly rivalries, and school pride. Zaboru decided to attend as a su...
2025-08-18 23:57:31 +0000 UTC View PostFriday, 15 May 1995
After just a couple of days from the official release date and only a week after Zaboru’s much-hyped presentation, the AKAI Phone Z1 absolutely exploded in the market, capturing headlines, dominating sales charts, and sparking conversations in every corner of the tech world.
First of all, because it was incredibly cheap ...
2025-08-18 01:39:49 +0000 UTC View Post