Friday, May 30, 1992.
Zaboru was back at it again, deep in the heart of ZAGE HQ, surrounded by whiteboards, artworks , cables, monitors, stacks of prototypes, and the never-ending buzz of ideas in motion. His thoughts, for once, weren't on internal development but on the increasingly vital ecosystem of third-party developers contributing to the ZEPS library. Third-party games had already proven themselves essential to the console's diversity and growth. While ZAGE owns games still leading the industry Zaboru knows it essential for 3rd party studios to thrive.
But with that creativity came risk. For every masterpiece that brought something new to the table, there were dozens of half-baked, derivative, or outright broken titles trying to ride ZAGE's wave.
Zaboru had seen too many of those recently—submissions thrown together with little care, built purely for profit with no regard for experience or polish. It grated on him. This wasn't what gaming was supposed to be about.
Passion mattered. Vision mattered. Zaboru wasn't just building a game library; he was building a culture. One where quality trumped quantity, and the only games released under the ZEPS are the games that at least have proper mechanics, and not buggy unfinished games. This is what led to Atari 's downfall after all.
That's why he'd instituted ZAGE's strict quality control policy for third-party developers. If a game failed initial testing, the developer would have to wait two to three months before submitting again. If they resubmitted the same game with minimal changes and it still failed, they'd be blocked for seven months. Some 3rd party game devs wannabe said it was too harsh. Zaboru didn't care. He wasn't interested in becoming the next generic game hub. ZAGE and ZEPS was a platform for people who cared.
Today, however, was different. Two promising new titles had made their way to his desk, and both were stirring real excitement within the QA department.
The first was from a studio called Nanco, a name that stirred something nostalgic in Zaboru because this is Namco from his previous life and they already released one game in ZEPS called Dig-man and their games are sold well , and it's a good game.
Their newest game, Sora Bozu, was a tightly designed, side-scrolling aerial shooter. It starred a spunky young pilot zipping through hand-drawn skies, dodging enemy fire and unleashing volleys of satisfying fire ball. Its balance of challenge and playability immediately caught his eye.
As the opening cutscene played and the first level loaded, Zaboru smirked. And thought
'It's Sky Kid,' he muttered. "Or at least, it's Sky Kid if it were made for the ZEPS.'
The resemblance was unmistakable.it was thoughtful and it's like in its previous world versions but Sora Bozu had smoother controls, more depth in its level design, and charming animations that made each death sting a little less.
'If I don't remake these classics fast enough, Zaboru thought, others might do it for me and it is usually the studios that make that game in my previous world but shaped by this world by ZAGE's influence. That's not bad. It's just… different'
The second title was from a much smaller studio: Triangle Soft. Zaboru knows that this is equivalent to Square soft from his previous life and Their submission? Jewel Sword, a JRPG with turn-based combat, emotional storytelling, and a core gameplay hook that genuinely surprised him, Zaboru then thought 'Of course they're gonna make RPG games' Zaboru smirked.
The protagonist was a boy descended from a forgotten hero, able to wield the ancient Jewel Sword mystical blade whose attributes could shift between elemental forms: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, and more. Each form wasn't just for show; it changed how enemies behaved, how environments reacted, and which puzzles could be solved.
As the narrative unfolded, the boy met allies—each with complex backstories and skills of their own. It is the usual Trope of JRPG design, but still cool. The dialogue had weight. The characters are interesting. And the visuals? Colorful, expressive, and clearly crafted with care.
Reading the developer notes, Zaboru noticed the name Munegai Katsuki, the Triangle soft team's representative. In his notes, Katsuki wrote: "I really Love Final Fantasy and RPG genre!. We wanted to make something with that but with our own touch!."
Zaboru chuckled to himself. "Triangle Soft… in another life, they would've been Square. The soul is the same."
He was genuinely impressed. It thrilled him to see echoes of the old world coming to life in new and unpredictable ways. ZAGE hadn't just revived the game industry—it had redirected it.
"Jewel Sword really interested me for real," he said aloud. "I'll play it more tonight. Might even finish it."
By late afternoon, both titles were being tested extensively in the QA department. Zaboru personally joined one of the playthroughs, offering real-time feedback overall that both games passed the Quality Control .
But as the sun set and the office lights dimmed, something else called to him: the release of three new MGB games from Sonaya. Zaboru already had early access copies waiting on his desk. With a sigh of curiosity, he dimmed the lights, grabbed a drink, and powered on the MGB.
The first game was Musashi Adventure, an RPG that took a grounded, realistic approach to its fantasy world. No dragons, no spells, just swords, honor, and revenge. It featured a robust body-type mechanic: "Big and Strong" characters could wield massive weapons like battle axes, while "Lean and Dexterous" types excelled with bows and quick strikes. It felt more like a gritty samurai epic than a traditional RPG.
"8 out of 10," Zaboru said, scribbling down notes. "Realism works here. The story's tight, and the gameplay balance is refreshing."
Next up: Galaxy Beam. A vertical shoot-'em-up where players piloted a UFO capable of firing beams in eight directions. The beam upgrades were inventive, reflecting lasers, time-slowing pulses, and wide-area blasts. The visuals popped, the controls were sharp, and the bosses were genuinely fun, but the story is just mid it's Good Alien vs Bad Alien trope , still the gameplay is great.
"7.5," he said. "Great gameplay, weak story. But that's fine. It's truly a Shoot em up game."
Lastly, he loaded Juan Pool, a hybrid game that tried to merge billiards with RPG-style progression. Equipment upgrades, quirky NPCs, and a reference for Sonaya characters, but it couldn't quite land its concept. It was trying to be ZAGE's Tetris, but it lacked identity. Clearly lacking ZAGE charm.
"6.5," Zaboru muttered. "It's… pool. And worse , the only thing good in here is the pool gameplay, still pool gameplay is quite entertaining."
He sat back in his chair, arms crossed. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the MGB's menu screen.
"They're getting better," he admitted. "Junpei's leading the right way over there. Sonaya's learning."
But it wasn't just about Sonaya. Zaboru wanted more rivals. More competition. He didn't want ZAGE to dominate because everyone else was weak—he wanted to fight for the top spot. To be challenged. That's what makes great games. He also wants to play good games made by people in this world, Like Ultimate Bunny Race , his girlfriend's game. He really likes it.
With a grin, he reached over and popped Musashi Adventure back in. The story was heating up, and he wanted to see where it went.
The office lights were low, the city outside glowing under the night sky, and inside, Zaboru leaned into the screen—smiling, plotting, playing.
He is also planning to Finish Jewel Sword today too , for tonight Zaboru Renkonan the gamers have arrived again!, beating Zaboru Renkonan the working maniac and ZAGE CEO!
To be continued
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