Friday 18 April 1992
Zaboru continued working on his project, feeling energized by the success of ZAGE's latest advertisent campaign. The April ad had left Sonaya reeling, forcing them to tone down their once-aggressive marketing tactics. Instead of the bold claims of being "the superior console," their new campaign was subdued, barely more than a generic showcase of their upcoming gas. The shift in tone was undeniable—ZAGE had rattled them.
But Zaboru had no ti to dwell on Sonaya's struggles. ZAGE's April releases were progressing steadily, and while he was already brainstorming the May lineup, a more imdiate matter had co up. Akechi and Ayumi had both inford him that their respective gas were ready for review, and they wanted his personal feedback. Excited to see their progress, he agreed to help them. The prospect of playing fresh, innovative gas from developers he trusted was sothing that always excited him.
Not long after, Ayumi, Akechi, and Kazu—the head engineer of Akaishidan—arrived at ZAGE headquarters. Zaboru led them to the testing room, where he would personally playtest their gas. While his dedicated review team would conduct more extensive evaluations later, Zaboru wanted to get a firsthand look at what they had created. If all went well, the final review results would be available by Tuesday. Both Akechi and Ayumi had opted to publish and manufacture their gas independently, aning they would only need to pay for 20ZEPS chips for the manufacture and a small percentage of sales of 5% to publish their gas on ZEPS.
Ayumi was the first to step forward, her eyes shining with excitent as she handed Zaboru the ga Cartridge. "Zabo! Here's my ga! I've been working on it for months, and you've helped so much along the way! Please test it!"
Zaboru smiled and nodded before booting up the ga. The title screen appeared: Ultimate Bunny Race! The nu options displayed "Play," and as soon as he selected it, an 8-bit cutscene played, introducing the world of B-Unny Planet. It was a vibrant, sports-driven society where bunny people thrived on competitive racing. The different rabbit races had unique elental abilities:
Fla Rabbit Race: FlaunnyWater Rabbit Race: WatunnyWind Rabbit Race: WinunnyThunder Rabbit Race: ThuunnyRock Rabbit Race: Rockunny
A legendary group of bunnies existed, possessing all five elents, making them the ultimate racers. The lore was charming and lighthearted, fitting for a fast-paced racing ga.
The character selection screen appeared, displaying ten racers, five of which were unlocked:
Flann (Flaunny)
Anna (Watunny)
Kierr (Winunny)
Barrnie (Thuunny)
Gobo (Rockunny)
Zaboru selected Flann, and the ga began. The gaplay was reminiscent of Excitebike but with a unique twist—racing was done on foot, with characters dashing, jumping over obstacles, and utilizing elental abilities. Flann's special move, Fla Burst, allowed her to dash forward, leaving a trail of fire that burned opponents who crossed it. The courses were dynamic, featuring hazards, ramps, and special orbs that activated boosts or defensive skills. Weather conditions even changed dynamically, affecting the terrain and movent speed.
Zaboru was genuinely impressed. The ga was fluid, intuitive, and—most importantly—fun. He found himself smiling as he expertly navigated the tracks. The level variety kept the gaplay fresh, from forest trails to icy tundras, each offering its own set of challenges. After a few intense rounds, he set the controller down and turned to Ayumi, beaming. "This is a fantastic ga. You've really refined it well, Ayumi. I'm proud of you." He then patted her head.
Ayumi blushed at the praise, giggling as Zaboru patted her head. "Hehe, glad you liked it!"
Next was Akechi's turn. He confidently handed Zaboru the controller. "Alright, Zaboru. This is A.M.N: Agents Mutant Ninja. I took inspiration from a lot of your gas while making this. I think you'll be surprised."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the ga's title and artwork. The character selection featured three distinct figures: a bulky shirtless warrior, a sleek black-clad modern ninja, and a man in a black suit with a high-tech helt.
"Hoo, what are you cooking, Akechi-san, Kazu-san?" Zaboru asked with a grin.
"You'll see," Akechi smirked.
The ga began with an 8-bit cinematic introducing the story. The Demonic Cult Kimanatsu had successfully summoned monstrous entities from the Manatsu Realm, threatening to destroy humanity. In response, a secret organization known as Akaishidan was ford to hunt and exorcise these creatures. The organization's three strongest agents were introduced:
Saburou: A master ninja Practicioner of Ancient Ninjutsu and wielding the Shichou-Ken, a holy sword capable of destroying Manatsumono creatures easily.Freedrick: A U.S. agent specializing in advanced technology, equipped with a frequency gun that could shatter the demonic forces.Madarip: An ancient warrior that was Sealed by Kimanatsu Cult in the past whose mutated DNA made him physically superior, possessing overwhelming strength and endurance.
The gaplay was an action platforr with a twist. The ability to switch characters on the fly gave it a strategic elent reminiscent of G.I. Joe gas in his previous life. Saburou was agile and excellent in combat, Freedrick could bypass security doors and attack from a distance, and Madarip, though slow, had incredible durability and could lift heavy objects to solve environntal puzzles or throw them to enemies. .
Zaboru played through the first few stages, quickly getting absorbed into the ga's chanics. It was well-balanced, with each character feeling distinct yet essential for progression. The level design was particularly impressive, requiring players to use all three characters strategically. For instance, certain platforms were positioned too high for Saburou to reach on his own, necessitating Madarip's strength to move a giant crate into position, creating a makeshift pathway. So areas featured hidden chanical switches obscured behind heavy obstacles, requiring Madarip to lift and relocate them before Freedrick could bypass the electronic locks and disable security barriers. Additionally, the bosses are incredibly creative, requiring unique strategies to defeat. The first boss, for instance, is a towering armored demon covered in thick, impervious plating. The only way to damage him is by utilizing Madarip's imnse strength to hurl a massive boulder at him. However, the challenge lies in the fact that the boss continuously fires explosive projectiles in unpredictable patterns, forcing player to use Saburou to nimbly dodge the onslaught. To make matters more intense, the required boulder is locked behind a reinforced gate, which can only be accessed by Freedrick's hacking expertise. Once Freedrick successfully disables the security chanism, player need to change to Madarip and must quickly lift and launch the boulder before the demon retaliates.
He put down the controller after beating the first boss and turned to Akechi and Kazu. "You really outdid yourselves with this one. This ga is fantastic—better than I expected. I can already tell it'll be a hit."
Akechi grinned, while Kazu blushed at the praise. "I owe a lot of it to you, Zaboru," Akechi admitted. "I studied Final Fight and Z-Man for how to create unique characters with distinct abilities. I took cues from tal Gear and Ninja Gaiden for the stealth and combat elents. And the puzzle-platforming chanics? Those ca from Super Mario Bros. 2."
Zaboru chuckled. "That's exactly how ga developnt should be. Taking inspiration and refining ideas into sothing new. I love it. Keep doing this, and we'll have a gaming industry filled with amazing titles."
Kazu was visibly moved. He thought 'Zaboru-san... you really care about the industry, don't you? You're not just making gas—you're making a future for gaming. Truly my idol! GOD OF VIDEO GAS!' Kazu fanboying Zaboru like usual..
With that, he turned back to the testing room's schedule. "My review team will go over your gas in detail. Expect full feedback by next week. Any issues with that?"
Akechi and Ayumi shook their heads. Ayumi then chid "Nope! We'll wait for the results."
With that, they left, and Zaboru returned to work.
To be continued.
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