Thursday, May 22, 1992.
With the May ga releases just around the corner, Zaboru sat in his office surrounded by towering stacks of ZAGE Player Forms. Letters and feedback had poured in from all across Japan — a response far greater than anyone at ZAGE had expected. Over 210,000 players had submitted their forms, filling out reviews for their favorite ZAGE and third-party gas. It wasn't just about the ratings; it was a glimpse into the hearts of players who loved these gas.
"Hmm... interesting," Zaboru muttered as he flipped through the latest batch of forms. "I really didn't expect this at all."
He wasn't alone. The entire ZAGE team had gathered to compile and analyze the data, turning raw feedback into aningful statistics. From the 42 gas listed — 32 from ZAGE and 10 from third-party developers — the results painted a fascinating picture of player preferences and trends. Discussions filled the ZAGE offices as employees shared surprising statistics and heartwarming stories from the forms.
Overall, among the players who submitted the form, around 65% reported owning all ZEPS gas, including third-party titles. The highest-owned gas were as follows:
Super Mario Bros: 97% of players bought this
ga Man: 93% of players bought this
Ninja Gaiden: 92% of players bought this
Pac-Man: 91% of players bought this
Z-Man: 90% of players bought this
Super Mario Bros 2: 90% of players bought this
RC Pro-AM: 88% of players bought this
Punch-Out!!: 87% of players bought this
The wide distribution of ownership across these gas highlighted the diversity of player interests. From classic platforrs to innovative sports titles, ZAGE had successfully created a gaming ecosystem where nearly every player could find sothing to love. As for top Rated gas is like this.
The top-rated gas were as follows:
Choujin Sentai Z-Man: 9.4
Super Mario Bros 2: 9.2
R.C. Pro-AM: 9.1
Punch-Out!!: 8.9
ga Man 2: 8.8
Ultimate Bunny Race: 8.7
Phantasy Star: 8.5
A.M.N: Agent Mutant Ninja: 8.5
"Z-Man leading the charts... No surprise there," Zaboru said with a nod. The thing is he really put lot of effort of this ga "But the competition is tighter than I expected. It ans people are really engaged."
The results showed that ZAGE's overall ga ratings hovered between 7 and 9. However, so surprises stood out. Ayumi's ga, Ultimate Bunny Race, and Akaishidan's newest title, A.M.N: Agent Mutant Ninja, both received high ratings despite having fewer players, likely due to their recent releases. anwhile, Base Wars had the lowest rating among ZAGE titles — a 7.0 — primarily due to baseball purists who still couldn't accept the ga's futuristic twist. Yet Zaboru shrugged it off. He had anticipated the backlash.
"They can keep hating it... the players who get it are having fun, and that's what matters," he thought. "Base Wars isn't for everyone — it's for those who dare to enjoy sothing new."
Another interesting finding was the performance of third-party developers. Out of the ten gas listed, most hovered between a 7 and 8 rating, but two titles stood out:
Ultimate Bunny Race by U-Bunny (Racing): 8.7
A.M.N: Agent Mutant Ninja by Akaishidan (Action/Platforr): 8.5
The rest of the third-party lineup included:
Karate Bunny by U-Bunny (Action Platforr) 8.1
Master Ninja by Akaishidan (Stealth Action) 7.9
Dig-Man by Nanco (Pac-Man-like maze ga) 8.0
Turbo Soldier by Kogane Studio (Side-scrolling shooter) 7.6
Mugen Road! by Fuji-dan (Endless racer) 7.5
Shippu Densetsu Kagura by Kogane Studio (Action Platforr)
8.4Cosmic Wing by BANZ (Shoot 'em up) 8.1
Night Howling by Buriko (Beat 'em up) 7.2
Despite not topping the charts, third-party developers were thrilled to be part of the ZAGE ecosystem. Their gas were getting exposure, and feedback from players was helping them improve. Many developers expressed gratitude in their responses, thanking Zaboru and the ZAGE team for the opportunity to grow and reach a wider audience.
"This is what it's all about," Zaboru thought. "We're building sothing bigger than just gas. We're building a community."
As he flipped through more feedback forms, he noticed a common the — players were passionate. They cared deeply about the gas they played, whether it was offering constructive criticism, sharing personal stories, or simply thanking ZAGE for creating sothing that brought them joy.
One player wrote: "Phantasy Star made feel like I was part of another world. It's not just a ga; it's an experience. Thank you for making sothing so special. Please Zaboru-sama make another! , i need more Alis!"
Another said: "Base Wars might be crazy, but that's why I love it. It's not afraid to be different. I don't care what the baseball purists say. This ga is aweso! The robots make it ten tis better."
There was also one who said, "Z-Man is so cool! Please make a TV show for it!"
Another fan exclaid, "Please! PLEASE! More Samus ARAN!!!!!!!!!"
A passionate RC Pro-AM fan wrote, "This ga is insanely fun! I've played it every day since release. Please add more tracks!"
A player praising ga Man 2 shared, "This is the perfect balance of challenge and fun. The bosses are so creative! We need another sequel!"
One heartfelt ssage for Ultimate Bunny Race read, "This ga helped bond with my younger brother. We play it together every weekend. Thank you for making sothing so fun! Thank you U-Bunny"
A fan of Punch-Out!! added, "This ga makes feel like a real boxer. Please add more fighters in the future! L1GM4!"
A dedicated Super Mario fan wrote: "Super Mario Bros gas are insanely fun! They're simple but can be challenging! Please make a sequel for Super Mario Bros 2! I can't wait to see what cos next!"
Even the lower-rated gas had fans who stood by them, defending their quirks and unique appeal. One particularly heartfelt ssage read: "Master Ninja may not be perfect, but it made feel like a real ninja, hiding in the shadows. I hope you keep making gas like this. NINPOU!"
Zaboru smiled as he read through the heartfelt ssages. So of the responses were humorous, others deeply personal, but all of them carried a genuine sense of community.
The final part of the feedback form asked players to vote for their single favorite ga. The results were surprisingly balanced. Each major ga had its own dedicated fanbase, with no single title dominating the charts. It was proof that ZAGE had sothing for everyone.
With May's releases just days away, Zaboru knew this feedback was invaluable. It wasn't just data — it was a window into the minds of players. And with this insight, ZAGE could continue to grow, evolve, and create experiences that resonated with people.
As the evening stretched on, Zaboru called his team together. They gathered in the conference room, exhausted but excited.
"Alright, everyone. We did great. But let's make the next release even better."
Cheers filled the room.
To be continue
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