Saturday, 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 Enlightennt ability dulled the physical toll—he wasn't exhausted despite pulling an all-nighter.
He'd stayed overnight at the ZAGE office, sothing he'd inford his family about in advance. They didn't mind. It wasn't the first ti, and certainly wouldn't be the last.
But today was different. It was special.
Why?
Because today marked the official deploynt of ZAGE's very first arcade machines. The trio of ZAGE arcade cabinets was heading to Bakudan Arcade and Dream Catcher Arcade. After months of planning, design, testing, and refinent with Nando Michio of Nanco, the machines were finally ready for public play.
And Zaboru was heading to Bakudan Arcade to witness it firsthand.
He hopped onto his trusty bicycle—an old silver beast affectionately nad Silver Wrecker—and pedaled through the cool Tokyo morning. The streets buzzed gently with weekend life, a perfect backdrop for the soft hum of excitent building in his chest.
It didn't take long to reach Bakudan Arcade.
Standing outside the familiar entrance was none other than Toki, the arcade's owner, soaking in the early sun.
"Yo, Toki-san!" Zaboru called out with a wide grin.
Toki turned, his eyes lighting up. "Hey, Zabo! What's up, kid? And hey, thanks for the free arcades! I still can't believe you pulled it off. Another ZAS, huh? But this ti, each one has a different ga, right?"
Zaboru nodded with a chuckle. "Yeah. This ti it's ZAS - Street Fighter, ZAS - Streets of Rage, and ZAS - Rampage."
Toki crossed his arms, intrigued. "Honestly, I can't wait to see what kind of gaplay magic you cooked up this ti. Knowing you, it's probably revolutionary."
Zaboru grinned with confidence. "You bet, Toki-san. I told you before, I'm going to make arcades thrive again. This is just the beginning."
Toki laughed. "So, any plans for the next batch of arcade machines?"
"Of course," Zaboru said, tapping the side of his nose. "But the contents are a secret... for now."
Toki nodded, reminiscing. "Not scamming you with that contract when you had nothing might be the best decision I ever made."
Zaboru gave a small bow. "I'm grateful for that, truly. And don't worry—whenever I launch new arcade models, both you and Satonaka-san will get one for free. But beyond that, the extra units will go through Nanco at regular price."
"Fair enough," Toki said with a grin. "Thanks, Zaboru."
The two chatted for a few more minutes before the familiar rumble of a delivery truck signaled the arrival of the star attractions. The Nanco transport team hopped out and began unloading three large, glossy cabinets. One for each ga.
Zaboru and Toki rolled up their sleeves and helped direct the placent of each machine. By now, a few curious passersby had started to slow their steps, eyeing the new machines with intrigue.
As the final connections were made and each machine ca to life, Toki stepped back and whistled. "Not gonna lie, Zaboru. These designs are next level."
"Thanks," Zaboru replied. "I personally designed all of them. Each one had to visually embody the spirit of the ga inside."
Zaboru leaned down and unlocked a small panel on the side of the machines. "Also, you can configure the price per play here. Nando made it easy. You can set it to either 50 yen or 100 yen per play."
Toki scratched his chin. "Let's go with 100 yen for now. They're brand new, after all."
Zaboru nodded. "Sounds good."
Toki turned to the machines, then inserted a few coins into the first cabinet: ZAS - Street Fighter. As the machine roared to life, the intro music kicked in, bold and electrifying. Toki chose Ryu and squared off against Guile. The responsiveness of the joystick and the satisfying clack of the buttons brought a great arcade feeling to his face. "The combos feel tight... impact's just right," he muttered, leaning into the screen.
Next, he tried ZAS - Streets of Rage. The bass-heavy synth soundtrack imdiately set the mood. Playing as Blaze, Toki relished the fluid motion and stylish attacks. "This beat-'em-up's got weight. Every punch feels like it counts," he said aloud, nodding approvingly as he cleared a street full of thugs with a sweeping kick.
Lastly, he turned to ZAS - Rampage. The chaos of smashing buildings and tossing tanks into helicopters brought out a boyish excitent in him. He laughed, controlling George as he climbed a tower and snatched a screaming pixel-civilian. "This... this is stress relief in ga form." Toki said while grinning.
After playing all three, Toki turned around with a broad grin and genuine awe in his voice. "I'm impressed, Zaboru. These aren't just gas. They're experiences. Each one's got its own flavor, and damn, they hit different in the best way."
Zaboru smirked. "Glad you like them. I'm gonna hang around for a while, maybe grab so breakfast. I want to see the players' reactions when they get their hands on these."
Toki laughed. "It's a Saturday. We'll be packed within the hour. You're about to witness history."
Zaboru stepped outside, stretching. The morning chill was giving way to sunlight. A handful of teens had already begun lining up by the door, eyeing the new machines through the window.
He smiled to himself.
"Let's see what they think of the new era of ZAGE arcades."
With that, Zaboru hopped back on his Silver Wrecker and pedaled off into the neighborhood streets, scanning the storefronts for a cozy breakfast spot. The morning sun had ward the city just enough to make the breeze pleasant, and the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted from a nearby bakery. Spotting a quiet corner diner, he parked his bike and stepped inside, ordering a hearty Japanese breakfast set with grilled fish, tamago, and miso soup. As he ate, he watched the clock, eager for the mont Bakudan Arcade would officially open its doors and the public would et his newest creations.
To be continued...
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