Saturday, 3 August 1994
Zaboru sits in his office, sipping coffee and enjoying a rare mont of calm. His mind drifts to yesterday’s deal with Kyotaro Shinomori—he now owns the rights to Kan Rider and Ultraman. A small chuckle escapes him. "There’s so much I could do with Ultraman and Kan Rider," he murmurs. "Still, I can’t believe TOEI just discarded those franchises. In my previous world, they held onto them tightly."
He leans back in his chair, lost in thought. "If only I had Sentai too," he muses, "but that one’s still riding high in popularity. For now."
Zaboru continues reviewing the eight titles that make up The Eight Project, and he’s pleased to see that most of them are already nearing the final stages of developnt. Work began in late June and is set to wrap up by the end of August—a remarkably fast turnaround. "This really shows the strength of ZAGE’s Osaka and Tokyo branches," he mutters with satisfaction. "They’re efficient, focused, and they know how to execute."
He’s especially impressed by the Osaka team, led brilliantly by Shigeru Miyamoto. Under Miyamoto’s leadership, they’ve taken charge of three out of the eight gas, and their progress is seamless. anwhile, the Tokyo branch—under the steady guidance of Zaboru’s own father—is also delivering standout results. Zaboru’s ability, Aura of Influence, seems to be reaching across departnts and cities, subtly boosting morale and productivity even in places where he’s not physically present.
This project wouldn’t be possible without Zaboru at the helm. He’s guiding the team with sharp vision and relentless energy, directing every detail with remarkable speed and precision. With him in charge, missteps are rare—because he anticipates problems before they happen and solves them before anyone else notices and his workload , work ethics and efficiency is really insane.
Zaboru then looks over the finalized ga list, which includes: Super Mario World, Contra 2: Alien Wars, Spawn, Tales of Phantasia, Super Punch-Out!!, Moonwalker, Beauty and the Beast, and finally Raiden Trad.
So, why did Zaboru pick Super Mario World to kick things off? Simply put, Mario needed a strong debut on the ZEPS 2’s 16-bit platform. But Zaboru didn’t just port the original—he went further. He enhanced the graphics, added more vibrant color depth, and gave the story a subtle cinematic flair with 16-bit cutscenes to replace the plain text sequences from his previous life. It’s a small touch, but one that makes the world feel more alive.
Even though Mario World is already launching on ZEPS 2, Zaboru hasn’t ruled out the idea of releasing Super Mario Bros. 3 on ZEPS 1 in the future. He still considers it one of the greatest gas of all ti and wants players on the older console to experience its brilliance with enhancents if possible.
Next up is Contra 2: Alien Wars—known in Zaboru’s previous life as Contra 3: Alien Wars. This ga serves as a direct sequel to the enhanced version of Contra on ZEPS 1 and continues its explosive run-and-gun legacy. Packed with nonstop action and intense boss battles, it’s designed to test even the most seasoned players.
Zaboru grins as he reviews the build. "I wonder how many players will actually be able to finish this one," he muses. He intentionally ramped up the difficulty, pushing it slightly beyond the original while also implenting new chanics to enhance gaplay variety. These include tighter movent options, improved weapon-swapping systems, and more responsive enemy AI—making this version not only harder but also more refined and rewarding to master.
Next up is Spawn—a character who has already made cao appearances in several ZAGE titles like Doom, Doom II, and Castlevania. But now, for the first ti, he’ll take center stage in a dedicated video ga of his own. Zaboru has always loved Spawn—the character’s gritty design, dark backstory, and no-nonsense attitude make him stand out.
The ga will draw inspiration from the Spawn titles in Zaboru’s previous life, but he’s planning nurous enhancents to push it further. From sharper sprite animations and atmospheric backgrounds to refined combat chanics and a deeper narrative arc, this version will be both a visual and gaplay upgrade. Zaboru wants Spawn to not just et expectations—but blow them away.
Next is Tales of Phantasia, a JRPG that Zaboru has a deep fondness for. In his previous life, the Tales series had beco a beloved staple of the genre, and this early arrival of the franchise fills him with excitent. What sets Tales of Phantasia apart is its bold decision to feature real-ti combat instead of the traditional turn-based system—while still maintaining random encounters. This hybrid approach feels fresh and dynamic, giving battles more urgency and player control. Zaboru is especially eager to see how players will respond to this innovative twist and hopes it becos a defining trait of the series going forward.
Next is Super Punch-Out!!, the follow-up to Punch-Out!! on ZEPS. Zaboru sees this as a perfect opportunity to inject so flair and experintation. He’s not content with simply continuing the formula—he plans to tweak animations, introduce new opponents with distinct patterns, and even include a few story-driven elents to give the ga more character. He’s aiming for unpredictability and style, betting that players will love the fast-paced, over-the-top boxing experience. "This one’s going to be wild," he mutters with a grin.
Next up is Moonwalker, based on the iconic Michael Jackson. Inspired by a sowhat underrated title from Zaboru’s previous life, this new version is poised to be sothing far more polished and impactful. Now that Zaboru holds the rights to use Michael Jackson’s image, he’s determined to do it justice. He plans to completely revamp the gaplay—improving the controls, adding smooth animations, reworking the level design, and integrating music-driven chanics that make full use of Jackson’s signature style.
Next up is Beauty and the Beast. Zaboru plans to release this ga ahead of the film’s debut, giving players a chance to experience the story in a new way. While the foundation draws inspiration from the version in his previous life, he’s determined to enhance every aspect—richer animation, tighter platforming controls, and a more imrsive soundtrack. He also wants to add a few original gaplay sequences that expand on Belle and the Beast’s relationship, making it more than just a movie tie-in. For Zaboru, this is a chance to turn a classic tale into a truly morable ga experience and add IP for ZAGE.
And the final ga in the lineup adds a bit of spice—none other than Raiden Trad, one of the most underrated shoot-em-ups of its era back then. Fast-paced, unforgiving, and beautifully designed, the original already had strong fundantals, but Zaboru sees even more potential in it. He plans to rebuild the experience from the ground up, enhancing visual effects, refining controls, and polishing the enemy and stage design to make it even more exhilarating. This is the kind of ga he personally loves to play—high-skill, high-adrenaline, and endlessly replayable. Zaboru grins, knowing this one is for the hardcore shoot em up fans—and for himself.
Zaboru smiles. "This is going to delight players. I really hope all of the gas released in ’The Eight’ beco both critical and comrcial hits." He leans back, satisfied, and chuckles to himself. What excites him even more is that all of this progress is solely from the Japanese branch.
The Arican division, anwhile, is still focused on their own set of priorities—arcade gas like Virtual Cop and PC titles like Diablo. Zaboru knows they’re doing vital work, but part of him can’t help but wonder: if the Arican team joined forces with the Japanese branch, how many more gas could ZAGE produce each month? Eight? Maybe even more, just for consoles and handhelds alone.
Still, he’s pragmatic. For now, it’s best to let the U.S. team stay focused on PC and arcade developnt. In ti, he’ll involve them in console production too—when the timing is right.
Zaboru grins to himself. "Hehehe, ZAGE is going to flood ZEPS 2 with high-quality gas at lightning speed." His eyes gleam with excitent, the energy in his office practically humming with montum. With that thought, he rolls up his sleeves and dives back into The Eight project, fully committed to pushing every title across the finish line.
To be continued
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