Monday, 28 August 1994 — Morning
Zaboru was at the bustling ZAGE offices, where all his engineers were gathered, including Shigeru Miyamoto, whom he had personally invited last Friday to travel from the Osaka branch to Tokyo this Monday.
Today, Zaboru’s task was to assign Japan’s ZAGE branch their next projects, scheduled for release at the end of December. For ZEPS 2, it would be Earthworm Jim and Super Bomberman; for ZEPS 1, Double Dragon, a beat-’em-up; and for ZGB, Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land.
First, Zaboru handed Zanichi, his father and ZAGE CTO, the plan and structure for Earthworm Jim and Super Bomberman. He had already mapped out much of the developnt, including detailed design docunts, concept art, and gaplay outlines, and fortunately, ZAGE’s dev team was now highly skilled, having learned under the best — Zaboru himself. They discussed character chanics, level layouts, and even the marketing angles, ensuring everyone understood the vision. As for the Osaka team, he asked Shigeru Miyamoto to take charge of one ZGB ga and one ZEPS 1 title. Shigeru was thrilled, especially with the concept of Super Mario Land 3, Zaboru couldn’t help but chuckle — Shigeru truly loved making Mario gas, just as he had in Zaboru’s previous life.
Ti passed, and soon it was night. Zaboru’s family and Ayumi accompanied him to the airport. He hugged his mother tightly, feeling the familiar comfort of her embrace. "Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll be fine," he said with a warm smile. Keiko kissed his cheek, brushing a hand gently over his hair. "Make sure to eat a lot, okay?" she said softly, her eyes misty with motherly concern. Zaboru chuckled and nodded, his heart full from the love surrounding him.
He then turned to his father. Zanichi placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Don’t worry about things here. I’ll handle everything. Make sure things go well in the USA."
"Thanks, Dad. You’re aweso," Zaboru smiled.
Next, he knelt in front of Sanika and gently caressed her hair. "Sani-chan, I’m heading off now. I promise, when I’m back, I’ll bring you a present." Sanika bead brightly, her eyes sparkling. "Hehe, I’ll wait for it, Nii-san," she chirped, wrapping her small arms around his neck in a tight hug. Zaboru gave a soft chuckle, ruffling her hair once more and whispering, "Be good while I’m gone, okay?" Sanika giggled, nodding eagerly, her smile lighting up the mont.
Finally, he faced Ayumi. "I’m leaving, Ayumi." She smiled softly, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug. "Make sure to take care of yourself, okay? And I love you, Zabo." He smiled, pulling her gently closer. "Yeah. See you later," he murmured, kissing her forehead tenderly. "Love you too, Ayumi." Keiko and Zanichi chuckled quietly as they watched the sweet mont, while Sanika blushed and giggled, covering her face with her hands. The atmosphere was full of affection and quiet smiles, the kind that linger in the heart long after goodbye. The family stood there for a few extra monts, exchanging small glances and soft laughter, savoring the warmth before Zaboru finally waved and walked toward the departure gate.
On the plane, Zaboru sighed, leaning back in his seat. "It’s really a hassle to fly so often... I really need a private plane. With that, I could save so much ti — and spend more ti with my family," he thought, running a hand through his hair with a tired smile. The hum of the engines filled the cabin as he gazed briefly out the window at the clouds, letting himself reflect on the whirlwind his life had beco. He closed his eyes and activated his Emulator Mind ability, his consciousness, ntally flipping through tasks, schedules, and ideas with precision and clarity, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he visualized every step with calm focus.
The next morning, Zaboru arrived in the USA and headed straight to his ho in LA to rest. He sank into the familiar couch, letting out a long breath, feeling both the jet lag and the quiet satisfaction of progress. After so downti, refreshed and a little more alert, he visited Erald Wings to check in with Ryan and Jas. They greeted him warmly, eager to share the news. They reported that sales of The Eight gas in Arica were exceptional — even better than they had anticipated.
Zaboru couldn’t help but think how, in this world, people had much stronger spending power than in his previous life. Maybe it was because here, the wealthy were less greedy and less corrupt, allowing money to circulate more through the middle and lower classes. This, in turn, benefited ZAGE, which kept delivering hit after hit, making custors eager to buy anything related to ZAGE. And people in this world are less divided by racism after World War II; there are barely any wars or tensions compared to Zaboru’s previous world, and the global economy is thriving, with each country focusing on elevating their economy in positive, collaborative ways.
After the eting, Zaboru excused himself and headed to ZAGE USA, where the teams were finishing Doom and the Virtua Cop arcade ga.
He sat down with Samuel Nelson (head of developnt), Peter Wayne (head of hardware, leading Virtua Cop), and John Carmack (now senior engineer at ZAGE USA).
"So, Samuel, John — how’s Diablo coming along?" Zaboru asked, leaning forward slightly with a curious smile. Samuel nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, boss, thanks to your directions and DirectX, we’re almost done. Just a few more tests, and it’s ready for release." John Carmack grinned wide. "Honestly, boss, it’s such a good ga, I don’t even know how to describe it — it’s magical, addictive, a whole experience on its own." Peter Wayne chuckled from across the table. "Yeah, John Roro’s been playing it nonstop — ’for testing,’ he says, but honestly, we all know he just loves it."
Zaboru chuckled. "Glad you’re all enjoying it. And Virtua Cop, Peter?" Peter gave a small, sheepish smile, scratching his head. "Well, we’re still making progress, but I don’t think we’ll finish it faster than Diablo. We’re about 75–80% done — still a lot of fixes and testing needed. We’re aiming for late September." His voice carried both determination and a hint of exhaustion, but there was a spark in his eyes — the kind that ca from being proud of the work they were doing.
"Once Diablo’s finished, we can assign more devs to help with Virtua Cop," Zaboru nodded, a small grin tugging at his lips. "And I’ve got other projects lined up for the USA branch, too." John Carmack leaned forward, eyes gleaming with excitent. "Honestly, boss, I can’t wait! How do you even co up with so many ideas? And they’re all over the place, but sohow they all work... it’s like you have unlimited imagination." Peter nodded in agreent, a laugh in his voice. "Yeah, it’s insane to think about." Samuel chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe it’s because you really do have unlimited imagination, boss?." Zaboru smirked, raising an eyebrow playfully. "You three looking for a salary raise, or are you just that impressed?" The room burst into laughter, the energy light and infectious, lifting the team’s spirits as they dove back into their work with fresh enthusiasm.
For the rest of the day, Zaboru stayed with the team, helping push developnt forward — and, as always, his presence alone boosted progress. He moved from desk to desk, offering advice on bug fixes, reviewing new assets, and even jumping into code reviews when needed. At one point, he gathered the group for an impromptu brainstorming session, scribbling ideas on a whiteboard as the team chid in with laughter and excitent. The team, as always, was genuinely impressed by Zaboru’s technical prowess and ga developnt skills. His ability to jump seamlessly between creative ideas and technical solutions left them inspired, and his clear explanations made even the toughest challenges feel conquerable. Watching him in action was a reminder to everyone why Zaboru had beco such a respected figure in the gaming world and by his employees— not just because he was their boss, but because his skills, passion, and hands-on leadership set him apart. He wasn’t just soone giving orders; he worked alongside them, understood their challenges, and lifted the entire team’s energy all that beca the most technical person ever. This made the employees genuinely excited and proud to be part of his vision.
To be continued.
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