Saturday 5 September 1996
Kiyotake Miyaichi, a 23-year-old salaryman, is a truly devoted gar. He's always been fascinated by the evolution of video gas, and he regularly plays the latest consoles such as the Titan Drive, ZEPS 2, and Reborn 16. These systems offer cutting-edge graphics compared to 8 bit and advanced gaplay, or the arcade itself that becos 32 bit and while he enjoys them, his heart always pulls him back to the classics. What he really loves—more than anything—are the ZEPS 1 gas, those iconic 8-bit titles that defined his teenage days.
He has an undeniable nostalgic connection to ZEPS 1. Whenever he plays one of its gas, he feels a wave of happiness and excitent. Maybe it's because ZEPS 1 was the very first gaming console he ever owned, and more importantly, the first one he bought with his own hard-earned money back in 1991, when he was just a wide-eyed schoolboy saving up from part-ti gigs. The experience of finally bringing it ho, unboxing it, and plugging it into the TV remains burned into his mory. It wasn't just about the gas—it was about the mont, the pride, and the independence.
Now, years later, that fondness has only grown. The simplicity of 8-bit graphics, the catchy chiptune soundtracks, and the charmingly difficult level design all still fill him with a sense of joy .
But recently, ZEPS 1—and 8-bit consoles in general—rarely received any new ga releases. The golden age seed to be fading fast, and that reality weighed heavily on Kiyotake. He truly wished companies would start supporting the format again. "Sigh... I really hope they release new gas for 8-bit consoles," he muttered to himself as he walked ho.
Once back at his apartnt, he made a simple dinner—instant ran and a bottle of fruit juice—and plopped down in front of his TV. He turned on the YaDo subscription channel, ready to unwind with a few episodes of SpongeBob. As the the song played, he leaned back and relaxed.
Then, suddenly, an advertisent interrupted the show. Normally, YaDo's ad breaks featured trailers for upcoming ZAGE gas or other ZAGE-related promotions. So at first, he barely paid attention. "Just another typical ZAGE ad," he thought.
But sothing about this one felt different. Because it shows the Big ZAGE logo which makes him Intrigued, he leaned forward, eyes glued to the screen.
The screen first displayed the bold, iconic ZAGE logo, glowing with energy, followed by a slow fade into a series of dramatic shots of the ZEPS 1 console—its sleek black-and-gray fra, its chunky cartridge slot, and the ZEPS 1 controller resting beside it. A deep, nostalgic narrator's voice broke the silence: "ZEPS 1... where it all began."
Suddenly, a montage began. Beloved characters like Mario, Sonic, ga Man, Pac-Man, and even SpongeBob appeared one by one, stepping forward as if summoned by mory itself. Each of them reached out and placed their hand on the ZEPS 1 console, their expressions solemn and proud. The narration continued with rising emotion, "ZEPS 1 may be coming to a close... but we're going out with a bang.""
Then the screen changed to a vibrant, colorful world where dozens of cartridges raced along a glowing track like a high-speed train. Explosions of pixelated confetti burst in the background as the narrator's voice bood with excitent: "We offer you... the ZEPS Closure Package! 21 gas in ONE incredible collection! And yes—every single one is brand-new!"
The trailer erupted into a montage of gaplay clips from each of the 21 titles. side-scrollers, new action-RPGs, quirky platforrs, fast-paced shooters—every genre had a place. Characters leapt across vibrant stages, bosses roared into fra, and 8 bit soundtracks filled the background with energy and nostalgia. Each second of footage scread passion and celebration.
Then ca the pricing announcent. "All of this," the narrator declared, "for the affordable price of just 100,000 yen for the standard edition!" The screen transitioned again to a gleaming gold box. "Or choose the Special Edition for 120,000 yen—which includes the exclusive Art from Zaboru Renkonan collector's book, packed with unseen illustrations, developer notes, and behind-the-scenes history from the creator himself!"
The screen kept cycling through more gaplay, each ga flashier than the last. Explosive effects, new characters, old characters—it felt like ZAGE had packed everything they had into this one final tribute. As the music swelled to a triumphant finale, the narrator concluded: "ZEPS 1 may be coming to an end... but we're sending it off with a BANG! Find your copy at local retailers starting September 19, 1996!"
Kiyotake's eyes widened in disbelief, and a surge of excitent rushed through him. "Wait—21 gas in one!?" he shouted, practically jumping off the couch. "For the closure of ZEPS!? I knew ZEPS 1 was winding down, but I never expected it to go out like this. This is insane!"
His face lit up with pure joy as more gaplay footage rolled across the screen. "No way... I'm seeing a new ga Man ga... and a brand-new Mario title... is that Alex Kidd too!?" he exclaid, nearly breathless. "Damn! I have to get this—100,000 yen? That's a steal for this kind of package!"
Without thinking, he grabbed his wallet from the table and stared at it with a grin. "Well, there goes my savings... but this is 100% worth it."
Kiyotake was a huge fan of ga Man, and for a long ti, he had been deeply disappointed that no sequel had been released for the franchise on ZEPS 2. It felt like the blue bomber had been forgotten in the transition to newer consoles. But now, to his shock and delight, not only was a ga Man sequel finally being released—it was coming as part of the ZEPS 1 closure celebration. And the surprise didn't end there. There wasn't just one new ga Man ga—there were two! The announcent hit him like a jolt of electricity. It felt like a personal gift, a final hurrah for the console he loved most, and a reward for his loyalty as a fan all these years.
Aside from ga Man, Kiyotake knew he absolutely needed this collection. Paying 100,000 yen for 21 brand-new gas felt almost unreal—it was an incredible bargain, especially for a devoted fan like him. He couldn't stop thinking about the titles shown in the trailer, both the ones he recognized and the fresh new nas that sparked his curiosity. The lineup had sothing for everyone, and he was determined not to miss out. "There's no way I'm skipping this," he told himself. "No matter what—it's mine."
Kiyotake then thought, "Let's see what the forums are saying!" Eagerly, he rushed over to his aging PC, the hum of its boot-up a familiar and comforting sound. He double-clicked the browser icon and typed in the ZAGE forums URL with practiced speed. As the page loaded, his anticipation built—and sure enough, just as he expected, the forums were already buzzing.
Thread after thread filled the hopage. Bold titles like "21 GAS!? ZAGE WENT NUTS!" and "Goodbye ZEPS 1—What a Sendoff!" caught his eye. Users were pouring in with reactions, speculations, and shared nostalgia. So were already theorizing about gaplay chanics; others were debating which title looked the best from the trailer. Many posts were filled with excitent.
Kiyotake grinned wide. The excitent was real. He clicked into a thread and quickly started typing, adding his thoughts to the fast-moving conversation. "I can't believe we're getting TWO new ga Man gas! ZAGE is cooking HARD right now!" he posted. As replies flooded in, he leaned back, the glow of the screen reflecting in his eyes. He felt connected—to the gas, to the community, to the mont. And this mont, he knew, was sothing special.
And with that, the ZEPS Closure ad sent shockwaves through the video ga industry once again.
To be continue
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