Tuesday 26 October 1996 Osaka
Zaboru is now in Osaka, Japan. He's preparing to assign the teams two new projects that will occupy them for the next few months. His main plan is to hand them another round of arcade ga projects, continuing the montum from their last success. anwhile, for the ZAGE ZGB handheld, Zaboru has decided to keep relying on third-party developers to handle the ga creation. He believes this strategy allows the Osaka team to fully focus their energy on developing high-quality arcade titles without being stretched thin. His goal is clear: the Osaka team should stay focused on arcade gas exclusively while focusing on ZEPS 3 developnt as well, at least until the end of the year, ensuring top-tier results and smooth project execution. This way, ZAGE can maintain its strong arcade presence while still keeping the handheld market active through external support.
Zaboru is currently inside the Osaka eting offices, sitting alongside the Osaka branch team leader, Shigeru Miyamoto, and lead developer Satoru Iwata, along with several other ZAGE developers assigned to the Osaka branch.
Zaboru smiled. "Okay everyone, as you all know, the Osaka and Tokyo teams are busy creating and developing ZEPS 3 and its ga. But we also know that our team is more than capable of developing another ga—at least one—in the next couple of months." Everyone nodded in agreent.
Zaboru grinned. "The Osaka team's last ga, Dead or Alive, which was released just a few days ago, proved that this team can utilize the Unreal Engine extrely well. I'm really proud of that." Zaboru clapped, and the others joined in with applause.
Zaboru smiled. "The next gas I'm assigning to you are two new titles, and both of them will be arcade gas."
Everyone looked surprised. Most of the team had assud Zaboru would assign them to work on ZGB titles, especially since it had already been a few months without any new releases for ZAGE's 8-bit handheld. The unexpected focus on arcade gas left a noticeable stir in the room, as it wasn't what anyone anticipated.
Zaboru chuckled. "I know what you're all thinking—'Why not ZGB?' Right?" He paused and smiled. "Well, that's because, at the mont, we at ZAGE are receiving a steady stream of third-party gas for the ZGB. And honestly, they're not bad at all—so of them are really well-made and fun. Our handheld players still have plenty of good gas to enjoy."
He glanced around the room to make sure everyone was following. "So no need to panic. ZAGE isn't abandoning the ZGB. Far from it. We're just letting trusted external developers handle that side for now so we can focus our internal efforts on making sothing truly excellent in the arcade space."
Zaboru then continued, "Anyway, next is the part you're probably most curious about—what kind of gas are we making? Well, both of these are going to be arcade fighting gas." He raised a hand before anyone could interrupt. "Why fighting gas, you ask? Because I absolutely love making them. There's sothing thrilling about designing fast-paced, head-to-head combat that tests both reflex and strategy."
Zaboru grinned with clear excitent. "Fighting gas in general follow a similar core structure—two characters, one arena, one winner. But what sets them apart, what really makes them morable, are the elents layered on top. It's the soundtrack that sets the mood, the roster of unique characters with personality and style, or the gaplay chanics that completely flip how a match feels—maybe it's a power ter, tag team system, or transformation mode. Even the art style can change everything, giving a ga its own soul and atmosphere."
He leaned forward slightly, more animated now. "That's what I want us to tap into—those creative layers. These gas shouldn't just be functional; they should stand out.."
"And now, these are the two gas I've prepared: the first is called DarkStalker, and the second is Bloody Roar." Zaboru reached into his briefcase and laid two thick docunts on the table—each one neatly bound and labeled, packed with character designs, system chanics, and visual references. He also handed over a floppy disk that contained his blueprint files, filled with diagrams, animations, and technical notes.
Shigeru Miyamoto, intrigued, asked, "Boss, isn't Bloody Roar the na of a curse in Beauty and the Beast? The one that turns people into beasts?"
Zaboru nodded and smiled. "Yeah, you're correct. This ga is based on the concept of transforming into a beast. As you can see in the docunts I've prepared, each character has both a human form and a beast form. This transformation chanic adds a deeper layer to the gaplay."
He tapped the papers in front of him. "We're aiming to make things more strategic—for example, having a character who's powerful in their human form but weaker in beast form, or the reverse. That kind of dynamic forces players to think more carefully about when to transform. It opens the door to a lot of variety and makes every match feel different. It's all about creating sothing unique and engaging that challenges players in new ways."
Zaboru grinned. "We at ZAGE have released plenty of arcade fighting gas, both 2D and 3D—like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Marvel vs ZAGE, Tekken, Guilty Gear, Soul Calibur, and our newest one, Dead or Alive. But with every one of our gas, there's always been sothing unique that sets it apart. That's what I've always aid for when creating fighting gas—finding that one special twist, whether it's in the chanics, the style, or the characters, that makes each title stand out from the rest."
Zaboru smiled. "Bloody Roar will be a 3D arcade fighting ga, and I want the Osaka team to utilize the Unreal Engine, just like we did with Dead or Alive. This ga needs to be top-tier in quality—no compromises."
He spoke with a serious tone, making sure everyone understood the importance. "As you've seen from the concept, Bloody Roar leans into a slightly more intense and darker tone, with elents of gore and horror. It's sowhat in the sa spirit as our work on Mortal Kombat. That's why there will be more blood, more visual impact, and a heavier atmosphere overall. We want players to feel the brutality, but in a way that's stylized and impactful—not just shock value."
Then Satoru Iwata said, "Boss, wouldn't it be better to release this on Halloween this October? If I'm not mistaken, the the fits Halloween pretty well in Arica, right?"
Zaboru chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, now that you ntion it, I think it's a great idea—but I didn't think of that a couple of months ago, hahaha."
Everyone laughed with him. Zaboru had a laid-back attitude when it ca to small mistakes. He often owned up to them with humor, which made his employees feel more at ease around him.
Zaboru then continued, "Anyway, the next ga is called DarkStalker, and honestly, it's also pretty fitting for Halloween. But, well, the schedule is already set, so we'll roll with it. This will be a 2D fighting ga, and I plan for the combat system to be similar to what we've done in Guilty Gear and Marvel vs ZAGE which ans polished and refined."
He looked around the room, making sure they were following. "The real highlight of DarkStalker isn't just the gaplay—it's the art style. That's where the heart of the ga is. The visuals should carry the tone, personality, and identity of the entire experience."
Zaboru then began to explain, "In DarkStalker, the the is rooted in classic fantasy monsters—like werewolves, succubi, vampires, zombies, and many more. Each character will have their own unique entrance and death animation, all crafted with the highest-quality animation we can achieve."
He looked at the team with excitent. "What makes this ga fresh is the core premise—it's not just humans fighting monsters or warriors in tournants. This is monster versus monster. It creates a different kind of atmosphere and identity, sothing darker, more dramatic, and visually striking. It's our chance to showcase sothing bold and imaginative."
Shigeru Miyamoto nodded and began flipping through the docunts until he ca across a character nad "Morrigan Aensland." He paused, raising an eyebrow. "Umm, boss… why does this character have such a revealing outfit? Is this similar to what we did in Dead or Alive?"
Zaboru grinned. "Well, that's because it's part of the character—she dresses that way because she's a succubus. It's in her nature to have a seductive and alluring appearance, don't you think?"
Everyone who understood the reference nodded knowingly, while Shigeru Miyamoto let out a quiet sigh.
Zaboru continued, "Next, regarding the release dates—I'm planning for DarkStalker to launch in December, followed by Bloody Roar in January next year. That should be doable, right?"
Everyone nodded in agreent. With many assets and systems that could be reused, combined with the proven skill of the ZAGE developnt team, they were confident they could et the deadlines without sacrificing quality.
"Anyway, that's the presentation. Now let's move on to the blueprint section," Zaboru said.
The developers and Zaboru quickly gathered around the blueprint area, where he began demonstrating how his designs and systems worked in detail. He explained the structure, logic, and visual components of each ga chanic with precision, making sure the team understood his vision clearly.
With the task briefing complete and the blueprints reviewed, Zaboru wrapped up his session with the Osaka team. Next on his agenda was a visit to the Tokyo branch, where the team was deep into developnt on Chrono Trigger—a major project with heavy involvent from Akira Toriyama himself.
To be continue
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