Zaboru then presented them with their next project, a title called ZAN: The Cowboy Samurai. He couldn't help but chuckle as he introduced it, because at its core, the concept was inspired by a wildly whacky parody action ga from his previous life on the PS1 era — Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman. Back then, the ga featured surprisingly insane action sequences, fully 3D combat, and an unapologetically absurd mix of stereotypes and over-the-top enemies. Unfortunately, it was far too strange for its ti. Many players dismissed it, critics mocked its tone, and it quietly faded into obscurity.
Yet in the modern era of Zaboru's previous world, opinions had begun to change. People started looking back and realizing that Rising Zan had actually been ahead of its ti — experinting with ideas, presentation, and action design that the industry would only embrace years later. Rembering this irony made Zaboru smile. This ti, he intended to take that lost potential, refine it, and reintroduce it properly to the world.
But Zaboru was only using that old title as a loose reference. In his mind, this new ga would be a complete overhaul from the ground up. He intended to take the core idea of blending the Wild West and samurai culture far more seriously, treating both with equal weight instead of pure parody. On top of that, he planned to introduce strong fantasy elents and steampunk technology, creating a setting that felt bold, stylish, and unmistakably unique. This wasn't ant to be a one-off experint — Zaboru wanted ZAN: The Cowboy Samurai to serve as a foundation, a predecessor for ZAGE's future action gas. If successful, it would establish a new design philosophy for action titles under ZAGE and turn this once-forgotten concept into sothing widely recognized and respected.
As Zaboru handed Team IZAN their folders labeled ZAN: The Cowboy Samurai, the room imdiately shifted in mood. The Shinji trio leaned in almost instinctively, flipping through the pages with visible curiosity. Concept art, early design notes, and rough gaplay ideas filled the folder, and it didn't take long for intrigue to turn into genuine interest. Zaboru watched their reactions closely, then began to explain with a satisfied smile.
"First of all," Zaboru said, his tone confident, "this is a one hundred percent action ga — which is exactly where Team IZAN excels." He gestured lightly as he spoke. "At its core, the ga blends the Wild West and samurai thes, but that's only the foundation. On top of that, we're adding magic, steampunk technology, and fantasy elents to push the world beyond simple genre fusion."
He continued, smiling as he saw the team listening intently. "Despite all that style and spectacle, the ga will still have a strong story focus. Action cos first, but the narrative will give aning to the chaos. This isn't just about flashy combat — it's about creating a world and a character that players can follow from start to finish."
"First of all, the story will be set in an 1800s fantasy world," Zaboru explained, his tone steady and confident. "In this world, supernatural phenona exist side by side with early steampunk technology. Our main character, Zan Hayato, is a renowned samurai from Japan — the wielder of The Sarashi no Ken, the secret sword style passed down through the Hayato family."
He continued, clearly enjoying the concept. "This sword style specializes in controlling wind, dust, sand, and even dirt, turning the battlefield itself into a weapon. Zan Hayato isn't just a practitioner — he is the pinnacle of this art, soone who has mastered it to a level few ever reach."
Zaboru paused briefly before going on, choosing his words carefully. "Due to an unforeseen accident, Zan Hayato is suddenly transported to the Wild West," he explained. "Stranded in a completely foreign land and era, far removed from everything he knows, he is forced to adapt if he wants to survive."
He continued, his voice steady. "Over ti, Zan accepts his circumstances and becos a cowboy, working as a bounty hunter. Even so, he never abandons the righteous code and discipline of a samurai. Those values shape how he fights, how he chooses his targets, and how he views the violence around him. He is surviving in a brutal world, but he refuses to lose himself to it."
Zaboru smiled slightly as he finished the thought. "Survival becos his imdiate priority, but the desire to find a way back ho never truly leaves him. That constant tension, between duty and necessity, between identity and adaptation, is what drives the narrative forward. It's not just an action story, it's a personal journey." He added with a light smile, "As for the finer story details, we'll explore those later."
Zaboru continued, his explanation growing more detailed. "The gaplay will be a third-person action combat system," he said. "It will focus heavily on flashy attack animations, fast movent, and satisfying combat flow. Zan's primary weapon is his Kousazan Sword, an heirloom passed down through his family. This blade is not just symbolic, it is deeply tied to his fighting style, as it allows him to manipulate sand directly. And since the Wild West is filled with dust, sand, and dirt, the environnt itself becos part of combat."
He went on, clearly passionate about the idea. "Players will be able to unlock new skills for Zan as they progress, expanding how he controls sand, from quick slashes enhanced by swirling dust to larger area attacks that reshape the battlefield. At the sa ti, players will gain access to new weapons over ti, giving them freedom to adjust their combat approach without losing Zan's core identity."
Zaboru smiled and continued. "There will also be a dedicated gun system. Players can customize what type of firearms Zan uses, but he will be limited to one-handed guns to preserve his sword-focused style. That ans revolvers and sawed-off shotguns will be the main choices. These weapons can be modified through in-ga rchants."
He added, "This is where the steampunk elents truly co into play, because these guns are not just standard firearms, they are fully upgradeable machines. Imagine a multi‑barrel shotgun powered by a compact steam engine, where pressure builds up before unleashing devastating close‑range blasts. Or a revolver that compresses air inside its chamber before firing, turning each shot into sothing far more lethal than an ordinary bullet."
Zaboru continued, clearly visualizing the combat. "These upgrades are not ant to overpower the sword. Instead, they exist to enhance Zan's versatility in battle. The sword remains his core, but the guns give players tactical options, crowd control, and burst damage when needed. When used together, sword techniques and steampunk firearms create a combat rhythm that feels aggressive, stylish, and unpredictable."
He smiled slightly. "The goal is to make every fight feel wild, creative, and distinctly Zan, where technology and tradition clash in a way that feels natural within this strange world."
Zaboru then continued explaining ZAN: The Samurai Cowboy to Team IZAN in greater detail. The more he talked, the more intrigued the team beca. At first glance, the concept sounded whacky and absurd, a strange mix of samurai honor, Wild West chaos, steampunk machines, and supernatural abilities. Yet beneath that surface madness, they could clearly see structure, ambition, and creative intent. Instead of being put off by the strangeness, the team felt challenged by it, eager to explore sothing so unconventional.
For Zaboru himself, success or failure was not the primary concern. He openly treated this project as an experint, a chance to test ideas that traditional action gas rarely dared to touch. If the ga failed, it would still provide invaluable lessons. If it succeeded, it could redefine ZAGE's approach to action titles entirely. That freedom from fear was what excited Team IZAN the most.
After so ti, once all questions had been answered and the core vision was fully conveyed, Zaboru finally concluded his explanation of ZAN: The Cowboy Samurai. With a clear direction set and expectations aligned, the project was officially entrusted to Team IZAN, with a planned release window set for February 1999.
Next, Zaboru turned his attention to Team NOVA, ready to assign them their new task and also conclude the eting. He walked over and handed the folders to the leaders of Team NOVA, who accepted them with curiosity. As they opened the docunts, the title on the cover imdiately caught their eyes: Bishi Bashi Special.
Zaboru smiled as he saw their reactions and began to explain. "At ZAGE, we already have gas with serious thes and heavy tones, as well as titles that are more relaxing and casual," he said. "Now, it's ti for us to fully embrace sothing different. We're going into pure fun, cody, and jokes."
He chuckled lightly before continuing. "Bishi Bashi Special is a multiplayer-focused ga built around chaos, absurd humor, and fast-paced competition. It's ant to be loud, ridiculous, and unpredictable. With the power of ZEPS 3 in this world, we can enhance it far beyond what people expect, making it faster, flashier, and funnier"
The leaders from Team NOVA looked down at the folder, and grins quickly spread across their faces. Yugo Kanai, in particular, looked genuinely thrilled, barely hiding his excitent as he flipped through the pages. This kind of project clearly spoke to him on a personal level.
Zaboru noticed their reaction and continued his explanation. "This is a multiplayer-focused ga for up to four players, fully taking advantage of what our ZEPS 3 console is capable of," he said. "But unlike gas such as Mario Party, which may also be multiplayer but often rely on shared goals or temporary alliances, this one is far more ruthless."
He smiled knowingly. "Here, everyone is an enemy. From start to finish, the goal is simple: compete, outplay, and outscore the other three players. There's no safety in cooperation, and no guaranteed friendships by the end of a session. It's fast, chaotic, and intentionally competitive, designed to spark laughter, shouting, and absolute madness among players."
Zaboru chuckled as he continued, "This ga will feature a huge number of insane mini gas. The tone is deliberately codic, strange, and borderline absurd." He gestured toward the example images included in the folder, and the mont Team NOVA saw them, they completely lost their composure. Laughter filled the room. One image showed a chibi-style version of Zaboru himself with an oversized head, desperately swallowing brightly colored balls with an exaggerated, ridiculous expression.
Zaboru noticed their reaction and grinned imdiately. "For now, the placeholder images use my face," he said jokingly. "It helps visualize the insanity. We can always replace it later once we decide on a more suitable mascot or character design."
He then grew a bit more descriptive. "The mini gas will be extrely short and straightforward, but deliberately absurd," Zaboru explained. "One ga might be a frantic button-mashing race where players have to inflate or break sothing before anyone else. The next could be a rapid reaction challenge that lasts only a few seconds, or a bizarre task where timing matters more than logic."
He continued, clearly enjoying the reactions. "So mini gas will focus on eating, balancing, dodging random obstacles, or completing completely nonsensical objectives under intense ti pressure. Players won't have ti to think too much — they'll just react."
Zaboru laughed softly. "The key is variety and surprise. Players should never know what cos next. Every mini ga is short, intense, and ridiculous, and that unpredictability is what keeps people laughing, shouting, and wanting to play just one more round. It's not about mastery. It's about chaos, reflexes, and having fun together."
As the leaders of Team NOVA read through the list of potential mini gas, they couldn't help but chuckle, so of them shaking their heads in disbelief at how ridiculous the ideas were. Their laughter quickly drew the attention of the other leaders in the room, and soon even mbers from Team IZAN and Team NIWA leaned in, curiosity clearly written on their faces. The sheer variety and absurdity of the mini gas made it impossible not to be intrigued.
Seeing their reactions, Zaboru continued explaining Bishi Bashi Special to Team NOVA in greater detail. He emphasized that this project was about creating a completely different kind of experience, one that focused less on perfection and more on shared chaos, quick reflexes, and spontaneous fun. Team NOVA listened eagerly, clearly excited by the opportunity to work on sothing so lighthearted and unconventional compared to their usual projects.
Zaboru then confird the planned release window. "We're aiming for January next year," he said. "Because this ga will contain a large number of mini gas, we'll need plenty of ti for balancing, playtesting, and p
olishing." Team NOVA nodded in agreent, fully aware that making sothing this chaotic fun would require just as much care and testing as any serious title.
With that, Zaboru finished assigning tasks to all of his Japanese developnt teams. For the mont, there was nothing left to do but wait. His attention now shifted toward the upcoming trailers for ZAGE's June lineup: Winning Eleven 98, Digimon World, and RC Pro-Am 3: Let's N Go. Across Japan and overseas, countless players were already waiting in anticipation, eager to see what ZAGE had prepared next. The marketing teams had confird that the advertisents and trailers would begin airing on this Friday , and Zaboru knew that once they did, public attention would imdiately turn toward ZAGE once again.
To be continue
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