In the rest of November, following the assignnts Zaboru had given to Team FUMA and Team KODO at ZAGE Tower Japan, a great deal unfolded, setting the stage for the months ahead.
One of the most aningful events was Zaboru's return trip to the United States, where he personally went to visit Aldrich. The young boy had been battling cancer, and Zaboru hadn't stopped thinking about him ever since their last eting. When Aldrich saw Zaboru again, his face lit up with joy, his spirit clearly lifted just from Zaboru's presence alone.
During the visit, Zaboru sat down with Aldrich's family to make a heartfelt proposal: he wanted to bring Aldrich to Japan, where ZAGE would sponsor his dical care and ensure he had access to the best treatnts available in the country. Zaboru explained how Japan had so of the most advanced cancer treatnts in the world, and through ZAGE's influence and network, Aldrich could receive top-tier support—no bureaucratic delays, no waiting lists.
The Kirk family listened carefully. Aldrich's mother was overwheld with emotion, grateful beyond words. Aldrich himself was ecstatic—he always wanted to travel, and Japan sounded like an adventure, even if it was for dical reasons. But there was one pause—Aldrich's father, Aldrian Kirk, hesitated. While he appreciated the generous offer, he respectfully declined the idea of accepting free treatnt. He stood his ground firmly, stating that he was more than capable of covering the costs on his own. He wasn't a rich man by reputation, but he had built quiet wealth over the years and didn't want to take charity, even if well-intentioned. Aldrian emphasized that while he appreciated Zaboru's kindness, he wanted to remain self-reliant. Clearly showing that this family really love Aldrich.
Zaboru respected that decision and smiled in response. He nodded and simply said, "I understand." What mattered most to him was that Aldrich would receive treatnt. Whether it was funded by ZAGE or not didn't matter in the end.
With that resolved, Aldrich's arrangents to co to Japan were made. It was agreed he would start treatnt imdiately upon arrival, and everything from transportation to dical coordination was handled swiftly. Aldrich was brimming with excitent. He wasn't just getting a second chance at life—he was also about to explore a new country, see the ZAGE Tower in person, and spend ti near one of the people he admired the most.
And so, Aldrich's journey toward recovery began—with a hopeful heart and the full support of both his family and Zaboru and for Aldrich even if he lose he don't have no regrets.
Aside from this, Zaboru also had another major responsibility on his plate—assigning new projects to ZAGE USA's two newly ford teams: Team Blaze and Team Frost. These two teams had recently been established to solidify ZAGE's expansion into the Western market and to ensure that their developnt capacity could et the growing demand of audiences in North Arica and beyond.
Both Team BLAZE and Team FROST had spent the last two and a half months learning under the ntorship of ZAGE USA's veteran teams—Team Tempest and Team Enigma. During this ti, they absorbed the developnt philosophy of ZAGE, familiarized themselves with internal tools and pipelines, and learned to operate at the level of quality Zaboru demanded. With this phase completed, the two teams were now ready to spread their wings and take on their first independent assignnts.
For Team BLAZE, Zaboru decided their direction would focus on adapting ZAGE's licensed intellectual properties, particularly those rooted in Western pop culture—cartoons, comics, and films. These adaptations were crucial not only for business growth but also for brand synergy, as ZAGE had acquired significant ownership stakes in several major dia companies.
Zaboru officially handed Team BLAZE their first slate of projects—three iconic properties to be turned into full-scale video ga experiences. The first was The Toy Story, the second Hercules, and the third, Blade: The Vampire Hunter. These were not just random selections; each was chosen with intent.
Zaboru made it clear: these gas would serve as Team BLAZE's foundation. They were to be fully developed and released within one year, setting a milestone for the team and testing their cohesion, creativity, and execution. But Zaboru also reassured them that he had confidence in their abilities. He would support their efforts closely while allowing them the space to shape each title with their own vision.
For Toy Story, this would not be the first ga adaptation of the IP. In this world, Toy Story did not originate as a movie created by Pixar like it did in Zaboru's previous life. Instead, it began much earlier as a video ga during the ZEPS 8-bit era, long before it ever reached the big screen. That early ga planted the foundation of the franchise and quietly built a loyal fanbase.
Years later, after Zaboru acquired fifty percent ownership of Pixar, he personally approached the studio with a proposal—to reimagine Toy Story as an animated film. That decision proved to be a massive success. The movie adaptation resonated strongly with audiences worldwide, elevating the franchise into a cultural phenonon and validating Zaboru's long-term vision for the IP.
Because of that history, the Toy Story ga planned for ZEPS would not be a simple tie-in. Instead, Zaboru wanted to revive and reintroduce the legendary Toy Story ga from his previous life on the PS1—a title he firmly believed was a masterpiece. It captured the heart, chanics, and spirit of Toy Story perfectly, and Zaboru felt it deserved to exist in this world as well.
For him, this wasn't about nostalgia alone. It was about preserving a version of Toy Story that truly understood the franchise. By bringing that ga back—updated and adapted for ZEPS 3—Zaboru hoped to give both longti fans and new players the definitive Toy Story gaming experience, one that honored the IP's unusual origin and its journey from pixels to cinema.
Similar to Toy Story, the Hercules ga would also be based heavily on a title Zaboru rembered from his previous life. In that earlier world, the Hercules ga—adapted directly from the animated movie—had already achieved near-perfect execution in terms of gaplay flow, level design, and tone. Coincidentally, Hercules had also recently begun airing in this world as a Disney animated film, a project that itself originated from Zaboru's original concept. With ZAGE now owning fifty percent of Disney, the synergy between the film and the ga was natural and intentional.
Because of this, the Hercules ga would be a faithful, full adaptation of the movie rather than a loose interpretation. Zaboru saw no reason to reinvent sothing that had already worked so well. Instead, the focus would be on refinent—cleaner controls, improved pacing, and visuals that better matched the theatrical experience. Core chanics, iconic stages, and morable monts would remain largely intact, preserving what made the original ga special. In Zaboru's mind, Hercules didn't need radical change—it needed respect.
The next ga was a little more unconventional, as it was entirely Zaboru's original vision rather than an adaptation of a ga from his previous life. Blade was a Marvel comic book character, and his popularity was steadily rising. Since ZAGE had acquired Marvel a few years earlier, many Marvel characters had begun to gain mainstream attention in this world. Still, among all of them, Zaboru believed Blade had an insane amount of untapped potential.
Unlike Toy Story or Hercules, this project was sothing Zaboru had been quietly planning from scratch. He felt that Blade's dark tone, brutal combat style, and hybrid identity as both human and vampire made him perfect for a video ga—especially one that leaned heavily into action. The ga was planned as a full 3D hack-and-slash experience, designed to make players truly feel like they were controlling Blade himself.
Combat would be fast, aggressive, and stylish. Blade wouldn't be limited to a single weapon—players would have access to a wide variety of tools that fit his character, from swords and firearms to specialized anti-vampire gear. Zaboru also planned for the combat system to emphasize fluid movent, brutal finishers, and cinematic encounters that highlighted Blade's strength and speed.
Beyond that, Zaboru intended to gradually introduce other Marvel heroes into the ga, either as supporting characters or special appearances, similar to what ZAGE had already done successfully with their ZEPS 3 Spider-Man title. This wasn't just ant to be a standalone ga—it was designed as the foundation for a darker, more mature corner of ZAGE's Marvel ga universe. For Zaboru, Blade: The Vampire Hunter represented both creative freedom and long-term vision, making it one of the most important projects Team BLAZE would undertake.
These three gas were planned for release at the end of November the following year, giving Team BLAZE almost exactly one full year to complete all three projects in parallel. It was an aggressive schedule by industry standards, especially considering that this would be their very first major assignnt as an independent team. Still, Zaboru showed no hesitation. He was completely confident in Team BLAZE's abilities—their training, their leadership, and their hunger to prove themselves.
More importantly, Zaboru wasn't approaching this deadline with blind pressure. He made it clear, both implicitly and through his actions, that while the one‑year target was the goal, it was not a guillotine hanging over their heads. If the team truly needed more ti to polish, refine, and deliver the quality ZAGE stood for, he was willing to extend the tiline slightly. This was, after all, their first real test. What mattered most to Zaboru wasn't rushing the release, but ensuring that Team BLAZE erged from this process stronger, more confident, and fully capable of carrying ZAGE's vision forward.
Next ca Team FROST, a team Zaboru deliberately positioned differently from Team BLAZE. Team FROST would specialize in PC titles and next-generation ZEPS 3 gas, focusing on performance-heavy genres and more technically demanding projects. Because of that, Zaboru entrusted them with three ambitious tasks right from the start, each chosen to test a different aspect of their capability.
The first assignnt was Perfect Dark, a first-person shooter based on the legendary N64 title from Zaboru's previous life. This version, however, would be far more than a simple remake. Zaboru intended to significantly enhance the overall gaplay—improving enemy AI, refining gunplay responsiveness, expanding level design, and pushing atmosphere and narrative delivery much further. Designed as a flagship FPS for ZEPS 3, Perfect Dark would showcase what the new hardware was truly capable of.
The second project was a PC-exclusive title, and one that leaned fully into chaos: Serious Sam. Zaboru described it as the ultimate expression of unrestrained FPS design. The ga would be relentless—waves of absurd enemies, nonstop action, oversized weapons, and a pace that never allowed players to breathe. There would be no subtlety, no cover-heavy tactics—just pure, overwhelming spectacle. This project was ant to test Team FROST's ability to optimize performance, manage large enemy counts, and deliver fast, satisfying combat at scale.
The last ga this team was assigned to make was Jurassic Park: The Warpath. And yes—despite the fact that there wasn't even a Jurassic Park movie in this world yet, Zaboru still wanted to move forward with a ga based on the franchise. Even more unusually, the original novel itself had not yet been published in this tiline. But Zaboru had no intention of introducing Jurassic Park through film first. Quite simply, ZAGE did not yet have the resources to produce a full-scale movie, and more importantly, Zaboru believed the franchise could be born as a ga just as powerfully.
Jurassic Park: The Warpath was directly inspired by Warpath: Jurassic Park from Zaboru's previous life—a ga he rembered fondly. At its core, the concept was simple and unapologetic: dinosaurs versus dinosaurs. No humans stealing the spotlight, no overcomplicated narrative layers—just raw prehistoric power colliding in brutal, primal combat in modern arena. And honestly, Zaboru felt that nothing more needed to be said. The idea alone carried undeniable charm.
What made the project especially aningful to him was not just nostalgia. Zaboru genuinely loved dinosaurs. The designs in The Warpath were grounded in real-life paleontology rather than exaggerated fantasy, and that authenticity fascinated him deeply. Each creature had weight, presence, and personality, making every clash feel visceral and morable. He wanted Team FROST to capture that sa feeling—feral strength, scale, and awe—while elevating it with modern visuals and smoother chanics suitable for PC and ZEPS 3.
Much like Team BLAZE, this project was expected to release in November 1999, giving Team FROST roughly one full year to complete developnt. It was another ambitious schedule, but one Zaboru felt was justified. As he reviewed the broader release calendar, he couldn't help but chuckle. November 1999 was shaping up to be packed with ZAGE titles across multiple platforms—and to him, that wasn't a problem at all but maybe its problem for other ga developers!.
By early December 1998, Zaboru was back in Japan once again—this ti for a completely different reason. He had been invited to appear on the imnsely popular Japanese television show Sasuke, known internationally as Ninja Warrior, marking a brief but notable shift away from corporate strategy and into the public spotlight.
To be continue
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