On Monday 13 April 2000.
Zaboru is currently inside the ZAGE Tower headquarters in Japan. At the same time, his mind is also thinking about his family because his daughter's birthday is only a couple of days away. Arumi's birthday will be on 15 April, and only a few days after that his wife Ayumi will celebrate her birthday on 20 April. Even though he is extremely busy with work, Zaboru has already planned to return home early for those days so he can celebrate together with them.
However, work at ZAGE never truly stops. Right now Zaboru is preparing the next development tasks for Team IZAN. For the month of April, ZAGE's overall release schedule is intentionally slower than usual. Most of the teams are resting or finishing long‑term projects, and the only major game scheduled to release this month is TEAM IZAN's title "Gear Fight Dendoh." Because of that, Team IZAN currently has the spotlight for April's release cycle.
Not long after, Zaboru enters the meeting room with a thick folder in his hands. Inside the room, the leadership of Team IZAN is already waiting. Present are the main senior developers of the team: the well‑known trio often jokingly referred to as "The Shinji Group"—Shinji Mikami, Shinji Suiyoko, and Shinji Owara. Alongside them are two other highly respected developers, Hideaki Itsuno and Hideaki Kamiya. Together, these five individuals serve as the core leaders guiding Team IZAN's direction and development decisions.
"Well hello everyone. So, is Gear Fight Dendoh ready?" Zaboru asked as he looked around the room.
Shinji Mikami immediately grinned confidently. "It's absolutely ready, boss. In fact… we're more than ready." He exchanged looks with the other developers before continuing. "That's actually the reason we wanted to talk to you today. We have a request."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow slightly. "A request? What kind of request?"
Shinji Mikami sighed and leaned forward a little. "Right now we only have two tasks remaining, boss. First is Gear Fight Dendoh, which will be released this month. The second is the Dino Crisis, which is scheduled for July."
He paused before adding with a slightly helpless smile. "But the truth is… we're basically already done with them. Development for Dino Crisis is almost complete. We're polishing things now, but the main work is finished."
Mikami scratched the back of his head before speaking again. "Honestly, boss, you didn't really give us three tasks this time. It's basically only two. And because of that… we're restless."
The other developers nodded in agreement as Mikami continued. "Team IZAN is used to moving fast and tackling big projects. Right now we feel like we're just waiting around. So… we want more work, boss. Give us another challenge."
Everyone nodded, and then Shinji Suiyoko spoke up with excitement. "We want more tasks, boss! Please! Give us more than three!"
Zaboru looked genuinely surprised. "What? I gave Team IZAN, Team NIWA, and Team NOVA extra time to rest. That's why I only assigned two games for now so IZAN could take it easy for a while. And now you're telling me you want more work?"
Zaboru chuckled at their enthusiasm, but Shinji Mikami nodded seriously. "Yes, boss. Right now the team is fired up. Everyone wants to push harder. We're not tired—we're motivated. That's why we're asking you to give us more projects."
Several developers around the table nodded in agreement, clearly energized rather than exhausted.
Then Hideaki Itsuno's eyes widened slightly as another thought crossed his mind. "Wait… don't tell me you actually don't have enough work for us, boss?" he asked with a half‑teasing but curious tone.
Zaboru chuckled. "You clearly underestimate me. Alright then… wait here for a bit. Let's level things up a little, okay?" he said with a playful grin. Without saying anything else, he stood up and walked out of the meeting room toward his office.
Inside his office, Zaboru quickly began preparing several documents. In truth, he already had a large number of gameplay concepts and project outlines ready in his archives. Many of them were ideas he had been saving for the right moment. All he needed to do now was print the design summaries and organize them into folders.
About twenty minutes later, the developers in the meeting room heard the door open again. Zaboru walked back inside carrying a stack of folders in his arms. This time, there were six folders in total.
He placed them on the table one by one before looking at the Team IZAN leaders with a confident smile.
"Alright, Team IZAN. Since you asked for more work, I'll give you a proper challenge."
He tapped the folders lightly with his fingers.
"I'm assigning you six new tasks. And since you said the Dino Crisis is basically finished already, that means you should have enough manpower to handle them."
Zaboru leaned back slightly and chuckled again. "So these will be your next projects. Let's see if the famous Team IZAN can handle them."
The developers immediately leaned forward with curiosity and excitement, their eyes moving toward the folders on the table as they prepared to see the names of the games Zaboru had prepared for them.
Bushido Blade.Resident Evil 3.Twilight SyndromeMetal Slug X.Megaman X3Megaman X4
Zaboru grinned. "This should be great for you, right? I'm assigning double the workload—six tasks in total. Are you guys ready for that?"
Team IZAN's eyes widened for a moment, but their surprise quickly turned into excitement. They answered together with energized voices, "Bring it on, boss."
Zaboru laughed then began to explain each game.
Bushido Blade is an arena fighting game that focuses heavily on weapon combat and realism. Unlike most fighting games, the player can die from a single well‑placed strike. Because of that, the gameplay prioritizes parrying, timing, positioning, and dodging over flashy combos. Even the terrain matters. Players can use the environment to their advantage—cliffs, bamboo forests, rocks, and uneven ground can change how a duel plays out. The goal of the game is not to perform long attack strings but to read the opponent's movement and strike at the right moment.
In Zaboru's previous life, this game was extremely underrated despite being far ahead of its time. Most fighting games during that era focused on fast combo systems, health bars, and arcade‑style gameplay. Bushido Blade completely rejected those conventions. There were no traditional health bars, no exaggerated special attacks, and sometimes a duel could end in just a few seconds. Because of that, many players at the time did not fully understand its design philosophy.
However, from Zaboru's perspective, Bushido Blade was revolutionary. It attempted to simulate the real tension of sword duels, where one mistake could end the fight immediately. It also encouraged careful movement, psychological pressure, and patience—things that very few fighting games dared to explore at that time.
That is exactly why Zaboru wants to enhance the concept in this world. With better technology and more refined mechanics, the game can finally reach its true potential. He plans to improve the combat system, expand the arenas, and make the sword fighting feel even more authentic while still keeping the core philosophy of realism.
For this project, Zaboru gives Team IZAN around 12 months of development time. If everything goes according to schedule, the new Bushido Blade should be ready for release in April 2001.
Next is the horror title Resident Evil 3. This game will continue the traditional Resident Evil formula. Zaboru plans to keep the classic fixed camera system used in the original games because it creates a strong sense of tension and cinematic horror. The limited camera angles force players to move carefully through dark corridors without always knowing what is waiting around the corner, which makes every step feel dangerous.
Unlike some other projects, Zaboru does not plan to change the core gameplay too much. Instead, he intends to refine the experience and make the game slightly harder and more intense than its previous counterpart. Resources will feel tighter, enemies will be more aggressive, and players will need to think carefully about every encounter.
One of the most important elements of this installment will be Nemesis, the terrifying bio‑weapon that relentlessly hunts the player throughout the game. Unlike ordinary enemies, Nemesis does not simply appear in scripted locations. He actively chases the player, breaking through walls, doors, and even windows. His sudden appearances are meant to create constant psychological pressure, making players feel like they are never truly safe. Even experienced players in Zaboru's previous life remembered how frightening Nemesis was, especially when he suddenly shouted "STARS" before attacking. Zaboru wants to enhance that feeling even more in this version.
This project may also become the final Resident Evil title released on the ZEPS 3 system. Hardware technology is rapidly advancing, and Zaboru already knows that future Resident Evil games will eventually move to a newer generation of consoles where more advanced graphics and larger environments will be possible.
For now, however, Zaboru wants Resident Evil 3 to serve as a powerful final RE experience for ZEPS 3 players. The planned release window for the game is October 2001, which also gives Team IZAN additional time to handle their other assigned projects.
Next game is Twilight Syndrome, one of the most underrated horror titles from Zaboru's previous life. The game revolves around investigating various rumors about ghost stories inside Japanese schools. Instead of relying on constant combat, the gameplay focuses on exploration, atmosphere, and psychological tension. Players move through dark hallways, abandoned classrooms, and eerie locations while uncovering mysterious urban legends. The fear in this game does not come from monsters jumping at the player every second, but from the slow build‑up of dread as the player realizes something supernatural might be watching them.
The visual style also stands out. It uses semi‑realistic art and live‑action inspired presentation, somewhat similar to how Mortal Kombat used real actors. Because of that, the characters and environments feel strangely grounded, which makes the horror even more unsettling. The game tries to recreate the feeling of real Japanese ghost stories—quiet, mysterious, and deeply disturbing rather than loud or action‑focused.
In Zaboru's previous life, Twilight Syndrome was released only in Japan, which meant many players around the world never experienced how terrifying the game actually was. Outside Japan, very few people even knew the title existed. That is one of the reasons Zaboru wants to revive it in this world. With ZAGE's global distribution network, players from all over the world will finally understand how frightening this game can truly be.
For the ZAGE version, Zaboru plans to include both Twilight Syndrome: Tansaku‑hen and Twilight Syndrome: Kyūmei‑hen in a single expanded release. He also wants the developers to improve the atmosphere, add more environmental details, and polish the storytelling so that the mystery and horror feel even stronger.
Zaboru plans to give Team IZAN around 10 months of development time for this project. If everything goes according to schedule, Twilight Syndrome should be ready for release in January 2001, giving international players their first chance to experience one of Japan's most unsettling school ghost stories.
Next is Metal Slug X, which will act as the sequel to the original Metal Slug arcade title and also the first Metal Slug entry to properly arrive on home consoles in this world. The series is famous for its fast‑paced side‑scrolling action, chaotic battles, and exaggerated cartoon‑style animation. Players fight through war zones filled with tanks, soldiers, helicopters, and bizarre experimental weapons while rescuing prisoners and collecting powerful upgrades.
In Zaboru's previous life, Metal Slug X was considered one of the best entries in the entire Metal Slug franchise. The game refined everything the original Metal Slug did well: smoother gameplay, better enemy balance, more weapon variety, and even more ridiculous action sequences. It kept the same beautiful hand‑drawn animation style that made the series iconic, where every explosion, enemy movement, and character reaction felt lively and detailed.
Another reason the game was so beloved was its perfect pacing. Levels were intense but fair, bosses were memorable, and cooperative play made the experience even more chaotic and fun when multiple players worked together. The mix of humor and action—such as soldiers screaming, tanks exploding dramatically, and absurd weapons like the heavy machine gun or flame shot—gave the game a personality that few shooters could match.
Because of that reputation, Zaboru wants to make sure this version fully captures the spirit of the series while improving performance for home consoles. With the power of the ZEPS 3 hardware, the developers can keep the smooth animation and add even more visual polish without sacrificing the fast gameplay that fans love.
For Team IZAN, this project should not take too long compared to some of their other assignments. Zaboru plans to give them a focused development window so the game can release in February 2001, giving players a fast and exciting arcade‑style action experience early in the year.
As for Megaman X3 and Megaman X4, these will act as the direct sequels to ZAGE's latest release, Megaman X2. Zaboru does not want the series to stagnate, so he plans to enhance the overall gameplay systems rather than simply repeating the same formula again. The movement will feel smoother, the level design will become more dynamic, and the boss encounters will be more memorable and challenging.
For Megaman X3, The game still uses Megaman X4 graphics in Zaboru previous life just like what Megaman X2 did in this world and The game will keep the fast‑paced platforming, weapon upgrades, and hidden secrets that reward careful exploration. However, the stage mechanics will become more varied, encouraging players to experiment with different weapons and strategies when facing enemies and bosses.
Story‑wise, Megaman X3 continues the conflict between the Maverick Hunters and the remaining forces that still follow Sigma. The world is slowly rebuilding after the previous battles, but new Maverick incidents begin appearing again. X is forced to confront a new group of enemies experimenting with advanced reploid technology, which slowly reveals that Sigma's influence has not completely disappeared. The tone of the story remains focused on the ongoing war between humans, reploids, and the mysterious force manipulating events behind the scenes.
For Megaman X4, Zaboru intends to push the concept even further. The game will feature more cinematic presentation, more expressive character animation, and expanded storytelling elements. Instead of simply progressing through stages with minimal dialogue, the narrative will be presented with more dramatic scenes and character interactions.
Gameplay‑wise, Megaman X4 will also introduce a bigger change: players will be able to choose between X and Zero as separate playable protagonists, each with completely different combat styles. X focuses on long‑range combat with his buster and weapon upgrades, while Zero specializes in close‑range sword combat with fast and aggressive techniques. This creates two different gameplay experiences within the same game.
Story‑wise, the plot of Megaman X4 will explore the growing tensions between the Maverick Hunters and the Repliforce military faction. A tragic misunderstanding escalates into a large conflict, forcing both X and Zero to question their roles as Hunters. The story also digs deeper into Zero's mysterious past and his connection to the origins of the Maverick virus
To organize the schedule properly, Zaboru plans for Megaman X3 to release in February 2001, while Megaman X4 will follow in April 2001, giving the team enough time to refine each title without rushing development.
After Zaboru finished explaining each game and the Q&A session was completed, the developers of Team IZAN looked extremely excited. The room that had been quiet while they listened to the explanations suddenly filled with energy.
"WOHO! We got six tasks! And every single one of them sounds amazing!" one of the developers shouted enthusiastically.
The rest of the team quickly joined in, laughing and talking excitedly among themselves. Instead of feeling pressured by the heavy workload, they looked even more motivated. For Team IZAN, new projects meant new challenges, new mechanics to experiment with, and more chances to prove their creativity.
Zaboru watched them with a slightly puzzled expression. He still found it strange how eager they were to take on even more work. Most development teams would complain if they suddenly received six major projects, but Team IZAN reacted as if they had just been given a reward.
Still, it did not really matter to him. As long as the team remained motivated and organized, the projects would move forward smoothly.
After discussing a few small details, the meeting slowly came to an end. The developers gathered the folders containing their assignments and began leaving the room while still chatting excitedly about the ideas.
As for Zaboru, his schedule was already moving to the next step. Tomorrow he planned to hold another meeting—this time with Team NIWA. Unlike Team IZAN, Team NIWA focused on JRPG development, and Zaboru already had two new projects prepared for them. If the team felt confident enough, he might even give them additional work later.
At the same time, Zaboru also needed to check the development progress of Super Smash Bros with Team NOVA. That project was extremely large and technically demanding, so he intentionally avoided assigning any additional tasks to NOVA for now. Smash Bros alone required a massive amount of balancing, character animation, and multiplayer testing.
Meanwhile, Zaboru was also planning ahead for the USA branch teams, especially Team Tempest and Team Enigma. Those teams currently only had two active projects as well. If everything continued smoothly, he planned to assign them additional tasks sometime next month to keep their development pipeline active.
Overall these are tasks for each ZAGE Team NIWA , NOVA , TEMPEST and ENIGMA.
NIWA = Suikoden 2 (August 2000) , The Legend of ZELDA Majora Mask ( January 2001)
NOVA = Ape Escape (july 2000) , Super Smash Bros (Sept 2000) , MARIO 64 Sequel (From Shigeru Miyamoto in around 2002)
TEMPEST = Max Payne (December 2000 PC) , Age of Empire 2 (PC March 2001) , Expansion Frozen throne ( July 2000)
ENIGMA = Road Rash Jailbreak (August 2000) , Spyro (January 2001)
Zaboru realized that, because of his Aura of Influence, the benefits of working within ZAGE, and the fact that many teams had already become highly coordinated, development timelines were becoming shorter than he originally expected. The internal tools had improved as well, and the Unreal Engine used across several projects was gradually becoming more mature. Because of these advantages, ZAGE might soon reach the point where each team could handle four projects simultaneously, or even five under the right conditions.
However, Zaboru deliberately avoided pushing new teams that hard. Not every team had the same energy and momentum as Team IZAN. Some teams needed more time to stabilize, experiment, and grow before taking on that level of workload. If he rushed things too aggressively, it could damage the creative environment that made ZAGE successful in the first place.
Because of that, Zaboru decided he would expand the workload carefully and strategically, making sure each team remained productive without becoming overwhelmed.
There was also another factor he needed to consider: the ZAGE China branch, which was scheduled to open in July. Once that branch became operational, Zaboru would gain access to an entirely new pool of developers, artists, and engineers. That expansion would significantly change how projects were distributed across the company in the future.
To be continue
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 60+ advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon.com/Zaborn_1997
Or buymecoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/Zaborn_1997 which same with patreon
current Patreon/buymecoffe chap 1105
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc