With the October game release plan already finalized and his team fully briefed, Zaboru finally found a rare moment of peace. The weight of coordination, deadlines, and product testing lifted—at least temporarily. That meant only one thing: it was time for Zaboru the gamer to awaken.
He sat comfortably in his personal workshop, the walls lined with shelves full of game cartridges, stacks of design blueprints, and a few unopened packages of imported snacks. A warm cup of coffee steamed beside him. His fingers flexed in anticipation. He had been waiting to dive into Sonaya's newest September releases: Fantasy Fencer and Galaxy Bike.
His assistant had already secured both games, and the moment they were handed to him, he felt like a kid again. Holding the Galaxy Bike cartridge in his hand, he examined the vibrant cover art—a sleek rider in futuristic armor straddling a floating motorcycle equipped with twin plasma guns. The backdrop featured interstellar highways and exploding comets. Zaboru grinned, eyes gleaming.
"Space racing, huh? Let's see what you've got," he murmured and slotted the cartridge into the console.
The game booted up instantly, opening with a catchy retro-futuristic soundtrack that pulsed with energy. The main menu shimmered with vibrant neon text and sleek UI. Zaboru immediately noticed the top-down view—something he hadn't expected.
"Wait a second... This is just like the Galaxy 5000 from the NES back in my previous world. But instead of spaceships, they've used motorbikes. And the riders are visible too," Zaboru said to himself, impressed.
As he played through the first few tracks, it became evident that the game wasn't just a clone. It had its own twist. Players earned currency through races and could upgrade both the performance and cosmetics of their Galaxy Bike. There were also side objectives like shooting down drones or completing laps under a specific time to unlock hidden parts.
There are also hidden shortcuts scattered throughout the track, rewarding players who explore or experiment with off-path navigation. These shortcuts can shave off precious seconds and sometimes lead to hidden currency pickups or rare upgrade parts.
After about an hour of gameplay, Zaboru leaned back in his chair and gave a thoughtful nod.
"Solid. Fun gameplay loop, catchy soundtrack, enough content to keep players grinding. 8 out of 10. Sonaya really stepped up this time. but what a coincidence—they recreated a gameplay style nearly identical to Galaxy 5000 from my previous world, even though in both timelines, neither Sonaya nor Sony had any connection to it. Fascinating how these things emerge independently."
He ejected the cartridge and picked up Fantasy Fencer. The art style was completely different—medieval fantasy with rich illustrations. The protagonist, a chivalrous knight named Gregory, was depicted in ornate fencing armor, standing tall against a horde of demonic creatures.
He inserted the game and was greeted with an 8-bit cinematic intro:
"Gregory the Fencer Knight embarks on a perilous journey to the Evil Continent to retrieve the cure for his queen, struck down by a sleeping curse."
"Simple but charming," Zaboru chuckled.
As the gameplay began, he immediately noticed how unique the controls were. Standard attack commands kept Gregory in place while thrust his sword, but using directional inputs alongside the attack button produced intricate moves—dodge-slashes, jump-back thrusts, and slide-counters. It reminded him of the finesse needed in Kick Master but with more versatility and a heavier emphasis on fencing techniques.
He paused to review the move list, which revealed a surprising depth: over 20 unlockable abilities, a level-up system, and multiple weapon types including enchanted rapiers, heavy rapiers like lance, and dual-bladed rapier. Items and skills could be acquired through merchants or monster drops, and there were branching paths in levels that led to secret bosses and hidden upgrades.
"They really did their homework on this one," he muttered, clearly impressed. "Feels like they took notes from Kick Master and added their own flavor."
Zaboru kept playing. He was drawn in by the pixel art, the fluidity of combat, and the diverse environments—from cursed swamplands to haunted castles and wind-swept deserts. The boss battles were particularly engaging, requiring strategic use of fencing techniques and elemental counters. The music is also really impressive.
An hour and a half passed before he even realized it.
He sighed and put the controller down. "This one's a gem. 8.5 out of 10. They're not just copying anymore. They're evolving. I'm glad Sonaya's improving. My future game library is going to be stacked."
It was a strange sentiment. Normally, a rival's growth would be cause for concern. But Zaboru felt the opposite. The better Sonaya became, the better the game industry would be—and the more fun he'd have as both a developer and a player.
As he leaned back, sipping the last of his tea, the door to his office creaked open.
"Boss?"
Zaboru turned. It was Zanichi, his father and ZAGE's current CTO.
"Dad, what's up?"
Zanichi raised an eyebrow, having overheard the last part of Zaboru's musings. "You're happy that Sonaya is improving? Aren't they our competition?"
Zaboru laughed. "That's the beauty of it. If they make better games, it raises the bar for all of us. Plus, I get to enjoy playing them. I'm not just a CEO, Dad. I'm a gamer first."
Zanichi chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Only you would cheer for your rivals because it means you get to play better games."
"Exactly," Zaboru grinned. "And besides, a strong rival keeps us sharp."
Zanichi walked further into the room, holding a few new drafts of his Lunar Knight design. "Speaking of keeping sharp... I wanted to go over some new ideas for the Lunar Weapon system. I've been sketching some new transformations."
"Perfect," Zaboru said, motioning toward his design desk. "Let's keep pushing the envelope. Together."
With that, both father and son spent the next hour deep in discussion. Zanichi laid out refined ideas for the Lunar Weapon's progression system—how each moon phase transformation could gain passive elemental effects based on enemy type or terrain. Zaboru added mechanical tweaks, suggesting combo chains and resource-based special attacks. They sketched diagrams, debated balancing strategies, and even began mocking up a sample level structure. It wasn't just a father-son chat—it was the fusion of two passionate game designers, sharpening one another's vision in real time.
To be continued...
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