Wednesday, October 15, 1992
After reviewing the final prototype of Usa-Guns! from Ayumi and Akechi the previous day, Zaboru dove back into refining the October game releases. With the U.S. ZGB advertisements scheduled to air on October 23 and the American release of ZGB set for October 26, there was no room for delays. Every element needed polishing: marketing visuals, code finalizations, cartridge packaging, and magazine inserts. The entire office was a hive of focused energy.
While deep in thought within his private workshop, Zaboru heard a knock. It wasn't the usual rhythm of Yumi, his assistant. It was slower, more hesitant.
"Come in," Zaboru called.
The door opened to reveal none other than Hideo Kojima, one of ZAGE's more reserved employees. Despite being relatively quiet since joining the company, Zaboru knew exactly who he was. Not just because Kojima was destined for greatness in his previous life, but thanks to his Deep Memory Dive ability—an intuitive recall that ensured Zaboru never forgot a single name or face.
Kojima stepped in, holding a thick bundle of documents. "Excuse me, boss. I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all, Kojima-san," Zaboru said warmly, gesturing for him to sit.
Surprised that the company president remembered his name, Kojima hesitated, then nodded. The two soon relocated to a more private meeting space, where Kojima laid out a small stack of organized folders.
"If I recall correctly," Kojima began, "ZAGE employees can submit original game proposals, provided they're fully developed not half-baked."
Zaboru's eyes lit up with interest. "That's right. Are you submitting one? I'd love to see what you've come up with."
Kojima handed over a document marked with the title: Zone EX: Interceptor Protocol.
"Interesting title," Zaboru mused as he flipped through the concept art and story summary.
The game was set in the year 2089, in a fractured Earth ruled by ZEROCORP, a megacorporation born from the ashes of the catastrophic AI Wars. Humanity now lived under the protection and oppression of the EX Units—elite, mechanized enforcers. The protagonist, Rai Vokura, a former ace pilot, uncovers a hidden project known as "ZONE EX," a plan to cull humanity via autonomous warfare.
Branded a traitor, Rai steals an experimental mech unit and goes rogue, setting off a chain of events that would challenge ZEROCORP and its vision of controlled evolution. As he fights across neon-drenched ruins, corrupted cityscapes, and orbital data bunkers, Rai uncovers a buried truth: he once supported ZONE EX during the war, believing it would save humanity. Now, with the world teetering between enforced order and total collapse, Rai must face his own digital reflection, choose who to trust, and decide the fate of both man and machine.
"A tale of betrayal, freedom, and the morality of control... Intriguing," Zaboru murmured.
He flipped to the gameplay section. Kojima had designed a fast-paced side-scrolling mechas action game with a twist: Heat Management. Attacks, dashes, and boosts would generate heat. Overheating would temporarily disable the mech's main functions, forcing players to think tactically.
Basic Controls:
D-Pad: Movement / Climb / Wall Grab
X Button: Jump (Hold to hover)
O Button: Primary attack (ranged/melee module-based)
Select: Switch weapon modules in real-time
Start: Pause/Menu
Down + X: Drop-through or vault
Kojima envisioned the world as modular, filled with branching storylines and player-dependent outcomes. Each decision would alter relationships, unlock hidden areas, or change boss encounters entirely. Even dialogue options would influence loyalty, triggering betrayal or unlocking secret allies.
Zaboru's brows rose as he read the branching paths and dynamic encounter charts.
"This is a lot of depth, Kojima-san. Where did all this come from?"
Kojima smiled for the first time in the meeting. "From your games, boss. Playing your titles, especially Stranded Kids , Dragon Quest , Metal Gear and Kick Master, made me realize what storytelling can be in a game. I want to take that even further to make the player feel like their choices truly matter."
Zaboru was quiet for a moment, thoroughly absorbing the concept before closing the folder.
"Kojima-san, this is outstanding work. It's ambitious, detailed, and creative. But implementing this will be complex. We'll need to build a dynamic story engine, and test a lot of branching scenarios."
"I'm ready for that challenge," Kojima said.
Zaboru smiled, leaning forward with conviction. "I know you will, Kojima-san—and rest assured, I'll be right there with you. This isn't just your mission anymore; the entire ZAGE development team will be backing you up, every step of the way."
"And you'll get your credit. Like I do with Yugo games Koro-cool, your name will be front and center. and my name is just inside "Special Thanks" " Zaboru added.
Kojima nodded, visibly moved.
"Because this is your first title, let's aim for a January release. We'll allocate a small team to help you prototype later then the branching logic first, and we'll build from there."
Kojima stood, bowing deeply. "Thank you, boss. Truly."
As Kojima left, his excitement barely contained, Zaboru leaned back in his chair and chuckled.
"If this is the kind of game Kojima's making from the get-go... I can only imagine what he'll cook up next. Maybe this is how legends are born."
Even without Metal Gear, Kojima continues to bring forward brilliant and boundary-pushing ideas for games. His unique narrative style and experimental gameplay concepts trademarks of his work in the previous world are already manifesting in this one as well. Kojima's passion for unconventional storytelling and immersive mechanics remains fully intact, and Zaboru could clearly see the early signs of a creative legend in the making.
He turned back to his terminal and began setting up the internal pipeline to fast-track Zone EX: Interceptor Protocol. He will ensure that this game will went well just like Yugo games back then.
As the office buzzed with the usual productive chatter, Zaboru couldn't help but feel a swell of satisfaction. He had built a place where creativity thrived and now, it was bearing incredible fruit.
To be continued.
AN : Lol this original Ideas Kojima Without metal gear what would it be? . and i think this is suit him the most
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