Saturday 1 May 1996.
Zaboru sat inside his office at ZAGE Tokyo, joined by his father, Zanichi. In front of them rested a sleek, white handheld device—the latest 16-bit console from ZUSUGA, known as the Reborn 16. Its smooth curves and polished design reflected the overhead lights, giving it a premium look. This was ZUSUGA's bold step into the next generation of handheld gaming, and it had clearly caught their attention.
Zaboru smiled as he looked at the design. It has two trigger buttons, 4 d-pads and 3 buttons on the right "Honestly, it's not a bad design—actually quite good. But the price? 15,000 yen? That's double the cost of our ZGB."
Zanichi nodded. "Definitely overpriced."
Zaboru then said, "Still, it does come with a pretty generous battery. They call it the 'Kingo' Battery. Heh... sounds like a company trying to copy our Z-Batteries, the ones created by Miyagi Batteries."
Zanichi responded, "They probably figured using Miyagi batteries would only help us out, so they decided against it."
Zaboru chuckled and nodded, then suddenly turned his head toward the TV, smiling as a commercial began to play. It was an advertisement for the ZUSUGA Reborn 16 handheld. In it, a well-known actress appeared on screen, casually saying she was actually interested in playing the Reborn 16—something she usually didn't do. She laughed as she played, clearly enjoying herself, and exclaimed, "This is so fun!" before the ad ended.
It was a simple celebrity commercial, showcasing just a glimpse of the handheld's capabilities. But what caught Zaboru completely off guard was the name of the actress—it was Zana Zagashira!
Zaboru turned to Zanichi with a curious look. "Dad, isn't that Zana Zagashira? Is she your sister? That would make her my aunt, right?"
Zanichi let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, I suppose so... but not anymore. I'm not a Zagashira, remember? I'm Renkonan now—your father."
Zaboru chuckled back. "Heh, sure thing."
It was clear his father had long since left the Zagashira name behind, just as the Zagashira family had chosen to forget him. There was no bitterness in his tone—just quiet acceptance.
Zanichi then excused himself. "So, son, I want to accompany your mom at home, so I'll head out first, okay?"
Zaboru nodded. "Sure thing, Dad. Thanks."
With that, Zanichi took his leave, and Zaboru quickly turned his attention to the newly released games.
There were six titles available: Reborn-Kun, Skyblade Saga, ZUMON, Lucy, Shadowcraft, and Sekai Senshi.
"Hmm, all of these look interesting..." Zaboru muttered as he browsed the game covers. One in particular caught his eye: Reborn-Kun. The cover showed a small, snowman-like character with a cheeky grin, wearing black sunglasses and wielding a shimmering snow sword. "Well, this one definitely screams mascot gameplay," he said with a smile.
Curious, Zaboru popped in the cartridge and started playing. To his surprise, the game wasn't bad at all. It played similarly to Mario titles, but with its own unique twist. Reborn-Kun, being made of snow, had a major weakness—sunlight. If he was exposed to intense light for too long, his health would drop rapidly, and he could melt completely. This added an extra layer of challenge, turning each level into a mix of platforming and environmental puzzle-solving.
Players had to find clever ways to avoid beams of sunlight, whether by timing movements, activating shade mechanisms, or creatively using the environment. The puzzles themselves were well-designed and engaging, making the game feel fresh despite its familiar core.
"Whoa, the graphics are really impressive—almost on par with our ZEPS 2 game," Zaboru said, eyes wide with surprise. "That's actually surprising… but now I'm wondering how long the battery lasts. I've already been playing for an hour and a half, so I'm getting curious." He chuckled to himself, amused by how quickly time had flown by.
Then Zaboru picked up the cartridge labeled Skyblade Saga. It was an action platformer centered around a daring sky pirate named Aoki, who explored floating islands and battled rival sky pirates in his quest to strike it rich. The game featured smooth controls and responsive combat, making it feel polished right from the start.
Aoki had access to a variety of weapons and could swap between them depending on the situation. He also wielded projectile tools like a gun and a handbow, which gave the combat a satisfying range-based dimension. The level design took full advantage of the sky island setting, mixing vertical navigation with fast-paced enemy encounters.
Overall, it was a surprisingly solid action platformer with a distinct visual style and an adventurous tone. The story, centered around Aoki's ambition and clashes with colorful rival pirates, kept things engaging. Zaboru found himself nodding in approval—the game had both charm and challenge.
Zaboru grinned. "Heh, those two games were really decent! Nice!"
Time had flown by, and before he knew it, another hour and a half had passed. Suddenly, his Reborn 16 let out a sharp beep. A warning appeared on the screen: the battery was nearly depleted.
"Ahh, so it only lasts about three hours of full gameplay..." he muttered. "Even though it's using similar batteries to our Z-Batteries... Well, I guess that's to be expected. A 16-bit handheld needs more power."
Zaboru chuckled as he opened the battery compartment and quickly swapped out the "Kingo" battery with one of his trusted Z-Batteries.
"I wonder if it'll give the same playtime," he said to himself, settling back into his chair with curiosity and a spark of renewed excitement.
Zaboru continued on to the next game, ZUMON, and couldn't help but laugh. It felt like a quirky fusion of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!—a world filled with magical creatures where players, known as ZUMON Wizards, use arcane cards to capture and battle these beings. What made it different was that the Wizards didn't just summon creatures and watch—they actively assisted during battles, casting spells or enhancing their ZUMON's abilities. After all, they were wizards too.
The gameplay was structurally similar to Pokémon, but the added layer of Wizard involvement made battles more dynamic and strategic. Zaboru raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Interesting... Well, at least the designs aren't just straight-up Pokémon copies. They've got some originality—it's actually pretty good."
Zaboru laughed, then swapped to the next game after hours of playing. Lucy was an action-adventure title featuring a female warrior in a fantasy setting. The gameplay had a top-down perspective, very reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda, but with a fun twist—Lucy wielded dual axes and wasn't rescuing a princess or a kingdom. No, in this story, Lucy was on a quest to rescue a prince.
The visual design was charming, and the combat felt fluid and satisfying. Lucy could perform powerful combo attacks, break through barriers, and solve environmental puzzles using her twin axes. The game even included a few light RPG elements, such as gear upgrades and optional side quests.
"Heh, it's like a Zelda copy—but in reverse," Zaboru chuckled. "I like it."
Zaboru switched to the next game, Shadowcraft. The gameplay immediately reminded him of a classic stealth experience—very much in the style of ZAGE's Metal Gear Solid—but with a medieval twist. Instead of a modern military base, the game was set in a dark, labyrinthine castle, complete with torch-lit hallways, stone corridors, and armored guards.
Players took control of Shadow, a skilled assassin tasked with eliminating corrupt nobles who had seized power. Stealth was crucial—players had to hide in shadows, avoid making noise, and use various tools like smoke bombs and grappling hooks to navigate the castle undetected. Assassinations had to be carefully planned and executed, with each noble presenting unique challenges and guard setups.
Overall, the game was solid. It combined tactical gameplay with a moody atmosphere and satisfying stealth mechanics. Zaboru appreciated the shift in tone—it brought a more grounded and methodical pace after the fast action of the previous games.
After a solid three hours and twenty minutes of gameplay, Zaboru's Reborn 16 began flashing another low-battery warning. He glanced at the screen and smirked. "Heh, so Z-Batteries really are better," he muttered, chuckling to himself.
Without missing a beat, he swapped out the depleted batteries and reached for the final game in the stack. Slotting it in with a snap, he leaned back and hit start. "Hey, damn… I've already been playing for over six hours?" he said with a grin.
Zaboru laughed again and gave a casual shrug. "It's fine. Today, I'm not a game developer—I'm just Zaboru the Gamer."
And this was, without a doubt, the best game Zaboru had played so far—Sekai Senshi. It was a classic JRPG, but what made it stand out was its bold use of world warrior archetypes. The story centered around a powerful Demon King threatening Earth's balance, prompting a divine World Protector to summon legendary warriors from across different historical eras. Each of them was gifted a magical weapon, and together, they stood as humanity's last hope against the dark forces.
The game featured five playable warriors, and all of them could be used together in a turn-based combat system. There was the fierce Samurai, hailing from feudal Japan, who boasted a high critical hit chance and could fire arrows to deal with flying enemies. Then there was the European Knight, a classic tank archetype, heavily armored and capable of healing himself in battle. The Viking, a raw powerhouse wielding twin axes, thrived on taking damage—his power and defense increased as his health decreased, turning him into a berserker as the fight wore on.
Next came Wu Lin, a balanced and disciplined Chinese warrior who fought with a long spear. He was the most well-rounded of the group, adept at both offense and defense. Lastly, there was the Desert Warrior, a sand-controlling fighter inspired by Middle Eastern legends. Wielding a curved sword, he specialized in support magic, capable of buffing allies and manipulating the battlefield with sand-based abilities.
The combat was fluid, tactical, and satisfying. Each character had their own unique role in battle, encouraging players to experiment with synergy and strategy. Beyond the gameplay, the story had surprising depth—rich world-building, emotional character arcs, and a high-stakes journey that pulled Zaboru in completely.
"The turn-based combat is really solid," he thought. "And the way the narrative builds up each warrior's background… It's seriously well done."
By the time he put the controller down, Zaboru was hooked. Sekai Senshi wasn't just a good game—it was an instant classic.
"Whoa! This one's really something else, hehehe," Zaboru said with a grin. He chuckled to himself, setting the Reborn 16 down on his desk. "Honestly, the game was solid. Totally unexpected. I thought ZUSUGA would put out garbage again, like they did with the Gen 1… but it looks like they've turned over a new leaf. And honestly? It's a pleasant surprise."
Zaboru gave a thoughtful nod and leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face. After a moment, he glanced back at the handheld.
"Well... one or two more games wouldn't hurt," he muttered, reaching for it again. Today, he was fully in gamer mode.
To be continue
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