Friday 21 July 1997 ZAGE Tower Japan.
Zaboru was now at Team Niwa's offices inside ZAGE Tower, preparing to celebrate a significant milestone—the completion and imminent release of Megaman X2, which was set to launch the following day. The mood in the room was electric, a mix of pride and excitement that buzzed through every developer present. With a warm smile, Zaboru addressed the team, "Congratulations to Team Niwa on completing Megaman X2! As always, there will be bonuses for everyone once the game officially launches."
The room erupted in cheers. Laughter, applause, and high-fives filled the space. The developers genuinely loved working at ZAGE—it wasn't just a job, it was a place where they felt seen, valued, and inspired. The team had poured their heart into the game, and this moment of celebration made all the long hours worth it.
As a gesture of appreciation, Zaboru arranged for a catered lunch, allowing everyone to unwind and enjoy a well-earned break together. Plates were filled, drinks were poured, and conversations flowed easily. It was moments like these that reminded everyone why ZAGE was more than just a company—it was a creative family.
After the meal and some casual conversation, the mood shifted as work returned to focus. The leader of Team Niwa approached Zaboru with a respectful nod, signaling that it was time for their next meeting. A new project was on the horizon, and Zaboru was ready to present their next big challenge.
Then Team Niwa's leaders—Shinji Mikami and several other senior developers—joined Zaboru as they walked together to the "Planning Room," a space regularly used by Zaboru for important creative meetings and new task assignments at ZAGE.
Zaboru clapped his hands once and smiled. "Okay everyone, excellent work on Megaman X2. It's a huge accomplishment, and I'm proud of how the whole team pulled it off. Now, before we move on to our next big challenge, I want to check in on the progress of Team Niwa's other titles. How are things going with Silent Hill and Sonic Adventure?"
Shinji Mikami gave a confident nod, his expression calm but energized. "Silent Hill is progressing well. We've moved steadily through production, and everything from atmosphere to level scripting is starting to come together beautifully. We're on track for an October release—right in time for Halloween. The mood is eerie, immersive, and exactly what we envisioned."
Another senior developer added with a smile, "Sonic Adventure is also moving at a good pace. We've finalized most of the level layouts, and character abilities are being polished. We Confident To release it at September."
Zaboru nodded approvingly, visibly pleased with their reports. "Good. I never doubted this team's ability. Keep your momentum going. We're entering a golden period at ZAGE—and you're all at the heart of it So here's the next challenge—Team Niwa will be taking on another task from me," Zaboru said with a grin. "This time, it's a project fans have been begging for over the years: the sequel to our Robo-Cop game."
He paused for effect, watching their reactions light up. "Ever since we released the original Robo-Cop game back on the 8-bit consoles, our fans haven't stopped asking for more. It's one of the most requested titles in ZAGE's history. The wait is over—we're going to bring Robo-Cop back, and this time, we're going all in."
"This gameplay will introduce a brand-new feature—switching between third-person perspective and first-person camera. It's something we've never done before, and we need to make sure we pull it off flawlessly. Don't worry, I've already prepared a draft for the team to work from. Of course, like most of my drafts, it's not perfect—there's plenty of room for improvement, refinement, and testing. That's part of the process. This will be a challenge, but one I know we're ready to tackle."
Team NIWA was visibly excited about the new project. Zaboru handed them the draft and design documents for what he considered his original vision—his own version of a Robo-Cop game. Unlike the Robo-Cop known in his previous world, the character here had a unique origin story, one entirely reimagined within the ZAGE universe. In this timeline, Robo-Cop wasn't just a character adapted from a film franchise—he was a ZAGE original, with a deep, alternate narrative.
In Zaboru's story, Officer Murphy had once served in the United States, but was abandoned by the American police force after being critically injured during a heroic mission in Japan. Seeing his sacrifice and courage, the Japanese government chose to take him in. With the help of Solbrain, Japan's elite cop organization specializing in enhanced armor tech, Murphy was rebuilt and reborn as Robo-Cop. This backstory would serve as the foundation for a more emotionally grounded, character-driven game, giving players a fresh take on a familiar figure.
As for gameplay, Zaboru had already put significant thought into the mechanics. One of the standout features would be the ability to switch between third-person and first-person perspectives, offering players both cinematic combat and immersive targeting—something rarely, if ever, done in the industry at the time.
However, this Robo-Cop title wouldn't be the first to debut this mechanic. Another team at ZAGE, Team IZAN, was currently developing Tenchu, a stealth-action title that also implemented POV switching. Since Tenchu was further along in production, it was expected to release before Robo-Cop, giving Zaboru's team valuable data to learn from and build upon.
Even so, the ambition and scope of Robo-Cop made it clear: this was going to be a bold, defining entry in ZAGE's growing legacy.
Then Zaboru began to explain, "The core gameplay will be mission-based. There will be a wide range of scenarios—rescuing hostages, taking down criminal syndicates, and even high-speed motorcycle chase-and-shoot segments. Robo-Cop won't be operating alone either. He'll be accompanied by fellow Solbrain officers, each equipped with enhanced armor and their own unique skill sets. Every Solbrain cop will have distinct advantages and personalities, which we need to carefully develop to enhance both gameplay and narrative depth."
The team around the table nodded, flipping through the draft documents with growing excitement. From first glance, the draft looked incredibly solid—detailed, polished, and ambitious. Still, Shinji Mikami raised his hand thoughtfully and asked, "Boss, what if we added an X-ray vision feature to Robo-Cop? Something that lets him see through walls, maybe to spot enemies or hidden items. The catch would be that he can't move while using it, so it becomes a strategic trade-off. It would offer both advantages and disadvantages depending on how it's used."
Zaboru smiled, clearly pleased with the suggestion. "That's a great idea. Yes, we can definitely add that. Please make a note of it, Shinji-san."
Shinji grinned. Despite how well-thought-out Zaboru's drafts usually were, the boss always remained open to suggestions. It was one of the things the team appreciated most about working with him—he welcomed new ideas, and if something didn't align with his vision, he would explain why and open the floor to discussion. It created a healthy, creative atmosphere built on mutual respect.
Then the discussion continued, filled with brainstorming, revisions, and passionate debate. Ideas were exchanged, tweaks were made, and each suggestion was carefully considered. It took hours of focused collaboration, but finally, the team reached a point of satisfaction. The final draft of the Robo-Cop game for the ZEPS 3 was complete—a blueprint for what they all hoped would become one of the console's defining titles. There was a collective sense of accomplishment in the room, the kind that only comes from knowing you've just created something special.
As the last notes were saved and the whiteboards cleared, a different kind of anticipation began to build. Tomorrow, Megaman X2 would officially be released to the world. It was a project born from months of dedication, and its launch marked another milestone for ZAGE. For Team Niwa, the excitement wasn't just about finishing one chapter—it was about opening the next. With Robo-Cop in motion and Megaman X2 ready to make its debut, the team was riding high on momentum and ready for whatever challenge came next.
To be continue