Friday 28 July 1997.
After the successful release of Megaman X2, Zaboru didn't waste any time before diving into his next project. He had something big in mind—an overhaul of the ZAGE Forums. With a mischievous grin, he muttered to himself, "This will be fun, hehehe." Up until now, the ZAGE Forums had primarily functioned as traditional message boards, mostly used for sharing guides, walkthroughs, secret codes, and fan theories about ZAGE titles. While it served its purpose, the forums felt outdated, stiff—even a bit sterile. What they lacked, in Zaboru's eyes, was personality, humor, and community flavor. In short, they lacked memes.
Zaboru had a vision. He wanted the ZAGE Forums to become more than just a repository of information. He wanted them to evolve into a lively, culturally rich online space where inside jokes, viral images, and playful commentary would thrive alongside serious gaming discussions. That meant one thing: it was time to introduce memes.
This heavy update to the ZAGE Forums would introduce entirely new sections dedicated to the concept of memes. For users unfamiliar with the term, Zaboru prepared a series of playful explanations and examples. In the updated guide sections, ZAGE characters would be used to illustrate meme formats—for instance, an image of Kunuckle giving a thumbs up would be used to signal approval, while a still of Spongebob saying "Imagination" would suggest something whimsical or creative. These wouldn't just be decorations; they would function as part of the communication system, allowing users to react to content in a new, expressive way.
Zaboru also included subtle hints and encouragements throughout the forums, nudging users to start experimenting. "Memes are more than images," one introduction read. "They're cultural codes—tiny stories that say more than plain text ever could."
"This is essential. Forum users need to understand what memes are before they can start creating their own," Zaboru said with a chuckle. Of course, deep down, he still remembered the memes from his previous life—many of them based on real people, absurd expressions, or iconic screenshots. Part of him wanted to bring that same chaotic magic into the ZAGE Forums. But considering ZAGE's image, reputation, and the fictional nature of the world he was in, he decided to hold back on using real-life images.
Instead, he took a creative detour. He would replicate the same kind of humor and social dynamics by replacing real faces with ZAGE characters. These in-universe figures already had established personalities, fanbases, and iconic expressions—perfect ingredients for memetic potential. He laid the groundwork, guiding players with detailed templates and examples to help inspire creativity. From silly faces and exaggerated reactions to legendary quotes, Zaboru had full confidence that this new meme ecosystem would blossom. "I'm sure dozens, no—hundreds of memes will be born from this," he muttered proudly.
As he stretched and leaned back in his chair, he noticed a pop-up notification: the maintenance and update process for the ZAGE Forums was now complete. Everything had deployed without a hitch. He smirked with satisfaction. "Heh. Well, let's see how the users react to this," he whispered with anticipation.
Feeling accomplished—and a little hungry—Zaboru stood up, yawned, and decided it was time to grab something to eat before diving into the chaos he had just unleashed online.
At a certain house, Raku Ichijou sat in front of his computer, waiting patiently for the ZAGE Forums maintenance to finish. He wasn't just browsing aimlessly—he had a specific goal in mind: to find a solid guide for Resident Evil. The moment the forums came back online, he refreshed the page with anticipation.
But something immediately caught his eye.
"Huh? Memes? What is this?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow at the new forum sections. His curiosity piqued, Raku clicked the tab. Within seconds, a new page loaded, titled boldly at the top: Meme Introduction!
Raku then began reading through the Meme Introduction page. The text explained, "Memes are collections of images or videos that can be posted as stickers on the ZAGE Forums. These images and videos often carry their own meanings, frequently paired with captions or phrases that clarify the context or intent behind them." Raku nodded along, intrigued.
The page continued with examples. "For instance, if you come across a guide that genuinely impresses you, and you feel like saying, 'Whoa, this guide is really good,' you could attach a meme of Kunuckle giving a thumbs up with the phrase 'I approve' written over it." Raku could picture it clearly—it added a whole new layer of fun and personality to the posts.
Another example on the page featured a popular image from Metal Gear Solid, where a soldier looks suspiciously at a moving cardboard box, saying, "Why is that box moving? Huh... must be the wind." The caption explained how this meme could be used in moments of denial or when brushing off something suspicious—adding humor and subtlety to how users interacted.
The guide emphasized that there were already hundreds of ready-made memes available across the ZAGE Forums, all free to use. Users could browse from categories like "Reaction Memes," "Approval Memes," "Suspicion Memes," and more. But even more excitingly, the post encouraged users to create their own memes using images or videos they felt matched a feeling, situation, or idea—whether using ZAGE characters or custom uploads.
Raku's interest skyrocketed. The page closed with a cheerful invitation: "Feel free to use memes in your forum posts! They're a fun way to express yourself and make the community more lively."
Raku eyes lit up. "Ah! So they're like funny images and stuff, huh?" he grinned, scrolling through the list of available images. His grin widened as he discovered memes he instantly recognized and others he found hilarious. He quickly jumped into the newest Resident Evil guide post and was amazed to see it already filled with memes—users had already begun uploading their own.
"Man! Such a nice feature, hehehe," Raku said aloud, clearly enjoying himself.
Meanwhile, Zaboru had returned from grabbing something to eat. When he logged back in, he was stunned by the sudden spike in meme posts. "What? Why are there so many pictures of me?" he exclaimed.
To his surprise, forum users were already repurposing Zaboru's own media appearances—screenshots of him smiling and giving a thumbs up with the caption "You are very cool," or grinning into a microphone with the words "I'm your nightmare come to life," a playful nod to the theme song he once recorded for the Sonaya 32-bit console.
Zaboru couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, it can't be helped," he said with a smirk, scrolling through page after page of creativity. Each new post was a mix of absurdity and cleverness—exactly what he had hoped to spark. The forums had taken on a life of their own.
And so, in early 1997, in this world, the internet had been introduced to memes far earlier than in Zaboru's previous timeline—and this time, he had a front-row seat to witness their chaotic, colorful birth.
Beyond the meme update, the ZAGE Forums also received a suite of minor bug fixes and subtle but meaningful quality-of-life improvements. Thread loading speeds were faster. User profiles had new customization tools. The post formatting interface became smoother, allowing for embedded media and emojis. Even small things—like hover animations and forum search filters—got cleaner, sharper, smarter.
Zaboru remained focused on a larger vision. He wasn't just maintaining a site—he was building an online culture. He was crafting something ahead of its time. The ZAGE website's user interface stood out like a futuristic prototype against the clunky, barebones look of most '90s internet hubs. Its layout was bold yet intuitive, colorful yet readable, and even included smart navigation tools many wouldn't see on mainstream platforms for years.
Other companies took notice. Quietly at first, then more openly, web designers began studying the ZAGE layout, referencing it in meetings, and taking notes. A few even tried to mimic its style.
Zaboru didn't mind. He just smiled and kept building.
To be continued