Saturday 8 March 1999 ZAGE Tower Japan.
Zaboru was now inside the towering headquarters of ZAGE, comfortably seated on the 51st floor of ZAGE Tower which is his Workshop; he doesn't know what Akechi does behind the scenes for Karen Josh after all. His guests for the day included his beloved wife Ayumi, their young and energetic son Zenshin, and Ayumi's older brother, the ever-intimidating yet sharp-witted Akechi Hamazou. The reason for this special gathering? Akaishidan—the development studio where Ayumi worked as a lead game developer and which was also owned and overseen by Akechi—was celebrating the release of their newest title, a highly anticipated action-mecha game titled "SSS," short for Steel Shinobi Striker.
Ayumi now sat comfortably beside Zaboru, her hand resting gently on her visibly round belly. Her face carried that warm glow of someone nearing the final stage of pregnancy. Meanwhile, Akechi stood nearby, arms folded, watching with quiet amusement as young Zenshin sat cross-legged on the floor, completely immersed in his ZGB handheld console. Zenshin's fingers danced across the buttons, his eyes fixed with laser focus. The kid was clearly falling in love with games, just like his parents.
Akechi cracked a small smile at the sight before letting out a long, dramatic sigh. "Zaboru, you damn bastard... how many times are you gonna steal my best game developer? First time was months ago, and now you've done it again." His tone was part accusation, part brotherly sarcasm, and entirely familiar. What he meant, of course, was Ayumi's current situation. She was nearly eight months pregnant now, and naturally would have to pause her work as a lead developer for a while after giving birth. This would be her second child—and this time, it was a girl.
Zaboru, unable to resist needling Akechi, broke into a mischievous grin. "Well, it can't be helped, Akechi-san! Hahaha!"
Ayumi chuckled, nudging her husband before turning to her brother. "Don't worry, Nii-sama. Once the baby's born, I'll probably rest for just two or three months—not a whole year like when Zenshin was born. I promise, no long breaks this time, okay?"
Akechi exhaled sharply through his nose, half-annoyed and half-amused. "Well... as long as you don't quit entirely, it's fine, Ayumi. Just don't let him turn you into a full-time housewife. You're more than that—you're the heart of our dev team, and you know it."
Zaboru then grinned wide, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Alright then! Let's fire this baby up!" He lifted the sleek, freshly packaged copy of SSS: Steel Shinobi Striker with a ceremonial flair, as if presenting a long-awaited treasure. Carefully, he cracked open the case and slid the disc into the ZEPS 3 console with a satisfying click. "Hehehe, I really hope this one lives up to the hype!" he muttered with eager anticipation.
Ayumi chuckled warmly beside him, her eyes shining with a quiet pride. "Well, I hope so too. After all, I'm the lead developer on this one," she said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Honestly, I drew so much inspiration from your ZAGE titles. It felt like a natural evolution—combining what I've learned from you with my own style."
Zaboru gave a short, pleased laugh and nodded, clearly touched. "Then I already know it's going to be good."
Then the game began, first displaying the stylish and animated Akaishidan logo with a sharp metallic shine and an electronic hum. The screen then transitioned into the main menu, which featured pulsing UI effects, a dynamic background of a burning battlefield, and epic orchestral music, setting the tone for an intense sci-fi ninja experience. After selecting "New Game," the cinematic cutscene launched.
The announcer's voice boomed through the speakers with a dramatic tone: "SSS—Steel Shinobi Striker—are cutting-edge humanoid Striker Robots, engineered to replicate human flexibility, agility, and combat intelligence. In this era, they stand as humanity's most advanced and powerful defense units against the JAGIN, a terrifying alien species from a distant galaxy that now threatens Earth's very survival."
The camera swept across a war-torn planet, showcasing SSS units engaged in fierce battle. Then the screen transitioned smoothly into gameplay, dropping the player into the cockpit of the lead unit.
The pilot's voice crackled over comms. "This is Hikari One, reporting to base. I've located a living JAGIN structure—requesting permission to engage."
A moment later, the commanding voice of HQ responded. "This is Shogun HQ. Hikari One, permission granted. Proceed to eliminate the JAGIN nest. May fortune favor you. Shogun out."
The mission officially began, setting the stage for an epic confrontation between man's technological pinnacle and the galactic menace.
Then the gameplay started, bearing a strong resemblance to the iconic Armored Core series developed by ZAGE, but with its own unique twist. While the influence was obvious, the mechanics diverged in several key areas to make SSS: Steel Shinobi Striker a distinct experience. The control system was streamlined yet engaging. The SSS unit could equip only two main weapon types: Ranged and Melee. The ranged weapons consisted of classic ninja-inspired gear like throwing shuriken, while the melee weapon was a massive high-frequency katana that glowed with raw energy.
Combat was fast and responsive. There were a total of four melee and four ranged skill slots. Pressing R1 opened a skill wheel that displayed all currently equipped abilities, with a maximum of four selectable at any given time. For now, Hikari One—the protagonist's unit—had only one active skill mapped to R1+Square, named "Cross Slash," a powerful close-range double strike that left glowing afterimages. L2 enabled manual aiming for precision targeting, R2 initiated a high-speed dash or sprint, X was assigned to jumping and evasive aerial movement, Square executed standard melee attacks, Triangle launched ranged attacks, and Circle triggered a quick-step dodge.
Zaboru leaned forward with a grin, eyes flicking across the screen. "Damn, the gameplay feels great!" he muttered. It was clear that Akaishidan had taken the weighty, tactical feel of Armored Core's combat and infused it with the speed and fluidity of a shinobi-themed game. As Zaboru pushed forward into the mission, his SSS unit encountered a grotesque, towering JAGIN beast—an alien insect-like monstrosity with glowing red eyes and razor limbs. The clash was immediate and cinematic.
Where Armored Core featured bulky, tank-like mechs, SSS robots were lean, agile, and graceful. They moved with a dancer's precision, darting and flipping around enemies with ease, thanks to their ninja-based design philosophy. Every movement felt intentional, every strike had weight, and the pacing kept the player constantly on edge. SSS didn't just imitate—it innovated. The game truly felt like a futuristic ninja combat simulator built within a mecha framework, and Zaboru was fully immersed.
Then, after an intense battle filled with dynamic dodges and perfectly timed strikes, Zaboru finally defeated the massive boss of the first stage. The victory was exhilarating, and as the smoke cleared, the screen faded into a new section— the customization menu. Zaboru chuckled with satisfaction, already feeling the pull of the next layer of depth the game had to offer. What greeted him was a surprisingly expansive and robust customization system.
First, the melee weapon options immediately caught his eye. There were six distinct types to choose from, each with their own unique attack styles and skill sets. The selection included the heavy-hitting GreatSword for devastating slow strikes, the balanced and versatile Katana, the rapid and aggressive Twin Katana ideal for combo chains, the brute-force Axe that could stagger enemies with ease, the massive Hammer which delivered crushing blows and AOE damage, and the long-reaching Lance, perfect for maintaining distance while staying mobile. Each melee weapon type came with a tailored set of special melee skills, adding tremendous variety to close-quarters combat and allowing players to fine-tune their approach based on personal playstyle or mission requirements. Zaboru was genuinely impressed with how well each weapon was differentiated.
Next up was the ranged weapons section, which provided a delightful arsenal of tactical options. The game included a wide array of tools such as Piercing Kunai, designed for armor penetration; Wind Shuriken, which had rapid-fire capabilities; Exploding Kunai, ideal for splash damage and crowd control; Smoke Bombs, used for evasive maneuvers or stealth tactics; Thunder Bombs, which delivered electric shockwaves to disable enemies; and other exotic options like Magnetic Disks and Plasma Needles. Players were allowed to equip up to four types of ranged weapons at a time, encouraging creative loadouts and situational strategy. Whether you wanted to keep your distance, disorient foes, or chain ranged attacks between melee assaults, the range weapon variety offered a sandbox of experimentation.
The customization didn't end with weapons. The core build system for the SSS units was a simplified take compared to something like Armored Core, but it was sleek, stylish, and remarkably accessible. The machines themselves maintained a lean, aerodynamic design—true to their ninja theme—and avoided the bulky, industrial aesthetic of traditional mecha. Still, the visual tweaks available were impressive: players could swap out armor pieces, choose custom paint jobs, add visual flairs like glowing visors or jet trails, and even personalize emblems. On the gameplay side, each part equipped would affect basic attributes like Attack, Speed, and Defense, allowing a balance between aesthetics and performance. It struck a perfect harmony between depth and usability, giving casual players a fun sandbox while offering enough mechanical complexity for hardcore tinkerers.
Zaboru grinned and gave a satisfied nod. "Not bad at all! This is really good. I can clearly see the influence from Armored Core, but you've managed to build your own identity with this customization system. That's kind of genius, honestly. And these ninja-themed robots—the SSS—they feel fantastic to control. There's this elegance to their movement and a real sense of precision in the gameplay."
He leaned back slightly, eyes still on the screen, and added thoughtfully, "But you know what might take it even further? What if you introduced themed variations or archetypes? Like, this base SSS could be the agile version, clearly inspired by ninja. But what if there were counterparts based on other warrior classes or cultures? Imagine a Viking-type SSS—bulky, aggressive, with berserker-style weapons. Or a Samurai version—disciplined, powerful, focused on one-hit criticals. Or even a Knight variant—heavily armored and defensive. It could really add variety to the roster."
Akechi's eyes widened with curiosity, and Ayumi's brows raised as well. Ayumi responded with a sheepish laugh, "Wow... honestly, we never really thought of it that way. When we developed this game, we were laser-focused on making what we called an 'Armored Core meets Ninja' experience. But your idea… it's actually really clever. It adds another layer of fantasy and tactical depth."
Zaboru chuckled, leaning forward slightly with a thoughtful expression. "If your goal is to make an 'Armored Core'-style ninja game, then what you've done so far is already solid," he said with a grin. "But for the sequel, consider expanding the concept further—maybe introduce a specialized 'Ninjutsu' build. It doesn't have to break the theme. You could frame it in a way that still fits the ninja motif while enhancing the overall experience. That kind of addition could really elevate the gameplay and make it feel even more distinct and stylish."
Akechi frowned, clearly intrigued but skeptical. "We've actually discussed something like that before," he admitted. "But our worry is, if we start including elements like Ninjutsu—even if we mask it as 'advanced tech'—it might feel inconsistent with the grounded sci-fi tone we're aiming for. Wouldn't that risk clashing with the setting?"
Zaboru then turned to Akechi, a thoughtful grin spreading across his face. "Well, Akechi-san, this is where imagination comes into play, right? Ayumi, you get what I mean, don't you?" He glanced at his wife before continuing with more excitement in his tone. "Picture this—what if in the sequel, we introduce a new kind of tech, something really unique that makes the mecha even more immersive and thematic? Let's say the SSS units have a new activation method for their high-level abilities—like specialized Handsigns."
He leaned forward, animated now. "Imagine embedded circuits or programmable nodes inside their hands. To trigger advanced systems—let's say a cloaking mode, or a burst movement module—they have to perform specific sequences of hand gestures. From a design perspective, each Handsign could correlate with a mechanical gesture the SSS performs, linked to internal button-like circuits in their palms."
Zaboru then mimicked the idea with his own hands. "Now think about how that could translate to gameplay. Players would have to input these hand gestures themselves using button combos on the controller—maybe a quick R1+Triangle+Square or a timed sequence that mimics the rhythm of the gesture. It would feel like the player is synchronizing with the SSS, like they're doing the Handsign themselves in real time."
He gave a little laugh. "It's a blend of physical action and mechanical logic, like making a ninja simulator within a mecha framework. It keeps the grounded tone, but opens the door to incredibly engaging systems without breaking the immersion. It's still tech—it's just a new way of interacting with it."
Ayumi's eyes lit up with excitement. "That's a really good idea! I'm definitely going to write that down right away!" she exclaimed, quickly grabbing her notepad and scribbling her thoughts with an almost childlike enthusiasm. Her handwriting was fast and slightly messy, a testament to the burst of inspiration that had just struck her. Akechi watched her with an amused smile, then turned his gaze toward Zaboru, nodding slowly as the thought settled in his mind.
This, he realized, was one of the biggest advantages of having Zaboru as a brother-in-law—not just his business acumen or creative instincts, but his ability to see into the heart of a concept and add something transformative to it. His advice wasn't just good—it was exceptional, often changing the trajectory of an idea in a single sentence. Akechi couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and reluctant gratitude.
With the mood now lifted and energized, both Akechi and Ayumi began peppering Zaboru with additional questions, diving deeper into design concepts, balance systems, and possible narrative expansions. Zaboru, still holding the game controller, multitasked like a pro—dodging enemy attacks on screen while offering sharp, insightful feedback. They were all having a blast, and the room buzzed with creative synergy and laughter.
To be continue
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