Monday 17 October 1997 ZAGE Tower Japan.
Today, Zaboru was assigning a new task to Team NIWA and Team Izan. Their October projects—Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Silent Hill—had successfully completed development, making them ready to take on something new. As expected, Zaboru had already prepared the next projects for them. Meanwhile, Team NOVA remained focused on the King of Fighters project, which demanded significant manpower and was still on track for a November release.
Additionally, Zaboru was preparing for a flight to the ZAGE Campus in the United States tomorrow. His American division, Team Enigma, had just wrapped up development on Nascar Rumble, and he planned to personally oversee the next steps there as well.
Zaboru was doing a final review of the folders in his documents. These three folders each contained plans for a brand-new game—one for Team IZAN, one for Team NIWA, and one for Team Enigma. Each project had been carefully chosen to fit the strengths of the respective teams. After double-checking everything, Zaboru leaned back in his chair and took a slow sip of his coffee, letting the warmth settle him. "Heh… ZAGE might need another expansion soon," he muttered with a chuckle.
He had been thinking about it more often lately, especially as the year 2000 crept closer. ZAGE had already grown rapidly, with five core development teams—NOVA, IZAN, NIWA, TEMPEST, and ENIGMA—but Zaboru had a bigger vision. In the coming years, he wanted each of these main teams to evolve and branch out into their own sub-units. That way, multiple projects could run in parallel under a unified creative umbrella. It would allow for flexibility, specialization, and creative experimentation, while reducing over-dependence on himself for approvals and direction.
He had even thought about reorganizing the ZAGE headquarters in Japan and expanding the ZAGE Campus in Silicon Valley to accommodate more employees, creative staff, and technical developers. If he could pull it off, ZAGE would have the infrastructure to support up to eight core development teams, which meant recruiting or assembling three more in the near future.
Of course, that was part of the long-term strategy. The ultimate goal was to create a studio where each team could lead and innovate independently, without always relying on him for direction. Zaboru knew that to keep up with demand, they would eventually need specialized divisions—teams dedicated not just to development but also to game design, R&D, narrative, and tech innovation.
But for now, those were ideas for the future. In the present, Zaboru's heart was still set on bringing to life the legendary games from his previous life—titles he remembered fondly, games that had shaped the industry but deserved better executions or wider recognition.
Not long after, Zaboru and the leaders of both Team NIWA and Team IZAN made their way to the large meeting room inside ZAGE Tower. Just like the previous month, both teams would be receiving their next assignments together. Once everyone was seated, Zaboru began by congratulating them for successfully completing their October release titles. He expressed his appreciation for their dedication and excellent work. Without wasting time, he moved straight into the new assignments, beginning with Team IZAN's task.
"Okay, guys, for Team IZAN, I have your next assignment," Zaboru announced, handing over a set of folders to the team leaders. Among them sat the IZAN team leader Shinji Mikami, who raised an intrigued brow as he accepted the file. The rest of the team leaned in as they flipped it open, their eyes immediately catching the title: "Jackie Chan - The Stuntmaster."
Zaboru stood proudly at the head of the room, his smile growing. "Just recently, I finalized a deal directly with Jackie Chan himself," he began, pacing slightly as he spoke. "We, as ZAGE, now officially have the rights to create a game based on him."
He paused for effect, letting the surprise and excitement ripple through the room. "Now, we all know Jackie Chan's films—they're a perfect mix of incredible martial arts, jaw-dropping stunts, and lighthearted comedy. It's a signature style that's hard to replicate, but that's exactly what I want us to capture in this game."
Zaboru leaned forward, his tone enthusiastic. "We're not just making a generic action title here. We want something that feels authentically Jackie Chan. That means fast-paced, creative combat, environmental interaction, slapstick humor, and polish—lots of polish. This game must play smooth as butter, feel responsive, and deliver the thrill of being in one of his action sequences. I want players to laugh and gasp while they're pulling off insane stunts and fighting off waves of enemies. We're going to fuse gameplay and cinematic flair, and make it feel fresh."
He gestured toward the folder again. "Every part of this project should scream 'Jackie Chan.' From the movement, the animations, the combo system—right down to the music and sound design. We want fans to say, 'This is the Jackie Chan experience we've always wanted in a video game.'"
Zaboru then explained, "In this game, Jackie Chan—the main character—will be able to unlock new moves using in-game currency. The move variety will keep things fresh and exciting. For example, players might unlock powerful techniques like the Roundhouse Kick or an elaborate Punch Combo, adding more flair and strategy to their fighting arsenal as they progress." Zaboru grinned, clearly excited by the vision.
He continued, "And no, we're not going for full realism here. This game will have some fantastical elements too. Around the middle of the story, Jackie will start unlocking special 'Chi'-based moves—think of flashy, powerful techniques like the 'Tiger Punch,' 'Tornado Kick,' and more. These are not just visual spectacles—they'll play an important role in how players fight against increasingly powerful enemies. The bosses in this game won't just be ordinary thugs—they'll also have superhuman abilities to match, so the Chi powers will be essential for balancing gameplay."
Zaboru paused for a moment, then added with a wink, "It's all about surprising the players and giving them the joy of discovering new abilities while feeling like they're inside one of Jackie's action-packed films—with just the right touch of magic."
"Anyway, this game shouldn't require as much development time compared to your recent project, Winning Eleven, so I'm aiming for a release around April. Does anyone have any questions?"
Quickly, Shinji Mikami raised his hand with a curious expression and asked, "Boss, there's something really interesting in this folder. Why does it say, 'It has an interconnected world with the Moonwalker game'? Does that mean this game is somehow connected to our Michael Jackson project—the Moonwalker game for the ZEPS2?"
Zaboru chuckled and nodded, clearly enjoying the moment. "Well, the short answer is yes. This Jackie Chan: Stuntmaster game exists in the same universe as Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. That means there's a very real possibility that the two characters—Jackie and Michael—might cross paths in future titles."
He paused for a second to let that idea sink in, then added, "It won't happen in this game directly, but we're laying the groundwork. Think of it as a connected universe, like how comics do it. These aren't just one-off games—they're parts of a larger picture. In the future, you might even see Jackie and Michael team up, or maybe face off, depending on the story direction."
The room buzzed with renewed energy at the thought, the team visibly more excited about the project's long-term creative possibilities.
Shinji Mikami looked genuinely surprised. "Interesting... so we have a plan where we'll be making games about real-world celebrities, giving them special powers, and connecting them all in one shared universe?"
Zaboru nodded with a satisfied grin. "Exactly. That's the bigger picture—but it's for the future," he replied. "Right now, we're just planting the seeds. These characters and their stories will start off in standalone games, but eventually, the universe will start to link up in subtle and not-so-subtle ways."
The idea sparked immediate enthusiasm across Team IZAN. The team started murmuring excitedly to one another. This wasn't just another licensed game—this was a bold, imaginative direction. They were being invited to help shape an entirely new kind of game universe where iconic celebrities would have stylized, superpowered versions of themselves, full of creativity, action, and charm. The concept was wild, unique, and exactly the kind of project that inspired developers.
That's what they loved about working under Zaboru—his projects were never cookie-cutter. Every game felt like something new, something untested, something that pushed boundaries. For Team IZAN, this wasn't just another assignment. It was an opportunity to build something legendary.
After a productive round of questions and answers with Team IZAN, the discussion gradually wrapped up. Zaboru gave a nod of approval to the team, signaling that he was pleased with their engagement and enthusiasm. Without missing a beat, he turned his attention to the next part of the meeting.
He looked toward Team NIWA and cleared his throat. "Alright, next up—Team NIWA," he said with a steady voice. "Your next assignment is to begin development on a brand-new game: Digimon World."
There was a noticeable ripple of interest across the room as the NIWA members exchanged intrigued glances, eager to hear more.
To be continue
AN : I can't believe it's 800 Chapters!
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