After the introduction of the ZGB, a wave of curiosity swept through ZAGE's headquarters. While not every department was immediately interested—customer service, legal, and finance continued with their daily work—the R&D room quickly filled with eager tech staff and developers buzzing with questions. Their curiosity was electric.
Zanichi, Zaboru's father and now CTO of ZAGE, examined the compact device with thoughtful admiration. "Impressive, really. To think that a video game console could be compressed into something this small... It's revolutionary."
Yugo, always one to show his enthusiasm, nodded vigorously. "As expected of Boss-sama! You're so cool!" he said, practically glowing with fanboy energy.
Satoru Iwata stepped forward, examining the ZGB closely. "Boss, how do players save their progress? Is it the same as the ZEPS—saving data directly to the game cartridge?"
Zaboru nodded. "Yeah, I designed it similarly. The ZGB uses onboard save functionality tied to the cartridge itself."
Zanichi, always thinking ahead, followed up with a practical concern. "But what happens if the battery suddenly dies while playing? Will the player lose their save data?"
Zaboru shook his head confidently. "Good question. If the battery is about to run out, the ZGB will emit a warning beep and display a low-battery icon. And if the power does cut off, the system is equipped with a small, internal backup chip powered by a capacitor. It stores temporary data just long enough to preserve the save state before full shutdown."
The room was buzzing now. More hands shot up. Developers, testers, and hardware engineers began asking everything from battery sourcing logistics to display resolution to cartridge port durability.
Zaboru answered each question with calm precision, clearly in his element. He welcomed the engagement, thrilled that his secret project was now generating this much excitement and interest. This wasn't just a product launch—it was the start of something big, and his team felt it too.
Then Yugo raised his hand, eyes gleaming with realization. "So that's why you reduced our monthly game releases for the past two months, Boss! You were focusing on this handheld project! But I have to ask—how many games are you planning to release with the ZGB? And will ZEPS games be compatible with it too?"
Zaboru smiled and nodded. "That's right, Yugo. Good observation. As for your first question, I plan to launch the ZGB with four games. First game has 2 versions of it and They'll be released as part of one package, but players will get to choose one to start with. The main title? Pokémon—and yes, there will be two versions: Red and Green. I designed them to showcase the ZGB's link cable feature. It's a subtle push toward social interaction through trading and battling. as for details we can discuss later, or just wait on release date"
Yugo's eyes sparkled.
"Next, we've got Tetris. It's a slightly scaled-down version compared to the ZEPS release, but the core gameplay remains. It's just as addictive and perfect for a portable system. Then there's Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. It's based on the ZEPS version but I've reworked the stages and refined the pacing to create a fresh experience specifically tailored for handheld play."
Zaboru leaned against the table, still smiling. "And the last one is called Stranded Kids. Think of it as a survival adventure game. It's different, more experimental—but I think it'll resonate with players who want something new. I made all four myself, and they're ready to go. I've been working on them for months. Our manufacturing partners are already mass-producing the games, so everything is on schedule. I've also informed Shinsuke-san to relay this information to retail stores that carry ZEPS consoles and cartridges, so they can prepare for the launch."
Yugo was visibly excited, nearly bouncing in place. "Boss, I really want to try developing something for the ZGB too!"
Zaboru chuckled. "That's the plan, Yugo. I'll walk everyone through the development process soon. It's not much different from working on ZEPS—just some slight technical differences."
Zanichi, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. "So, about the two games ZAGE planned to release for ZEPS—are they coming out on the same day as the ZGB? September 19th?"
Zaboru shook his head with a grin. "Nope. The ZGB launches solo on the 19th. I want that first week to be all about the handheld. The ZEPS games—Dragon Quest II and Fist of the North Star—will come out on the usual release day of the last week of month, September 26."
Zanichi nodded thoughtfully. "So we're releasing six games this month—two by the team and four by you."
"Exactly," Zaboru said. "Don't worry too much, Dad. The two ZEPS titles this month are really polished. And moving forward, I plan to scale back a bit. Maybe just 2–4 games a month for ZEPS and 1–2 for the ZGB. The ZEPS library is already rich thanks to the 3rd-party developers, so it's time to shift our focus from quantity to quality."
Zanichi smiled softly, his expression filled with pride. "That's the right move. And maybe—just maybe—you'll finally get a little rest, Son."
Zaboru grinned. "I hear you, Dad. I'll try."
Then Yuna asked, "So, Boss, will we be porting the entire ZEPS library to the ZGB? Or are we focusing on creating separate, original games for the handheld?"
Zaboru smiled. "Not the entire library, no. That would be far too resource-intensive. But there are definitely select titles that make sense to port. In addition to that, I'm planning for certain sequels to be exclusive to the ZGB—at least initially. Some titles might launch on ZGB first and then later get a ZEPS version. It's all about pacing the experience and encouraging players to try both systems."
Yuna nodded thoughtfully, agreeing that porting the full ZAGE library would demand immense time and manpower. A more selective approach made strategic sense.
With that, the ZAGE team continued their work, and Zaboru began teaching the developers how to create games for the ZGB. A new chapter of handheld gaming was just beginning.
to be continue
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