Another world Game Developers in Japan`s 1991-Chapter 415 - 369: Sonaya Early November Release

Friday, 14 November 1992

After the heartfelt reconciliation with the Hamazou family the previous evening, Zaboru wasted no time getting back into work mode. Despite the emotional exhaustion, the pulse of ZAGE never slowed, and he dived back into his tasks with trademark focus. But that morning, a small ripple of surprise caught his attention.

"What? Sonaya just released two games today?" Zaboru muttered to himself as he flipped through the latest gaming bulletins on his desk.

Typically, Sonaya had a pattern—they released their titles near the end of each month. That was their usual pattern. So, a mid-month release? That was unexpected.

He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping thoughtfully against his chin. "Ah... so that's their play. They're trying to drop their games ahead of our usual end-of-month launch window. Clever. Maybe they hope to grab attention before the ZAGE wave hits. Heh... nice try, Hikaru Kurata, but you forgot one thing: ZAGE's third-party devs are releasing games this week too."

A grin crept onto his face.

Without hesitation, he called Yumi into his office and asked her to send one of the employee to purchase the new Sonaya titles for the MGB. "I want both games on my desk by the end of the day," he said. "I'm curious." Then Zaboru added, "Also, give whoever goes to pick them up some lunch money as thanks." He chuckled. His employees always scrambled to run his errands because they knew Zaboru was famously generous with his tips. A small token of appreciation often sparked a fun little competition among the staff.

That evening, after a long day of reviewing November content and preparing arcade promotional materials, Zaboru transitioned into his second identity: Zaboru the gamer. His private living space inside the ZAGE offices while also his workshop had a comfortable couch, a warm cup of oolong tea, and two shiny new cartridges waiting for him.

"Time to see what Sonaya cooked up this time," he murmured, inserting the first cartridge labeled Dragon Ride! into the MGB.

The title screen glowed with vibrant reds and golds. The game featured a lone warrior standing atop the long, serpentine head of an eastern-style dragon as it soared through dramatic mountain peaks and stormy skies. Gameplay unfolded as a side-scrolling shooter, but the player could maneuver the dragon in all directions, dodge incoming obstacles, and fire elemental projectiles.

The art was solid. The music had a heroic flair. The controls? Responsive, though not particularly revolutionary.

Zaboru played through the first few levels, noting the difficulty curve and pacing.

"Heh. Not bad," he said out loud, jotting a few notes onto a nearby notepad. "It's got potential. A nice take on the dragon-riding genre. Could use more diversity in enemy types, though. And maybe some mid-stage objectives. Still, respectable effort."

He rated it mentally. 6.5 out of 10. Playable. Polished. But nothing that makes me drop my jaw.

Next up: Sun Knight II.

Zaboru inserted the cartridge and let the familiar title theme wash over him. He'd liked the original Sun Knight. It had been rough around the edges, but there was something charming about Sony, the protagonist knight imbued with sunlight power and since Sun Knight was a game originally conceptualized by his father when he still work at Sonaya, it held a sentimental place in Zaboru's heart. It wasn't just another title—it was part of a legacy.

From the moment the game started, Zaboru could tell Sonaya had stepped up their game.

The visuals were crisper. The animations flowed better. The sound effects and combat hits landed with real weight. Sony moved with refined agility, swinging his blade with flair as he leapt from platform to platform.

But what caught Zaboru's attention most was the new feature: the Sun Form.

After charging a meter through combat, players could activate Sun Form, transforming Sony into a blazing avatar of solar fury. In this form, attacks were doubled, speed increased, and he was invulnerable for a short burst.

But there was a twist.

Once the Sun Form ended, Sony was completely vulnerable—unable to attack or defend for a full three seconds.

"Risk and reward," Zaboru muttered, grinning. "Now that's a mechanic with bite."

He experimented with different timing, seeing where the transformation could swing a battle and where it became a liability. Boss fights were particularly intense with this feature.

After over an hours of play, Zaboru set the MGB down and nodded to himself.

"Well done, Sonaya. You refined your formula. This one... this one's fun. 8 out of 10, easily." novelbuddy.cσ๓

He stretched, rubbing his eyes. Then he chuckled.

"Hmm, maybe I should tell Father to try this game. He might get inspired to add something similar to Lunar Knight... Lunar Form to contrast the Sun Form. Could make for a poetic counterpart. Or maybe he'll come up with something better entirely."

The thought amused him.

There was something invigorating about this unspoken arms race between ZAGE and Sonaya. They competed, yes, but every move they made also pushed each other higher.

He picked up the Sun Knight II cartridge again and looked it over, admiration in his gaze.

"Keep it up, Sonaya. Make this IP big. The industry needs rivals that fight with their creativity, not just with market timing."

With that, Zaboru set the games aside, stood up, and walked over to his window. Below, Tokyo's neon glow shimmered in the late night haze. A world of stories, ideas, and players waiting.

And he had more work to do. But then he grinned to himself, "A couple of hours of gaming can't hurt, right?" The temptation was too strong. Zaboru, after all, wasn't just a developer—he was a gamer through and through. With a contented sigh, he sank back into his couch, fired up the MGB again, and replayed both Dragon Ride! and Sun Knight II until the city lights outside faded into early morning.

To be continued...

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