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Chapter 694 Burger Blaster 3000 and Zaboru Contemplating.
🕑 Added 2025-10-07 01:55:54 +0000 UTCMonday 4 October 1996 Night
While the Japanese government was busy discussing ZAGE, Zaboru himself was still in his office in Japan, having just returned from enjoying his favorite gyoza. Now, with a full stomach and a clear mind, he was ready to unwind with a video game.
He wanted to play the newest game on the Titan Drive console—Sonaya’s flagship 16-bit system. The game was developed by Chu Soft, one of the third-party studios Sonaya had acquired. What piqued Zaboru’s interest wasn’t just the developer’s pedigree, but a lively thread on the ZAGE forums where players were buzzing with excitement about the title.
“Heh, I wonder what this game is all about. The cover looks interesting, though,” Zaboru said with a small smile as he examined the box. It featured a man in a fast-food uniform wearing a jetpack, locked in battle against a grotesque, grinning burger monster. The absurdity of it immediately caught his attention.
Zaboru inserted the cartridge, powered on the console, and quickly pressed start. Almost instantly, a 16-bit cutscene unfolded on the screen, full of pixelated charm.
In the year 3000, a secret government experiment to make “self-preparing meals” went horribly wrong. The food revolted! Burgers, fries, shakes, and pizzas fused with experimental nanobots, forming an unstoppable army of mutant cuisine. Humanity’s only hope? Randy Greasefire, a lowly fry cook turned action hero, armed with his trusty jetpack and the legendary Burger Blaster 3000—a ketchup-fueled weapon of mass condiment.
Zaboru grinned, visibly excited, as he dove into the game. The gameplay turned out to be a side-scrolling shooter-platformer, reminiscent of ZAGE's Earthworm Jim, but with a dash of ZAGE Contra-style intensity. The controls felt tight, the action was fast-paced, and the level design was surprisingly clever. Each stage introduced new mechanics and quirky enemies that kept things fresh. Overall, the gameplay was solid, polished, and deeply entertaining. Zaboru found himself fully immersed, and after some focused play, he finally reached the game’s first boss, feeling both accomplished and impressed.
“Hahah! No way!” Zaboru burst out laughing. The boss was none other than Sir Shakes-a-Lot—a towering, 10-foot-tall milkshake with writhing straw tentacles and brain-freeze laser beams. The absurdity didn’t stop there. Sir Shakes-a-Lot fired streams of milk like projectiles and even buffed himself mid-fight by drinking his own shake, a move so ridiculous it was hilarious.
Zaboru kept playing, fully immersed and entertained. The boss fight was challenging but never unfair, filled with chaotic attack patterns and comedic animations. After two solid hours of gameplay, Zaboru finally paused, deciding to rest and return later. He leaned back in his chair, still grinning, knowing he had more fun ahead—but for now, it was time to get some work done.
“Such a good and unique premise. I loved it—solid 8.5 from me,” Zaboru said with a grin. But then, he remembered his father's advice.
“I think I need to change,” Zaboru muttered. “I know there are some benefits to being honest about liking competitor games or praising them, but my dad was right. Now that I’m the owner of ZAGE, I can’t afford to ruin my image.”
Zaboru sighed. He knew that from a corporate standpoint, what he did might be seen as inappropriate or even disloyal. Still, he couldn’t help it—when a game was good, he wanted to praise it, regardless of whether it came from a rival company. But being in his position meant making hard choices, and not everything he enjoyed could be acknowledged publicly.
“Well, this is a Titan Drive exclusive, so if a reporter comes to me for a review of this game, I can just say ‘no comment,’” Zaboru said with a nod. Fortunately, the video game review world still felt trustworthy—Famitsu magazine from ZEMITSU continued to review games with honesty and integrity. Unlike IGN in Zaboru’s previous life, which often felt compromised or biased, Famitsu maintained a reputation for fair and thoughtful critiques. So if a game was genuinely good, Zaboru believed it would earn the recognition it deserved without his input.
Not only that—while ZAGE POWER Magazine already provides walkthroughs and interesting facts for ZAGE titles, Famitsu offers similar coverage for games beyond ZAGE’s catalog. Zaboru enjoys reading their magazine as well. The main point is, the video game review world still feels like it's in good hands.
“Maybe in the future, if they stop being honest, I’ll start reviewing games myself,” Zaboru chuckled. Then he grinned and leaned back in his chair, thoughts racing. “They really have no idea what I’m capable of. I’ve got hundreds of game ideas swirling in my head—mechanics, pacing, level design, even monetization strategies. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. I’ve studied the rise and fall of trends, the pitfalls of overhype, and the triumphs of innovation. I know how player psychology works. I know how nostalgia can be weaponized and how frustration can be carefully balanced to feel like challenge, not punishment.”
He tapped the side of his head lightly. “In my past life, I lived and breathed this stuff—not just as a fan, but as a quiet observer. Sure, the rules here are slightly different. The culture, the tech, even the market behavior isn’t exactly the same. But the core? The core is still human engagement. Entertainment. Escape. And that’s something I understand deeply.”
Zaboru’s grin widened. “If it ever comes down to it, I won’t just follow the industry—I’ll shape it. Guide it heh that might be just too heavy.” Zaboru chuckle
Then a thought crossed his mind. “Damn, being a company chairman is really tough, huh? All that experience I had as a lifelong employee in my past life... does it even matter now?”
He shook his head, then smiled. “No, it matters. That experience taught me what regular employees go through, and because of that, I can treat my team properly.”
Zaboru leaned back and thought about his old self—the version of him that died at 50 years old in his previous life. Back then, he had always been just an employee, weighed down by heavy depression. In his late 20s, things had taken a darker turn when both of his parents passed away. Though he kept going, it was barely enough to get by. He didn’t care much about doing anything meaningful for himself. As long as he was alive, could play video games, and didn’t burden his sister, he considered that enough.
Despite hating himself and living under a cloud of depression, there had always been one constant light—his sister, Sanika. Even after she got married and started her own family, she never forgot about him. She checked in once a week without fail, making sure he was okay. Zaboru had always loved her for that. Maybe the biggest reason he never took his own life was because he knew Sanika would be heartbroken if he did.
“I wonder how she felt when I died in my previous world,” Zaboru murmured with a bitter smile. “Hope she’s doing fine.” His expression softened into sadness as he stared at his hand. “Am I still myself now?”
He flexed his fingers slowly. “I know it—I can feel it. The soul of the original Zaboru from this world has fused with mine. But does that mean I’m still the Zaboru Renkonan who died at 50... or am I someone entirely new?”
Zaboru had noticed subtle shifts in how he thought, how he felt. His mindset wasn’t exactly the same as it had been in his old life. There was a fresh uncertainty, a youthful curiosity he didn’t recognize as his own. It was as if the original 17-year-old Zaboru—the one whose soul had joined with his—still lived on in fragments. And strangely enough, it didn’t feel unnatural. It felt like a quiet coexistence inside him, reshaping who he was becoming.
Not to mention the many abilities he had—Zaboru often wondered where they came from and what triggered their emergence. So far, he hasn't acquired any new powers since the last one, Emulate Mind. Still, he had a feeling these abilities were somehow tied to ZAGE and his personal accomplishments. The connection wasn’t clear yet, but deep down, he suspected that every milestone he reached might unlock something dormant within him.
Zaboru then smacked his face. “Thinking like that won’t solve anything. I'm Myself now and Anyway, I can’t promote a rival game again. Let the reviewers do their job. But I can still enjoy it if I want to—hehehe.”
Zaboru smiled and restarted Burger Blaster 3000 although he isn't sure if he kept this promise or not..
To be continued
AN :As you can see, I’ve made Zaboru an overall bad businessman because he genuinely enjoys games. The people around him, who are good at business, often frown upon his actions, but that’s exactly what I want Zaboru to be — in the end, he’s just a gamer who was lucky enough to be reincarnated. He’s not perfect, but he’s Zaboru.
Comments
Rycork
In reality, the fact that he says it without comment can do more damage. Since he has a reputation for being honest, if he answers that, it will raise questions among the public. Intrigued, they will investigate and discover the story of the spy journalist (we don't realize the crazy things that happen to discover things on the internet), which will create a bad buzz for his "uncle's" company.
