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Chapter 655 Rest of March.
🕑 Added 2025-09-19 02:42:51 +0000 UTCRest of March are doing well for ZAGE
Outside of video games, Zaboru took a moment to ask his father, Zanichi, for advice on how he had proposed to his mother. Zanichi simply chuckled and said that he didn’t overthink it—he just proposed to her quickly, with all his heart. Zaboru smiled, taking the message to heart. He made a quiet promise to himself that when the time came, he would propose to his girlfriend Ayumi the same way—with sincerity and confidence.
Next, preparations for the Big 3 anime were going smoothly. All three shows were finalized and scheduled to premiere in early April. They would be airing on YaDo Subscription TV in Japan, and also on Nickelodeon Subscription TV in the United States, marking a significant international rollout for ZAGE’s anime division.
This month, ZAGE released three new titles: GEX for PC, Dragon Quest IV for ZEPS 2, and Soulcalibur for arcades. Each game represented a different genre and target audience, offering a strong variety in the March lineup and drawing excitement across the board.
First, for GEX on PC, the game’s cover art immediately caught people’s attention. It featured the cheeky green lizard striking a smug pose, dripping with attitude. The bold and humorous design sparked curiosity and buzz even before launch. The game was developed by ZAGE USA, and from the start, it set itself apart with a unique personality and visual flair that made players want to know more.
Players loved it. One of the first things that stood out was the game’s graphics and sound—they were sharp, vibrant, and full of life, with smoother animation than many other titles at the time. But perhaps the biggest reason for its appeal was the character himself. Gex wasn’t just another generic, silent mascot. He constantly talked—cracking jokes, dropping pop culture and game references, and frequently breaking the fourth wall.
Gex never shut up, and that gave him a distinct personality that set him apart from other ZAGE mascots. While some found it overwhelming, many players found it hilarious and refreshing. On PC, where higher-quality voice lines and sound playback were possible compared to cartridges, Gex’s personality came through even stronger, giving the character more presence and charm. It was this unique voice and tone that made GEX stand out in a crowded market of platformers.
Players also enjoyed the theme of Media Dimension—each level represented a different type of television channel or genre: horror movies, cartoons, kung-fu shows, sci-fi, and so on. This gave the stages variety and a playful sense of parody. The player never knew what kind of setting Player’d jump into next, which kept the game from feeling repetitive.
The platforming mechanics themselves were solid and had a unique twist thanks to Gex’s gecko abilities. He could climb walls, stick to certain surfaces, and tail-whip enemies. This added verticality and gave levels a different flow compared to the typical run-and-jump platformers of the time. Combined with hidden areas and collectibles, it gave completion-minded players reasons to explore.
In short, players enjoyed the GEX PC games because they brought together reliable, slightly quirky platforming with a wisecracking mascot, a heavy dose of pop-culture parodies, and a clever gecko-themed gameplay hook. The humor leaned into cheeky, irreverent territory, giving the game a tone that felt different—more self-aware and a little more "adult" than typical mascot platformers. The combination of snappy one-liners, creative level themes, and gecko-based mechanics made it stand out as both playful and distinctively bold.
The next game is Dragon Quest 4 which is based on Dragon Quest 6 from Zaboru's previous life.
Dragon Quest has always held a special place in the hearts of JRPG fans and ZAGE loyalists alike. As the first-ever JRPG developed by ZAGE—and widely regarded as the first JRPG in the world—it carries immense historical significance. Players have embraced the series not just for its legacy, but for its consistent quality and charm. Dragon Quest IV in particular stood out as an exceptionally well-crafted game, further strengthening the series' reputation. Developed by ZAGE Osaka, it delivered everything fans loved about the franchise while introducing new ideas that elevated the experience even more.
One of the biggest reasons was the dual-world concept. Early in the game players discover that there are two overlapping realms—the Real World and the Dream World—and players travel between them to progress the story. This mechanic created a sense of mystery and discovery. Locations and characters often had counterparts or different states in the two worlds, so players loved piecing together how events in one realm affected the other. It felt like solving a giant puzzle spread across a massive, interconnected map.
Players also appreciated the story’s tone. While still rooted in the lighthearted style Dragon Quest is known for, 4’s plot introduced deeper themes of identity and memory. The hero and his companions literally have to recover their lost memories and powers, which ties into the game’s central theme of discovering who players really are.
Another major draw was the class (job) system, which returned from Dragon Quest 3 but with more depth. After reaching a certain point in the story, characters could train in dozens of vocations—from basic ones like Warrior or Mage to hybrids and advanced classes. Mastering jobs unlocked powerful new skills, and combining certain jobs led to hidden, more powerful vocations. Players loved experimenting with combinations to create unique party builds and strategies.
The game’s graphics and music also stood out. For a 16-bit RPG, it was beautiful, with richly detailed towns, colorful monster sprites, and parallax-scrolling overworlds that made the two realms feel alive. The game soundtrack added grandeur and warmth to each location, making exploration even more memorable.
Finally, Dragon Quest VI offered a huge amount of content. Beyond the main quest there were monster battles, mini-games, a casino, optional dungeons, and secret bosses. This density of side activities gave players reasons to keep playing long after the main story, and it made the world feel full and alive.
The final game released this month was another fighting title: Soulcalibur for arcades. As a fresh addition to ZAGE’s already strong lineup of fighting games, Soulcalibur introduced new mechanics and a bold visual style that immediately set it apart. It wasn’t just another 3D brawler—it felt like the beginning of a new era in arcade combat. ZAGE already has many fighting games but there's always another spot for newest fighting games and Soulcalibur is a fresh take from 3d Arcades fighting games.
First of All Soulcalibur offered ZAGE introduced the “8-way run,” letting you hold the joystick to freely step or run in any direction around the arena. This made dodging and spacing feel natural—far more fluid than the sidesteps of ZAGE Tekken or other 3d fighting games at the time.
Next, Soulcalibur delivered an amazing performance for a 3D arcade game. Its visuals were striking—featuring high-polygon character models, richly detailed backgrounds with dynamic elements, and buttery-smooth animation running at 60 frames per second. Combined with full motion-captured weapon movements, the game felt more like a cinematic duel than a standard arcade fighter.
Although motion capture was still a relatively new development in gaming, ZAGE had been experimenting with it for quite some time. Their in-house motion capture studio, ZEN Tech, had already been refining this technology, and Soulcalibur became one of its first major showcases. The results were impressive: character animations felt fluid and lifelike, and every weapon swing carried believable weight and momentum.
The game also utilized the proprietary ZAGE Unreal Engine, The overall result was a technical achievement that not only impressed fans but also raised the bar for what arcade visuals could look like in 1996.
Next came the core mechanic known as “True-Based Combat.” Soulcalibur built its entire system around distinct weapon styles, giving each character a unique rhythm and playstyle. Reach, speed, and combo potential were directly tied to the type of weapon used—be it rapier, halberd, twin blades, or others—resulting in a dynamic that felt very different from bare-handed 3D fighters.
One of the standout features was the introduction of the “Guard Impact” system. Unlike traditional blocking, Guard Impact allowed players to perform high and low repels, as well as parries, to actively counter incoming attacks. This wasn’t just a defensive tool—it created a sense of timing and mind games, where precision mattered as much as aggression. Every successful deflection felt like a cinematic weapon clash, adding drama and intensity to each match. The mechanic gave battles a thrilling back-and-forth momentum that pushed players to master both offense and defense in equal measure.
And the Soulcalibur roster are really great first Soulcalibur introduce the original character from the game
Astaroth – a massive golem-like warrior wielding a giant axe.
Cervantes – undead pirate fighting with a sword and a pistol-sword.
Edge Master – the mimic fighter who cycles through other characters’ weapon styles.
Ivy (Isabella Valentine) – whip-sword specialist from England.
Kilik – staff-wielding monk trained in Ling-Sheng Su style.
Maxi – nunchaku master inspired by Bruce Lee’s style.
Mitsurugi (Heishiro Mitsurugi) – wandering samurai with a katana.
Nightmare – demonic knight with the cursed Soul Edge.
Siegfried – the “human” knight counterpart to Nightmare, fighting with a zweihänder.
Sophitia – Greek holy warrior with sword and shield.
Taki – ninja wielding dual ninjatō.
Voldo – bizarre, contortionist guardian of Vercci’s treasure, fighting with dual katars.
Xianghua (Chai Xianghua) – graceful Chinese fencer with a Chinese sword.
Aside from the core roster, Soulcalibur also featured several exciting guest characters. First was Yoshimitsu from ZAGE’s Tekken series, bringing his signature unorthodox style and spinning attacks to the weapon-based arena. Next was Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden, armed with his iconic Dragon Sword and lightning-fast ninja techniques. Rounding out the guest lineup was Kenshin Himura from ZAGE’s Rurouni Kenshin game, whose swift, reverse-blade swordsmanship added a unique flair to the combat. These guest appearances not only thrilled fans of the respective franchises but also gave Soulcalibur extra appeal across different gaming communities.
Overall, the Soulcalibur game is a really good fighting game and fighting game enthusiasts really loved it.
Next on the agenda for the Tokyo Team, they were currently hard at work developing Beyond Oasis, aiming to meet the April release deadline. The team was making steady progress, with both gameplay systems and visual assets coming together cohesively. In addition, Zaboru had officially assigned them their next major project—Super Mario RPG, slated for release in May. The goal was to blend classic RPG mechanics with Mario’s world in a way that felt fresh, accessible, and unforgettable.
The Osaka Team is currently focused on developing Hamtaro: Hams Hams United for the ZGB, targeting an April release. Alongside this, Zaboru has assigned them an additional project—a new JRPG spin-off of the Dragon Quest series titled Dragon Quest Monsters for ZGB This new title aims to blend traditional RPG mechanics with creature-collection elements, offering a fresh experience within the familiar Dragon Quest universe.
As for ZAGE USA, they are currently focused on developing Command and Conquer: Red Alert for an April release, as well as Elder Scrolls III: Daggerfall. Zaboru has chosen to let the U.S. team concentrate solely on these two projects for now—they haven’t been assigned any new tasks, at least not yet.
Aside from their game development responsibilities, progress on the ZEPS 3 console is also moving forward steadily. While there’s still a lot to be done, the current trajectory looks solid, with hardware testing and internal demos running smoothly.
And thats overall what happen in ZAGE in March 1996
To be continue
