It had been one full week since Winning Eleven 98 released to the public, and it had already taken the world by storm in a way even ZAGE did not fully expect. The hype did not slow down after launch day, it only grew louder. Word of mouth spread from football clubs to schools, from office break rooms to small electronic shops, and the effect was immediate. ZEPS 3 console sales surged so hard that some stores ran out of stock, not because of hardcore gamers, but because of football fans who normally never cared about video games. A huge number of people bought ZEPS 3 for one reason only, they wanted that football game.
When Sonaya released SFG, football fans across the world were interested too, but many still hesitated to buy it. The reason was simple. SFG looked good by normal 32-bit standards, but it could not compete with what people were seeing in Winning Eleven 98. ZAGE's presentation felt like a new era. The animations were smoother, the player movement felt more natural, and the overall match flow looked closer to real football rather than stiff arcade motion. The biggest difference was motion capture. Winning Eleven 98 used mocap extremely well, making tackles, dribbles, turns, and shots look convincing in a way that felt unreal for 1998. In Zaboru's previous life, this kind of fluidity was something people associated with later generations of football games in PS2 era. Here, even if the visuals were still slightly behind that future standard, it was already far beyond what anyone expected for this world. That gap in animation quality alone was enough to push many football fans from curiosity into action, they stopped waiting and started buying.
The player movement with the ball, shot variety, dribbling styles, and skill moves were all far more advanced compared to SFG. Winning Eleven 98 genuinely elevated the football experience, making every match feel dynamic and responsive rather than scripted. Players could feel subtle differences in how athletes carried the ball, how they positioned their bodies before shooting, and how momentum affected movement. Even small actions like first touches and quick turns added to the realism, giving matches a natural flow that SFG struggled to replicate.
What impressed many players just as much was the attention given to player faces. Even though the game was still firmly within the early 3D era, ZAGE made sure that Winning Eleven 98 featured distinct facial structures for each footballer. Players no longer looked like simple palette swaps. Jawlines, hairstyles, and facial proportions differed noticeably, allowing fans to recognize their favorite stars at a glance. While the models were not yet photorealistic, they carried just enough resemblance to real football icons to make each player feel unique and authentic, further strengthening the illusion of watching real-world football come alive on screen.
The Edit feature was also insanely deep, far beyond what most players ever expected. Players were genuinely shocked that they could create their own teams from scratch, complete with fully customizable first and second uniforms, team colors, emblems, and even banners that would appear during matches. It wasn't just a surface-level option either, every detail mattered, making players feel like real club owners rather than simple spectators.
Player editing itself was equally advanced. Users could base their created players on existing football stars already available in Winning Eleven 98, using their facial structures as a foundation. From there, they could freely adjust hairstyles, facial features, body types, and accessories. Even boots were customizable, with different designs, colors, and performance traits, and some players went as far as creating entirely custom boots just to match their player's identity. All of these options combined made the edit mode feel creative, powerful, and incredibly satisfying, turning team building into a game within the game.
The features of Master League and BAL quickly became hot topics, exactly as people expected. Master League offered the full managing experience, handling a club from top to bottom, buying and selling players, negotiating salaries, and building chemistry inside the squad. It was not just about winning matches, it felt like running a real team. Players could see morale changes, rivalry tension, and even small relationship details, like who respected the captain and who complained when they stayed on the bench too long.
The biggest surprise was the role system, because it gave players impact off the pitch, not just during gameplay. For example, veterans who stayed in the club long enough could gain the "Veteran" role, boosting young player training results and helping the team stay stable after a loss. A popular star could gain the "Star" role, generating more revenue whenever he played, boosting ticket sales, and drawing attention from sponsors. At the same time, the Star role came with pressure. That player's ability could rise faster when he performed well, but also drop faster when he played badly. And when he keeps performing at a high level, he might demand a higher salary, request a better contract, or even ask to be traded to a bigger club.
What made it addictive was that each role could evolve. "Veteran" could grow into "Team Leader" when the player became the heart of the locker room. "Star" could evolve into "Super Star" if the player kept meeting the performance threshold consistently. But the system could also be cruel, because a Star player who failed to reach the threshold over time could fall into "Wasted Potential," turning into a warning story inside your own save file. It felt like a real football drama.
This dynamic was so good that the ZAGE forums were flooded with threads and debates. People argued about which players were best for role development, which clubs were the easiest for turning rookies into future Team Leaders, and which star had the highest chance to evolve into a Super Star without becoming Wasted Potential. Some players even posted full guides and spreadsheets, comparing training routes, transfer strategies, and which roles created the most satisfying role playing story in Master League.
Then there was BECOME a Legend, a mode where you control only one player character for the entire match. The player creates their own BAL character and begins at just 17 years old as a talented youngster with big dreams. Right from the start, the mode forces meaningful decisions. You can try to sign with a big club early, but there is a high chance you will sit on the bench and barely get minutes. Or you can join a slightly weaker club where the chance of being played is much higher, allowing you to grow faster through real match experience. It becomes less about instant glory and more about the journey.
As the seasons pass, the BAL player develops through training focus and performance. Players can decide what to prioritize, speed, stamina, shooting, passing, dribbling, tackling, positioning, and even discipline. They can learn new abilities and skill moves over time, shaping their character into a specific type of footballer, like a fast winger, a clinical striker, a playmaking midfielder, or a rock solid defender. The growth feels earned because it comes from choices, consistency, and how well you actually play during matches.
The mode also creates a real sense of progression because your career is always moving forward. A strong performance can earn you a starting position, a better contract, or offers from bigger clubs. A bad streak can lead to being dropped, loaned out, or forced to fight your way back into the lineup. Even small moments matter, like proving yourself in a cup match or scoring a late winner that changes how the manager trusts you. By the time you finally reach a top club, it feels like you truly climbed there instead of being handed the spotlight.
Because of that, this feature became deeply loved within both the gaming and football community. It was not just a mode, it was a personal story generator. Players shared their careers like real journeys, posting highlights, debating the best starting clubs, and comparing what kind of BAL build creates the most satisfying rise from unknown rookie to legend.
Aside from all of that, the game is packed with unique easter eggs and funny surprises that players keep discovering. There is also an in game currency that you earn simply by playing, whether you are doing quick matches, grinding Master League seasons, or building your career in BAL. The better you perform and the more you play, the more currency you collect, and players quickly realized it is not just a gimmick. That currency can be used to purchase unlockable items, secret options, and even special teams that completely change the mood of the game.
One of the most talked about features is Fantasy Mode, where you can unlock ridiculous teams that do not belong in a normal football match at all, and that is exactly why people love it. There is a "Dinosaur Team" where the players are cavemen riding velociraptors, charging across the pitch like it is a prehistoric battlefield. There is also a "Robot Team" where you play as humanoid robots with stiff but powerful movements, with metallic sound effects every time they run or tackle. And of course, there is a ZAGE Team, an all star crossover squad filled with ZAGE characters like Mario, Sonic, Sponge Bob, Kirby, and more. Seeing these characters take the field with serious football commentary in the background is so stupid in the best way, it makes everyone laugh even if they are hardcore football fans.
Then there is the Zabo man Team, a full squad of Zabo man only, all wearing the black coat and black helmet with the silver Z on the forehead. It looks ridiculous and intimidating at the same time, like some secret organization decided to play football. Players in the forums loved making stories around it, calling it the most cursed team and also the coolest team.
On top of unlockable teams, the currency can also buy goofy match modifiers, like double speed mode for pure chaos, or big head mode that turns every player into a cartoon and makes headers look hilarious. Some players even treat these options as a reward after serious matches, using them when they are bored of normal football and just want to laugh. These little extras made the game feel alive, like ZAGE wanted players to have fun in every possible way, not just chase trophies.
Aside from all of that, the soundtrack was completely insane. Zaboru made sure the music in this game was top notch, because he and Zankoku, as Z&Z, re-recorded songs he remembered from his previous life and adapted them specifically for Winning Eleven 98. The tracklist hit hard with powerful anthems like Numb, In the End, Breaking the Habit, Give Up, and Somewhere I Belong. On top of that, there were other unforgettable songs like Like a Stone, plus heavier stadium energy tracks such as Starlight and Uprising. The selection alone made the game feel bigger than a normal sports title, it felt like a full entertainment package.
Because of that, people kept praising the music everywhere. Fans talked about it like an album, not just a game soundtrack. Some players bought the game and immediately left it on the main menu just to listen. Others recorded the songs onto cassette tapes to replay them again later.
The sales were completely insane. A lot of people who had never been interested in gaming before, and who were simply football fans, still wanted to try this game. So they went out and bought a ZEPS 3 console just for Winning Eleven 98, then bought the game right away. Many of them were shocked that a football game could feel this smooth and this exciting, and once they experienced the gameplay for themselves, they were genuinely satisfied. Some even started recommending it to friends who also never played games, saying things like, "Just try this one, it feels like real football."
That wave of new buyers pushed ZEPS 3 total sales up by a huge margin in only a week. Stores started reporting shortages again, and not because of hardcore gamers, but because ordinary football lovers were picking up consoles as if they were buying a new TV channel subscription. ZAGE was surprised by how wide the audience became, but it was the kind of surprise they welcomed. It proved that sports games could reach beyond the usual gaming crowd, and that ZEPS 3 could become a household entertainment device instead of only a gamer's machine.
And with this momentum, ZAGE was clearly showing the entire industry that they were ready to dominate the sports genre in the video game world. It was not just one successful release, it was a statement.
To be continue
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 35+ advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon.com/Zaborn_1997
Or buymecoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/Zaborn_1997 which same with patreon
current Patreon/buymecoffe chap 917
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc