Monday 1 July 1998 ZAGE Tower Japan.
Last May, both NVIDIA and AMD—Jeseen Huang and Jerry Sanders—had asked for more time to finish their custom work for the ZAGE Game Boy Advance. The CPU and GPU, both planned under the Z-Advance series name, weren't something they wanted to rush, and the deadline they requested was clear: one to two more months so they could finalize everything properly. Now, after roughly a month and a half of nonstop design checks, late-night revisions, and back-and-forth coordination, both projects are finally ready. The chips have already begun arriving at ZAGE Tower, fresh from TSMC's manufacturing lines, packed like treasure and treated like fragile miracles—because this isn't just "parts." It's the heart and brain of ZAGE's next handheld future.
And a couple of days ago, Zaboru had already brought sample documents and early reference boards for those CPU and GPU designs to his dad—ZAGE's CTO, Zanichi Renkonan. Zanichi wasn't just the CTO either; he was also the head of the R&D Hardware Department, the person everyone went quiet around whenever "impossible" problems showed up. Hardware was his territory, and he was frighteningly good at it.
Zaboru still remembered the early days of ZEPS‑3 development. Back then, he had been nervous—really nervous—because all he had was a bold idea, a blueprint, and a stubborn belief that it could work. ZEPS‑3 was a completely different kind of console from anything he had ever touched in his previous life. Even the basic balance between CPU, GPU, memory bandwidth, and heat output felt like walking on a rope above a cliff. He worried that one wrong assumption would turn the whole project into an expensive, humiliating disaster.
But somehow, his father understood what Zaboru was trying to achieve almost instantly. Zanichi didn't just say "this won't work" or "this is risky." Instead, he calmly started adjusting everything—fine-tuning the specs, rebalancing performance targets, correcting weak points, and rewriting the hardware roadmap in a way that still respected Zaboru's vision. It wasn't like he was taking over; it was like he was translating Zaboru's dream into something real, something that could survive factories, heat tests, production schedules, and real-world usage.
And that was how ZEPS‑3 became what it was now: the pinnacle console of this world in 1998—something people talked about like it was a miracle machine, something competitors feared, and something ZAGE engineers treated like a legend they were lucky to build.
And what Zaboru didn't know was that his dad actually had "cheat" abilities too—just like him. Zanichi could literally talk to machines, not in some metaphorical way, but for real: he could place his hand near a board, listen to the hum like it was a voice, then ask questions in his head… and the machine would answer back in clear, practical details. It's why he was so frighteningly good at hardware, why he could look at a design and immediately know what would fail, what would overheat, what would bottleneck, and what tiny change would suddenly make everything stable.
At first, Zanichi didn't want to use this ability anymore. Every time he did, it dragged him back to memories he hated—his ugly past, his shitty family, the Zagashira who exiled him and treated him like he was a defect.
But for his son's dream, Zanichi chose to swallow that pain. He told himself that if using this power meant Zaboru could build a future without being chained by anyone, then the sacrifice was worth it. And deep down, Zanichi had already made the decision long ago: he would do anything—anything at all—to help his son succeed.
So this time, Zaboru felt much more relaxed. Even after handing over his ZAGE Game Boy Advance blueprints, he wasn't biting his nails like before. He knew his dad would study everything, tear apart the weak spots, and strengthen the design until it stood on its own. Zaboru wasn't just hoping anymore—he was confident, because if Zanichi approved the foundation, then the ZGBA was just possible. It was inevitable.
Zanichi also has a unique stand at ZAGE as aside he is CTO he also had his own team that he picked by himself mostly are his friends from when he worked at Sonaya or before that or just talent that catches his eye. People inside ZAGE even call them "Zanichi's personal workshop," because they don't follow the usual office flow. They move like a small elite unit—quiet, fast, and brutally efficient. Most of his team are work on R&D Hardware department, and they support him in many ways: some specialize in power management, some are memory and bus experts, some handle board layout and signal integrity, and a few are the type that can stare at thermal numbers for hours until they find the exact bottleneck nobody else noticed. But this team aren't big, just around 11 people, and that's exactly why they are dangerous—because every single member is handpicked and trusted.
And it wasn't just hardware—his team often helped with game development, too. The recent Lunar Knights 2, for example, was created with Zanichi and his workshop involved, alongside support from other ZAGE engineers and developers.
Now it's already the first day of July 1998 and the mood at ZAGE Tower feels different—like a new era is about to start. Zaboru has plans to present the ZAGE Gameboy advance blue print to his ZAGE engineer so the development can officially begin. The batteries, CPU and GPU are already ready, which means there is no more "someday." It's now. So Zaboru asked all Japanese team leaders from team NOVA, IZAN and NIWA to come to big meetings alongside the R&D Hardware Team. This isn't just a hardware briefing; it's a full-project kickoff.
Some people might wonder why the game development team is included this early, when the ZGBA is not even in the prototype phase yet. But Zaboru knows better. Hardware without software is just a fancy brick, and a handheld lives or dies by its launch lineup and by how early the developers understand the limits, the screen, the buttons, the battery drain, and the feel of the machine. Those teams will make the release games for the device in future, and the earlier they start thinking in "ZGBA logic," the smoother everything will be.
So for now, what he wants to say to his developers is simple but heavy: prepare yourselves. Start planning game ideas that fit the ZGBA, start building tools, and start imagining what kind of experience only this handheld can deliver. And at the same time, Zaboru will also give them the release date—because once a date is spoken in front of everyone, it becomes a promise, and ZAGE is not the kind of company that breaks promises.
But before the meetings, Zaboru went to his father's offices first. The door was half-open, and inside Zanichi was still busy tinkering with the CPU and GPU samples—wires, test boards, heat pads, tiny tools, and a notebook full of messy calculations spread like a battlefield on the desk. The room smelled faintly like warm metal and solder, the kind of smell that always meant "real work" was happening.
Zaboru didn't want to disturb him too much, but he couldn't hold it in, so he still asked, "So Dad… how the progress of the CPU and GPU of Z-Advance? Are you already exploring them?"
Zanichi chuckle, then nod without even looking up at first, like the answer was already obvious. "Well, they are proper. Great CPU honestly—almost overkill for handheld. But i know what handheld you want to make." He finally looked up, eyes calm, like he had already walked through every problem in his head. "So here's the thing. I already figuring out how to integrate the both CPU and GPU with this Miyagi 1200mAH batteries. Not just connect them—i mean balance them. Power draw, heat, stable clocks, sleep mode, wake-up timing, memory access… all the annoying parts people forget."
He tapped the board lightly. "For now we still need to check if it's working or not. Real test. Not only theory. If it passes, then we can start the prototype phase without fear."
Zaboru's eyes widnend, his voice almost cracked with surprise. "You… already figuring it out?"
Zanichi chuckled again, this time a little proud. "Well, you have already been preparing this project for a long time, boss. Back then it lacked GPU, CPU and proper batteries, yeah. But I already had a gist of it." He leaned back slightly, like he was remembering all those nights. "So I tried experimenting on my own just based on your vision. I make some assumptions, I run some stress math, I imagine the worst-case scenario. I even plan the board layout paths in my head. If we do it carefully, this thing won't just 'run.' It will run clean." What actually happened, though, was that Zanichi simply asked the machine—and the problem was solved. Zaboru had no idea.
Zaboru was flabbergasted and grinned so wide it almost hurt. His dad is super genius when related to hardware and machine stuff—like the kind of genius that makes difficult things feel simple. And Zaboru felt that familiar relief again: the feeling of not being alone.
So Zaboru asked, more seriously now, "So dad can… can we release this at the end 1999?"
Zanichi smile and nod slowly. "Honestly, i'm sure we can do that. But that depends though." He raised one finger. "Hardware is one side. But the release games… will they be ready for end 1999? A handheld launch without strong games is just a nice toy nobody buy twice."
Zaboru grinned, confident like a commander. "Don't worry about the release games. I'll oversee them myself and help the teams directly." He leaned forward a little, voice steady, like he was already laying out a battle plan. "I'll push tools, guide detailed gameplay, and make sure they understand the ZGBA's limits and advantages—battery drain, memory budget, loading tricks, input feel, screen readability, all of it. I don't want them guessing. I want them designing with confidence."
Zaboru's grin widened, and for a moment he looked less like a businessman and more like a kid who couldn't wait to show his new toy to the world. "And Dad… I already know what games we should make for the ZGBA release." He lifted a finger, counting in his head.
Zanichi nodded, satisfied. When it came to making games, nobody was better than his son, and he knew it. "Then it's fine. If it's that way, the end of 1999 is ideal." His eyes flicked toward the calendar pinned on the wall, and he tapped the month with a calm certainty that felt almost prophetic. "If we lock the prototype by spring, spend summer polishing, and use autumn for mass production and software stability, we can hit December without choking the factory or the teams."
He pointed again, this time more firmly, like he was marking the exact spot where history would change. "You can showcase this at the ZAGE event in December 1999 for maximum impact. Big stage, big crowd, and you drop it like a bomb—hardware reveal, live gameplay, and then you end with the price and the date. If you do it right, people won't just be excited. They'll feel like they're witnessing the start of something new."
Zaboru grinned and nodded hard. "I will, Dad." Then he exhaled, like his chest finally had space again. "Anyway dad, let's go to the meeting room! They are all waiting."
Zanichi nodded, carefully put the sample board back in its case like it was sacred, and with Zaboru he went to meeting rooms where his developer and engineer were already waiting—about to hear the future drop right in front of them.
To be continued.
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