Zaboru walked to his desk, where the ZGBA unit was waiting alongside the stack of launch titles. Twenty-one games, all prepared for release, all made by ZAGE's three core development teams. He stared at them for a moment with proud eyes, not because the boxes looked pretty, but because he could almost feel the months of sleepless nights and constant revisions packed into that neat lineup.
"Hehehe… our ZAGE team is really something else," he murmured.
Team NOVA, IZAN, and NIWA had delivered twenty-one games in a little over a year, and that pace was still crazy even by ZAGE standards. It wasn't only the number, either. The lineup wasn't just the same genre repeated with different skins. There were RPGs, action, platformers, strategy, racing, rhythm, and weird experimental titles that existed only because someone in ZAGE had the confidence to make them. Zaboru could already imagine different types of players finding something that fit them, from kids buying their first handheld game to older fans who wanted deeper systems and longer stories.
He picked up one of the boxes, turned it in his hand, then set it back down carefully. A launch lineup like this wasn't just content. It was a message. The ZGBA wasn't arriving alone. It arrived with a library.
Because of this, Zaboru was already preparing the wider release calendar around the ZGBA launch. He didn't want the handheld to be drowned out by ZAGE's usual flood of titles, and he also didn't want fans to feel like they had to choose between the new device and the company's normal releases.
So he made a clean decision: every other ZAGE release outside of the ZGBA wave would be pushed to March. Even games that were originally planned for February would move to March instead, giving the launch lineup room to breathe. The idea was simple. Let January and February belong to the ZGBA. Let players actually spend time with the new handheld, finish a few games, and recover their finances after the expensive end-of-year rush.
There was only one exception. ZAGE Team Dynasty in Korea would stay on its own schedule, because their project was moving toward a subscription-based online game model, meaning it didn't rely on the same retail timing pressure. It could build momentum gradually through updates and seasons, and it wouldn't steal the spotlight from a hardware launch in the same way.
And that was another reason Zaboru chose an earlier release window for the ZGBA. Unlike ZAGE's usual big releases, which often landed later when the market was crowded, the ZGBA would arrive early in January, while excitement was still high and the calendar was still empty. In Zaboru's eyes, this was the fairest approach for everyone: the handheld got its moment, the other teams got more time, and the players didn't feel punished for supporting ZAGE's biggest move into the new year.
The ZGBA itself is priced at around 110 USD, or 11.000 yen. The production cost is about 6.000 yen, or 60 USD, which gave ZAGE enough room to keep the price competitive without turning the hardware into a loss leader. Zaboru already decided that ZAGE would sell it to retailers at around 8.500 yen, or 85 USD, while retailers would sell it at a maximum of 11.000 yen. The margin structure was clear: ZAGE could fund long-term support and future revisions, retailers still had incentive to push the product, and players wouldn't feel like the handheld was overpriced just because it was powerful.
The cartridges were priced at 40 - 42 USD at retail, with a production cost around 12 USD. ZAGE would sell them to retailers for about 25 USD, leaving enough space for distribution, shelf promotion, and normal store profit, while still keeping game prices familiar to the market. Zaboru wanted the numbers to feel fair. If games were too expensive, the library would look intimidating. If they were too cheap, the perception would shift into "low value." He aimed for a price that encouraged people to buy multiple titles, especially during the first two months when ZGBA needed its strongest momentum.
These were the core price points and production costs for the ZGBA, and Zaboru had already discussed them with his team so nobody would make unrealistic promises during planning. He also prepared a bundle strategy: if you bought the ZGBA together with the full set of 21 launch games, you would get a 20% discount. It wasn't only a sales trick. It was a way to push the message that ZGBA launched with a real library, and it gave collectors and early adopters a reason to commit on day one instead of waiting.
The ZGBA itself felt like an enhanced GBA from Zaboru's previous life, but the difference in strength was obvious the moment you looked at the spec targets and the launch lineup. It wasn't just "a little stronger." It was strong enough that games could look cleaner, animate smoother, and carry bigger stages without the usual handheld compromises. That meant developers could push better graphics, richer effects, and more ambitious ideas than what the original GBA era could normally handle and overall its like portable PS1.
Even the controls were built to match that ambition. The ZGBA had four right-side buttons like its ZEPS counterpart—Circle, Square, X, and Triangle—so action games didn't have to sacrifice inputs or awkwardly combine commands. On top of that, it included both triggers and bumper buttons, then there are two analog sticks as well , giving the handheld a full control layout . For Zaboru, that mattered, because it meant the ZGBA could host deeper combat systems, more flexible camera or skill controls, and ports or adaptations that would worked better in this layout
The cartridge situation also showed how serious the device was. The standard ZGBA cartridges were small, modeled after the Nintendo DS-era format from Zaboru's previous world: compact, easy to store, and modern enough to support larger data without making the handheld bulky. But the ZGBA also can use larger cartridges with the use of an adapter, specifically to support backward compatibility for ZEPS 1 and ZEPS 2 games. Yes, the handheld could play those libraries, along with old ZGB games, turning the ZGBA into a bridge device that carried multiple generations in one body. For players, it meant their old collection still mattered. Zaboru always prioritize backward compatibility so this are important to him.
As for the games that will launch, the list is:
Pokémon Ruby Pokémon Sapphire Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade Golden Sun Metroid Fusion The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap Advance Wars Yoshi's Island: Super Mario World 3 WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Kirby & The Amazing Mirror Sonic Advance (based on Sonic Advance 2) EarthBound: Mother 3 Drill Dozer Gunstar Super Heroes Rhythm Tengoku V-Rally (based on V-Rally 3) Shantae Advance F-Zero: Maximum Velocity Metal Slug Advance
Yes, these are a total of 21 launch games, and Pokémon is the one that gives Zaboru the biggest headache.
At first, he wanted to make just one Pokémon game, like what ZAGE did in the previous era with Pokémon Crystal. One definitive version, one box, one complete experience. In his mind, that was the cleanest approach for players and the most honest approach for the market.
But he also understood the reality. Pokémon's identity, especially overseas, was tied to trading, version differences, and the social excitement of comparing what you have with what your friend doesn't. If he erased that completely, he risked breaking the ritual that made Pokémon feel like Pokémon. So Zaboru decided to follow the two-version structure for now: Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, designed to be tradeable and to encourage that classic feeling of cooperation and rivalry between players.
Still, he didn't like the business logic behind it. Zaboru hated the usual pattern of releasing two versions and then releasing a superior combined version later. To him, it always felt greedy and stupid, like asking loyal fans to pay twice for what should have been one complete game.
That's why, from the beginning, he planned for Pokémon Emerald to be handled differently. If Emerald was going to exist, it needed to earn its place. Not as a simple "final edition," but as a true upgrade with more content, more balance, and more reasons to return. More story events that feel meaningful. More postgame challenges that justify the extra time. Better pacing, more polish, and improvements that make it feel like the definitive version rather than a cash grab.
Zaboru wasn't trying to kill the tradition. He wanted to fix it. If players were going to accept Ruby and Sapphire first, then Emerald had to be something they could look at later and say, yes, this was worth it.
Aside from Pokémon, most of the launch list is made of names that are already famous in the ZGBA space. Zaboru wanted that on purpose. A handheld launch lives and dies on trust, and nothing builds trust faster than recognizable titles that clearly show what the hardware can do.
At the same time, he didn't want the lineup to feel too safe. So he deliberately included a few underrated picks that he believed deserved a bigger audience: Drill Dozer, Gunstar Super Heroes, and Rhythm Tengoku. These were the kinds of games that might not be the first thing a casual buyer grabs, but once people actually try them, they spread by word of mouth. Zaboru liked that type of title. Games with strong identity, tight design, and enough weird charm that players start recommending them like secrets.
And it wasn't just about variety. Those "underrated" games also served a purpose for the system's image. Drill Dozer showed off tactile action and polish. Gunstar Super Heroes delivered loud, arcade-style energy that looked great on a small screen. Rhythm Tengoku proved the ZGBA wasn't only about graphics, but about feel and creativity. Together, they made the launch library feel less like a checklist and more like a real statement.
And then there was the biggest surprise for long-time fans.
Zaboru decided to release the sequel to EarthBound, also known as Mother 2, to the whole world, not just Japan. The game would launch as EarthBound: Mother 3. In his previous world, it was known as a Japan-only title, the kind of game people heard about through rumors, magazines, and fan translations. That history always bothered him. A story that good shouldn't be locked behind borders.
So for ZGBA, Zaboru made it official: no region walls, no waiting years, no "maybe someday." If players around the world were going to carry a new ZAGE handheld into the next century, then they deserved a launch library that respected them equally.
Zaboru knew the GBA library in his previous life was great, but he didn't plan to limit the ZGBA to "just handheld-style games." In this world, the ZGBA was simply too strong to be treated like a small side machine. If it could handle richer visuals and bigger systems, then the library should reflect that strength.
So his plan was to combine eras. Yes, the ZGBA would have its own original games built specifically for it, but Zaboru also wanted to bring in experiences that normally belonged to larger hardware. SNES games that not yet released on ZEPS 2 And if the system's performance allowed it, he wanted to push even further and adapt certain PS1-era games into ZGBA as the ZGBA Performance itself are doable to do this
To Zaboru, It was about giving players more reasons to buy the device and more reasons to keep it in their hands after the first month. A bigger range of game types meant the ZGBA wouldn't be better handheld With a plan like that, the ZGBA library wouldn't just grow. It would explode by an insane margin.
Zaboru then thought, "Still… Do players want to buy this on day one? I mean, they just spent quite a lot of money on the ZEPS 2 and ZGB farewell packs, right?"
He chuckled, but there was real calculation behind it. "Either way, we're ready for a slower start. Early release sales might be low, and that's fine. What matters is whether the sales stay steady after the first week, and whether we can keep the momentum for one or two months."
He glanced at the stack of launch games again, counting the variety like it was armor. "If the early adopters jump in immediately, great. If they hesitate because their wallets are tired, then we win them over with time. Word of mouth. New year bonuses. Parents buying after they see the library. People finishing the farewell packs and then realizing the ZGBA is already waiting."
Zaboru tapped the desk lightly. "A handheld launch isn't a one-day battle. It's a long campaign. As long as the curve keeps climbing, even slowly, we're good."
To be continue
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