Monday 12 October 2000
ZAGE Tower, 51st floor. Zaboru had just returned from teaching at the university, and without wasting any time, he made his way straight to his workshop on the same floor. His steps were steady but purposeful, his mind already shifting away from the classroom and back into the world of development.
Even though the lecture had been engaging, his routine remained unchanged. Work always came next.
As he walked through the hallway, a few staff members noticed him and greeted him respectfully, but Zaboru only gave a small nod in return, already focused on what he needed to do.
Now Zaboru was already seated in front of his PC, the screen lighting his face as he prepared for his next task. Unlike his usual ZAGE projects, this one carried a slightly different tone. This time, he was working under his alternate developer account—"Isekai."
He leaned back slightly in his chair, a faint grin forming on his face as he reviewed the files one last time.
"Well… time to release another game for this account, hehehe."
This account wasn't meant for large-scale, polished productions. Instead, it was a space for experimentation—ideas that were strange, unconventional, or simply too niche for ZAGE's main lineup. And today's release perfectly fit that category.
Zaboru had already prepared two games for this drop, both of them unique in their own way.
Ecco the Dolphin.
Kolibiri.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, his eyes scanning through the final build.
These kinds of games… they're weird, but that's the point.
A small chuckle escaped him.
Sometimes… the strangest ideas are the ones that leave the strongest impression.
Without hesitation, he moved the cursor forward, ready to release them into the world.
These two games are unique entries in the shoot 'em up genre, but instead of following the usual formula, they take a completely different approach. Rather than using spaceships, futuristic weapons, or magical elements, both games are set in real-life natural environments, turning nature itself into the battlefield. The protagonists are also far from typical—Ecco the Dolphin and Kolibiri, a hummingbird—bringing a fresh perspective to the genre that immediately stands out.
The stages are inspired by real-world ecosystems, from oceans to dense jungles, making every level feel grounded yet surreal at the same time. Enemies are not alien invaders or mechanical units, but creatures from nature itself, creating a strange but fascinating contrast between familiarity and gameplay chaos.
What further enhances this uniqueness is the use of a "Real Image Generated Style," where visuals are designed to resemble real-life imagery while still maintaining fluid motion and readability for gameplay. This combination gives the games a distinct identity—something that feels both experimental and artistic, yet still fully playable as a shoot 'em up experience.
Zaboru smiled and then quickly uploaded both games, setting the price relatively cheap as well—each one at 500 yen. It wasn't meant to be a big commercial release, just something accessible, something easy for people to try without hesitation.
He leaned back slightly as the upload progressed, watching the bar slowly fill while his fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
After a short while, the upload completed.
Zaboru's smile widened just a bit. "Hehehe… let's see if these sell well. Though honestly… these are pretty weird games."
He didn't sound worried at all—if anything, he sounded amused.
To him, this wasn't about sales numbers or reviews. It wasn't about market performance or reputation. This was different.
Zaboru didn't really care if the games sold well or received high ratings. It would be fine either way. This wasn't a ZAGE release, after all. It wouldn't affect the company, its brand, or its expectations.
This was his alternate account.
A space where he could freely experiment, create unusual ideas, and release things that didn't need to follow any standard.
A place where he could simply… make weird indie games like this, without pressure.
Meanwhile, in a household somewhere in Japan, Takuya Kagi—a second-generation rich kid with far too much free time—was relaxing inside his spacious room. The place itself reflected his lifestyle: expensive furniture, the latest electronics, and shelves filled with games. He wasn't worried about money; if anything, he casually flaunted it, spending without much thought.
He did go to college, but he didn't really enjoy it. Takuya was smart—naturally so—but the routine of studying, attending lectures, and following structure bored him. To him, it felt slow and restrictive. That was why he preferred staying in his room, losing himself in games where everything felt more immediate and alive.
And when it came to games, Takuya had… unusual taste. Sure, he loved ZAGE titles—he had played almost all of them—and to be honest, he genuinely liked many. Even the ones that weren't exactly his style, he still respected. But what he truly loved were games with strange, unconventional ideas—concepts that felt a little absurd, even chaotic.
Games that didn't try to be normal.
That was what excited him the most.
For example, within ZAGE's lineup, titles like Bishi Bashi Special or Base Wars stood out to him. Both were completely unhinged in their own way—random, chaotic, and sometimes even ridiculous—but that was exactly why he loved them. They broke expectations, and for Takuya, that unpredictability was where the real fun existed.
And so Takuya was now scrolling through his Steam library, looking for something new to play. Steam itself was growing rapidly, with more developers starting to release their games on the platform, but compared to Zaboru's previous life, the number of available titles was still quite limited. Because of that, any new release—especially from a developer—would easily catch attention, and right now, something did.
Takuya's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed a new entry. "Iseka again?" he muttered, leaning a little closer to the screen. "Two games released at the same time?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Wow… this dev just dropped two games at once again? That's kinda crazy."
He clicked into the page and scrolled down slowly. "…Kolibiri… and Ecco the Dolphin?" Takuya tilted his head, then let out a small laugh. "What kind of titles are these…? Weird." But instead of turning away, he became more interested and opened the screenshots, looking through them one by one. "…Huh."
The visuals were strange, but not in a bad way. The art style felt different—almost like real-life imagery blended into a game. It wasn't something he usually saw, and that alone made it stand out. "…This is kinda interesting." He leaned back slightly, thinking for a moment. "Shoot 'em up… but with animals?"
Takuya grinned. "Yeah… this is definitely weird enough for me." Without hesitation, he moved the cursor and purchased both games—total 1000 yen, nothing more than spare change to him. "Heh… let's see if this dev is actually onto something."
Not long after, Takuya finished downloading the game and, without hesitation, decided to start with Kolibiri first. He adjusted his posture slightly, grabbed his controller, and launched the game, his curiosity already building up from what he had seen earlier.
"Heh… the art style is really unique… I can't believe this was made by just three people," he muttered, his eyes scanning the screen as the game began.
As Takuya explored the visuals more carefully, he noticed how different everything felt. The environment looked almost like real-life imagery brought into motion, yet it still maintained a game-like clarity that made everything easy to follow. The movement of the background, the way objects reacted, and even the subtle lighting made the experience feel strangely immersive.
"…Yeah… this actually looks pretty good," he added quietly, clearly impressed.
For a moment, he didn't rush into action. Instead, he observed, letting the atmosphere sink in before fully engaging with the gameplay. But not long after, his curiosity pushed him forward, and he began playing properly, eager to see how this strange concept would unfold.
The game is a shoot 'em up, specifically a horizontal one, but it immediately feels different from anything Takuya has played before. Instead of piloting a ship, the player controls Kolibiri—the hummingbird—darting across the screen with fast, agile movements. It can attack using small projectile shots, almost like seeds or energy bursts, and also release shockwaves that clear space when things get too overwhelming. Throughout each stage, there are various power-ups that enhance its abilities, making each run feel slightly different depending on what the player picks up.
What makes it even more unusual is the setting itself. The battlefield isn't space or some abstract world—it's the jungle. But the jungle isn't just a background; it feels alive, almost like it's part of the challenge. The entire premise revolves around hummingbirds expanding their territory, turning what should be a peaceful natural environment into something chaotic and competitive.
Because of that, the enemies are completely absurd in the context of a shoot 'em up. Instead of ships or monsters, Takuya finds himself fighting frogs, lizards, and even eagles, each behaving in ways that feel strangely fitting yet completely unexpected for the genre. Some leap, some dive, some swarm, creating patterns that are unpredictable but still readable once he starts adapting.
And that contrast—that mix of nature and chaos—is exactly what makes the game feel so strange… yet so fun.
Takuya grinned, clearly excited. "Heh… this is so damn good. I'd give it a 9 out of 10 for me… it's so unhinged. I love it." His eyes stayed glued to the screen, fingers moving more confidently now as he began to understand the flow of the game.
The more he played, the more he got into it. What started as curiosity quickly turned into genuine engagement. He began experimenting—testing movement, pushing into riskier situations, figuring out how far he could go before getting overwhelmed.
"Yeah… this is it," he muttered, leaning forward slightly. "It looks weird, but it plays clean… that's what matters."
He dodged a wave of enemies, then countered with a shockwave, clearing the screen in a satisfying burst. The feedback felt good—simple, but effective.
Takuya let out a small laugh. "Man… this dev actually knows what they're doing."
Without realizing it, more time passed than he expected. The game kept pulling him in—stage after stage, run after run, each attempt making him want to go just a little further.
"…Alright, one more run," he said, even though he had already said that several times before.
He settled deeper into his chair, fully engrossed now. And in the back of his mind, another thought lingered.
"After this… yeah, I'll definitely try Ecco the Dolphin too."
To be continue
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