Another world Game Developers in Japan`s 1991

Tuesday, 31 December 1991

As the final day of 1991 dawned, Zaboru sat in his office, deep in thought. He was strategizing his next move, pondering the direction of his future consoles. His 8-bit home console, ZEPS, was already making waves in the gaming industry in Japan, and he intended to push it further before transitioning into the next generation. If all went according to plan, he would introduce the world to a powerful 16-bit console by late 1993 or early 1994. However, there was another idea burning in his mind—handheld gaming.

When the Handheld Console was in its early stages, and Nintendo's Game Boy dominated the market in his previous life, Zaboru saw both its strengths and its weaknesses. He recalled from his previous life how Sega's Game Gear had superior hardware and a full-color screen but suffered from excessive battery consumption. On the other hand, the Game Boy, though technically inferior, offered steady battery life and remained fun and accessible for gamers on the go. Zaboru wanted to break past these limitations and create something far beyond what existed in 1991.

He decided that instead of copying the original Game Boy, he would aim to bring handheld gaming straight into the Game Boy Color era—years ahead of schedule. In his past life, Nintendo had delayed the Game Boy Color's release until 1998 , waiting for portable color screen technology to advance while ensuring reasonable battery efficiency. But Zaboru had an edge—his DeepDive and Enlightenment abilities. With these, he could develop technology faster than anyone in this era ,at least on gaming sections.

With that decision made, he grabbed his notepad and began brainstorming.

"The key is performance and battery life," he muttered to himself. "A full-color screen is a must, but it needs to be power-efficient. Ideally, I want a handheld that can last at least 30 hours on four AA batteries, just like the original Game Boy. But is there a way to go beyond that? , or because of the full color screen i should cut its battery power to 20 hours? well we'll see about that"

Zaboru tapped his pen against the notepad. Rechargeable batteries were an option, but they were still in their early stages in 1991 and incredibly expensive. If he incorporated them into his design, the handheld's price would skyrocket, making it inaccessible to many players. Instead, he considered another approach—creating his own specialized batteries by partnering with a battery manufacturer. If he could develop a proprietary A2 battery type that lasted significantly longer than standard AA batteries only for his handheld, it would give his handheld a major advantage.

Next, he turned his attention to the physical design of the console. The Game Gear's horizontal layout was comfortable, but it was too bulky for early handheld gaming. The Game Boy's vertical design was more practical for portability, so he leaned toward that style. However, he wanted to refine it, making it slightly slimmer and more ergonomic for prolonged gaming sessions.

"A D-pad, two main action buttons, Start and Select… should I add more buttons?" He scribbled ideas down. More buttons would provide greater gameplay versatility, but adding too many would make the console more complex than necessary. He decided to keep it simple for now, sticking to the essentials while ensuring that future versions could incorporate more advanced controls.

Then, another crucial idea hit him—multiplayer connectivity.

"I should enhance the link cable system," he realized. In his previous life, connecting Game Boys via link cables had been cumbersome, and wireless connectivity wasn't an option until much later. If he could refine the system, making the cabled connection process seamless and user-friendly, he could revolutionize multiplayer handheld gaming.

He quickly jotted down more notes:

Color screen with efficient power consumption

Proprietary long-lasting batteries

Vertical design for portabilitySimple and ergonomic button layout

Enhanced Link Cable system for easy multiplayer

For now, he put the name of the console on hold. While a catchy name was important, he wanted to focus on the technology first. However, he did note that it should fit well with the ZAGE brand and maintain consistency with ZEPS.

With his mind racing with ideas, he committed himself to release the final product in time for ZEPS's first anniversary on September 19, 1992. If he could pull this off, his ZAGE will soar higher than anyone can imagine.

Just as he was deep in his planning, he heard the door to his office open. Looking up, he saw Ayumi standing there with a warm smile, holding a neatly packed lunchbox.

"You've been working all morning without a break," she said, setting the food down on his desk. "I figured you could use some lunch."

Zaboru grinned, setting his notepad aside. "Thanks, Ayumi. I didn't even realize how much time had passed."

She glanced at his notes, her eyes widening slightly. "You're already planning another console?"

"Not just any console—a handheld or Portable console." He tapped the paper with his pen. "I want to make my games can be played anywhere"

Ayumi looked impressed. "You never stop, do you?" She chuckled. *"But I guess that's what makes you amazing." Ayumi then kisses Zaboru's lips , and sits on his lap. "I will never know what is inside your head handsome" Ayumi kisses Zaboru forehead and puts her arm around his head Zaboru grined "Well part of it's always thinking about you hehe" After that Ayumi make out with Zaboru a bit before she`s dismount him and they Eat together.

As they ate together, Ayumi listened to Zaboru's ideas, occasionally offering her own insights. She wasn't a hardware expert but she's not bad, and her perspective as someone who had seen Zaboru's innovations first hand was valuable.

After finishing their meal, she patted his shoulder. "Just don't forget to rest sometimes, okay?"

Zaboru chuckled. "You know me. When I get into something, I can't stop."

She sighed playfully. "Yeah, I've noticed." Her face flushed slightly as she remembered just how tireless Zaboru could be. "Anyway, keep working hard—but don't overdo it."

She left him to his planning, and Zaboru, now reinvigorated, returned to his notes. There was a lot to do, but he was confident. With his knowledge from the future and the technology available in 1991, he was certain that he could push the handheld gaming industry forward in ways no one had imagined.

To be continued…

*Author note : Hey Handheld mentioned! , and this fics of 8 bit era could be extended depend on my mood haha*

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