Another world Game Developers in Japan`s 1991-Chapter 456 - 409: Sonaya’s Double Release

Thursday, 24 December 1992

The day after Zaboru extended a personal invitation to Hikaru Kurata and Junpei Hoshida for the upcoming ZAGE event, he was back in his element—working tirelessly on ZAGE's December game releases and fine-tuning two arcade titles slated for January. He stayed at his desk until 20:00, and when the clock struck the hour, he leaned back, stretched, and smiled.

"Time for Zaboru the gamer to shine again," he muttered with excitement.

Two newly released Sonaya games sat on his desk—freshly unwrapped by one of his employees: War Rock and Samurai Fox.

Zaboru picked up both cartridges, examining the box art. "Hmm, nice presentation. Clean illustrations and solid design."

The cover of War Rock featured a Stone Age warrior hurling a boulder mid-battle, muscles rippling and face snarling. Samurai Fox depicted a rugged, one-eyed humanoid fox brandishing a gleaming katana.

Though War Rock intrigued him more, he decided to start with Samurai Fox—to save the best for last.

He inserted the cartridge, and an energetic chiptune kicked in. The opening cutscene followed: an orange fox with a scarred eye named Kitsuke clashed swords with a blue fox wielding twin katanas. The battle was fierce—but brief. Kitsuke was defeated. In pixelated dialogue, the blue fox—Aotsune—sneered:

"Kitsu, you are too weak to inherit our Kitsune-Ryu. You lack discipline, strength, and vision."

Then, shockingly, Aotsune stomped on Kitsuke's face and drove a katana through his throat.

Zaboru blinked. "Whoa, brutal start... and that's the protagonist right? He dies?" Zaboru was intrigued. The orange humanoid fox that had just died looked exactly like the character featured prominently on the box art, suggesting he was the protagonist. The twist of killing him off so suddenly caught Zaboru off guard, heightening his curiosity about where the story would go next.

The screen shifted to A nine-tailed fox statue's eyes glowed as it channeled divine energy into the slain fox. Kitsuke was resurrected. The statue's voice echoed:

"Kitsuke, your brother draws strength from the foul god's corruption The Dark Fox. I shall bestow upon you the sacred Fox Goddess Blade. Seek vengeance to the Dark Fox Apostle. Purge the darkness."

Zaboru smiled. "Heh, this one's dramatic—but I'm into it."

Gameplay began. It was a side-scrolling action-platformer. Kitsuke's basic sword attacks were fluid combos, and enemies dropped "Fox Shards" upon defeat. These shards acted as currency for upgrades—accessed mid-level by pausing and choosing from stat boosts, new moves, or passive skills.

The first stage takes place in a dense, shadowy forest where Kitsuke battles through a relentless horde of wild animals—rabbits, crows, and boars, all exhibiting signs of corruption. The stage design is layered with tall grass, hidden traps, and crumbling platforms that demand precise timing and reflexes. The boss at the end is a Corrupted Monkey, feral and twisted, wielding a crude staff and spewing clouds of poisonous mist at regular intervals.

By Stage 2, the game introduced larger enemies and environmental hazards. The second boss—a two-headed fox wielding massive twin axes—was a tough but fair fight. After beating it, Zaboru paused.

"Solid pacing. Let's take a break and try War Rock."

He swapped cartridges. War Rock launched with a caveman-themed splash screen showing tribes hurling rocks in chaotic battle.

The menu was minimal: a bold "Start" option. Zaboru clicked it.

Character selection appeared next:

Ooga – fast throws, low damage.

Uuga – balanced speed and power.

Booga – slow but devastating throws.

Zaboru grinned. "Booga it is."

The gameplay surprised him. It was a reverse side-scrolling shooter. Enemies surged toward the player's fixed position, and he had to time rock throws to intercept them. The mechanics were simple but addictive. As enemies fell, points racked up, which could be spent on rock upgrades, area-of-effect attacks, and movement speed boosts.

For over an hour, Zaboru crushed waves of enemy cavemen with well-timed boulders. His score skyrocketed. His Booga had also received significant upgrades—now sporting a thicker, more muscular arm capable of hurling larger rocks with increased damage. Zaboru had enhanced the rock-throwing mechanic, adding a new feature: rocks now exploded upon impact, dealing area damage to clustered enemies and clearing waves more efficiently.

Finally, he set the controller down.

"Alright. Time for verdicts."

He leaned back, crossing his arms.

"Samurai Fox—I give it a solid 7.5. The story is unique, the visuals are sharp, and the gameplay feels polished, even if it leans on familiar mechanics. While it doesn't reinvent the genre, it definitely earns respect. Most importantly, it's fun—and that's reason enough for me to keep coming back."

He picked up the War Rock box and smirked.

"War Rock—that's an 8.0. It's innovative, funny, and strangely satisfying. Throwing rocks shouldn't be this fun, but here we are. Sure, the story's a bit lacking—but honestly, who cares when you're launching explosive boulders at wave after wave of enemies?" Zaboru chuckled.

Zaboru grinned. "Well done, Sonaya. Keep it up. I'll be waiting for your next surprise."

With that, he popped Samurai Fox back in and kept playing into the night, fully immersed in the action, his eyes fixed on the screen with laser focus. Every slash, every leap, every boss fight had him leaning forward in anticipation. Not to mention, he planned to return to War Rock soon—it was just too addictive to ignore. Zaboru the gamer was unleashed—unstoppable, grinning, and completely in his element, savoring every moment of his late-night gaming spree.

To be continued...

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