Following the electrifying performance by The Sujin Sisters, Yumi Ichijou, still radiant in her signature Princess Daisy outfit, strode back into the spotlight — this time flanked by none other than Zaboru Renkonan himself. As the two stood center stage, illuminated by a beam of light, the crowd's energy surged once more. Fans cheered with renewed intensity, anticipating the next major event of the night: the Game of the Year Awards for non-ZAGE titles, a celebration of excellence from rival and third-party developers.
Yumi beamed as she addressed the crowd. "Alright everyone! That was a sensational set by The Sujin Sisters — give it up for them one more time! But now, it's time to shift gears. We're honoring some of the best games outside the ZAGE brand — legendary titles from across the gaming landscape that left their mark in 1992. Every vote came from you, the fans, and our elite team of reviewers helped fine-tune the final picks and of course, the team reviewing this section was handpicked by Zaboru himself. Right, Boss?" Yumi added with a playful grin.
Zaboru gave a confident nod. "That's right. We made sure the review process was as fair and unbiased as possible. No favoritism, just passion and precision."
Zaboru continued to grin inside his mask beside her. "Yes, we might compete with these developers, but tonight? We applaud them. Excellence deserves recognition — no matter the logo."
Behind them, the massive LED screen flickered to life, splashing with a vivid digital pictures and words of each award category. Yumi raised her voice above the cheers. "Let's take a look at tonight's six awards!"
Categories on Display:
Game of the Year 1992
Best Gameplay
Best Soundtrack
Best Co-op Game
Best Story
Best Character
"We'll begin with Best Gameplay," Yumi announced. "Here are the nominees!"
Best Gameplay Nominees:
A.M.N: Agents Mutant Ninja – Akaishidan
Dig-man the Dig Island – Nanco
Sun Knight 2 – Sonaya
Kabuto: The Speed Ninja – Akaishidan
Zaboru opened the envelope. "And the winner is... A.M.N Agents Mutant Ninja!"
The hall erupted in applause. A sharp-dressed man made his way to the stage — Kazu Bukio, head programmer at Akaishidan. With humble poise, he accepted the trophy from Zaboru and gave a heartfelt shout-out to his dev team, acknowledging their late nights and relentless innovation. In the audience, Akechi Hamazou sat quietly, clapping with a faint, knowing smile. Though he couldn't accept the award himself — possibly due to potential rumors of Akaishidan's murky ties to the Yakuza Hamazou family and he seemed genuinely content watching Kazu take the stage. Recognition for the team mattered more than personal spotlight, and Akechi was more than happy to let Kazu represent them.
"We're off to a great start," Yumi said, her eyes scanning the cheering crowd. "Next up — Best Soundtrack! Here's the lineup!"
Best Soundtrack Nominees:
Karate Bunny – U-Bunny
Sun Knight 2 – Sonaya
Jewel Sword – Triangle Soft
Sushi No Senshi – Wasanebo
"And the award goes to... Sun Knight 2!" Yumi announced with a flourish.
From the audience, composers Hikaru Kurata and Junpei Hoshida exchanged stunned glances. They thought Sonaya's games wouldn't stand a chance — that they'd be nominated only out of formality because of their rivalry with ZAGE. But clearly, the fans and Zaboru had other plans. The win for Sun Knight 2 proved that ZAGE didn't care Sonaya their Rival or not. .Junpei made his way to the stage, clearly moved. "This tracklist was a labor of love. We're honored," he said.
The Sun Knight 2 soundtrack was truly exceptional even Zaboru looked visibly impressed. It wasn't just catchy; it perfectly captured the spirit and heroic atmosphere of the game. Despite being rendered in just 8-bit audio, it conveyed emotion, momentum, and a sense of adventure that rivaled full orchestral scores.
Yumi smiled. "Well deserved! Now let's dive into Best Co-op Game — those titles that bring players together... or tear them apart."
Best Co-op Game Nominees:
Majestic Cats – Sonaya
USA-Guns – Akaishidan
Black Tires – HoHoEmi
Cosmic Wings – BANZ
Zaboru opened the card. "The winner is... Cosmic Wings by BANZ!"
The underdog studio got its moment. Lead dev Satou Kurokawa bounded to the stage, clearly overjoyed. "This is for every indie dev dreaming big!" he shouted. He then began to praise Zaboru, his voice full of emotion. "You probably don't know this," he said into the mic, "but it was watching Zaboru's journey the risks he took, the Amazing ZAGE games that release every months that inspired me to take a gamble and start my own studio. If he could make it, I thought maybe I could too. And here we are tonight — thank you, Zaboru." Zaboru nod and clapping.
Cosmic Wings delivers a truly standout co-op experience. At its core, it's a top-down shooter, but what sets it apart is its unique "Wings System Fusion" mechanic — a temporary super mode where both players' planes combine into a single, more powerful craft. During this fusion, one player takes control of the plane's movement while the other handles the weapon systems, requiring seamless coordination and communication. The feature adds layers of strategy and excitement, making every fusion moment feel like a cinematic power play. It's a mechanic that fans instantly fell in love with, and one that sets Cosmic Wings apart from its genre peers even Zaboru really impressed and often play this with Ayumi when they are together.
Yumi turned to the audience. "Let's keep it going — Best Story is next! Here are your narrative heavyweights."
Best Story Nominees:
Beast Ninja – Akaishidan
Musashi Adventure – Sonaya
Shippu Densetsu Kagura – Chu Soft
Sun Knight 2 – Sonaya
"And the winner is... Musashi Adventure!"
Zaboru nodded in approval. "This is a fantastic story, and the characters are incredibly well-developed. Great job, Sonaya. Truly impressive work."
Musashi Adventure stood out for its rich character development — especially among the members of the Musashi Party. Each character felt distinct and fully realized, with personal arcs that made players genuinely care about their journey. It was the kind of storytelling that lingered long after the credits rolled a well-earned and deeply deserved win.
Junpei returned to the stage, visibly emotional now. "To all our fans who believed in Musashi thank you." Hikaru Kurata sat in his seat, grinning quietly to himself — it was clear he was genuinely happy that their game had won an award. "Not a bad feeling at all," he mused inwardly, allowing himself a brief moment of pride. But his smile faded as another thought crept in. "Still... this award excludes ZAGE games. It's not the full picture. We can't let this get to our heads." With a soft sigh, he leaned back in his chair and decided not to dwell on it. For now, he would just enjoy the moment.
Yumi nodded. "Sonaya is unstoppable tonight! Let's see if they dominate Best Character too."
Best Character Nominees:
Buntei – Karate Bunny [U-Bunny]
Madarip – A.M.N Agent Mutant Ninja [Akaishidan]
Sony – Sun Knight [Sonaya]
Kagura – Shippu Densetsu Kagura [Chu Soft]
"And the fan-favorite is... Buntei from Karate Bunny!"
The cheers were deafening. Ayumi, Buntei's creator, stood up trembling slightly. She reached the stage to roaring applause and accepted the award with a grateful bow. "This character was my favorite Thank you for loving him like I do."
Zaboru nodded, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "What an incredible moment. Congratulations," he said warmly.
He hadn't expected Buntei to win — not because the character wasn't worthy, but because the Best Character award was determined purely by fan votes. And clearly, the fans had spoken loudly. Only recently had Zaboru learned through letters and rumours that Buntei had developed a cult following within the gaming community. Many affectionately referred to him as "Papa Rabbit," a nickname that captured both his cool demeanor and his protective presence in the game. It was a surprise, but a welcome one.
Ayumi tried her best not to throw her arms around Zaboru right then and there. Every part of her wanted to hug him and tell him just how proud she was — of him, of herself, of how far they'd both come. But she held it in, managing a glowing smile instead. The moment didn't need words.
Meanwhile, the audience buzzed with surprise. Whispers rippled through the crowd — not only was the creator of U-Bunny a woman, but a strikingly beautiful one at that. Even the Sujin Sisters were visibly shocked. "Wait... Ayumi's a game developer?!" one of them mouthed off-mic. It was clear no one had expected the mastermind behind Buntei to be someone like her and the revelation only made her win that much more powerful.
Yumi raised a hand for silence. "Now — it's time. Game of the Year 1992 (Non-ZAGE)!"
Game of the Year Nominees (Non-ZAGE):
A.M.N Agent Mutant Ninja – Akaishidan
Sun Knight 2 – Sonaya
Shippu Densetsu Kagura – Chu Soft
Jewel Sword – Triangle Soft
"And the Game of the Year is... A.M.N Agent Mutant Ninja!"
The audience erupted again. A.M.N had become more than a hit — it was a movement. Kazu Bukio returned to the stage and saluted the crowd. "Thank you for believing in us. We'll keep pushing boundaries."
Somewhere in the crowd, Akechi Hamazou watched quietly from behind dark glasses and a scarf, smiling to himself. Akechi thought, "Heh... I guess Akaishidan really has come a long way. I can't wait to dive into our next project so many game ideas still burning in my head. But still, my old ties... the Yakuza identity as 'Rashomon' that could bring real trouble if it ever comes to light. What a mess. I wish I could've held that GOTY award myself felt its weight in my hands. But in the end, it's fine. Kazu earned it. He's worked hard, and he deserves the spotlight tonight."
Yumi stepped forward once more. "Congratulations For Akaishidan ! and That's a wrap on the awards... but we're not done just yet. Are you ready to rock again?!"
The lights dimmed, then flared. Zankoku Band stormed the stage, Zaboru leading with an electric guitar solo that ripped through the arena. Their encore performance of "GO" sent the entire hall into a frenzy of energy, dancing, clapping, and pure joy.
This celebration was far from over.
To be continued...
AN : Most of this game already mentioned in the stories still most of them just brief.
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