NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43: Chapter 42: Next Games for Akechi
Zaboru leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "Now, two weeks have passed since the deal with Saiko Machine. Tetsuo-san said the manufacturers would be ready in about a month at the fastest, so I've got another two weeks or so. I guess I can make Akechi-san a couple of games in the meantime. But which ones?"
As he pondered, a grin spread across his face. Over the past few months after he reincarnated to this world, he had already created seven games, and in each of them, he had hidden a little secret—his personal signature character, Zabo-man.
Donkey Kong: Occasionally, Zabo-man would pop up and bonk Donkey Kong on the head, causing the massive ape to stumble momentarily.
Mario Bros.: If a player achieved a high enough score, Zabo-man would appear as a hidden enemy.
Pac-Man: During Super Mode, there was a rare chance that Zabo-man would swoop in and knock out one of the ghosts.
Super Mario Bros.: If the game was completed without losing a single life, Zabo-man would be unlocked as a secret playable character. Unlike Mario, he could shoot projectiles infinitely, making him an overpowered reward for skilled players.
Excitebike: Zabo-man was one of the racers that randomly appeared in different stages.
Mega Man: Zabo-man acted as a hidden ally, helping Mega Man in certain boss fights.
Final Fight: If a player scored high enough, Zabo-man would be unlocked as a hidden boss after the final battle.
Zaboru chuckled to himself. "Hehehe… Zabo-man is going to be legendary!"
He shifted his thoughts back to new game ideas. "I need to slow down a bit this week. I can't make another game on the level of Final Fight again—it was way too tedious. So, something simpler... but still fun."
After brainstorming, he decided on two games for Akechi: the high-speed arcade motorcycle racer Hang-On and the boxing game Punch-Out!.
"Both of these should be relatively easy since I can reuse assets. I still need to implement new features, though—like left and right dodging, super uppercuts, and attack combinations for Punch-Out! Meanwhile, for Hang-On, I'll make it an endless road race where opponents occasionally appear as obstacles. There are already some arcade racing games out there, but none as polished as Hang-On will be."
Determined, Zaboru got to work. Time passed in a blur, and before he knew it, a full week had gone by.
Over the next few days, Zaboru focused entirely on Punch-Out! The game was simple but addictive, centered around dodging and landing punches at just the right moments.
The protagonist, Little Mac, had six basic moves: left and right jabs, left and right body blows, left and right dodges, plus blocking, ducking, and a powerful uppercut.
Uppercuts required stars to use, which players could earn by timing their attacks perfectly.
The game featured a Health Meter—once depleted, Mac would be knocked down. Players had to rapidly tap the A and B buttons to get back up within ten seconds.
The Heart Meter tracked stamina, decreasing when punches were missed, attacks were blocked, or Mac got hit. When it hit zero, Mac would turn pink and be unable to attack until he dodged enough enemy punches to regain stamina.
The game had 23 matches divided into four circuits, each featuring unique opponents. If players lost a match in the World Circuit, they had to restart that match. In other circuits, losing three times in a row resulted in a game over.
Winning conditions included TKO (knocking the opponent down three times in one round), KO (opponent fails to get up after ten seconds), or a technical decision based on points if time ran out.
Zaboru grinned as he added his signature touch: Zabo-man as a hidden playable character.
"Heh… The only way to unlock him will be through a secret cheat code. One of the characters, Doc, will subtly hint at it in his dialogue during a match. If the player pays close attention, they'll notice. Entering the cheat in the menu will cause Little Mac to fall sick and be unable to compete, leading to Zabo-man stepping in as a replacement fighter. And Zabo-man? He's way deadlier than Mac. Let's see who figures this out first."
Developing Hang-On
After finishing Punch-Out!, Zaboru quickly moved on to Hang-On. Unlike Punch-Out!, this one was a pure racing game.
The goal was simple: ride a superbike across five stages without running out of time.
Unlike typical racing games, the other bikes weren't competitors—the challenge was simply staying on the road and navigating tight turns at high speeds.
Players had to avoid crashes while weaving through traffic, managing acceleration, and leaning into turns to maintain speed.
The graphics were more detailed than most existing arcade racers, with smooth animations and fast-paced gameplay.
Zaboru added a fun cameo: a black and gray motorcycle would occasionally pass the player, stop at the side, and give them an "okay" gesture and word Zabo-man Approve before disappearing , its Zabo-man motorcycvle
The week flew by in a haze of coding, testing, and sleepless nights. Zaboru worked tirelessly, pushing himself to the limit. His mother scolded him multiple times for staying up too late, but he powered through.
By Saturday morning, he had finished and tested both games.
Exhausted, Zaboru collapsed into his chair, barely able to keep his eyes open. He stared at the ceiling, feeling the satisfaction of having completed two more games in record time. Now, all he had to do was wait for Akechi to arrive.
Right on cue, the doorbell rang.
Dragging himself to his feet, Zaboru went to open the door. As expected, Akechi was there—but this time, he wasn't alone. Ayumi had come along, and there was another person standing with them.
Zaboru blinked, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Huh!?"
To be continued…