Sunday, October 26, 1992
The October release for ZAGE had officially arrived. The buzz surrounding this month's lineup was intense, especially after the ZGB American ad exploded in popularity. But back in Japan, players were lining up early outside electronics stores to get their hands on the latest ZEPS cartridges. Among the new titles were Star Fox, Harvest Moon, and the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda II: The Shadow of Courage.
Sakaki, a die-hard ZAGE fan and game enthusiast, was beyond excited. He had played and beaten the first Zelda, relishing every dungeon, puzzle, and boss. When he saw the cover art for the sequel—Link in side-scrolling action with a glowing sword and dark, stormy skies in the background—he knew he had to play it first.
Sakaki decided to queue up early, just as he always did for ZAGE release days. He tightened his belt, patting his wallet with a laugh. "Guess it's bread and instant noodles for a week again—worth it if it means I can snag all five of the new ZAGE games!" he said with a proud grin, already dreaming of diving into each cartridge.
After queueing and finally grabbing the goods, Sakaki practically sprinted back home, his excitement bubbling over. He stared at the cover of Zelda II: The Shadow of Courage with wide eyes—the artwork showed Link mid-slash, bathed in moonlight, facing off against a hulking shadow. Without wasting a second, he tore the box open with the precision of someone who'd done this ritual dozens of times. Inside, as expected, were four things: the game cartridge, the colorful game manual, a ZAGE Wow!, and of course—the signature Z-card. This time, the card read, "Stand still to Find Me, then I challenge you."
Sakaki raised an eyebrow and grinned. "So Zabo-man's hiding somewhere in the game again, huh? Looks like I've got another exploring to dig into."
Still grinning, he slid the cartridge into his ZEPS console in the back room, cracked open a cold soda, and settled in as the screen flickered to life.
The game started with an ominous intro: "Several years after defeating Ganon, peace has begun to wane. A new threat looms from the shadowy corners of Hyrule. Link must now awaken the guardians of courage to stop a new evil from consuming the land."
"Whoa... heavier tone this time," Sakaki muttered, his eyes locked on the screen.
Zelda II was nothing like the first game—and that thrilled him. Instead of a top-down perspective, it now featured side-scrolling combat paired with deeper RPG mechanics. Link had experience points, a leveling system for health, magic, and attack power, and a new set of spells that could make or break a fight. The overworld was still there but used mainly as a transition hub between towns, dungeons, and special locations. It felt tighter, more focused.
He typed in "SAKAKI" as his file name and plunged into the adventure.
The game opened in Ruto Town, where townspeople spoke in riddles about ancient spells and lost temples. Sakaki was amused to learn magic played a bigger role this time. "Nice, so I'm gonna be slinging fireballs soon, huh?" he chuckled as he stocked up on clues.
He ventured into the first dungeon—a shadowy ruin crawling with armored lizard knights and flame-spewing statues. The enemies were tougher, smarter. They blocked his attacks and struck with precision. "Shit the enemies are stronger now damn!," Sakaki muttered, learning to parry, time his jump attacks, and make use of tight corridors to stay alive.
The boss—a dark knight cloaked in purple flame known as the Iron Revenant—pushed him to his limit. He had to use every bit of skill and mana to win. When he finally brought the monster down, he leapt off the couch and shouted, "YES! That was actually tough!"
With each dungeon, Sakaki gained a new spell. Shield spells cut incoming damage. Jump let him leap over massive pits. Life restored his health mid-fight. These additions opened up new strategies and made exploration more dynamic. He liked that nothing came easy—he had to think, adapt, and earn every step.
He stopped for dinner, scarfed it down, and jumped right back in. Hours passed in a blur. Each dungeon introduced new traps and smarter foes. He loved that the world itself seemed to resist him—forcing him to earn Hyrule's salvation.
By the end of the night, he reached the third dungeon: The Tower of Shifting Storms. Inside, he unlocked the Lightning spell, an all-screen blast that obliterated minor enemies in one flash. He leaned back, impressed.
"Man, ZAGE really did it again. This sequel isn't just a follow-up. It's a whole evolution. Darker, deeper, and cooler than ever."
As Sakaki continued his playthrough, exploring the overworld map with a keen eye, he noticed an unusual symbol on the ground—an irregular crack shaped like a Z. His eyes widened and a grin spread across his face. "That's definitely Zabo-man!" he exclaimed.
He maneuvered Link onto the crack and stood there for a few seconds. Suddenly, the screen shimmered, and in a flash of white light, Link was teleported to a secret chamber—a dark, looming boss room unlike anything seen before.
Standing before him was Zabo-man in all his towering glory. This time, Zabo-man wasn't just a hidden sprite—he had been fully rendered as a formidable boss, twice Link's height, wielding a massive iron hammer. His gray helmet gleamed under the dim torchlight, and his glowing white eyes stared through Link like burning embers Zabo-man also said "
Without warning, Zabo-man lunged forward, swinging his hammer with terrifying speed and force. Sakaki's hands gripped the controller, adrenaline surging. "Oh man, this is gonna be insane!" he shouted, preparing for the battle of the game.
The fight had begun.
Zabo-man swung his massive iron hammer with unpredictable timing—sometimes he moved slowly, giving Sakaki time to react, and other times he lashed out with blinding speed, catching him off guard. Sakaki had to watch closely, memorizing the rhythm of his strikes. The towering figure also let out a thunderous roar mid-battle, unleashing a shockwave that made Link stagger backward, leaving him open for a devastating follow-up. Every moment demanded focus, precision, and perfect timing.
After fighting for a while finally Sakaki beat Zabo-man then Zabo-man said in text "You`re Very Cool"
Sakaki sighs "Damn... Zabo-man wasn't playing around," Sakaki muttered, still catching his breath. "I love this game."
To be continued.
AN:I decided to make this a reaction chapter, and yeah, I know it's kinda just messing around—honestly, I originally planned for this game to have a long reaction arc, but I scrapped that idea hahah. Anyway, if you're reading this, it means from here on out, I'm changing my approach. I'll be cutting down on reaction chapters and only keeping them for games that really deserve the spotlight.