Chapter 8: Testing Super Mario Bros and Planning Ahead

"Finally, Super Mario Bros. is complete and ready for testing!" Zaboru exclaimed, feeling a surge of excitement as he slotted the cartridge into his console. The satisfying click echoed in the room, followed by the cheerful chime of his console powering on.

Gripping his controller, Zaboru pressed "Start." Instantly, the iconic Super Mario Bros. music began to play, filling the room with nostalgia. Mario appeared on the screen, standing on a colorful landscape of blue skies, white clouds, and earthy platforms.

As he guided Mario through the first level, jumping over pipes and stomping Goombas, Zaboru couldn't stop grinning. "It's just like I remembered," he muttered to himself, immersed in the game. After clearing the first stage and sending Mario down a pipe, Zaboru noticed a new addition—a small black-and-gray character hopping around near the pipe's edge.

Zaboru laughed out loud. "That's Zabo-man! My personal easter egg!"

Zabo-man was a character Zaboru had designed as a playful homage to himself. He envisioned Zabo-man becoming a recurring figure in all his future games, whether as a cameo, a side character, or even a secret boss. The idea thrilled him.

"Stan Lee had his cameos in the MCU; I'll have Zabo-man in my games!" Zaboru said with a grin.

He decided to integrate Zabo-man into his previous games too:

Donkey Kong: Zabo-man occasionally pops up to bonk Donkey Kong on the head, causing the big ape to momentarily stumble.

Mario Bros.: Zabo-man appears as a hidden enemy if the player scores high enough.

Pac-Man: During Super Mode, there's a chance Zabo-man will swoop in and knock out one of the ghosts.

Super Mario Bros.: Zabo-man would be a secret playable character unlocked by completing the game without losing a life. Stronger than Mario, he'd offer a unique gameplay experience for dedicated players.

After tweaking the games to include his new character, Zaboru leaned back, satisfied. "This is going to be so fun for players to discover," he mused.

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With his testing done, Zaboru tidied up his room and began brainstorming the next steps to bring his dream to life. He grabbed a notebook and started jotting down ideas.

"First, I'll need a production company to mass-produce the internal components of my console and cartridges. I'll also need a manufacturer for the plastic casing of both. Long-term, I want to establish my own production facilities, but that's for the future," he wrote.

The immediate problem was clear: money.

Zaboru sighed, tapping his pen against the paper. "Dad said he has connections, but he won't help until I graduate high school. That's still five months away... and I can't wait that long."

He frowned, thinking harder. "In five months, I won't have the budget to create another console. I can't expect Dad to fund this entirely either—it'd feel like a burden. I need a way to raise money myself."

Suddenly, inspiration struck. "Arcades!"

Zaboru scribbled furiously in his notebook. "What if I convert my consoles into arcade systems? I could integrate them with coin-operated mechanisms. Players could pay 5 yen for three lives, with additional coins to continue after dying."

He envisioned placing these machines in local arcades, using games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Mario Bros., and even Super Mario Bros. to draw in players. "If I can rent space in a few arcades, this could work," he thought.

But there was a catch: the cost.

"Each console, with two controllers and four cartridges, costs about 32,000 yen or $210. If I need ten of them, that's a whopping 320,000 yen. And I'll need TVs to integrate into the arcade setups. That's at least another 8,000 yen per unit. I'm looking at roughly 400,000 yen to get this off the ground."

Zaboru leaned back, sighing. "There's no way I can save that much on my own."

He realized he had no choice but to ask his dad for help. "I'll need to explain everything clearly—my vision, the costs, and the potential profits. If I can convince him to invest 400,000 yen, I can make this happen."

With renewed determination, Zaboru closed his notebook and clenched his fist. "This has to work. I'll make sure Dad sees the potential in this."

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To be continued…