Tuesday, 9 December 1992
Zaboru continued his work while organizing the upcoming ZAGE Game of the Year (GOTY) event. Later that morning, he slipped into one of his familiar routines—reviewing job applications with a careful eye. He wasn't just scanning for experience or qualifications; he was on the lookout for any familiar names from his previous life. If no such names appeared, the HR team would handle the screening as usual. But if he found someone noteworthy, someone with hidden potential or a known legacy in his past world, he would personally step in for the interview—just as he had done with Hideo Kojima and Satoru Iwata, both of whom were now integral members of the ZAGE team.
As he sifted through the stack of applications, one name made him freeze mid-page. His eyes widened in disbelief. "No way..." he muttered, breaking into a wide grin. A laugh slipped out as he held up the résumé, his eyes locked on the name typed at the top: "Shigeru Miyamoto."
He looked over the document: born in Sonobe, Kyoto, Japan in 1962, Shigeru Miyamoto was now 30 years old in this world. His experience included working at Ninzendo—a card company and this world's equivalent of Nintendo, which Zaboru now owned and had big plans for. Miyamoto had also worked at HanDai Toys and recently contributed to a game called One Cycle Boy, developed by ZAGE third-party studio Gorokou. It was a platformer game about a kid using a unicycle to jump around and collect items. It had been published on a ZAGE platform. From the CV, it seemed Miyamoto had primarily supported development tasks. He noted his strong desire to become a game designer, expressing a solid understanding of game design and a deep love for ZAGE titles. Although he admitted to being a beginner in programming, he explained that his background was not in computer science—he hadn't attended a technical college. Instead, he emphasized his drive to learn and his creative mindset.
"Hehehe... Shigeru Miyamoto—the genius behind so many legendary Nintendo creations. Even in this world, his potential shines through. He absolutely belongs at ZAGE," Zaboru said with a satisfied chuckle, already eager to meet him in person.
He picked up the office phone and called Ichidai Kenzaki, ZAGE's head of HR. "Kenzaki, after you interview an applicant named Shigeru Miyamoto today, please send him to my office."
Kenzaki replied, "Got it, boss." He didn't question the request—Zaboru occasionally made special interview requests like this. Over time, Kenzaki had come to see it as one of those eccentric habits that often accompanied brilliance. If Zaboru wanted to meet a candidate personally, there was usually a good reason.
That afternoon, following his initial interview with HR, Shigeru Miyamoto was informed that he would be meeting directly with Zaboru Renkonan. The news startled him. A wave of nervous anticipation washed over him as he walked through the halls. Why would the God of Games want to see me personally? Did I mess up? Or... is this something bigger? he wondered, heart pounding as he followed the secretary down the corridor.
With help from Yumi Ichijou, Zaboru's secretary, Shigeru was escorted to the office. Yumi knocked. "Come in," Zaboru said.
Yumi bowed. "Boss, here's Shigeru Miyamoto-san."
Zaboru nodded. "Thanks, Yumi-san. Shigeru Miyamoto-san, please have a seat."
Yumi nodded and left. Miyamoto sat down cautiously across from Zaboru, still unsure why he'd been summoned. As he tried to compose himself, he caught a flicker of light from Zaboru's eyes—an unnatural glow that shimmered for just a moment.
He blinked hard, rubbing his eyes. What the...? Am I imagining things? Must be the nerves...
Zaboru secretly scanned his stats:
Shigeru Miyamoto – Game Developer Skills:
Game Programming: CGame Creation Creativity: AGame Design (Art Style): B
Gamer Skills:
Hand Speed: BReflex: CGamer Instinct: CGrit: CPassion: B
Zaboru smiled—stats befitting Shigeru Miyamoto. Even without working in a gaming company like Nintendo in this world, his talent was clear.
Seeing Zaboru's silence, Miyamoto got even more nervous. "Umm, Renkonan-san...?"
Zaboru chuckled. "Sorry, Shigeru Miyamoto-san. I was just messing with you." He smiled. "Let's start the interview, okay?"
"So, Miyamoto-san, you have experience as a game designer, right? You helped design One Cycle Boy, correct?"
"Yes, I do," Shigeru replied. "Though it wasn't for long, I'm confident in my design skills. But as I mentioned in my CV, I'm still a novice in programming."
Zaboru nodded, appreciating the honesty. "Let's say you were the lead developer at Gorokou, and you were in charge of creating a One Cycle Boy sequel. The original was fun but not much different from Alex Kidd or Super Mario Bros. on ZAGE platforms. So What would you do to create a great Sequel?"
Miyamoto took a steady breath and explained, "First, I'd introduce a variety of unicycle types to give players more options—each with its own unique ability, like speed, jump height, or blink. Next, I'd incorporate enemy characters—something I previously proposed to the lead developer, though he declined, believing it might make the game too difficult. I'd also design diverse stage variants and include hidden areas that can only be accessed with specific unicycles. For instance, a high-jump unicycle could allow players to reach secret routes or bonus zones. And finally, I'd ensure a collaborative approach—getting feedback from the entire dev team to strike the right balance and avoid cluttering the sequel with too many features."
Zaboru nodded, very satisfied.
Zaboru then asked one more thing. "Let's say you've already planned the improvements and started creating the sequel, but the cost of those improvements is too high. There are too many features to include, and the game cartridge doesn't have enough space. What would you do? Would you remove the feature, or do you have another solution? And let's assume this feature is something you truly want as a game developer."
Shigeru Miyamoto thought for a moment, then answered, "If it's my feature and I'm the lead, I definitely wouldn't remove it. Instead, I might ask for a timeline extension to optimize the feature so it can be included in the game cartridge, because that feature is important to me," he said with confidence.
*Truly talented. He'll be great at ZAGE. *Zaboru thought then he told Shigeru Miyamoto "That's a great answer, Shigeru-san. I hope you'll join us. It's a yes from me. Please head back to HR to discuss salary and benefits."
Shigeru's eyes widened. "Really, Ren-san? Thank you so much!"
He bowed and returned to the HR department.
Meanwhile, Zaboru leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Another rare find," he murmured. The thought of having secured three industry legends—Hideo Kojima, Satoru Iwata, and now Shigeru Miyamoto—filled him with quiet pride.
"Someday, these guys might lead entire ZAGE divisions... but I'll let their work speak for itself. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the team to make decisions based solely on what I know from my past life."
Zaboru chuckled and resumed his schedule, reviewing the current state of ZAGE's offices.
To be continued
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