Another world Game Developers in Japan`s 1991

Saturday, 5 July 1994 Morning – Bakudan Arcades

Toki Bakurou, owner of Bakudan Arcades, couldn't help but grin. It was only 6:30 in the morning, but already a crowd had gathered outside, eagerly lining up to get in. Toki turned his gaze to the three brand-new Tekken cabinets he had just received from Zaboru and ZAGE.

Zaboru had once promised him that whenever ZAGE released new arcade machines, Bakudan Arcade would be the first to receive them—with a "slight" discount. And in Zaboru's world, "slight" meant a 50% discount.

Toki grinned. This benefit was a personal gift from Zaboru—offered only to those he deeply trusted, which included both Toki and his longtime rival, Satonaka of Dream Catcher Arcade. Puffing his cigar and sipping his coffee, Toki chuckled to himself. "Not scamming that boy was the best decision I ever made. Now I get these insane ZAGE arcades at half price and top priority... but still, it's a shame I couldn't order more than three in the first batch. Sigh."

ZAGE arcade machines were in such high demand that if you didn't order fast enough, they were gone in a flash.

Toki then reminisced about how he got this special deal from Zaboru. Back when Zaboru was just starting out and ZAGE hadn't even launched yet, he showed Toki his arcade machine prototype—the Original ZAS. It featured four games: Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Super Mario Bros.

In mid-1991, the video game industry—and arcades in particular—were in decline. But Zaboru, still just a young regular at Bakudan Arcade, came to Toki with an idea: he wanted to sell his new arcade machine directly through Bakudan Toki agreed, intrigued by the boy's ambition and Toki really impressed about the game quality.Then, unexpectedly, Zaboru handed him a contract—a very exploitable one. One clause stated, "Zaboru needs to come twice a month to check the arcade," but didn't specify for how long.

Toki sighed at the obvious mistake. He could've taken advantage of it—but he didn't. Even then, he saw something in the boy and chose to support him. Besides, he knew the boy's father, Zanichi Renkonan, and was also aware that the boy had ties to the Hamazou family—the biggest Yakuza syndicate in all of Tokyo. Their princess, Ayumi Hamazou, was even helping Zaboru create this arcade. That alone told Toki the boy wasn't ordinary—and he was worth backing also to save his ass!.

Then Satonaka, who had received a similar offer from Zaboru, met with Toki. Satonaka warned—half serious, half joking—that scamming the boy wasn't an option, unless they wanted to end up floating in a river courtesy of the Hamazou family. In the end, both agreed: they wouldn't scam Zaboru. Instead, they modified the contract so that he wouldn't have to come and fix the machines himself.

When Toki told Zaboru about this, Zaboru realized his oversight and was genuinely grateful to both Toki and Satonaka. He made a promise: in the future, if ZAGE ever created arcade games, Bakudan and Dream Catcher would be given priority access and receive a 50% discount on all arcade cabinets.

That decision made everything easier. Not only did they receive priority access and generous discounts, but Zaboru frequently visited both Dream Catcher and Bakudan, which, in turn, made their arcades extremely popular. There was also a framed photo of Zaboru presenting his original ZAS machine, proudly displayed by Toki. Of the five original ZAS units, only three remain. Two were recently sold to wealthy gaming tycoons for a staggering 25 million yen each—an offer Toki couldn't refuse, especially considering he originally paid just 2 million yen per unit. A 46 million yen return was too good to pass up.

Still, the third machine has become a cherished memento. It's no longer playable. Instead, it stands as a piece of history—admired by players and treated like a museum piece within the arcade.

By 1994, Bakudan Arcade had grown into one of the largest and most iconic arcades in Tokyo, standing proudly alongside its rival, Dream Catcher. The arcade floor was dominated by ZAGE machines—ZAS systems made up nearly 80% of the lineup.

There were 3 cabinets of Rampage, 4 of Streets of Rage, 3 of 1942, 4 of Captain Commando, 3 of Joe & Mac: Stone Age Ninja, 7 Street Fighter cabinets (which were notoriously difficult to secure due to overwhelming demand), and 6 cabinets of MARVEL VS ZAGE, which were just as sought after.

Additional hits included 4 Mortal Kombat cabinets, 2 Dance Dance Revolution setups with full dance floors, and 2 OutRun sit-down cabinets—premium units that cost a fortune but paid for themselves through constant use. Near the entrance, 2 UFO Catchers offered doll and action figure prizes, always surrounded by excited players.

These arcade machines did nothing short of generating an insane amount of money for Toki. Thanks to them, he was able to renovate the entire arcade building, hire full-time staff, and still remain flush with cash.

Not to mention the ZEPS and ZEPS 2 rental consoles, which had also become popular at Bakudan Arcade. The arcade now had a dedicated room for home console rentals—six units for ZEPS 1 and six for ZEPS 2. Many players enjoyed coming to the arcade just to use them, especially those who were tired of playing alone at home.

Toki always keeps space ready for the next ZAGE arcade cabinets, because he knows every ZAGE arcade machine is incredibly popular—and for him, it's cheap with that 50% discount! Now, the newest batch includes 3 Tekken arcade cabinets that just arrived last night and are ready to be unleashed to players.

"Heh... that Zaboru brat is really something else," Toki muttered, eyeing the Tekken cabinets with a mix of awe and disbelief. "How the hell does he come up with stuff this fancy? I still don't know how that kid's brain works."

Toki chuckled to himself, then rolled up his sleeves and joined the staff in tidying up the arcade before opening time.

Time passed quickly. Now it was 8:00 AM—Bakudan Arcade was ready to open!

To be continued

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