Wednesday 17 May 1997.
Zaboru was relaxing in his office on the 52nd floor, casually leaning back in his chair. He grinned to himself. "So far, no one on the ZAGE forums has found Pepsi-man's second secret stage."
He chuckled. In ZEPS 3, Zaboru had packed the new version of Pepsi-man with tons of hidden content—stuff he'd never been able to include in the original. The community had been buzzing with theories and walkthroughs, especially around the game's many secrets. Yet, despite all the discussion, not a single player had uncovered the elusive second secret stage.
"It was too well hidden," Zaboru muttered, amused. "No one would think to play it that way."
Still grinning, he decided it was time to give the players a little push. He opened the ZAGE forums and typed up a post:
"Try playing Pepsi-man and avoid collecting any Pepsi cans in all stages. Then see what happens."
He hit 'Post' and sat back, knowing full well the chaos it would stir up. He could already imagine the forum threads exploding, players testing theories and arguing over the hint. But for now, Zaboru just smiled and got back to work. He knew the moment would come—but he didn't mind waiting.
Meanwhile, in a small U.S. household, a high school student named Jerry Dave had just returned from school. Without wasting a second, he dropped his backpack, dashed to his room, and fired up his ZEPS 3 console.
Today's mission? Play more Pepsi-man.
Jerry wasn't exactly a skilled gamer—in fact, by his own standards, he was pretty terrible. But something about Pepsi-man clicked with him. The game was tough, unforgiving even, but that only made each victory feel sweeter. No matter how many times he failed, he kept trying. And when he finally cleared a level, the rush of satisfaction was unbeatable. He wasn't just playing—he was determined to conquer it, one can of Pepsi at a time.
By now, Jerry had already completed the main Pepsi-man stages, and he was loving every moment of it. The normal levels were packed with hidden secrets—many of them referencing other ZAGE IPs. One particularly funny easter egg happened when he slid into a guy wearing a red bandana. If Pepsi-man knocked him over three times in a row during one of the stages, the fourth time triggered a surprise: the guy stood up and shouted, "Hadouken!" before blasting Pepsi-man and making him stagger. Jerry burst out laughing at the unexpected Street Fighter nod.
Now, he was diving into the infamous "Fantasy Route," a series of secret stages known among hardcore ZAGE games and in pepsi man the way to access it is to get all available pepsi-can in all stages. With a grin on his face, Jerry leaned forward, fully focused. And now, he was already deep into the final boss stage, ready to finish what had become one of the most exciting gaming experiences of his life.
In Pepsi-man's Fantasy Route, Jerry still plays as Pepsi-man, unlike other ZAGE games where players usually control Zabo-man in their respective fantasy routes. But that's not the only thing that's different—the gameplay shifts dramatically. Instead of the usual linear obstacle-dodging format, the Fantasy Route transforms into a high-speed race against rival characters. While still dodging obstacles along the way, the added pressure of racing changes the dynamic completely. Each of the six stages is themed around a specific boss, with its own unique mechanics, environments, and surprises. The Fantasy Route isn't just a secret—it's a full-blown challenge designed to push even the most dedicated players to their limits while also being reference to ZAGE popular title.
The first stage pits Jerry against Mario-Man—a character clearly modeled after a certain iconic plumber. He looks just like pepsi man but, with a red cap, blue overalls, and a thick mustache. Mario-Man jumps incredibly high, and each time he leaps, he shouts a loud, exaggerated "Yahoo!" just like in the OG Mario.
The level design is a direct homage to Super Mario 64, which is another ZAGE ZEPS 3 release date . Floating platforms, spinning blocks, coin-like collectibles, and bright, whimsical landscapes make up the stage. But unlike in Mario's world, here it's a race—Jerry has to outrun Mario-Man while navigating the chaotic, colorful environment. It's both a parody and a tribute, and Jerry can't help but laugh as he dashes past Goomba-like enemies and question mark blocks, all while Pepsi-man barrels ahead at top speed.
The next stage features Brock Lesnar, the main character from Rollerdance, another hit title from the ZAGE lineup. Brock is massive, muscular, and decked out in flashy roller shoes, giving him incredible speed across flat terrain. From the moment the race begins, he blasts forward with intimidating force, easily outpacing the pepsi-man. But there's a catch—he can't jump.
This weakness becomes obvious during sections filled with gaps and elevated platforms. Every time a jump segment appears, Brock stumbles and slows down significantly, giving Jerry the perfect opportunity to leap past him. The stage itself is a chaotic urban roller derby—city streets packed with bizarre obstacles, neon ramps, floating traffic cones, and even random pedestrians doing backflips. The combination of speed and precise jumping keeps Jerry on edge, but he quickly learns how to time his moves to gain the upper hand. It's a wild, high-energy level with just the right amount of ridiculousness—and Jerry loves every second of it.
The third stage puts Jerry up against the T-800, a playable character from the ZAGE Contra franchise. Unlike the previous opponents, T-800 is slower and more methodical—but what he lacks in speed, he makes up for in firepower. Throughout the race, he fires heavy artillery directly at the road, creating explosions, craters, and debris that Jerry must quickly dodge.
The stage itself takes place in a gritty, heavily fortified military base, filled with flashing alarms, broken machinery, and alien creatures that burst out from the shadows—just like in the Contra games. Each section feels like a war zone, and the chaos only ramps up as the T-800 intensifies his attacks. Jerry has to stay alert and time his movements perfectly, weaving through destruction while keeping up the pace. It's a slower, heavier race, but no less thrilling.
The fourth stage is against Ryu Hayabusa, and this time, Jerry is up against an opponent with no clear weakness. Ryu is incredibly fast, agile, and relentless—his movements are sharp and unpredictable, making even the smallest mistake costly. Unlike the earlier bosses, who each had exploitable flaws, Ryu demands near-perfect execution. Jerry knows he'll need to play at his absolute best to stand a chance.
The stage is set in a traditional Japanese forest, complete with misty pathways, ancient shrines, and rustic village buildings nestled between towering trees. It's beautiful but treacherous, with narrow bridges, hidden traps, and winding terrain that tests both speed and precision.
After several tense attempts, retries, and near wins, Jerry finally manages to pull off a flawless run. With a breathless finish, he crosses the line just ahead of Ryu. Victory feels hard-earned—and absolutely worth it.
Then in the fifth stage, Jerry meets his most difficult opponent yet—Sonic. This stage is notoriously hard, demanding absolute precision and speed. From the start, Sonic doesn't take the race seriously. As soon as the countdown ends, he dashes off at lightning speed and is already halfway through the stage within seconds. But then, in typical Sonic fashion, he stops abruptly to buy a hot dog, casually eats it, and falls asleep on the spot.
However, the stage has a unique mechanic: if Pepsi-man doesn't reach Sonic within a strict time limit, Sonic will wake up, yawn, and immediately sprint to the finish line, ending the race before Jerry can catch up. But if Pepsi-man does meet the time requirement, Sonic will lazily stretch, speed up toward the finish line—but stop just before crossing it. Instead, he veers off to a nearby music store and starts jamming out to some tunes, giving Jerry one final window to pass him.
The time requirements for this stage are brutal. It demands a flawless, near-perfect run from start to finish. One mistake, one late jump, and it's over. For Jerry, this stage isn't just a race—it's a full-on test of mastery, reflexes, and timing.
After countless tries, Jerry finally managed to beat the stage. He let out a deep breath, heart racing, fingers sore—but his determination had paid off. With a triumphant grin, he advanced to the final stage, ready to face whatever challenge lay ahead.
The final boss is none other than Zabo-man—and unlike all the previous stages in the Fantasy Route, this one isn't a race. Instead, it's a return to the classic Pepsi-man format: a brutal gauntlet of traps, chaos, and precision running. But this time, the difficulty is cranked up to eleven.
Zabo-man doesn't just chase—he hunts. He throws everything at Jerry's Pepsi-man: guided missiles that track your movement, spears that launch from hidden walls, rolling bombs, bursts of magic energy, even flying cars and collapsing trees. Every few seconds, the stage layout shifts dramatically, forcing Jerry to react instantly. At one point, Zabo-man summons a massive pitfall out of nowhere, nearly sending Pepsi-man plummeting into darkness. The timing required is punishing.
"Damn! I died again!" Jerry groaned, gripping his controller tighter. Zabo-man's laser attacks are especially vicious—fast, frequent, and fired without warning. More than once, Jerry was blasted mid-run with no time to dodge. Each attempt ended in frustration... but also determination.
Jerry retried the level over and over, learning each trap, memorizing the enemy patterns, and refining his timing to perfection. Sweat gathered on his brow. He dodged missiles by a hair. He leapt over collapsing platforms just in time. And then, after what felt like an eternity of trial and error, it happened.
Pepsi-man sprinted through the final stretch, Zabo-man unleashing a storm of final attacks. Jerry's reflexes locked in. He made every jump, dodged every blast, and crossed the finish line—just barely.
The screen faded to white. A cutscene played. Zabo-man, bruised but smiling, raised a gloved hand and gave Pepsi-man a big, exaggerated thumbs-up.
"You are very cool," he said with a grin.
Jerry dropped his controller and laughed out loud, relief and pride washing over him. It was the hardest stage yet—but it was also the most satisfying victory in the entire game.
Jerry grinned. "YEAGH! Finally beat the game!" he shouted, still buzzing from the adrenaline of that final Zabo-man stage. Without wasting a second, he jumped up, raced over to his PC, and opened the ZAGE forums to see what the community was saying.
But then something caught his eye—a post from Zaboru himself.
He blinked, confused.
"Try playing Pepsi-man and avoid collecting any Pepsi cans in all stages. Then see what happens."
Jerry leaned in. "What!? No Pepsi cans? Is that even possible?" he muttered.
To him, the Pepsi cans weren't just collectibles—they were part of the experience. They were the currency, the score system, the rhythm of the levels. They were everywhere. Could someone really avoid them all?
He leaned back in his chair, grinning.
"Well… why not try?"
With a flick of his controller, he rebooted the game.
To be continued...