Tuesday 9 March 1996 ZAGE USA.
It was already around 20:00, and the workday had officially ended. The office lights were dimming, the halls were quiet, and most of the ZAGE staff had already gone home. Zaboru, however, stayed behind, feeling the familiar itch to unwind the way he always did—by diving into a new game. Tonight, he had something special lined up: Sonaya's latest release, Sherif Juan 3. The game had just launched the day before, and as one of Sonaya's most iconic franchises—right up there with The Sun Knight—Zaboru had been looking forward to it.
Sherif Juan was a legendary figure in Sonaya's library, a cowboy lawman with a flair for wild action and over-the-top enemies. Zaboru remembered the early games fondly, and hearing there was a new installment had piqued his curiosity. With the office now his own quiet playground, he decided it was the perfect time to see what this sequel had to offer.
"Well, I actually love this Sherif Juan series," Zaboru chuckled. The very first Sherif Juan game had launched on Sonaya's old 8-bit console—the MGB, or Mugen Game Box. That title had a special place in his heart because it was developed by none other than his father, back when he still worked at Sonaya. It became a huge hit in its day, not just for its quirky cowboy charm but also for its creative level design and catchy soundtrack.
The sequel, Sherif Juan 2, had been one of the major launch titles for Sonaya's current 16-bit system, the Titan Drive. It built on everything the original did well—better graphics, tighter controls, more cinematic storytelling—and managed to become a staple franchise for the company. Zaboru had played both games to completion more times than he could count, and now, with Sherif Juan 3 in his hands, he couldn't help but feel a mix of nostalgia and excitement.
Zaboru chuckled, his curiosity growing stronger as he glanced down at the box of Sherif Juan 3 resting on his desk. He carefully opened it, appreciating the cover art and design for a moment before pulling out the cartridge. With a sense of eager anticipation, he walked over to his Titan Drive, slid the cartridge into place, and powered up the console. The startup screen flickered to life with a familiar chime. Zaboru leaned back in his chair, controller in hand, ready to lose himself in the world of Sherif Juan for the rest of the night.
The game started with a dramatic 16-bit cutscene, complete with pixelated animation and a gritty, western-style soundtrack playing in the background.
"The legendary Sherif Juan is once again in peril! A new threat looms over RockVile Town—a mysterious figure known only as the Ghost Cowboy has invaded, bringing chaos and fear to the once peaceful region. The sheriff's outposts have been taken over, and a gang of sinister cowboys now runs wild under the Ghost Cowboy's command!"
The screen flashed as a lineup of menacing silhouettes appeared, each one more dangerous-looking than the last.
"Sherif Juan must take them down one by one. These outlaws go by the name… the Ghost Cowboys. There are six of them: Eduardo the Thunder Shot, master of lightning-fast gunplay; Soso the Poishot, a sneaky chemist with deadly toxins; Kimo Kimo the Untameable, a brawler with brute strength and an unpredictable rage; Cuardado the Slick, a shadowy trickster who vanishes into thin air; Lemohio the Four Revolver, an alien-like marksman with four deadly arms; and finally, their leader—the enigmatic Ghost of RockVile… Shin."
The title screen then flashed in bold letters: Sherif Juan 3: Ghost Showdown. The crowd of enemies dissolved into static, and the game menu faded in.
Zaboru smirked. "Now this looks fun."
Zaboru chuckled. It was typical Sherif Juan fashion to feature a quirky lineup of eccentric villains. What caught him off guard, though, was the stage select screen. As the game loaded in, he found himself able to choose which route to start with.
To his surprise, there were five different paths available right from the beginning: Eduardo, Soso, Kimo Kimo, Cuardado, and Lemohio. Each name pulsed with stylized animations on the screen, giving players a taste of what kind of enemy they'd be up against.
Zaboru raised an eyebrow and let out another amused chuckle. "I see... so they're copying ZAGE's Megaman-style stage structure. Interesting." He leaned forward in his chair, genuinely intrigued by the design choice.
"It's not a bad idea," he muttered. "Actually… it's kind of smart."
Then the gameplay began. As expected, it followed the classic side-scrolling platform shooter style that fans of the series were familiar with. Sherif Juan was armed with his signature weapons: the "Juan Revolver" for fast, single-shot attacks, the "Juan Lasso" for stunning enemies or pulling items, and the "Juan Knife" for close-quarters melee combat.
Each weapon had its own feel and strategy, and all could be upgraded using points earned by defeating enemies and bosses. The upgrades added new functions—like multi-shot modes for the revolver, extended reach for the lasso, and elemental damage for the knife.
Zaboru chose Eduardo's route first, which took him through a desert stage filled with eerie, crackling thunder that danced across the sky. The setting was atmospheric—hot, dry, and strangely charged. As he moved forward, Zaboru encountered unusual enemies: outlaws wielding electrified batons, their attacks sparking with blue energy. It felt out of place, but also oddly fitting for a game that thrived on its eccentric villains.
Using Sherif Juan's precise shooting mechanics, Zaboru quickly handled the enemies without much trouble. The controls felt responsive, and the flow of combat was satisfying. After clearing several waves, he finally reached the stage boss—Eduardo the Thundershot.
The fight began with an explosive intro cutscene showing Eduardo standing tall in a storm, wielding an ancient, heavily modified revolver that could fire thunderbolts. The catch? The gun had to be charged before it could unleash its full power. During the battle, Eduardo frequently stopped to charge his weapon, giving Zaboru windows of opportunity to attack. But once Eduardo fired, the thunder bullets flew across the screen at breakneck speed—nearly impossible to dodge without quick reflexes.
Despite the challenge, Zaboru's skills carried him through. He studied Eduardo's patterns, dodged with precision, and landed clean hits between charge phases. After a few intense minutes, Eduardo fell, and Zaboru claimed his reward—a new weapon: the Thunder Revolver.
Zaboru continued progressing through boss after boss, each stage bringing a fresh wave of creativity and challenge. One of the first was Soso the Poishot, a sly and slippery chemist who specialized in poison-based attacks. Throughout the level, Soso littered the ground with hidden toxin traps and threw poisonous bombs that exploded in colorful, noxious clouds. Needle attacks came from off-screen at unexpected moments, keeping Zaboru on his toes. Despite the chaos, Zaboru navigated the stage with sharp reflexes and clever weapon use, eventually defeating Soso in a tense showdown that required constant movement and awareness.
Next came Kimo Kimo the Untameable—a hulking brute of a man with a body like a walking tank. Instead of wielding his weapon traditionally, Kimo Kimo had taken a massive four-barrel shotgun and fused it into his arm like a mechanical fist. He used it for both short-range explosive punches and devastating point-blank blasts. His stage was littered with collapsing platforms and debris that mirrored his destructive nature. Zaboru was impressed by the sheer force of the design—it felt like fighting a boss from a completely different genre. Still, he held his ground, dodging Kimo Kimo's wild attacks until he found an opening to finish him off.
Then Zaboru faced off against Cuardado the Slick. Cuardado was one of the trickiest enemies yet—capable of turning invisible and blinking short distances, making him incredibly hard to hit. He wielded a rare artifact known as the "Desert Coat," which allowed him to blend seamlessly with the sandy environment, vanishing like a mirage. The stage design made clever use of this mechanic, with swirling sandstorms and deceptive shadows that forced players to stay alert.
After a hard-fought battle and careful use of the Thunder Revolver's area splash effect, Zaboru finally landed enough hits to bring Cuardado down. The victory granted him the Desert Coat ability, allowing Sherif Juan to momentarily cloak himself from enemy view.
Next came Lemohio the Four Revolver—a bizarre, otherworldly figure with four arms and a reputation for inhuman precision. Rumors within the game's lore even suggested he might be an alien. Each of his hands wielded a separate revolver, and his attacks came in synchronized waves of gunfire that tested the player's reflexes like no other boss. It felt like a bullet-hell showdown within a western setting, and Zaboru loved every second of it.
Each time Sherif Juan defeated a boss, he was rewarded with a unique weapon or ability that reflected the defeated foe's specialty. After taking down Eduardo, Zaboru earned the powerful Thunder Revolver—perfect for delivering heavy damage with electric flair. Beating Soso granted him access to a Poison Bomb, which left lingering clouds that damaged enemies over time and disrupted formations.
When Kimo Kimo fell, Sherif Juan obtained the devastating Four-Barrel Shotgun, a brutal short-range weapon with a wide spread and high impact. Defeating Cuardado unlocked the Desert Coat, an ability that allowed Juan to briefly turn invisible—ideal for stealthy movement or dodging incoming attacks. And finally, after defeating Lemohio, Sherif Juan was gifted with "Alien Blood," a strange and powerful upgrade that permanently increased his mana pool, allowing him to use special attacks more frequently.
These rewards made each boss encounter feel meaningful and gave players more strategic options as they progressed through the game.
The final boss was a surprising twist—he was Japanese and went by the name Shin. Clad in imposing, shogun-style armor with a striking red color palette, Shin immediately stood out from the rest of the western-themed cast. His weapon was especially unique: a katana with a revolver handle, allowing it to function both as a melee weapon and a ranged firearm. It was an unusual and stylish fusion of samurai tradition and gunslinger tech, making the showdown with him feel like the culmination of two worlds colliding.
The fight was incredibly tough. Shin didn't play like a typical Sherif Juan boss—he felt more like an endgame villain from Ninja Gaiden. He was fast, precise, and lethal, dodging attacks with ease and striking back with devastating speed. His revolver-katana hybrid allowed for unpredictable combos that kept Zaboru on high alert throughout the battle.
But Zaboru's skills weren't to be underestimated. After a few failed attempts and some careful pattern recognition, he finally managed to defeat Shin in a hard-fought duel.
Then came the twist.
It was revealed that Shin was a former slave, once brought to RockVile against his will. All he wanted was freedom and the chance to return to his homeland—but the corrupt RockVile Governor refused to let him go, fearing what Shin represented: resistance, rebellion, and the truth behind the Governor's rule.
This made Sherif Juan question not only the RockVile Governor but his entire country. Were his actions truly just? Was he on the right side of the law, or merely a pawn in a corrupt system? The game ended on a powerful cliffhanger, hinting at a deeper conflict yet to unfold and planting seeds of doubt in the hero's once-clear convictions. It was a bold and thought-provoking way to close the story, and it lingered in Zaboru's mind long after the credits rolled.
Zaboru chuckled as he finished playing. "Honestly, the graphics and soundtrack were fantastic. The movement felt really fluid, and that cliffhanger ending? Pretty amusing stuff—it was really well done." He chuckled again. "They definitely referenced Mega Man with the stage structure, huh? Funny thing is, I haven't released a new Mega Man game in a while... but I've got plans for that."
Zaboru chuckled, clearly satisfied with the experience. "Well, this Sherif Juan 3 is a solid 8.5 from me," he said with a grin. Stretching his arms, he realized he had been playing for nearly four hours. The clock now read just past midnight. With a content sigh, he began gathering his things, shut down the console, and finally made his way home.
To be continue
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 11 advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 3 bucks considering subscribe to my patreon