Fantasy VII series, Zack is an unlockable character in the PlayStation version of the fighting game Ehrgeiz, where is playable in arcade, versus, and minigame events. He made his debut appearance in the Kingdom Hearts series in the prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep for the PlayStation Portable, where he has a more youthful appearance than in his Final Fantasy incarnation. He is featured prominently in the Olympus Coliseum, commonly participating in tournaments in order to achieve his dream of becoming a hero. As the game is a prequel to the other Kingdom Hearts titles, the staff chose him as they wanted a character from a Final Fantasy prequel. Zack appears at the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake during a flashback scene, where he survives the ambush by Shinra forces and continues dragging Cloud toward Midgar. It is implied that the scene takes place in another timeline from the main narrative. Reception Popularity Critical response to Zack's character has generally been positive. In IGNs 2008 list of Final Fantasy VII top ten characters list, Zack made sixth place, with IGN's Dave Smith noting that "his check-out scene in Crisis Core is just about as epic as it gets in videogames." In 2010, Famitsu readers voted Zack the 37th most popular video game character in Japan. GamesRadars Jim Sterling found Zack to be one of video game's most sexually appealing male characters due to his personality and look. In 2013, Complex ranked Zack as the 18th greatest Final Fantasy character of all time, as well as the sixth greatest soldier in video games. In a survey, Zack was voted the 16th best character voiced by Suzumura. Critical response Zack's role in Crisis Core has received a mainly positive reaction. IGNs Ryan Clements particularly praised Zack's relationships with the other main characters. 1UP.coms Jeremy Parish agreed with Clements, arguing that Zack's story contrasted with other RPG plots, calling it "the heart of the game." Kevin VanOrd from GameSpot labelled Zack a "likable and complex hero," arguing that he "transcends the usual spiky-haired heroism and teenage angst with an uncommon maturity that develops as the game continues." GameSpys Gerald Villoria described Zack as "King of the Nice Guys," noting that even though he can be a "pretty hate-worthy character if you're the jaded type who mocks the typical Final Fantasy storyline," players who dislike him could come to appreciate him. Zack was