Seriously. It is probably the Best Video Game.
I have made well over a dozen stages (and I think that most of them are good!), and have ideas upon ideas for more to come. Also, Talking Time is absolutely flush with other people who make great stages, so I don’t necessarily have to dig through the piles of crap stages to find the gold.
I want to write about it at length, so that’s all for today. Here’s a trailer.
August. What is there to say about August?
Absolutely nothing.
Mega Man 6 (NES) – Typically one of the less-appreciated Megamns. I really like it! The Rush adapters are a lot of fun, and almost make up for the lameish robot master weapons. Also it’s maybe a little on the easy side, making it a breeze to burn through in an afternoon.
Life is Strange: Episode 4 – Dark Room (PC) – I was greatly disappointed by one of the bigger story beats, but enjoyed everything else about this episode. Many times I thought something horrible was going to happen, but it never did. Because they were saving it all for the end. Yikes.
Submerged (PC) – Lovely game about boating around a city that’s half underwater and climbing up buildings. It’s like Shadow of the Colossus, but with a boat instead of a horse, and a total lack of violence. Only takes around five or six hours to complete, too.
Mega Man 4 (NES) – What? Ryan’s playing Mega Mans? WHAT A SURPRISE. …you know how I feel about Mega Man 4.
Mega Man (NES) – Ugh… this one is pretty bad. Have I mentioned that before? No unplayable, but frustrating and kind of a joke compared to the rest of the NES games.
Mega Man 2 (NES) – And then this one is so good. Not the best, but pretty darn close.
Mega Man 3 (NES) – This one is the best. I’ve even played it so many times now that I only have a little bit of trouble with the Doc Robot stages. Hooray!
Five Nights at Freddy’s (iOS) – I bought the mobile version because I thought it would be easier to handle if I could play it while in my parents’ living room with people around. Nope! The tension is still unbearable. Also it crashes like nobody’s business. So I’m stuck on Night 2 forever.
Bravely Default (3DS) – Playing over a year after everyone else got bored of it has a certain benefit: a lot of the streetpass/friend list bonuses are totally broken since my allies are all done the game, many of them having maxed out job levels and whatnot. And I’m really enjoying it! I’m already getting hyped for the sequel, though I’m only on chapter 3 of this game.
Picross e6 (3DS) – Mo’ Picross, mo’ problems. Or, not. Because Picross makes me happy.
Fallout: New Vegas (PC) – Don’t know what it is, but as much as I enjoy this game, I find it very difficult to invest time in it. Also, a maxed out Sneak stat isn’t nearly as effective as I’d like it to be.
Earthbound Beginnings (NES) – Honestly, it’s starting to feel a little tedious. If Lloyd and Ana had joined the party at a respectable level, maybe things could have been different… Whatever. I’m nearing the end. Just got to keep pressing forward. Sloooooowly.
Dark Souls (360) – Yeah I went back to this for a bit. Made some progress. Probably going to keep not writing about it though.
Papo & Yo (PC) – A puzzle platformer of sorts. Wherein the boy you play as has a robot for a backpack and a monster for a buddy. Also said monster sometimes goes on horrible, violent rampages after eating frogs. Only an hour in, it’s been enjoyable.
Chrono Trigger (DS) – Logged a couple hours in here. Chipping away at my goal of unlocking all of the endings, one baby step at a time. I currently have four of thirteen.
Secret of Mana (SNES) – Started a new run because my brother had never played it past Spikey. I don’t blame him. That’s a tough (and very cheap) boss. Might take forever to finish, because we usually play Monster Hunter or Smash Bros instead.
Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GC) – Started a new run because my buddy had never played it. Might also take forever to finish. Because we have like seventeen million games on the go right now. (We are terrible at finishing games.)
Yesterday, the news broke that Nintendo’s Global President, Satoru Iwata, had passed away.
Now I’m heartbroken all over again. When you think of the CEO of a giant global company, you don’t think of someone like Mr. Iwata. His warmth and sense of humour made Nintendo Directs such a joy to watch, and his contributions to Nintendo as a programmer are legendary.
Edit: Aw, heck. Here’s another one by a fellow Talking Time member.
Rest in peace, Iwata-san.
Um… preamble… I don’t know.
I recently paid to renew my webhosting. Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I really wanted to any more. But I can’t let go. I just… I would be throwing away everything since 2006. You know, I kind of wish I actually could get a do-over and go back to 2006, with one very key piece of information.
Uh, but anyway, video games!
Super Mario 64 (N64) – This has been my go-to Favourite Video Game for over a decade now, and to be completely honest, it’s getting harder and harder to sit through on each replay. Because it’s clunky and old. If there were a remake (with analog controls) I’m sure it’d be fine.
Jazzpunk (PC) – It’s a fairly short little comedy game. Not a lot of “game” to be had, with the exception of a bunch of cheap little mini-games peppered throughout. Mostly you just wander about and enjoy puns and sight gags. Good, but not $15 good.
Heart Beaten (3DS) – Essentially bargain bin Wario Ware, with very few games. It was fun while it lasted, though. And cheap!
Ultimate NES Remix (3DS) – Done and dusted. It’s a really great premise, but a little lopsided in the favour of Mario (to nobody’s surprise). Probably would’ve been even more fun if I hadn’t opted to get rainbow stars on every challenge. I’d love a Game Boy or SNES Remix to follow.
We’re going to mix things up a little this month. I’ve decided that the Game Over section should get first billing, and then have a rundown of what I’m currently playing. I think that putting the focus on my “accomplishments” for the month is a little more interesting. And when I say more interesting, I mean that for myself when I look back on these, not for you reading it right now.
Originally the idea of this feature was to keep track of what I was playing and encourage me to leave fewer games sitting half-done. That hasn’t been the case at all, as you’ll see if you look back at how many Now Playing entries just vanished and never showed up in Game Over. I still just start games on a whim and let them wither and die when something new comes along.
Shadow of the Colossus HD (PS3) – If you’d told me that I could like SotC even more than I already did, I’d have said it wasn’t possible. But then I played it in 3D and here we are. Possibly the best (only?) reason to own a 3D-enabled TV.
BOXBOY! (3DS) – A brilliant little puzzle-platformer by HAL Laboratory. Not surprising, since everything they do is wonderful. The gameplay is incredibly thoughtful and satisfying, and you can dress up the main character, Qbby, as a rapper or a bunny or even a girl. Hooray!
Life is Strange: Episode 2 – Out of Time (PC) – I really liked Episode 1, and Ep.2 might have been even better. I don’t much care for hot button social commentary in my video games, but I think the “Internet Bullying/Slut-Shaming is Bad” theme was handled fairly well. I find myself caring about what happens to these characters, so… Good work, Dontnod. Keep it up. Continue reading Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – April 2015
You know how every once in a while I talk about how something in my environment triggers a loosely-related memory? I had a really strong one of those yesterday. I was listening to Firehouse at work, and for whatever reason, it brought up memories of Mega Man Battle Network 4.
If you’ve actually paid attention to my ramblings over the last however many years, you know that Battle Network 4 and I have a rocky relationship. In fact, I might even say that I hate it. It is, by a wide margin, the worst in its series. And that’s mostly because it’s overdesigned and padded all to heck. However, when we started out, MMBN4 and I got along fairly well.
The Mega Man Battle Network series was an annual release for the first six years of the Game Boy Advance’s lifespan. I got in on the second installment (which many rightly consider to be the best), and lured the eldest of my brothers into its grips before long. From that point on, we would eagerly await the release of the newest entry each year and spend the summer playing through together.
Yeesh, it’s April already. Funny to think that as of today, I’ll have been a homeowner for exactly three years.
Fooled you! It’s actually May 1st that I took possession of my house.
That… that was terrible. Let’s just get onto the video game stuff.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) – As much as I love Smash Bros, I have to say that if I were restricted to one single game for the rest of my days, it’d be a MonHun game. Preferably this one.
Majora’s Mask 3D (3DS) – If I had to choose only one Zelda to play forever? It’d be Wind Waker, but Majora is a very close second.
You didn’t ask for it, but I know you’re curious. So here’s the complete list of video games I own that I’ve never played. This is not including re-releases that I haven’t played, but have played the original release (because there are lots of those too). Nor does it include games that I have played for at least one minute.
Prepare yourself, you are about to stare directly into the depths of my sickness.
Merry MegaMas, everyone!
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Super Smash Bros for Wii U (WiiU) – Words about Smash Brothers.
Hyrule Warriors (WiiU) – Forever. It’s going to last forever.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (WiiU) – Delightful. Though sometimes needlessly cruel.
Always Sometimes Monsters (PC) – Slow going on this one. I’ve played through two and a half days, and it seems like there isn’t always something to do? Maybe I need to talk to more people. Unless it gets more interesting, I might have to shelve this one. It’s a shame, because it seemed really neat at first.
Super Smash Bros for 3DS (3DS) – I told you last month, it’s considered beaten, but I’m not done with it yet. Had to hunt down all of those trophies! …and then just play more.
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii) – Decided to go back to this for a bit because it’s wonderful and worth beating. We’ll see if I can make it though, as it gets incredibly difficult. Working on World 7 at the moment.
Alien: Isolation (360) – More of this happened, but very little progress was made. Stuck partway through chapter ten, I think?
A Kappa’s Trail (DSi) – A game I got for free through Club Nintendo. It’s one of those rare games that’s played entirely with the touch screen, but is also really good.
Sacred Citadel (PC) – I was intent on just burning my way to the end of this one, but then the difficulty spiked on Act 4 and I don’t really wanna grind levels…
Lucadian Chronicles (WiiU) – A card battle game. Free, so I gave it a shot. Passed the first chapter, don’t know if I’ll ever go back.
Saints Row IV (PC) – Here we go, down the rabbit hole again…
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire (3DS) – Nuzlocke victory!!
Mega Man Legends (PS1) – One of my favourite Playstation games. Some of the best 3D visuals on the machine, if nothing else (there is plenty of else).
Evoland (PC) – It’s a cute little indie game wherein you actually collect the game mechanics, graphics, etc as you go. Eventually it loses is way and ends up being about twice as long as it needs to be. Still, at 3-4 hours long, it’s not a dealbreaker.
Dragon Quest (iOS) – It’s Dragon Quest. There’s not a lot to say about it.
The Letter (WiiU) – Not the worst dollar I’ve spent, but I’m a little disappointed that Nintendo is apparently letting just anything onto the eShop. Whatever happened to quality control?
Dead Bits (PC) – It’s kind of crappy. But I only paid sixteen cents for it, so I can’t really complain.
Mega Man 4 (NES) – Still my favourite Mega Man.
Mega Man IV (GB) – A wonderful game through and through, with the single glaring exception of Crystal Man’s stage. It is, in a word, poop.
Mega Man II (GB) – Yup, still embarrassingly easy. Terrible soundtrack.
Mega Man 5 (NES) – Almost as easy. The Protoman and Wily Castles have some challenging levels, and Charge Man is the only boss that isn’t a complete pushover.
Mega Man 3 (NES) – Great until Doc Robot shows up. Then it becomes almost unbearably hard.
Mega Man III (GB) – The exact opposite of MMII GB. So, very difficult and perfect music (or at least as close to perfect as the Game Boy is going to get).
Super Mario Advance (GBA) – Intended to play through every stage, but I accidentally warped past World 6. Didn’t even know that there was a warp in 5-3, because I always use the 4-2 warp.
Okay, so… I didn’t actually play an N64 game in December. Fact is, I ran out of games that I wanted to play, and I couldn’t find any other decent ones for cheap. So I did the next best thing: I played a Playstation game that is also a Nintendo 64 game.
Aside from having changed the title from Mega Man Legends to Mega Man 64, the game is almost the exact same. Slightly better graphics and slightly inferior audio are the traits that define the N64 port from its source material. If you don’t believe me, here’s a list of differences between the two. I think that justifies me.
For the record, I also “cheated” last month, as I played the Virtual Console version of Majora’s Mask instead of the N64 cartridge that was sitting right there.
It should be noted right away that I love Mega Man Legends. Yeah, I know I probably shouldn’t put the conclusion so close to the beginning, but this is a retrospective, not a review. You’re not here to look for a score before rushing out to buy the game. You’re reading this because you’re interested in my thoughts on Mega Man Legends… I mean Mega Man 64. Either way.
Legends was the first 3D Mega Man game. It also came out at a time where the Mega Man X series began to spiral out of control and get all serious and grimdark. As a result, you might think that it would also be a “mature” title. In fact, it’s about as colourful and cartoony as games get. At least on the surface…
At the outset of the game, your airship has crashed on an island that barely registers as a speck on the map of the somehow-flooded Earth. It’s filled with lively people and cute animals, and you have a family of goofy pirates as your rivals. The voice acting is silly (in a good way), and the main characters all have animated faces pained onto their polygonal heads. It’s very light-hearted and fun.
Oh and also the pirates command an army of adorable little LEGO men. It really doesn’t get any cuter than this.
Then by the end of the game, you’ve delved into several caverns filled with bloodthirsty robots, several districts of the city have been demolished, and it turns out that the treasure you’ve been seeking the whole time is actually a robot who intends to murder everyone on the island with a giant ion cannon (or something like that). That took a dark turn.
Those are just the broad strokes, though. And it’s not really the story that stands out. You really have to play the game (and be thorough about it) to be able to appreciate its wonderful characterization and setting. All of the main characters are lovable and overflowing with personality. To think that a Playstation game could have such three-dimensional characters is almost astounding. Even though you never stray from Kattleox Island, you’ll never long for more, as the game world is abounding with its own personality and has plenty of areas to explore and little secret and details to discover.
You will, however, feel like maybe there could be more game there. And not because it’s too short or otherwise lacks content, but because it’s simply a joy to play. The controls take some getting used to, but once you get a feel for moving around, moving around is pretty fun in and of itself. Mega Man Legends is one of those games where it’s fun just to jump. It just feels so right. And it sounds right too. The mechanical whoosh sound effect is perfect, and you can really feel the impact of a landing. I don’t know how exactly, but that’s just the way it is. Jumping is very satisfying.
Of course, Mega Man has other moves, too. There’s a sideways roll that’s sort of hard to pull off, but it’s pretty cool. Later on, you get a pair of “jet skates” that allow you to… I don’t even know the word to describe what they do. You press the button, and Mega Man leans forward and just sort of glides along the ground. It’s weirder than just allowing him to dash, but it’s unique and pretty fun. And your feet shoot out sparks when you turn! Neat!
Then there’s the massive arsenal of weapons. Check it out; Mega Man’s got land mines, grenades, a machine gun, a vacuum arm (?), a drill arm, a laser beam, and much more. Each one can be upgraded in several areas (firepower, range, etc), but enhancements will cost you a huge chunk of change. The downside is that you can only equip one special weapon at a time, and you’ve got to have Roll switch them out for you when you want a different one. So you’ve either got to know what’s coming and prepare accordingly, or just pick one you like and hope for the best.
Special weapons are definitely secondary, though. Mega Man’s trusty Mega Buster is always equipped, and will get you through even the toughest scrapes. You get to customize it with different parts too, which will change how it works. Want a powerful shot? Equip a couple of Power raisers. Maybe you’d rather just overwhelm you enemies with continuous fire? Use parts that increase your rate of fire and energy (which dictates how many shots you can fire in a row). Perhaps you’re more interested in a challenge? Try to beat the game without using any Buster parts. It’s very flexible!
Despite all the options, combat is a little stiff. Mega Man can lock onto enemies, but he’s completely immobile while doing so. It’s a little more Resident Evil than Mega Man. Fortunately, locking on isn’t terribly important, and it’s just as easy to defeat most enemies without using the feature. Occasionally it’s somewhat necessary, and in those instances you really need to learn to find your best opportunities to attack.
Mega Man Legends, in my opinion at least, has aged pretty well. The joints are a little creaky, sure, but it holds up a heck of a lot better than the vast majority of 3D Playstation games. Against the heavy hitters of the N64? Maybe not quite as well, but there’s nothing else like it on the N64, so it’d still be a welcome addition to anybody’s library. At the very least, you need to experience it through a Let’s Play or something. Preferably one made by someone who loves the game as much as I do.
