Messages

1976

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 17, 2010, 01:29:38 AM »

I'm certainly more excited for Other M now than I was before.  Visuals are looking better, as are the wider variety of environments.  Confirmation of actual Varia helps, too.

Im curious.

Sheep Man's stage.  I was walking along the floor where the higher route requires disappearing block jumping, and an Easy-Mode block unexpectedly appeared over my head during a jump, sending me down into a pit.

Use a goddamn Classic Controller then so you don't have to contort your goddamn hand to avoid the goddamn B button.

With the full and sole exception of SNES titles, if I wanted to use the Classic controller, I'd use the GCN controller.  Regardless, NES-style Wii remote not working properly in NES-style MegaMan game is pretty hard to excuse.  They couldn't use A and Minus?

Or just, you know, teach yourself not to do it. If you have enough goddamn hand control to move a goddamn Wiimote and goddamn Nunchuk at the same time in goddamn Godzilla, you should have enough goddamn hand control to not push a goddamn button.

I never said I couldn't do it, I said it's annoying.  As I already stated in my previous post I have not neglected MM10 in spite of those annoyances.

And Godzilla's not that difficult.  Not if you're already used to Rabbid dancing.  Which apparently the majority of the gaming press is not.  Control issues with Godzilla were over after the second or third stage.  Control issues with MM10 persist after the second or third playthrough.  Still a fun game, still better level design than 9.

1977

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 17, 2010, 12:42:40 AM »

I don't doubt it, but I get bored.

So, when HE tells me the control scheme for Xtreme 2 is pretty much just as shitty as Xtreme 1, that's the only opinion I need to hear.

Just to reiterate what Flame said, Lou is wrong.  Period.  Whether you like Xtreme2 and whether it is superior to Xtreme1 are two different questions.  Xtreme1 has no air-dash (which adds a LOT; with proper momentum it makes dash-wall-kicking obsolete) and uses Select as a dash button, which is completely senseless.

The MMZ game I played seemed to control pretty flawlessly.

What value is there in the controls that redundant saber skills seek?

Fish Fang, FTW.

No dash button = no dash jumping off walls, which sucks for an X game.

You must really hate Hyper Dash.

And uh....Xtreme1 has an auto-dash-wall-kick.  Not my idea of a good upgrade, but I'm just saying, it's there.

I actually watched Vixy stream it on her Justin.TV channel, and it looked horrendous, with her complaining about the controls at times during her live stream, dying due to limited shitty controls.

Wow.  Just, wow.  I never knew that Vix sucked that badly.  And this is coming from somebody who found a unique way to die on MM10's Easy Mode, for God's sake.

If you're going to blame an Xtreme2 death on something, you could at least blame it on the screen size.  Anybody who honestly got killed by Xtreme2's control setup, well, I can't imagine how the Zero series doesn't eat them alive.

1978

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 17, 2010, 12:29:02 AM »

Well, I'm psyched for Other M, but there's only so much one can talk about a game that they're incapable of playing yet.

Or "deals with [acid burst] poor controls cause Iris is in game!"  

Please, if Iris were my only concern, I'd stick to my X4 voice hack and be done with it.

Never once in Xtreme2 will you cancel out of a support unit because some moron decided to leave the weapon switch on the back side of your controller.  Neither so will you ever dash directly into a pit because of some inexplicable game-enforced dash-jump lag.  That's two counts on which MM10's controls are a LOT shittier than Xtreme2's, and you don't see me boycotting that game.

And never forget the Ultimate Buster.  It's like RMRM Blues, except in a game that doesn't otherwise suck.

1979

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 16, 2010, 01:05:40 AM »

I don't get why Super used anything but the D-Pad to steer the shinespark.  Just makes the thing more trouble than it's worth.

Morph-ball shine sparking is somewhat pointless, but I don't see it as detracting from the game either.  It's used rarely enough.  It just is what it is.

Nope! I meant both Xtreme games, fanboy!  

Notify Webster: "Fanboy" has been redefined to mean, "knows how to press the Jump button in mid-air".

BAZINGA!!!

1980

News and Announcements / Re: Rockman Online artwork and details.

« on: August 15, 2010, 08:00:43 PM »

Ah yes, forgot about that one.  Between the cracks and the lighting it's hard to tell what details they were going for, but it does appear to be their best shot.

1981

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 15, 2010, 07:55:38 PM »

Personally, I just hated the suit.  But, once I buckled down and played it, yeah, it did seem a little overly linear.  Still a solid title, though.

1982

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 15, 2010, 07:53:28 PM »

I guess you never heard me talk about Metroid before.  Zero Mission isn't just my favorite Metroid, it's pretty much my favorite GBA game.

1983

Gaming / Re: Fine jewelry in the shape of Tetris blocks, completely official and endorsed

« on: August 15, 2010, 06:00:49 PM »

Unbelievable.  They finally created jewelry that men would actually like to buy, yet the non-nerdy woman may not want to receive.

1984

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 15, 2010, 05:46:47 PM »

My favorite Metroid is Zero Mission.  The soundtrack to that game kicks ass beyond all sane reasoning.

Exclusive Action Trailer

Freaking awesome in every sense of the word.

Hmm... i guess you're right (this is what happens when you post right after recovering from a flu). Well, looks like my entire post went to [parasitic bomb] now in terms of the argument, huh?

Either way, my opinion still stands.

Fox pretty much had it.  What I'm saying is that IF they were to voice Zelda games, it'd be stupid to leave Link out of it.  But I'm fine with the current presentation of Link as a silent hero in a text-dialogue game.  I just don't believe that presentation works in a fully voiced game, which is something I've seen a lot of the gaming press push for.  "Voice the entire supporting cast, but leave Link silent."  Rubbish, I say.

Then they should've made X7 and the Xtreme games better!  

*gives him ZEE UPPERCUT!!*
You mean X7 and Xtreme1.  Xtreme2 cannot possibly be any better without migrating hardware.  Not a bad idea, mind you, but it's as good as any GBC X game will ever get.

Speaking of which, I will GLADLY take Xtreme2's dash mechanics, with the blessing that is proper air-dash momentum, over Bass's in MM10.  That dash-jump lag is intolerable.

1985

Gaming / Re: The Official Pokémon Black & White Discussion Thread

« on: August 15, 2010, 05:29:25 PM »

I never bought into the whole "Psychics are too powerful" complaints back then.  While it's true that there's no real way to hit them from a type-weakness standpoint (Ghost moves sucked too, regardless of Poison hybrid status), all first-gen Psychics with the exception of Hypno had high Speed but crappy Defense.  You could nail them with a strong physical attacker.  Not a problem for your resident Dragonite nutcase.    Same is true of Ghosts, really, if you're not using Normal/Fighting moves.  Back before the new EV system shot everything to hell, even Zapdos's Drill Peck could ruin them.

These days, pretty much any Type can come with any stat distribution.  In first-gen there were a few trends that you could take advantage of.

1986

News and Announcements / Re: Rockman Online artwork and details.

« on: August 15, 2010, 05:08:44 PM »

How about the buster thing with Zero post X2? in both X3 and X5, the artwork shows Zero using one buster, while the in game sprites both use the other. Only X6 finally got it right.

Oh, it's worse than that.  In truth there is no official sprite which matches the final X2 artwork's buster.  The sprite used by X2/X3 includes an extra plate from a concept sketch which is almost, but not quite, final (MMXOCW, page 96, top-right image).

X5's sprite seemingly matches X2's better than X3's due to top-bottom symmetry (which ironically the actual X2 sprite lacked), but it has the gold band in the wrong place (thank Zan for pointing that out to me).

1987

ZX / Re: Is Ciel the first commander? And other related questions.

« on: August 15, 2010, 04:52:55 PM »

Ambiguity doesn't help anyone, Oakes.  If you're going to claim that I'm off on a tangent, be specific as to why.

It is a direct statement that Giro received an order from Prairie Ciel.  It is not a direct statement, but rather an implication, whether or not he received that order firsthand, and whether or not that same order was received by other Guardians.  In discussing an implication, the intention of the speaker is a particularly relevant topic.  "Context" exists for that reason, and it is hardly my idea of grasping at straws.

1988

X / Re: Maverick Boss Tournament (Round Two Begins)

« on: August 15, 2010, 03:52:14 AM »

In terms of core boss designs, Antonion is pretty cool.  But I hate his stage, so Armored Armadillo it is.

1989

Gaming / Re: Sonic Colors (Wii, DS)

« on: August 15, 2010, 03:48:02 AM »

...singling out small things I said out of all of them instead of replying to my old post? Oh, you.

I respond to what I find interesting.  Sue me.

Posted on: August 14, 2010, 09:44:12 PM

Funnily enough, the Mario franchise took awhile to find the absolute perfect way to get Mario to attack in a 3D form with the spin from Galaxy. (yes, the punching and water spraying were also effective, but we're talking about a singular move which grants us the ability to attack enemies logically and with ease as we traverse through levels. And this is definetly it)

I actually disagree, somewhat.  I don't see the need to manually face your opponent as a flaw, and spinning in Mario to attack feels somewhat shallow (poor reach can make it tricky to handle at times, as well).  But Mario isn't about combat, so it's okay, plus the spin has navigational value for the extra oomph it gives to your jumps.

As far as 3D Mario attacks go, then pointer (Galaxy 2) or no pointer (SM64DS), there's no topping Yoshi's tongue.  Manual jumping, though, works better in 3D for Mario than for Sonic, since Mario is actually expected to land on his enemies.  Sonic, in addition to the whole speed thing, also spin-attacks midair enemies from potentially any direction, hence the homing attack.

1990

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 15, 2010, 03:41:30 AM »

But that doesn't mean Link should ever talk again.

EXCUUUSE ME, Princess!

Link already talked in Sound and Drama.

Further, ever since LttP, there have been obvious instances where Link is speaking to the NPCs, his dialogue either being represented by a bunch of ellipses or a brief darkening of the screen.  Link's silence is a matter of presentation, not of character, and there is a HUGE difference.  It works for a text-only game where the player is expected to use their imagination, but in a voiced title, a silent hero is an uninvolved hero.  And that's not who Link is.  Look at Twilight Princess, he's the friendly village go-to guy, and big brother to all the kids.  A character like that ceases to be believable if everyone's talking to him and he never says a word in return.

This is why I despise the "IGN Zelda mentality" of Link remaining silent in an otherwise fully voiced game.  It's naive and ignorant, first of all, to claim a presentational issue as a character development issue.  Further, I've seen the "silent hero in a voiced game" treatment in Dragon Quest 8 already, and it accomplishes absolutely nothing except to make the main character boring and shift virtually all focus to the supporting cast.

Posted on: August 15, 2010, 03:38:30

also I'm worried there being no mention of Prime will lead to some people starting that "Prime is not canon" crap again.

I suggest we hog-tie and castrate all people who suggest this of ANY video game series without either an extremely heavy contradiction or a developer statement as evidence.  The willingness of fans to selectively ignore titles never ceases to amaze and annoy me.

1991

Gaming / Re: The Official Pokémon Black & White Discussion Thread

« on: August 15, 2010, 03:25:17 AM »

Yeah, it's just the rest of us who are old geezers...

Good luck in the Pokemon League his Charizard is going to get murdered by either Loreli, Lance, or Blue.

I would think that the worst would be over after Misty, due to how early you face her and the obedience issues with over-leveling your starter that soon.  The later you get in the game, the more over-leveled your lone powerhouse gets, and thus the more likely it can conquer a type disadvantage.  Even with a "balanced" team, your first crack at the Elite Four usually boils down to item abuse anyway (not that the computer doesn't deserve it with their freaking Full Restores).

1992

X / Re: X7-X8 never happend?

« on: August 15, 2010, 03:13:20 AM »

Also: Inafune did not "finish" the X-series with X5; rather he abandoned the series and told somebody else to finish it.  By his own words:

"I had very little to do with 'X5.'  I just told the team to 'finish off the series with this title,' and left it at that."
~MMXOCW, page 48

This business of "non-Inafune" games having any less weight than X5 is complete rubbish.  And frankly Inafune's idea of "finality" makes me wonder if he's ever actually played X5.

Z1 in its finished state fits considerably better with X6 than X5, with Zero being deliberately sealed, hooked up to machinery, and, you know, having legs.  Obviously this was before Elf Wars and the double-seal, which makes the whole thing moot in the current timeline, but speaking in retrospect of "Z1 then" rather than "Z1 now", a direct link from X5 doesn't work.

1993

News and Announcements / Re: Rockman Online artwork and details.

« on: August 15, 2010, 03:06:20 AM »

Could it possibly be considered laziness? Just because they didnt want to add a few more "curves" to Zero's model? I mean, given the graphics the PSP is capable of, there should be no excuse for how bad the MHX models are.

That's how I see it.  X8 suffered similar issues, as compared to previous PS2 titles, the character models were definitely lacking in detail (they didn't even differentiate height between the heroes, which due to difference in stance, leaves X appearing the tallest).  Not as bad as MHX, but still.  To me, it reeks of simply cutting corners.  And it's not even just the character models; both games are guilty of some obvious cheap cop-outs with the mugshots.

Posted on: August 14, 2010, 02:39:27 PM

...the issues Inti had with their own work on the ZERO-series.

Interesting you should bring that up, as Neige carries a similar belt design to some of Zero's early concepts.

Also, taking a look at the X-series again, how often have Zero's gauntlets been properly depicted in dots?  You could say the same of the SNES and his chest plate, although I'd blame that more on poor sprite work than system/style limitations.  X himself is kind of in the same boat there.

1994

X / Re: Is Zero that much more interesting X?

« on: August 14, 2010, 09:01:20 PM »

As a fan of Xtreme2, you should be well aware of X's trust in Zero.

Very.  But I actually see their relationship in X7 as being under pressure.  The two of them don't address each other very often, and when Zero does speak to X, it's either with a cold shoulder or a begrudging attitude towards X having left the field.



X:  "Zero, do you read me?  I'm going, too;  take me with you."
Alia:  "X?!"
Zero:  "Okay.  Do as you please."

X:  "I know.  OK everybody, let's go.  Let's get this fight over and done with."
Zero:  "Heh, now that's the X I used to know!"

Zero:  "We're heading for a war zone, just the type you hate.  Are you sure you can do this?"
X:  "I'm not going to fight.  I'm going to stop this madness."
Zero:  "Hmph.  Do as you please."



I see X's actions in X7 as straining their friendship.  While it is very true that Zero sees X's compassion as a strength, X prior to X7 had a firm grasp on the fact that getting your hands dirty was unfortunately necessary.  Recent events from Zero's point of view made it clear that a disappearing act doesn't accomplish anything, Sigma or no Sigma (X6).  By refusing to fight outright, X is turning his back on those who are caught in the middle, so what's the point?

1995

News and Announcements / Re: Rockman Online artwork and details.

« on: August 14, 2010, 07:08:00 PM »

I'm not aware of anyone who has a problem with MHX's art while not having a problem with X8's art...

I can't speak for Flame, but for me personally, I don't care too much about the MHX helmet itself.  X and Zero have both seen plenty of minor detailing inconsistencies over the course of the series.  What bothers me is WHY it happened; that a simple matter of in-game modeling convenience (and badly done at that; MHX's character models are ugly) takes paramount over the official artwork.  Yoshikawa's entire redesign philosophy appears centered around what is most efficient for the game engine, and I don't agree with that.  While it's true that, to some degree, how a concept will be represented in-game is always a concern, the X-series design style was never especially easy to work with.  Ever since the first game, the artwork detailing went well beyond what the SNES sprites could possibly represent, and this became increasingly obvious throughout X2 and X3.  X-series character designs are their own, and are not especially subject to their gaming platform limitations.  The design comes first, and you then ask the best way to represent it within the limits of the hardware, rather than asking what design best conforms to the hardware.  Yoshikawa's approach just feels like a large step backwards; it's mentality that I expect from the NES era, not in present day gaming.

"Even though the game can only provide pixelated representations, I like to believe that all of the characters and awesome scenes come to vibrant life in the minds of our players."
~Sensei, MMXOCW, page 54

1996

X / Re: Is Zero that much more interesting X?

« on: August 14, 2010, 06:46:24 PM »

X7 cost X a lot in character development, but I don't feel that in the series as a whole Zero has been the spotlight-stealer that others [sonic slicer] about.  X and Zero have been developed together, though in different ways, and apparently a lot of people who want to be fans of the title character just happen to like Zero's direction better.

He does occasionally get shafted in cutscene time, but that's mainly X4 and X7.

1) I think you're letting the dubbing get to you. When the same story is delivered by Showtaro, X is awesome like he should be.

I'm not convinced of that.  If you have any retranslations of X7 to share then we'd love to see them, but I'm pretty sure that even the Japanese saw X as more sappy than he really should have been in X7.  I mean, those 4Koma jokes had to come from somewhere.

2) You're confusing the Red Alert Incident for anything but a petty game of cat and mouse in which X wants no part of; he has bigger matters to attend to, until innocent get caught up in the affair.

This petty game of cat and mouse involves Red Alert demolishing everything in their way as they search for Axl.  The public was suffering since the highway revisit at the very beginning; X just sat on it hoping that they'd shut up and go home.

Looks like you actually paid no attention whatsoever to X7's endgame; X returned to the front lines then and there.

Recall that in X7's endgame X was dead-set against Axl becoming a Hunter.

1997

ZX / Re: Is Ciel the first commander? And other related questions.

« on: August 14, 2010, 06:05:27 PM »

The point of discussion here isn't what Aile wants to know, but the specifics of the order given to protect the Chosen Ones. Which is what Prairie explains in her response.

You misunderstood me.  I was talking about Aile's discussion, not our discussion.  Before you chimed in, Prairie's complete response hadn't yet been offered as part the topic; only the first sentence about Giro.  You're applying my comments about Prairie's response to this thread as a whole, which was not my intent.

1998

Rockman Series / Re: Boss Dissonance

« on: August 14, 2010, 06:02:11 PM »

High Max? HARD?
What.

I'm glad somebody other than me can actually comprehend X6.  It gets tiresome having to explain the same damn things over and over.

Mario and Kirby bosses are both pretty opposite extremes; for the most part I think MegaMan tends to have a nice balance.  The closest to "Mario-style" would be Top Man (MM3) and Jet Stingray (MMX4).  Possibly a few Sigma forms as well, but I won't count those since there are other forms to follow them.

As for Kirby-style, that would be Chronoforce on Hard Mode (ZX Advent).  MM1's fortress bosses are pretty nasty as well, if you don't resort to pause abuse.

Stages like NeedleMan would fall under the Kirby Type of difficulity

Well, that makes me feel a lot more manly.  I START with Needle Man.

1999

Rockman Series / Re: When Mega Man Meets The Dark Ages

« on: August 14, 2010, 05:50:26 PM »

The link at the top of the page.  If I were responding to any other post that did not immediately precede mine, I'd have quoted it.

2000

News and Announcements / Re: Rockman Online artwork and details.

« on: August 14, 2010, 05:48:53 PM »

And X5's base cutscenes.

Of course, the PS1's in-game sprites botched X's back, and nobody really cared then.

But it could be just drawing preferences overall, like Zero's own prong problems.

Zero's prong problems have nothing to do with drawing preferences.  They have everything to do with ease of modeling.  See MMXOCW page 138 (why Yoshikawa thought that anyone would CARE if official art matched such a low-poly model, I will never know).