Messages

2001

Gaming / Re: Sonic Colors (Wii, DS)

« on: August 09, 2010, 09:47:20 PM »

Better than...Black Knight

You know I don't buy that.  Black Knight corrected many of Secret Rings' control flaws, most notably backwards movement and charge-jumps.  It's noticeably easier to actually SEE in front of you, as well.  Over-reliance on track memorization was one of Secret Rings' weaker points.

While it's true that Black Knight doesn't have nearly as imaginative bosses as Secret Rings, that's a relatively minor concern.  Black Knight scored poorly for one reason: Because reviewers have to play every shovel-ware piece of [parasitic bomb] to ever be developed for a console, and therefore any motion control without direction recognition is evil and must be buried.  Am I the only one who remembers the console launch when this was treated as what it actually was: a minor inconvenience, rather than a game-breaking tragedy?  And given that you're working with the premise of Sonic with a sword in the first place, who here honestly thinks that Motion Plus dueling is AT ALL more fitting than plowing through a row of enemies with a buzz-saw attack?  Black Knight is by no means revolutionary, but that doesn't make it bad, doesn't mean that it doesn't work.  Frankly, there's a lot from the game that Sega needs to remember, especially when it comes to handling player selection.  Control, level design, and skill growth were all superior to Secret Rings, as well.

Sonic's still as whoreable as ever. I said CRITICAL appeal.

Critical appeal tells us that enhanced ports are somehow only half as enjoyable as the originals, that Heroes is better than the Adventures, that Black Knight is worse than the shovelware "my 3-year-old's first cartoon shop" crap currently out on the DSi's download service, and that the best Wii game of 2008 was a one-trick PC physics puzzle port.

I don't give two shits about critical appeal.  And I think that the general gaming populace over-estimates its importance.  If you took notice of the journalism community's response to New Super Mario Bros. Wii, you know what I'm talking about.

SA2 had already aged badly when SA2:B came out. The game looked like crap compared to the new offerings on the Gamecube

One hell of an irony that in the wake of this, the "new" Sonic games to follow for that generation looked considerably worse.

Still, graphics alone don't justify all the flak thrown at SA2B.  The gameplay was outstanding, and the overall experience is every bit the equal of many native GCN titles.

2002

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

« on: August 09, 2010, 08:47:14 PM »

Ah, no wonder...

Gigamix's only depiction of Grey was while he was still in his capsule, though.  In other words, before he ever Rocked On.  Then of course there is the fact that he was really supposed to be Albert's spare body.

2003

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 09, 2010, 07:01:06 PM »

Indeed, but would her ass-pinch-revenge-death-slap be able to match Roll Caskett's?

2004

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

« on: August 09, 2010, 06:57:41 PM »

You'll need to refresh my memory there.  You mean besides the failed mind-control schtick, or is this a Gigamix thing?

2005

Gaming / Re: Sonic Colors (Wii, DS)

« on: August 09, 2010, 06:50:34 PM »

I was making an apparently unfunny ShTHH quip.

Well, I thought it was funny.  Of course, I haven't yet found a "that DAMN fourth Chaos Emerald" quote that I didn't think was funny.

And that when they tried it with Heroes, they ultimately failed, even though it's considered one of the most "decent" games

Unless you're referring to journalistic reviews, I have no idea what in the hell you're talking about.  Heroes got some very undue praise over at IGN, but in terms of the gaming public, I haven't known it to be well-received.  I personally regard it as among the worst of the new-age titles and even I wound up defending its redeeming points a few times.

And Secret Rings wasn't GOOD. It was average.

Give it whatever rating you want; I didn't find it to be flawless either.  But you'd be hard pressed to explain how it does not kick the ever-loving crap out of everything that came before it and after SA2.

Let's let them keep it and make it better from game to game, and when they finally have critical appraisal and people start seeing Sonic as a good game character again,

Sonic may have become a bit controversial but he has never lost his marketing appeal.  The name is still profitable, enough so that they threw it into All-Stars Racing for the hell of it.  As for "critical appraisal", I quite frankly believe that to be a lost cause.  It has been ever since the Dreamcast died.  When Sonic lost his console mascot status, the bandwagon already began, long before Heroes ever reared its ugly head.  Go out and compared review scores of SA2 versus SA2B sometime; it's atrocious.  I almost don't blame Sega for not really trying for the remainder of the console generation (I said "almost").  The journalistic community is not to be trusted with Sonic, period.

Posted on: August 09, 2010, 12:40:52 PM

3D Sonic can't be done without homing attack, and giving Tails crap like a homing attack and a dash mechanic would be ludicrous.

I dunno, they gave Blaze a homing attack...

I wouldn't say that 3D Sonic "can't be done" without it, though.  Attacking enemies as Tails and Knuckles is plenty do-able in SA1.  The Homing Attack simply makes it more streamlined.  Sacraficing it in exchange for some loose flying (which should solve any and all issues regarding the use of the Homing Attack to navigate stages) is pretty well-balanced, I think.

The spin-dash is a bit trickier.  Most 3D Sonic games make heavy use of dash-plates since falling off of a loop in 3D would likely mean death, so it's not really missed there.  In 2D, where the player is responsible for their own momentum through the stunts, it's a lot more handy.  But I think that in 3D your tail-whip attack would suffice.  Especially with that rhythm-badge upgrade granting some flexibility.

Yeah, overall, I think Tails' controls in SA1 pretty much have it down.  He just needs bigger levels.

Oh, and speaking of spin-dashing in 3D, we could use more spin-dash-breakable walls...

2006

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

« on: August 09, 2010, 06:29:14 PM »

Well, X's back has been the victim of many inconsistencies, but this is a new one, yeah.

2007

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

« on: August 09, 2010, 06:26:46 PM »

I'd also like to add, that because Copy X and X do not share souls, the only thing that makes Copy X, "X" is his being addressed as so.  He's not really X, but it's the identity he was given.  Girouette was never addressed as Zero.

Now, Girouette DOES bear a striking resemblance to Zero, and there's a pretty heavy implication that Prairie has taken notice of it:

"Hahaha! Maybe Giro resembles someone you cared about. Everytime you talk about him, you look so happy. Don't worry, I won't hold it against you if you did like him. It's thanks to all of you that I'm finally able to fight for what's important."

So, if you want to theorize that he was built in memory of Zero, that's fine and dandy.  I wouldn't say that makes him "Copy Zero", though, since he first of all does not have any combat abilities of his own and secondly does have an identity of his own.

They are anything but irrelevant:

Okay, to that STATEMENT, even if they are addressed later on in the discussion.  I apologize for my poor choice of words, but what I meant was that Aile was asking about herself personally, and Giro's involvement, thus Prairie responds in that context.  The order, as your own quote shows, applies to a larger scale than that.  But Aile isn't asking about the order, she's asking about her own identity.

His compatibility with Model Z is an unintended side effect.  Much like Ashe who can use Model A because she's related to Albert, Giro can use Model Z because he shares its DNA data.

As Zan already stated Giro was chosen by Albert, which we know because he is in the ciphers in ZXA.

Further, one's DNA resembling that of the Biometal would be completely irrelevant.  For all Biometals, it is Albert's DNA, and none other, which affects compatibility.  No official word has ever suggested that there are any further compatibility checks beyond that (or as Zan once said, the idea that any Chosen One cannot use any Biometal is complete fanon).

2008

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

« on: August 07, 2010, 06:39:04 AM »

Come to think of it Giro has a forehead marking and turned into a cyber elf when he died, so he's probably a reploid to begin with, and thus wouldn't show his age anyway.

There's no "probably" about it, Giro *IS* a Reploid.

However, the fact that he turns into a cyber-elf does not factor into that.  Machine-body humans can go the same way, as Hurricaune has both humans and Reploids imprisoned for her cyber-elf production.

Who knows, it's possible that Ciel BUILT Giro.  It would explain his resemblance to Zero and why he's compatible with Model Z.

Possible.  But I think Prairie would probably refer to Giro as family if that were the case.

Usage of Model Z is irrelevant to that, though.  ALL Biometal compatibility is determined by Albert (save Ashe who was unexpected).  Ciel didn't understand enough of the R.O.C.K. System to modify that aspect of it.

I don't know, Prairie made it sound like the order was addressed to Giro specifically:

"Calm down Aile! I don't know much about what's going on either. The one that gave Giro the order to protect you was the first commander."

Turn it around: You could also say that the order is addressing Aile specifically.  But we know that's not the case; Giro's disk profile lists him as caring for multiple children.

She speaks of Giro and Aile because it's what Aile is asking about.  The other Guardians, and the other children, are irrelevant to the discussion.  That's all.

2009

Rockman Series / Re: List your griefing strategies for Megaman Universe

« on: August 07, 2010, 06:20:50 AM »

Man dressed as a woman.  Axl in drag has been done to death, I think, but what the heck?

Uh couldn't we just make him shirtless?  Girls ready don't go for ass like guys do.

Tell that to Iris.

2010

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

« on: August 07, 2010, 06:17:42 AM »

Image 2: No.  Damn.  Clue.  I could find reasons to convince myself of Ferham, Berkana, or Tron.  Whatever similarity they're going for is way too vague, unless this is a BN/SF character I'm unaware of.

Image 4: Thought it was Clown Man at first.  The hood and the sick grin are a bit misleading.  But yeah, I get it.

Image 6: Since the image is named "megaman7", I'm guessing ProtoMan?  The pose looks classic enough, but the design similarity is just lost.  Really, it looks like Gareth to me.

2011

Rockman Series / Re: List your griefing strategies for Megaman Universe

« on: August 07, 2010, 06:02:20 AM »

What about the female noobs?

Zero in butt-less pants cheat.

2012

Gaming / Re: Sonic Colors (Wii, DS)

« on: August 07, 2010, 05:58:21 AM »

Every single time Sonic Team has tried to shove more than one gameplay in a game this generation, they failed.

If you didn't gather from the remainder of my post, I'm not arguing with that one.  I don't believe that's the approach that Sonic Team should be taking with the supporting cast.

This is the idea that Sonic Heroes went through. Playing through the same story with characters that are exactly the same in gameplay except for a few details. We all know how that went, right?

You bring up an interesting point, but a bit over-simplified.  Heroes had several problems.  One, among many, is that it went the opposite way: There was virtually no difference ability-wise between the teams.  Nearly all differences that did exist were obvious substitutes for stage gimmick compatibility, with no real gameplay relevance (shooting downwards vs. belly-flopping; Amy firing tornados out of her hammer, WTF?).  It's two opposite extremes.  There is a happy middle ground, and it's something that outside of Black Knight, Sega has not hit in the last decade.

Three of the four teams are effectively your difficulty setting.   Lousy thing to do, as you inevitably have gameplay preferences clashing with aesthetic preferences.  Such options should be separate of character select.

Further, one could argue that the multi-gameplay-mold character approach was taken in Heroes, merely with the ability to switch mid-stage.  It's the same core problem as with separate level designs such as the Werehog; the Speed character is the only one that handles the way you actually want to.  The only difference is that it's segments of the stage rather than the entire stage designed around mandatory character abilities, which makes the whole thing slightly more tolerable, but still very tedious, forced, and uninteresting.  Yoshi's Island DS suffers similar issues with its baby-swapping.

And finally, the critical flaw of Heroes was in how it approached the impact the teams had on replay.  Rather than giving you a reason to WANT to replay, they made them a reason you HAVE to replay.  Two different things.  Nobody ever cleared S3&K as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles because it was mandatory to unlock an extra scenario.  They did it because the characters were worth trying out on your own terms.  They don't unlock any extra levels/stories, and they SHOULDN'T.  Again, Black Knight nailed it in that respect.  The Knights of the Round Table all had unique moves, all fit within the basic gameplay requirements, and all were selectable as a matter of preference and never as a matter of forced unlock methods.  That's how you do it.  Character choice works when the choice is up to the player, not to what stage you're in.

But right now, Sonic is meaningless. They should worry about making a GOOD GAME, before worrying about making a GOOD SONIC GAME.

Done over two years ago by Sonic and the Secret Rings.  Good game, Sonic-solo game, traditional mechanics be damned, nobody cared.  Why do they need to take Sonic solo again, much less in two different titles at once? (three if Blaze is not in the "Rush 3" Colors on DS)

2013

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 07, 2010, 05:26:32 AM »

I just think it's worth considering that in four re-appearances the only game to offer such functionality is the same game that had Luigi doing a Dark Hold drunken hobo dance.  I don't see the Zero Suit as ever having a tactical function.  It has only ever been presented as what Samus wears underneath the Power Suit; we could possibly assume it is an anchoring point for the Power Suit, but that's pretty much it.  If Samus honestly intended to go into any suitless action, there's no reason she couldn't do so in casual dress (Zero Mission itself depicts such in one of its ending images).  The Zero Suit, by itself, has no function.

2014

Gaming / Re: Sonic Colors (Wii, DS)

« on: August 07, 2010, 04:56:47 AM »

My only gripe with Tails in SA1 was that the levels were too short.  Due to the nature of racing the game can't load multi-part stages the way it does with Sonic.  The fact that you're racing isn't much of a letdown since the AI is fairly laid back (unlike, say, Sonic Rivals 2, which is abysmal).

I actually really liked Tails' gameplay in SA2. Found it kind of an upgrade upon E-102's gameplay, minus the wheels (which I missed).

Well, it's not that it's bad, it's just not Tails.  I don't buy the good-mirror-of-Eggman thing.  I know Tails is a handy mechanic, but I don't see him as piloting robots for his adventures.  He's supposed to be more hands-on.  For Eggman, it's awesome.

Still, I seriously don't think we should be asking for ANY Tails gameplay at all until we get a proper game with Sonic. After that, MAYBE we'll see.

Making a good Sonic game and making repeated good Sonic games are two different things.  I'd rather Tails not miss his chance.

If we could have levels actually made for Tails, with free flight

That, right there, is the trap that Sonic Team keeps falling into.  It's where much of the current resentment towards Sonic's supporting cast comes from, because Sonic Team builds a whole new game mode around them, effectively leaving them as an intrusion to what the game should actually be.  It detracts from the focus of the title and is especially dangerous in Sonic titles, as slower characters get larger focus for the sake of easing level design.  A Tails-centric play style is not a bad idea, but it belongs in a spinoff game, not a Sonic game.  Talk Sega into a new-age Tails Adventure, and THEN we can talk about free flight and new level mechanics.  For a Sonic game, Tails' flight was ALWAYS clunky, was ALWAYS an on-the-side item, because that's where it belongs.  He runs, he jumps; bottom line: he's on the same adventure as Sonic.  He just has a nifty move to get him to out-of-the-way places easily.

I just don't agree with this idea that the road to success is a solo adventure.  It's boring.  Once upon a time, different characters could play in the same stages with abilities that were unique without completely breaking the basic style of the gameplay.  It's one of the things I liked about Black Knight.  Mario's done it to great success as well (SM64DS).  It adds a layer of personal preference to the game and enhances replay value.

2015

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 07, 2010, 04:35:00 AM »

How do you figure that?  Just because the model exists doesn't mean we'll ever see it outside of a cutscene.  See Prime 2 and 3.

As far as flexibility goes, Other M looks to be unusually physical for a Metroid game as it is, with Samus going in for a lot of grab action.  Doesn't seem to be any issues there.

2016

Gaming / Re: Sonic Colors (Wii, DS)

« on: August 07, 2010, 02:41:52 AM »

I think I'm the only one who does not like that song.

Oh, I don't know, Heroes saw worse.  I don't think it's terribly great, but it's decent enough.  Kinda reminds me of 3D Blast.

Every image of Tails is a F*@#ing cocktease.  If this game plays anywhere NEAR as good as it looks, I'll be raging that much more about his not being playable despite being featured in the damn debut trailer...

(I swear Tails has not had a remotely competent playable appearance since Adventure1)

2017

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: August 07, 2010, 02:28:18 AM »

Probably.

The bikini was supposed to be a cool revelation at the end of the first game, and carried on in a "mission's over, lemme get into something more comfortable" tradition. I mean, if you went through all the crap she goes on a mission, when you went back home, you'd take a big shower and stay on your underwear lazing around for awhile, right?

They way I see it, we NEED to have another "suitless with arm cannon" mode.  Sure, the Morph Ball makes no sense that way, but who cares?

And the skintight suit, as long as it works logically, would actually be a tactical upgrade for her in certain conditions where she has to move faster. We've only seen her use it in one mission so far, and it wasn't exactly because she had a choice. The Zero Suit allows her to move a bit faster and more freely, unlike the arsenal she always carries along with her. The material it's made of and the way it moves might even aid her to move instead of restricting her.

But high heels? That's the only design choice so far made for the sake of pure asthetic, and completely useless when looking at it from a logic standpoint. How are high heels going to help her in any way?

Too much Brawl logic, I think.  The Power Suit has been repeatedly stated to aid, not restrict, Samus's acrobatics.

I don't see the Zero Suit as being of any tactical use.  I've always just thought of it as an "underskin" to the Power Suit.

2018

X / Re: Maverick Boss Tournament

« on: August 01, 2010, 01:59:54 AM »

Gotta go with Snipe.  He and his stage were both among X7's stronger points.  Skiver's weapons are pretty bad, although the ability to knock Dynamo's ass into the far wall is appreciated, but that's about it.

2019

Rockman Series / Re: List your griefing strategies for Megaman Universe

« on: July 31, 2010, 05:38:31 AM »

Ah, you poor mortals and your needing armor in X6...

Gigabolt Man-O-War's stage.  With no weapon energy.

2020

Rockman Series / Re: Worst boss designs

« on: July 31, 2010, 05:34:10 AM »

Herp derp, shopping lotus onto a women's breasts, so shocking, omg.

There has to be a better way of photoshopping breasts...

2021

Zero / Re: Audio Dramas...

« on: July 31, 2010, 05:26:24 AM »

Generally, yes, but I think there are some slight alterations.  There's a Neige flashback (which I presume comes from the mid-game rescue) inserted into the Zero-vs-Craft-on-Ragnarok dialogue.

We're also still missing Alouette's track in Telos.  Nobody seems to have the energy to tackle that one.

2022

X / Re: Metal Shark Player

« on: July 31, 2010, 05:23:57 AM »

Maybe the likelihood, but I'm pretty sure there's some chance of seeing any of them on Xtreme mode.  Mainly because that's the only mode I play.

2023

X / Re: Maverick Boss Tournament

« on: July 31, 2010, 05:21:33 AM »

Much as I like the concept of a bear boss, Grizzly Slash isn't the best execution.  So I gotta go with Crush Crawfish.  I mean, who would have thought that an SNES platformer would have you board a submarine, sink it, and climb up after its crashed upright in the ocean floor?  It's just too awesome.

2024

Gaming / Re: Nintendo Wi-Fi Friend Codes (under new management)

« on: July 31, 2010, 05:17:48 AM »

Your Platinum code has been added, and my brain is still trying to process what the point is in telling us what games you do NOT have a code for...

2025

Gaming / Re: Metroid Discussion Thread

« on: July 31, 2010, 05:11:34 AM »

For us tedious completionist players a 30% count is pretty ridiculously low.  I mean, who here honestly got that in their first playthrough of any other Metroid game?