Messages

2876

X / Re: The MMX Offical Complete works is out.

« on: January 01, 2010, 06:41:19 AM »

I got MMOCW and MMXOCW today, and even though there isn't a whole lot of plot-relevant info, I do like all the behind-the-scenes snippits throughout (Inafune has this, "I tried to focus more on my duties as Producer, but told everyone not to touch Zero" attitude during X2-X4).  Bearing in mind that in Japan these are the same book, the main "series developer shout-out to the fans" section is in MMOCW, and is only two pages long.  Both books have a single page of brief character descriptions.

Here and there are a few things that are nice to have clarification on.  For instance, SB20's info from the old sourcebooks mentions Iris falling for Zero and Zero saving her life in the same sentence, leaving a possible implication that the two happened at once.  Even though you can gather opposing implications from the X1-6 OST art (and even X4's own flashbacks), MMXOCW clarifies, stating directly that Iris developed feelings for Zero during the Erasure incidents.

Speaking of Iris, we also get a bit of Sensei's personal opinion on the concept of Reploid aging, as he mentions that he was deliberately trying to make Iris look younger for Xtreme2.  That includes her being less "physically developed".

Curious info about Berkana, as well.  She's a member of a Reploid research & development team, and has allegedly created her own Reploids, but none were publicly revealed.  And remember that unseen lion from Xtreme2 art?  Despite the likeness to Sigma's final body, the big cat is actually supposed to belong to Gareth.  They just never figured out a way for him to appear in-game.

Oh yeah, and X?  He wasn't Inafune's second-design for the new MegaMan; Inafune in fact did not design him at all.  Credit for that goes to Hayato Kaji.  Inafune did, however, make the call for X to be the new MegaMan and Zero to be support.  Although he did envision Zero as a playable character, he figured his boss would be less critical of Zero as a sub-character (being red I guess got you stuck in that spot back then).

2877

Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: December 31, 2009, 05:23:58 AM »

There's little that ISN'T for pussies when you're handling it, schnogums.

Does it really matter whether or not the Wii versions better? Frankly it doesn't make TP overall a better game.

Save for some directional recognition on the remote and possibly tougher bosses (although I can enjoy an easy game as much as I can a hard one), I don't see why it needs to.

2878

Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: December 31, 2009, 02:27:27 AM »

And four item slots.  Enjoy your two.

Motion control means a lot when you're giving someone a shield to the face (Helm Splitter kicks so much ass ).

2879

Rockman Series / Re: What was the first Megaman game you played?

« on: December 31, 2009, 02:09:10 AM »

Starting with Xtreme1?  Well......nowhere to go but up.

2880

Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: December 30, 2009, 11:48:18 PM »

Oh no, I actually remember reading it somewhere during that year that all of the work done that year was actually to better fit the controls and world. I really wish if I could find that article. Everything else had been finished from quite some time before.

Bear in mind there was a time when Zelda demos had you sword swinging with the B button.  So, no, they did not spend an entire year adding waggle.  If they had spent a year on that, it probably would have occurred to somebody that thrusting should not involve the analogue stick.

Wii version's better.

Truth, backwards Midna and all.

2881

Gaming / Re: Official Unofficial StarFox discussion thread

« on: December 30, 2009, 06:18:37 PM »

I'm just going to go ahead and say that the next Star Fox should be titled "Star Fox 64 2" during development.  Because that's the only way the franchise is going anywhere.  Adventures was a decent game that included a crappy Star Fox minigame.  Assault was atrociously slow even before you got anywhere on-foot, which is an evil concept that should NEVER be applied to any flight game.  And Command, while respectable, has crummy controls.  Overall nothing compares to the first two (or even three, if you count the Command-ish unreleased SNES game).

2882

X / Re: X and Zero: Their DNA and their souls.

« on: December 29, 2009, 08:41:26 PM »

It isn't that there's a larger DNA program, it's that there's more than one DNA program that makes up a Repliroid, the soul being the operational DNA.

Talk about a badly timed typo...

Now that I understand what you said, the degree of separation that exists between multiple DNA programs of a single Reploid is pretty speculative, isn't it? 

2883

Rockman Series / Re: What was the first Megaman game you played?

« on: December 29, 2009, 07:57:06 PM »

Should've used Nintendo Power!   

I did, I just missed that part apparently.

2884

X / Re: X and Zero: Their DNA and their souls.

« on: December 29, 2009, 07:53:50 PM »

She's also powering herself up in the process.  I'm pretty sure that was a bigger concern to her than her minions.

There's something totally wrong about considering this as biological DNA, just as much as there's something wrong with considering the Repliroid soul as separate of these DNA program.

The fact remains that DNA data can be downloaded without ripping the victim's soul out, established in X6.  I already said that the two are undeniably linked, but being linked and being synonymous are not the same thing.  Even taking that translation at face-value, a DNA Soul would be but one part of a larger DNA program.

Consider also the mechanics of the Copy Chip, that any Reploid using it must maintain their own soul through the transformation.  Adapted to operate the new body, perhaps (that's really getting into speculative nitty-gritty of how it functions), but regardless their own will remains.

ZX Advent also carries some pretty heavy implications on the matter, what with the man-and-machine merger, and the use of A-Trans of subjects who were merely fought and not killed.  However, while Model A seemingly does not gather souls with its DNA data, Model W does.

2885

Rockman Series / Re: Robot Master Tournament

« on: December 29, 2009, 07:32:33 PM »

I dunno, MM3 has some tight competition in the stage music department.  He's in the top three, at least (Top and Spark being the other big competitors).

Unless we go into Wily Castle themes.  Then there is simply no topping the later two BGMs.

2886

Rockman Series / Re: What was the first Megaman game you played?

« on: December 29, 2009, 07:30:35 PM »

The NES Game Atlas, my main guide back then, never made that clear.  He's placed after Spark Man in weapon order (they start with Magnet Man), but they never do discuss what weapon to use on him, and the screenshot shows them attacking with Hard Knuckle for some reason.

2887

Rockman Series / Re: What was the first Megaman game you played?

« on: December 29, 2009, 07:26:31 PM »

Mega Man 3.  Back then I sucked too much to ever defeat Shadow Man without E-Tanks, so I passworded past him and used ye olde Rush Jet menu glitch.  And I could never figure out what the hell Snake Man's weakness was.  We got 1 shortly after that and 2 later.  3 still remains my favorite of the entire Classic series.

I was also the only one out of me and my two brothers who ever beat 1 without a Game Genie.  I have no idea HOW one who could not beat Shadow Man does that, even with Select, but I did.

2888

Rockman Series / Re: Robot Master Tournament

« on: December 29, 2009, 07:22:00 PM »

Shadow Man, no contest.  Not that I care for alien connection, giant robot frogs, swords, or whatever other obscure expansions to him.  Shadow Man, simply being Shadow Man, is awesome.

2889

Gaming / Re: VC / WiiWare / DSiWare / XBLA / PSN (Collection & Updates!)

« on: December 29, 2009, 07:15:43 PM »

Best of luck to ye navigating

the speediest, and therefore safest, route possible.

(tacks on Smash Bros. 64 to the list)

F*@#! yeah!  Metal Mario stage, Yoshi's insta-multi-kick, and Luigi's un-nerfed Fire Jump Punch FTW!

And SNES Pilotwings, there's one that brings back memories.  I'll have to nab that one too.

Posted on: December 28, 2009, 10:31:06 PMSo here's my updated list.

I've got a spare 800 points.  I could pick up a DKC game, but I think I'd rather just wait it out and put them towards MM10 and/or Phoenix Wright.

2890

Gaming / Re: Experiment: What Kind of Gamer Are You?

« on: December 29, 2009, 06:53:46 AM »

I'm not hardcore, I'm ol' school.

Damn straight.

I'm willing to bet most of the people who identify themselves as Hardcore didn't check the requirements very carefully.  6 hours a day, for any individual who has to work for a living, is a lot.  Figure 16 for work and sleep, that leaves only 2 hours for all meals, hygeine, TV, movies, internet, and personal relations.  For any individual who does not work for a living, missing no more than one console every generation is extremely unlikely.  Especially when you consider all the lesser-known ones from the 8 and 16 bit eras.  To say nothing of all the handhelds that got their battery covers handed to them by the Gameboy line.

2891

X / Re: X and Zero: Their DNA and their souls.

« on: December 29, 2009, 06:34:33 AM »

That technology is highly flawed to date. Namely, we still cannot understand a broad amount of information inside of the genome.

Sci.  Fi.

I guess I've been watching Star Trek too long or something.

Also I was not referring exclusively to genetic information.  There's a lot more to the physiology of living things than that.

Safe mutations occur slowly. When it is rapid, the body cannot keep up.

And at what point did we clarify which is going on within X?  Because I missed the part where we established that his DNA has been altered at all, much less the circumstance of such.  Thanatos's opening post has been dismissed by virtually every response as a misunderstanding.

Though on your particular rapid-changes point I would argue that you're mixing up the means and the ends; the qualifier for whether or not the changes qualify as evolution is survivability.  It just happens that rapid changes in a biological organism decrease their survivability, due to the fact that "rapid" is being associated with "random".  The body must adapt after the point and there is no realistic way it could do so.  But if any change within X is something he was designed to do, then irrelevant of pacing, which is in and of itself pure speculation, survivability had to have been accounted for somewhere.  Otherwise it by definition would not be design, save if Light intended for X to commit suicide.

2892

Original / Re: MegaMan 10 - More Playable Blues

« on: December 29, 2009, 06:29:05 AM »

the kids complaining because it wasn't their lame two player SNES game?

Don't be bitching about my Technodrome.

LET'S KICK SHELL!

Remember that PU was designed the way it was to represent what Inafune originally wanted with the series, a very cute chibi style, but couldnt, due to the limitations of the system.

Load of marketing crock for two reasons:
A. Inafune's original art does not indicate it.
B. Super Mario USA, technological limitations my butt.

Anyways, so far as age target, KudosForce nailed it:

If anything, it transcends age groups.

2893

X / Re: X and Zero: Their DNA and their souls.

« on: December 29, 2009, 05:59:42 AM »

However, DNA inside of a robot is something that is...nonsense.

A free-willed artificial being that feels emotional states and suffers moral dilemmas is nonsense.  It's called sci-fi.  DNA is essentially information stored at the molecular level in a 4-base system.  If you've figured out how to make a pile of circuits feel happy, pain, and judge right and wrong, then mimicking nature's information storage as opposed to the binary system we use in computers is no small stretch.  The idea of mimicking biological mechanisms for use in technology is nothing new, neither in fiction nor in reality.

And not that I'm arguing with it, but classifying a DNA change as a mutation and therefore not evolution is a highly speculative and philosophical statement.  Darwinian evolution outright requires a DNA change in order for genetically incompatible species to result from a common ancestor.  It's simply assumed that such would occur during reproduction.

"Evolution", however, is an exceptionally broad term that can literally refer to "any process of formation or growth" whatsoever.  Whether biological, cultural, long-term, or short-term, it's all a matter of context.  When one speaks of evolution in the biological sense, whether Darwinian or not, they are usually referring to something which encompasses multiple generations.  In the context of an individual this definition is invalid.  Therefore pegging a "mutation" as not qualifying as "evolution" of X's individual self is a completely invalid line of discussion.  It would be slightly more accurate to say it does not constitute the evolution of Reploids, if it is assumed that X has no way of passing his benefits onto others.  But even that's debatable since benefits of X may be passed on to other Reploids second-hand through research.

But whether X's DNA does alter over the course of his life at all is a whole other hill of beans.  That's speculation.  Having made a distinction between DNA data and a Reploid's soul, which as I discussed earlier need not be synonymous even if they are linked, I don't see what part of X's history necessitates his DNA being altered.  And even if we do establish that, we would have to also consider the conditions, as an intentional change and a circumstantial change would carry very different issues.

2894

Rockman Series / Re: Ancient Theories/Fanon

« on: December 29, 2009, 05:22:05 AM »

Well, that video was humiliating to watch.  Hats off to ye, Vix.

I shouldn't talk anyway.  I know Zan thinks I'm nuts for choosing Needle.  And out of the remaining five I do Shadow first.  Even though Top is the obvious intended, I just like saving him for last.

2895

Rockman Series / Re: Ancient Theories/Fanon

« on: December 29, 2009, 05:06:29 AM »

* Their recommended order (and Capcom's) is Cut, Guts, Elec, Ice, Fire, and Bomb.

...for what possible reason would one NOT switch Guts and Cut in that order?  

* Suggested order is Air, Metal, Bubble, Heat, Wood, Crash, Flash, and Quick. Sounds about right.

Sounds nowhere NEAR right to me, but then MM2's weakness cycle is pretty wonky.  Nevertheless, I do Air, Crash, Flash, Quick, Metal, Bubble, Heat, Wood.

* Suggested order is Top, Shadow, Spark, Magnet, Hard, Gemini, Needle, and Snake.

At least the weapon effects make sense this time.  But IMHO anyone who tackles Gemini first out of the final three is out of their [tornado fang]ing mind.  He's the toughest of the eight to buster-only.  I start with Needle; assuming he doesn't land on top of you his attacks aren't too tricky, and his stage has a free E-Tank just in case.

I remember a few things from the NES Game Atlas

Oh man, THAT brings back memories.  Rock Monster, the Quick Man beams that don't exist, fun stuff there.  They also backed the whole Break Man training idea, too.

And they're also oblivious to Top Spin on Gamma, IIRC, claiming that only Search Snake works.  Funny thing is my brother tipped me off about Top Spin before we ever got that book.  Didn't know Search Snake worked before then.

For that matter, I don't think they cover weakness weapons on ANY of MM3's fortress bosses.  I didn't even know about Search Snake on MM3's clones until last console generation.  And all they tell you about Rock Monster/Yellow Devil is that you don't have Elec/Thunder Beam (and they referenced it in MM1 without referencing the pause trick).

2896

Gaming / Re: How many of you actually use the Wii Remote jacket?

« on: December 29, 2009, 04:40:45 AM »

It's less a matter of sucking and more a matter of the fact that stripping of such effort should generally lead to something a lot more satisfying than a fresh pair of batteries.

I will give you the fact that Motion Plus looks weird without it (Nintendo didn't bother to match finishes, and the lip at the bottom is just goofy).  Maybe when a Motion Plus game worth playing is actually out, I'll care.  But probably not enough.

2897

Original / Re: MegaMan 10 - More Playable Blues

« on: December 26, 2009, 11:38:21 PM »

Classic MegaMan is an all-ages, light-hearted series.  Always was, always will be.  You want Classic MegaMan to look more badass but without going the complete opposite Gears of War direction?  Well, that's what the X-series is for.

2898

Gaming / How many of you actually use the Wii Remote jacket?

« on: December 26, 2009, 11:29:08 PM »

I'm just curious.  I finally got my third Wii Remote, and the first two are from before Nintendo started making the things.  So I'm trying to pry the remote and Motion Plus out of the damn thing and I knew right away I would never put up with it (and I already knew from a friend's house that I couldn't stand to leave the jacket on when holding the remote sideways).  Not for EVERY battery change, and EVERY controller bracket switch.

So......does anyone here actually use the thing?  Or do you find it as much a pointless piece of PR crap as I do?

2899

X / Re: Maverick Hunter X6. Nightmare System

« on: December 26, 2009, 04:12:33 AM »

Right.  The best is Xtreme2.

X6 remains my favorite main-series game, which is not to say I believe it to be objectively the best.  I see many production value issues and yes the Nightmare System is more annoying than anything else.  But the core level design outside of the Nightmare System is generally well done, especially since among the abundance of power-ups there is not a single one that requires a boss weapon as either X or Zero.  It's one thing to hack, password, or New Game Plus your way into starting with everything.  It's quite another to earn it yourself, conquering every nook and cranny of the stages without any boss abilities.  X6 is the only game in which this is possible.  The challenge level is engaging, although admittedly this is not the way to cater to a wide audience.  But to the people who know MegaMan inside and out, navigating these levels requires every trick in the book.  It's like the Lost Levels of MegaMan.  At the same time no obstacle has only one way of clearing it, so it affords some level of personalized play style.

Perhaps X6's single best step was releasing the restraints of X5's convoluted power-up system and outright abandoning its ranking system (you're never punished for taking too long, taking too much damage, killing too many foes, failing to use a boss's weakness, or killing bosses too early).  You can get everything, you can get it all with any character, and you can equip it all with any armor.  As brutal as the game is, by the time you've cleared it all you are a [tornado fang]ing TANK, and the best part is that the game's enemy mobs, Gate's Lab in particular, are so insane that even with all that power, combat is still engaging and you still can't afford to get too reckless.  No other X-series game has that level of scale to its battles.  X6 may not be for everyone, but if you're up to it, it is an experience like no other.

The Nightmare System is really what needs fine-tuning the most.  At the very least seeing what effects are present needs to be more user-friendly, so that the Stage Select doesn't display only the most recent changes.  Also even though Use Previous Data remedies this just fine on PS1, allowing Stage Exit at all times would help streamline things.  And of course, the infamous Sentsuizan is the textbook definition of why the ability to turn a saber skill off isn't a bad idea.

2900

Original / Re: MegaMan 10 - More Playable Blues

« on: December 25, 2009, 05:04:27 PM »

Chill Woman = oxymoron ;-)

I don't know about that one.  A nice tall Chill Woman could poke someone's eyes out.

saturn 8 is superior, etc.

Can't deny that one.  Wood Man, Cut Man, and superior Tengu Man music up against, what, some booklet that wasn't even in the later packages?  If only Saturn wasn't such a pain in the ass to emulate...