Messages

3076

Gaming / Re: VG Music Thread

« on: November 21, 2009, 12:04:26 AM »

[youtube]1cRpPuSWy4A[/youtube]

I love the Game Boy version a lot~

Oh, if I could only swap Gameboy music, that would most definitely be the boss theme of my Super Daisy Land hack.

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X / Re: Rate and Discuss: Eagle Ride Armor

« on: November 20, 2009, 11:58:52 PM »

you still had the option of Punching the [tornado fang] out of something!

That's my point; in X3 I tend to take Kangaroo over Hawk.

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X / Re: What do you want to see in X9?

« on: November 20, 2009, 11:30:38 PM »

Get equipped with: X6

Most of the core level design of X6 is especially solid, more so than the other two PS1 games.  Definitely more so than X3.  Lots of nooks and crannies to explore, and there's always some work-around for lacking a boss weapon (which cannot be said for any other X-series game, SNES included).

Unfortunately, the Nightmare System (which is horrendous) tends to overshadow it.  You just need to realize it is an effect and not a level design.  Then try and figure out the lesser of the two or three evils available for a given stage.

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X / Re: What do you want to see in X9?

« on: November 20, 2009, 11:21:06 PM »

I certainly wouldn't object to SNES-style Buster sfx.  PS1 definitely wins for Z-Saber, though.

So far as I'm concerned the PS1 style is near perfection, especially visually.  But a new style could work just as well.  Actual 2D works a lot better than 2.5D for X IMHO.  And as a whole they really need to worry less about visuals and more about physics.  When the GBC out-performed the PS1 in air-dashing, that should have been a wake-up call.



Something Zan and I have discussed in regards to "SNES X9" is that the SNES style does not fit the current X-series style of storytelling.  The SNES storytelling is all done in real-time with a dialogue box.  Think for a moment how unthinkable much of the PS1, especially X4, would have been if this continued to be the case.  The moment you so much as show your first piece of full-screen art (outside of Weapon Get, anyway), you broke the SNES style.

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X / Re: What do you want to see in X9?

« on: November 20, 2009, 11:07:22 PM »

It was just one room that was X4 though. (I still wonder how the hell that works. Berkana and Repliforce hire the same builder maybe? )

Two rooms and a hallway, actually.  The background at the start of the Gareth/Berkana stage is from the pre-Iris/Double area in Final Weapon.  In addition to that, the boss rooms for Gareth and Berkana are reminiscent of Sigma's first X4 room.

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X / Re: What do you want to see in X9?

« on: November 20, 2009, 10:47:54 PM »

There are certain things about X1 that really only work because it is X1.  The armor upgrades in particular, outside of the buster they're all either not applicable or over-used by now.  The character designs are considerably more simplistic than the series in general, and the sprite style really tailored towards such (which is why I maintain that reverting to the SNES sprite style is a poor choice).

What X1 did right, which I wouldn't mind seeing revisited:
- Ass-kicking special weapons.
- Boss weapon effects outside of the usual weakness (incidentally we saw some of this in Xtreme2 with Ray Claw).
- Buster upgrade of at least triple strength, plus frikkin' shockwave (DAMN YOU, MHX!!! ).
- Helpful stage-clearing bonuses.  Frozen lava, flooded jungle, and such.



Really, though, if MM9 made one thing clear to me it's that returning to roots and ignoring the advancements made are two different things.  I will never stop cursing the fact that Rock refuses to slide.  There is no excuse for that not at least appearing as an option or unlockable (WITHOUT double damage/knockback, thank you).  It's also hard to wrap my mind around the fact that some idiot still finds the MM2 NES weapon-drum appealing enough to copy-paste.  For all the audio manifestations of greatness in NES MegaMan, that was not one of them.

Returning to roots does not mandate reverting the visuals to an early stage, either (NSMB and Metroid Zero Mission come to mind).  And the X-series is, I feel, among the worst possible candidates for such an approach.  The X-series sprite style is the textbook definition of a lack of foresight.  They redesign Zero, who at this point is a long standing co-star, and the corner that they drew themselves into becomes painfully inadequate.  There is no reason to return to that.

And if the Xtremes, 2 especially, are any indication, then I think the devs are aware of that.  Despite appearing on inferior hardware, they did more than just scale-down the SNES for the visuals.  A lot of it is clearly based off of X4.  X's teleport animation, ghetto dash shadows, nearly all that is Zero, and even one of the fortress stages (which is rather odd when you consider that near all of the bosses are lifted from SNES).

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Gaming / Re: VG Music Thread

« on: November 20, 2009, 09:43:03 PM »

Mario Tennis...  My God, I completely forgot how awesome the music to that game was.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKxCSsLl0dI[/youtube]

Definitely adding that to my list of "SSB Bitchslap" music.

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X / Re: What do you want to see in X9?

« on: November 20, 2009, 07:09:25 PM »

o/~ By the way, if you walked in late, allow me to reiterate: o/~

We mean a new game of comparable quality to the old games mentioned.  Hence the use of the word, "like".

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ZX / Re: What's up with ZX3?

« on: November 20, 2009, 06:50:27 PM »

X8 at least sold you (mostly) permanent power-ups.  Although I'm not sure how I feel about axing Heart Tanks, and the unmarked Crystal Wall metals were definitely uncalled for.  But at least there's always the armor capsules.  I actually keep a New Game Plus save unarmored but with 100% shop stuff (minus a rare metal that requires Icarus's head) for that very reason.  Makes the game a lot more replay-friendly.

In virtually any MegaMan game, there's always stuff to nab in the stages.  Even MM1 at least had Magnet Beam, and extra lives that didn't come from a store.  In MM9 there is almost nothing beyond the random bolt drops, and absolutely nothing that cannot be bought.  So a Jewel Satellite session later, the game is reduced to a simple run for the goal (further encouraged by the leaderboards which none but the inhumanly obsessive and probably hacking care about anymore).  If I wanted that I'd play Sonic.

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X / Re: What do you want to see in X9?

« on: November 20, 2009, 06:44:57 PM »

Or we could pay $50 and get a game like X4, which kicks the [parasitic bomb] out of both.

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X / Re: Rate and Discuss: Eagle Ride Armor

« on: November 20, 2009, 06:39:02 PM »

Great ideas, for sure.  But I think to give an Eagle-required segment any depth, at least one major enemy you face should have some sort of counter-attack if you hit them at the wrong time.  Otherwise the hover/charge spam is pretty much unbeatable.

As for Mattrex's stage, as bizarre as it sounds that's probably the only phenomenon in all of gaming that has ever made me miss auto-scrolling.  Ordinarily my feelings towards auto-scrolling range from indifferent to annoyed, but when a giant dragon is behind you, the fact that it moves with you kinda kills the atmosphere.

Speaking of Iris, wasn't she using a modified Eagle armor? (It sure looked like one.)  It was a lot more overpowered, obviously, and some details were changed (color, wing style is more dragon-like), but it still seemed a lot like it.

Well, considering how similar Eagle and Raiden look, it'd be hard to say.  The only thing that distinguishes Eagle from Raiden, visually, is the wings which Iris does not share, and the buster.

Technically she's not supposed to be using Ride Armor at all but rather became the "ultimate soldier" by installing her brother's chip.  But yeah, most of that body save wings and head is obviously lifted and recolored from Ride Armor.

Sorry, but I must respectfully disagree here.  For PB does not want Ride Armor that shoot things.  PB wants a Ride Armor that, when an enemy approaches, he can PUNCH THE [tornado fang] OUT OF IT!

I dunno.  In X3 I'd have said the same thing.  But a 3-spread-seeker charged shot from an infinite hover is damn awesome and wonderfully broken no matter how you look at it.

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Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Thread

« on: November 20, 2009, 06:30:58 PM »

You know, another option, if nobody else joins we could do a 3-on-1 versus a max level/handicap CPU.

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ZX / Re: What's up with ZX3?

« on: November 20, 2009, 06:13:28 PM »

Well, if they can get it right, maybe.  I view MM9 as at best a good start.  I still find the actual NES games more appealing.  Not that MM9 doesn't have its strong points, but if they're going to go that direction then they need to one-up their execution and not rely solely on retro presentation.  There is a lot in MM9 that I feel, if done in a graphically updated game, would never have been excused.

I believe we can both agree that this "inferior result" is mostly a result of the game's difficulty. I think in regards to arsenal and other innovate concepts R9 is a very high quality title. They just need to work on the game starting out like hell and ending up like a memorization cakewalk.

That, and the entire shop system blows.  I find it poor practice in a MegaMan game to sell temporary power-ups as an excuse to barely bother scattering them in actual stages.  Especially when obtaining infinite currency is a simple matter of Jewel Satellite, Telly Bomb spawn point, and finding something not related to the TV to occupy yourself for a few hours.

Rather bizarre design choice to make the challenge/eye-candy items so expensive, as well.

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Gaming / Re: New Super Mario Bros. Galaxy 2 Wii Turbo Edition

« on: November 20, 2009, 03:05:07 AM »

Honestly, I don't have any problems with the level design.  It's tricky at times but thus far acceptable (barring the minor World 8 gripe I discussed earlier).  Granted, I do have a lot of Star Coins to go.  But still, it all seems challenging but fair.  Quite addicting, too.

Luigi and the Toads weren't even available in 1P after completion, and NSMBDS had Luigi!

This is my main gripe with the game, honestly.  Character-wise there is so much more appeal that could have been generated with so little effort that I find it almost sickening.  Player 1 *MUST* be Mario?!  That is crap.  There's no reason for it.  No reason Peach can't give her attention to Mario even if he wasn't the one to bust her out of the cage (SM64DS; Yoshi is the first one she notices, not to mention who saved Mario's ass, but Mario still gets the kiss).

Then there's the simple lack of characters.  I said it before and I'll say it again: there is no reason the game should have been limited to Mario, Luigi, and two Toads.  It's an obvious cop-out in a game otherwise reeking of top quality.  Toadette, Daisy, Wario, and Waluigi, that's just off the top of my head.
And why the hell ISN'T Daisy at Peach's Birthday Party, anyway?  That in itself is almost enough to make me consider DFA to be canon.

So, barring the fact that in a 4-player game I'm stuck as Mario, only one other thing bothers me.  This is the one blunder the game shares with Sunshine: improper execution of Yoshi.  I am really, really scared for his usage in SMG2 at this point, Nintendo seems to have forgotten the little dino's place as a proper ally.  Yoshi in this game is almost as rare as his wing bonus stage in SMW.  Why even bother if they're going to kick you off of him at the end of the level?  He deserves better than to be reduced to the gimmick of 5-or-so stages.

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ZX / Re: What's up with ZX3?

« on: November 20, 2009, 02:22:46 AM »

What you need to bear in mind with MM9 is that it was a 20-man-or-so development team, which is peanuts compared to what making a game today usually takes.  Despite that it was still opposed because Capcom feared "retro" wouldn't be catchy enough.  Of course, it was, and every developer and their dog jumped on the boat.  So are we still going to appreciate the NES style next sequel?  Next two, three sequels?

I probably wouldn't.  I'd buy them anyway, seeings how I'm a MegaMan nut, but I still say that MM9 for all its WiiWare bells and whistles still yields an inferior result to MM1-3.  ProtoMan is the main saving grace, and you're punished with extra damage and knockback with him.  Not fun.

Capcom knows and can make good games, with even their worser titles being good, but their main problem is how heavily they rely on sales, which is a ctually a good thing, since it prevents it from becoming another Sonic, but since they only pay attention to Japanese sales, THATS the problem

Quite the contrary, Sonic relies rather heavily on sales.  Sega wouldn't keep churning out those games if they were not profitable.  In fact I recall much editor-rage over how well Shadow The Hedgehog did.  Fact is, Sonic fans are gluttons for punishment.  They (or rather "we") really WANT to believe that a good game will come, and they keep buying the crap.  Because, we all know, if the crap bombs that doesn't mean Sega will make quality; it means they'll stop making anything at all.  Amongst the crap they do churn out, we did get Secret Rings and Rush.  So even though we're not seeing anything in the calibur of Sonic Adventure 2 or S3&K again, there is still the occasional "on the right track" game.

With the exception of Unleashed, the soundtrack usually justifies the purchase anyway.

I would also point out that ZXA sales actually climbed over ZX sales in the U.S.  The talk of ZXA "bombing" refers exclusively to Japan.  Unfortunately, Capcom's policies care only about Japanese sales (although numerous interview with Inafune indicate that he personally doesn't agree with that).

Presentation-wise ZXA was definitely superior, especially in non-Japanese areas where there's the crapass ZX localization to put up with.  But it watered down your entire arsenal, axed X and OX completely, and the unlockable form was garbage as was the fact that half the Chip selection is both post-game and date-related.  Arsenal is a big part of MegaMan and so that really hurt a lot.  In terms of execution and features, ZXA was an improvement.  But to many, myself included, ZX's superior arsenal makes it the more enjoyable title.

although theres quite a few who have the mistaken belief that it would be cool and "retro" ignoring the fact that it would subtract from the story's quality, since the story has evolved far from the SNES games, to where an snes game couldnt really hold the kind of storytelling that has developed.

Thank you.  Glad I'm not the only one who notices this stuff.

It is not the idea which makes the game interresting, but the execution of the idea.

Very true.

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Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Thread

« on: November 20, 2009, 02:08:55 AM »

Fine, fine.  But we gotta work it out ahead of time.  My computer is two rooms away from the Wii and you can only see your own team color on Wifi's character select.

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Off The Wall / Re: Birthday Thread~

« on: November 19, 2009, 03:53:17 AM »

Mrs. Shell made me a double-chocolate.  Unfortunately I need to give my dad and brother ZEE UPPERCUT!!, seeings how I left an invitation on their answering machine and didn't hear a peep from either of them.

Well thanks, you guys, much appreciated!

And a Happy Birthday to you, Vix!  

Have the Rolling Stones killed.

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ZX / Re: What's up with ZX3?

« on: November 19, 2009, 03:46:23 AM »

Switching VAs will not happen on the DS due to hardware limitations.  A single language of voices is already pushing the limits of what a 64MB DS cartridge can hold, and given ZX's lackluster sales status I sincerely doubt Capcom would forward the expense of a 128MB cartridge.

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X / Re: What do you want to see in X9?

« on: November 19, 2009, 03:44:12 AM »

I sincerely hope not.  DSi Ware is thus far a craphouse and I cannot imagine that selling an actually decent game on it would be easy.

I don't think a Wii game would be that bad, though, considering its development costs are usually lower than the other two, and it is plenty capable of handling the anime-ish style that X is known for.  On the other hand, the last thing we need is X coming up with some excuse to use motion control (at least with Legends pointer-based aiming would make sense).

There is the mentality left over from GBC generation that portable X-series games tend to be side-stories.  Which I'd be all for, BTW, but for an actual X9 I'm not sure if Cappy would be up for a DS release.  X-series is generally a "retain classic gameplay but see what the new hardware can do" deal.

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Gaming / Re: New Super Mario Bros. Galaxy 2 Wii Turbo Edition

« on: November 19, 2009, 03:36:22 AM »

I don't see how anything can be more troublesome than the couple of World 8 levels where constant [parasitic bomb] is raining down on you.  That's one thing from NSMB on the DS that I wish they had axed.  Skies thick with crows and volcano rocks do not make for good platforming.

Seriously, I saw Toad stuck in 8-1 and said, "[tornado fang] it, you're on your own."

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ZX / Re: What's up with ZX3?

« on: November 19, 2009, 03:32:07 AM »

Fact of life: Nothing, ever, is "impossible to [sonic slicer] about."

And even it comes by fan-demand it doesn't change that.  Case in point: Model A's voice in ZXA.  So, you thought it was a good idea to tone-match to the Japanese VAs, did you?

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X / Re: What do you want to see in X9?

« on: November 19, 2009, 03:29:28 AM »

Demon is often used as just origin of birth rather than allegiance though. Plenty of "good" demons in anime, though I think most of those are buxom girls. Odd, that.

Same word, two entirely different definitions.  That's mainly a cultural difference between us and Japan.  Outside of anime and Ninja Turtles, you don't usually see "demon" used in that context in the english-speaking world.  The context which refers to allegiance doesn't even include corporeal life forms at all, much less birth/lineage.

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ZX / Re: What's up with ZX3?

« on: November 19, 2009, 03:12:33 AM »

I agree, Inti has been sucking lately, what happened to the magic that was MMZ

Dead, that's what.

That was a completely senseless post considering that Inti's definition of "hard mode" (nerfing) was in full force during MMZ.  That's the way it is with all of their games, save MM9.  In that one you're nerfed by default (seriously, he forgot how to SLIDE?!).

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Gaming / Re: Phoenix Wright, now objecting and pointing on the Wii?

« on: November 19, 2009, 03:05:54 AM »

I resent that.  The balance board enables you to

play a video game with your butt

.

...too damn expensive, though, so I didn't bother.

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Gaming / Re: New Super Mario Bros. Galaxy 2 Wii Turbo Edition

« on: November 19, 2009, 02:57:08 AM »

I managed to coerce Mrs. Shell into nearly two full worlds of co-op today.  Awesome.

Take my advice, if co-oping with a platforming newbie, best play in levels you haven't been to yet.  They appreciate it when you're finding out stuff together.