Messages

4426

Gaming / Re: Sonic Unleashed

« on: January 06, 2009, 05:39:36 AM »

http://www.tssznews.com/2009/01/05/the-blog-sega-doesnt-want-you-to-read/

This explains so much.  God, Journey of Dreams was awful.  And the fact that its POINTER is broken really speaks to the whole last-minute-port claim.

The sad thing is, there's enough of a scrap of the extraordinarily rocking core concept in JoD that I can see how great it would be, if it was given proper focus.  But I just can't stand to drudge through all the extra crap.  Did I ever wish I had a Saturn after playing that game...

4427

Rockman Series / Re: Ancient Theories/Fanon

« on: January 06, 2009, 05:27:33 AM »

I think they both have plenty.  Beat High Max (before Gate's Lab) as Zero, and it's pretty damn hard to argue against that one.

4428

Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Bitchslap: What Do You Want To See In It?

« on: January 06, 2009, 05:14:59 AM »

My thoughts on Pokemon:

If any sanity is to be maintained in terms of representation slots (although I'd go for fun and unbalanced rep over the game suffering from such restrictions any day), then we're in a bit of trouble since we're already at six characters MINIMUM to prevent axing anyone: Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Pichu, Mewtwo, Lucario, and Pokemon Trainer.

I foresee generational representation being a problem, and in a way it already is.  All but Lucario and Pichu are 1st gen, and Pichu is, despite being technically 2nd gen, a 1st gen derivative.  One solution is to have Pokemon Trainer vary up his selectable 'mans a bit to solve this.

But assume for the sake of argument we don't want to ditch anyone, including each individual Pokemon used by PT.  What to do?  I'm thinking PT should have his own "sub-section" after choosing him to pick your 3 Pokemon out of a possible list.  The only real requirement is that each Pokemon has something to contribute to a Triple Finish, and you have 3 Specials instead of 4.  You could even move Jigglypuff and Pichu into the Trainer's selection if you wanted (axe Rollout and Skull Bash; Jigglypuff can use an extended-range Sing for Triple Finish, and Pichu a forward-firing Thunderbolt).  Add in Sparky's Gengar and maybe some additional generational representation.

Pikachu should remain seperate since he's so ludicrously powerful/popular, and Mewtwo and Lucario are more fitting as loners.  So, we have 4 Pokemon character slots, with a loophole for adding as many Pokemon characters as is deemed appropriate.

Also, PT needs should be able to choose different characters as part of the color/skin swap.  It necessitates either including voice-swaps or removing the trainer's voice, but I think it's worth whatever effort/tradeoff is necessary.  I personally would *LOVE* to see Wes and Misty.

And, much as I love Latios and Latias, I must DEMAND that Dragonite join the Pokeball list.  He'd have made a far better Hyper Beamer than Deoxys, IMHO.

4429

X / Re: 1up interview: Hironobu Takeshita says "whine moar for Mega Man X 9"

« on: January 06, 2009, 04:57:18 AM »

My problem with Dynamo, attack-wise, is that he is merely a bastardization of X and Zero.  He has a buster, a saber, and a ground punch.  DEAREST ME, where have I seen those before? 

4430

Rockman Series / Re: Ancient Theories/Fanon

« on: January 06, 2009, 04:56:00 AM »

I've seen that art, but I never bothered to save it...

Inafune meant to end it at X 5  then capcom went and created x 6 without him knowing about it.

*smacks Obdulio with his magical talking fish*

First of all, Inafune didn't produce X5 either, he was merely consulted with it.  Secondly, he was describing his initial reaction WHILE THE GAME WAS STILL IN DEVELOPMENT.  As we have been over several times already, Z1 in its finished form makes no sense following X5 directly.  This issue was spotted and addressed before either X6 or Z1 saw release, and pre-release concept =/= canonical continuity.  So that point is completely moot.

Legends: Sheer number of easter eggs along with everything else.  You really have to twist a lot of minor plot elements around to make even a small connection to the series at that point.  Author intent is clearly to make a new continuity.

That something is not established does not mean that it's invalid.  You're merely justifying an assumption, but your perception of what is likely by no means indicates author intent.

Some of the easter-eggs you pointed out (cartoons and comics) are from L2, the same game which also established Irregulars and Elysium, which X5 references.  By then the connection is far more solidified than L1, even if still vague, and as such your argument is invalid.  The only easter eggs that I recall in L1 are the X-Buster and Z-Saber (Zetsaber) items, Roll, and Wily's boat shop (I'm not counting MegaMan's name because that's the name of the series).  However, an easter egg does not constitute an AU.  And I'm not sure if this is exclusive to the U.S. or not, but the game even breaks the fourth wall with its own title if you examine the shelves.

Author intent is that Legends is "disconnected" from the other series in that there was no clear story-relevant tie-in, but an AU means that it can never exist within the current continuity due to conflicting events, there are no such events within Legends.  Legends has no stated timeframe, and takes place on a flooded planet which is a common "doomsday" scenario, and also is in a world where ancient technology surpasses the present.  So not only is the claim of an AU, even at L1's timeframe, complete fanon, it is also highly questionable considering that the timeframe if AT ALL relevant to Earth appears to be an extremely distant future.  All of this at the time of L1 is unconfirmed, possibly unaddressed by the devs, but that doesn't make it invalid.

Serges: Ah, well, I'm talking a more literal "is Wily".  And, back then, it would be based on his appearance and "scientist" status than anything else.  Maybe that's where we're going wrong here. As for Isoc, I never brought him up because I do believe there's enough to say that he is Wily.

Well, Serges is as much Wily as Isoc is.  They are Wily for the intents and purposes of the story, but they are also Reploids.  Whether his digitized consciousness is jumping ship, or they're remote avatars, or whatever the hell the details there are, that's a whole other bag of chips.

But as for Serges, well ... when you have to connect the dots like that, it's where canon crosses the line and becomes fanon, IMHO.  If and when Capcom confirms it, I think you'll have a pretty solid case for it being part of a master plan.  But, right now ... it's too vage to call (by a thin margin, as I admit it makes sense).  And since Serges is unlikely to ever be followed up on again, I'll err on the safe side and say that he is not Wily.

While we're on the topic of "connecting the dots", here's the tidbits that didn't make it to the U.S.  In other words, stuff that the Japanese (you know, where these games come from) had from the word go:
-X2, which introduces Serges, happens to also include the first "Wily hint" of the X-series, which is to say the first syllable of his name when Sigma references Zero at the death speech (slightly less vague than our version which offers no name fragments, merely a "Doctor").  So if you're thinking who Sigma is referring to there is something retroactive after X4/Power Fighters, think again.
-Japanese books compare Serges's super-genius nature to the "legendary scientist" of old.
-In the Japanese script, Serges is the *ONLY* character besides Light to ever refer to X as "Rockman."
-Also in the Japanese script, Serges is the only character to reference Dr. Light as X's creator.  And he brings that up because he has issues with being beaten by a creation of Light's.

4431

X / Re: 1up interview: Hironobu Takeshita says "whine moar for Mega Man X 9"

« on: January 06, 2009, 04:28:37 AM »

I am the only one who doesn't like Dynamo.

I don't care for him much as a character, you can only beat his ass so many times in X6 before you start drawing parallels with Robin Spitz-Swallows.  He does have cool theme music, though.

4432

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

« on: January 05, 2009, 09:40:34 PM »

My current list:

Wii VC, NES
-Baseball
-Kid Icarus
-Legend of Zelda
-MegaMan
-MegaMan 2
-MegaMan 3
-Pac-Man
-Punch-Out!!
-Startropics
-Super Mario Bros.
-Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
-Yoshi
-Yoshi's Cookie
-Zelda II
-Zoda's Revenge: Startropics 2

Wii VC, SNES
-ActRaiser
-Contra III
-Legend of Zelda LttP
-Pilotwings
-Secret of Mana
-Sim City
-Super Mario Kart
-Super Mario RPG
-Super Metroid

Wii VC, N64
-Mario Kart 64
-Mario Tennis
-Pokemon Snap
-Sin & Punishment
-Star Fox 64
-Super Smash Bros.
-Yoshi Story

Wii VC, Genesis
-Gunstar Heroes
-Toejam & Earl

WiiWare
-MegaMan 9 (+ all DLC)
-MegaMan 10 (+ all DLC)
-Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (+ all DLC)
-Pokemon Rumble
-Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode 1

Wii Channels
-Check Mii Out
-Everybody Votes
-Internet
-Metroid Prime 3 preview
-Nintendo
-Wii Speak

DSiWare
-Battle of Giants: Dragons - Bronze Edition
-Earthworm Jim
-Flipnote Studio
-Internet Browser
-Dr. Mario Express
-Photo Dojo
-Shantae: Risky's Revenge

PSP
-MegaMan (J, PS1)
-MegaMan 2 (J, PS1)
-MegaMan 3 (J, PS1)
-Little Big Planet
-Pursuit Force

3DS
-3D Classics: Excitebike
-Pokedex 3D
-Nintendo Video
-All E3 Movies

3DS Virtual Console
-Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge (GB)
-Tennis (GB)
-All the Ambassador stuff

4433

Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Bitchslap: What Do You Want To See In It?

« on: January 05, 2009, 08:57:37 PM »

Bear in mind that what Sakurai says may not go for Bitchslap.  Even by the time of Brawl he was a freelancer, Nintendo just strong-armed him (lazy development threats) into the team because they really, really wanted him.  I doubt he would turn his back on the series, but you never know.  He may just decide that he is, whenever Bitchslap rolls around, unable to dedicate the amount of time and energy that the project needs.

Regardless of such I think Sakurai needs to loosen up on his Fire Emblem trends.  That pattern you mentioned is what gets us flooded with swordsmen, and as awesome as Marth, Ike, and Roy are, Fire Emblem has far, far more variety to offer than just that.  Would it be so horrible to add a lackey or two (and there is NO BUSINESS holding a series to a 2-slot limit after that Fox triplet stunt)?  Zelda may have the magic department covered, which is why I have doubts as to how much Micaiah would contribute, but nobody in Smash uses an axe, lance, staff, or outside of Final Smashes, inhuman transformation.  Now it's true that once you open that pandora's box for a series as massive in content as Fire Emblem, everyone and their dog will always have their own never-ending character requests.  Still, the level of missed potential is huge.

4434

Rockman Series / Re: Ancient Theories/Fanon

« on: January 05, 2009, 08:08:57 PM »

It's a series that talks of "irregulars" that's set in a distant future after the world was flooded, all humans of died and been replaced with artificial creations. There's absolutely no basis behind DASH ever being in a different timeline than classic and X. DASH being so far into the future is different from EXE which occurs in 200X and reuses the characters from classic. Simply put, they didn't change anything, they simply never told us until the release of Rockman Perfect Memories.

To be fair, I don't recall L1 mentioning Aberrant Units (Irregulars) specifically, despite revealing Trigger's background as a "Purifier model".  But certainly a water-logged planet with no set date does not require any such AU.

Also, the X5/L2 reference was kinda obvious given that the two games were released in the same year.  Although it's been made just as obvious that Inticreates considers DASH/Legends the eventual future no matter which timeline fork you're applying, so these days that reference is considered obsolete.

There's so much truth in that notion that it falls outside the scope of this topic. The connection between Wily and Serges is far from an ancient theory and is almost stepping outside of the boundaries of fanon and becoming canon. It would be akin to denying Zero was created by Wily based on what X2, X4 and X5 present. The only thing we're waiting for now is for sourcebooks and interviews to confirm the connection.

The funny thing is, back in the days of X2 I'd have never believed that Serges was Wily.  Of course, there was little indication back then that Wily built Zero in the first place (especially outside of Japan).  Once his story had been further fleshed out, and you look back and realize how critical Serges is to the Zero we're familiar with afterwards (rebuilt entire body sans Control Chip; invented Z-Saber), and throw in a handfull (four, I believe) of fan-translated tidbits that didn't make it to U.S. scripts/materials, and it becomes fairly obvious that there is in fact a connection between Serges and Wily.

4435

Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Bitchslap: What Do You Want To See In It?

« on: January 05, 2009, 07:56:09 PM »

Have his vB change the weapon he uses for his >B.

We could include the same attacks and more.  THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!!!

Have them enter the stage in yellow submarines and it's perfect

Much agreed.

4436

Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Bitchslap: What Do You Want To See In It?

« on: January 05, 2009, 07:24:30 PM »

Hey, PB, nice thoughts on Kaptain K.Rool.  I like the way you think.

- Boshi while different from Yoshi and completely awesome, falls into the same trap as Geno; copyright hell.

Boshi is an obvious derivative work from Yoshi, so I think Nintendo could fairly safely win any argument there.  Geno is Square's copyright, but Nintendo got permission for a Superstar Saga cameo, so I'm sure they could work him into Smash if they really wanted to.

Okay, time for my characters post.  We'll start with tweaks that existing characters could use.

Ganondorf and Captain Falcon-
Well, you all know what I'm going to say: Original move set for Ganondorf.  I don't have full details worked out, but one move that NEEDS to be in there is the old "bouncy projectile" move, passed to other characters by hitting it with an A button attack.  Make it chargeable, too (but only one per Ganondorf onscreen).  Can you imagine how awesome that would be in a 4-player match?
However, having a clone that's not in the same weight range (Fox/Falco) does introduce a significant change in play style, that ought to be preserved.  So I'm thinking introduce Black Shadow and have him play as the "old" Falcon-clone Ganondorf.  Final Smashes aside, of course.  Ganondorf needs the OoT Beast Ganon, I don't care if ZOMG IT CLASHES WITH TWILIGHT PRINCESS, it's the best Beast Ganon, period, and half the fanbase would kill to see it in a greater-than-N64 model.  Black Shadow can have ye olde run-over-opponent-with-racer, a cruel finish like that is more suited for him than Captain Falcon.  And what's Captain Falcon's?

Well, do you need to ask?

 The Blue Falcon could still be part of the setup, have it trip up the target character, and/or have it as his platform from the top of the screen to jump down and raise hell.

Ike-
Let's see, Ike with a spiffy fire theme throw in, what could possibly have been forgotten?  Oh yeah, he's the Hero of BLUE Flames.  Apparently Sakurai never got to the end of Radiant Dawn.  Speaking of which, the whole Yune-vibe over his entire body (as opposed to just the sword) needs to be part of his Final Smash.  Sure, this is all purely cosmetic, but dammit, it's just the way it should be.

Fox/Falco/Wolf-
We only need one Landmaster.  Wolf could whip out a rocket launcher (I'm thinking SF64; never saw ground action in Assault).  For Falco, I figure something like this:
ROB64: Great Fox will cover you.
Falco: I guess I should be thankful.
Falco continues to move normally, while the Great Fox (SF64 style) fires its SH*#! in front of Falco from behind the camera.  

Mario/Luigi-
STOP NERFING THE FIREBALLS!!!  With all the Brawl characters who have broken projectiles (Fox trio, Pit, and Zelda, to name a few), there is NO REASON a fireball's range should cap out at seven feet.
Mario currently lacks a proper downward midair attack.  If FLUDD stays, then Mario Tornado should be a downward throw, so as not to compromise the rest of his attacks.
Ugh, where to begin on Luigi?  Luigi started awesome in 64 and just got worse with each title.  First of all bequeath to Sakurai a boot to the head, and command that he stop treating the man in green as the game's WTF character.  Above all the Fire Jump Punch shall be returned to N64 glory, with lateral movement and no extended hang-time, and there shall be no more smacking enemies with his butt.  Green Missile should be axed, maybe for a vacuum attack.  If he sucks up a character he can use them in the bag as a throwing item (distance depends on damage).
And Final Smash, that has to go, but maybe we can settle for a little weirdness.  I'm thinking an NES SMB reference.  Have a bridge appear at Luigi's elevation, and Luigi whips out an axe (for some reason the "Now, I'm-a-moving!" voice clip jumps out at me), and strikes with it to collapse the bridge, complete with NES sound effects and jingle.  All characters not hit by the axe itself (instant KO if you are) fall straight down while panicking.  If you land on solid ground, you're merely have to get back up ala a trip or face-plant.  But if not, KO.
Shouldn't we keep a weirdo dancing Final Smash?  Hm, perhaps.  

And I think I know just who to give it to.

Mewtwo-
BRING HIM BACK!!!  I wouldn't care if he saw no adjustments whatsoever, however, Confusion could stand to actually change projectile ownership (so that you can hit the attacker).  Disappearing for the sidestep-dodge would be cool too, to help boost his unpredictability.
For Final Smash, I'm thinking of some movie homeage.  Remember that psychic fire stream?  While that charges up have him call the line "Do not test the limits of my power!"  Fire once in any direction with the control stick (alternatively, tap B to instead unleash a shorter range omnidirectional burst, just in case anyone's trying to run circles around you).  Much pain.



Now for the newbies:

Daisy

Up B: Daisy's Serve.
Like Captain Falcon's/Ganordorf's Up B, but faster, Daisy jumps upward holding a Tennis Racket.  If she catches someone, she uses her Tennis Racket to knock person down diagonally.

Hey, you stole/renamed that one from me!
Unlike Peach,

Daisy didn't wait for Smash to bitchslap Bowser

.  One simply CANNOT deny the tomboy princess's potential in this game.
No offense, PB, but I do have my own ideas for moves:
B - Heart Shield.  If it by a projectile, it becomes Daisy's to use ONCE.  If hit by a thrown item, Daisy automatically catches it.  If hit by a flying character, they are stopped and lightly tossed into the air, with full control and all jumps restored.
Smash B - Super Ball.  Remember this from Mario Land?  Daisy fires an energy ball downward that ricochets off the ground and walls for a while (be sure to apply a nice flowery effect).
Down B - Bomb Koopa.  Daisy whips one of these critters out of hammerspace and tosses it.  Only minor damage initially, but they'll explode after a set time, or if attacked.
Up B - Tennis Serve.  Daisy leaps into the air, raquet in hand, and if she catches an enemy, launches them diagonally up, straight ahead, or diagonally down.  The lower the angle, the shorter time the enemy is stunned, and the shorter time Daisy "hangs" in the air while performing the move.
Up Taunt - *punches the air* "Yeah!"
Side Taunt - *waves at the screen* "Hi, I'm Daisy!"
Down Taunt - *runs her hand through her hair and laughs*
Final Smash - Warpath.  "Outta my way!" Daisy rushes forward and smacks her opponent, causing an automatic Star-KO off the top of the screen.


Ridley
He needs to be in, and there's no reason he couldn't be, end of discussion.  We need somebody who isn't a Samus derivative, and besides the title critters and Samus herself, Ridley is the obvious next most recognizable character.  Make sure his moves include pogo-sticking with his tail.

Little Mac
PB's moveset rocks, but I'm thinking of a Final Smash with a bit more NES whoring.  Have him star-uppercut an enemy, doing severe damage (40% maybe), and land on a platform over a pit.  10-count, if they fail to mash enough buttons to get up (tougher with more damage), the platform collapses and they're KOed.  Random but unlikely events include TKO (instant platform collapse) and failure to get up (count pauses, character moves to get up but falls back down, count continues).  Lots of classic SFX are a must.

Fierce Deity Link
I don't care of it's a skin swap, a clone, a Final Smash, or an original character.  Somehow, some way, Fierce Deity Link needs to be in the player's hands.

Midna
Whether solo or with Wolf Link, I want to see this gal kick some tail.  Once again, PB's moves work wonders



And finally, hopeful third party additions.

MegaMan Trigger
I can rant and rave about Classic, X, and ZX, but my Legends fanboy will not forgive me for not giving Trigger the upper hand.  Besides, half of Capcom's staff is looking for a reason to boost Trigger's popularity.  If Melee got Fire Emblem into the U.S., I think Bitchslap can work wonders for Trigger and co.
B - Buster Gun.  Obvious necessity.  Tap B repeatedly to fire up to 3 shots before having to take a momentary break.
Smash B - Drill Arm.  Breaks shields.  You move foreward slightly while using, which can aid recovery.
Down B - Buster Cannon.  Charge up and fire.  Can adjust your aim up to 45 degrees in either direction.
Up B - Beam Blade Arm.  Jump into the air and drop back down, slashing both ways.  Kinda like Kirby's, except slower, longer range, and no wave.
Final Smash - Hyper Shell.  Take a shot, and if you hit something (character, container, other destructible stuff), the massive explosion works like a Smart Bomb on steroids (Trigger immune).  A character hit directly by the shell will take even more damage.

Rabbid
What can I say, the Raving Rabbids are freaking hilarious, and seeings how they were some of the earliest and strongest 3rd party support for the Wii, I think the bunnies have earned a spot.  Due to short limbs, they can use a random item (spatula, plunger, banana, etc.) as a weapon, changed with each skin swap.
B - Plunger Gun.  Press once to take aim, and again to fire.
Smash B - Stuff Yourself.  Eat an item, recover health.  Eat a player, scream at your stretched body, and belch them back up.
Down B - Melon Volleyball.  Spike a watermelon towards the ground (jump up if used on the ground).  A successful hit leaves the melon stuck on the victim's head for a while.  Hit the ground, and it becomes slippery for a bit.
Up B - Bunnies Can't Fly.  Stap on an explosive belt, and fire yourself into the air.  You do damage during the entire flight path (more during the initial blast), and can bounce along the ground up to three times (press an attack button to stop early), but you're left face-planted after landing.
Up Taunt - Rabbid hops up and down a few times, waving arms and rambling.
Side Taunt - *hold weapon in the air*  "BWAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Down Taunt -

But! They! Can! Dance!

Final Smash - Bunnies Like Surprises.  Rabbid laughs as a plunger from off-screen lands on him, sticking to his face.  Panicking and muffled screams abound, the Rabbid runs around frantically (you steer him, and can double-jump, but cannot stop), doing severe damage with the plunger handle.

4437

Rockman Series / Re: Ancient Theories/Fanon

« on: January 05, 2009, 07:36:56 AM »

You know, I never thought I would hear a fanon concept even more stupid than Zero being Roll (oh, the horrors of Capcom's boards).  But, yeah, that one is it.

4438

Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Bitchslap: What Do You Want To See In It?

« on: January 05, 2009, 07:31:50 AM »

Yeah, I don't think I mentioned Adventure Mode being online, did I?  Bitchslap needs that like Peach needs her dancing taunt; sure the game will live without it, but the win is undeniable.

Just like Tails felt in Sonic 2/3 if someone were to plug in a controller and use him.

Ironically enough that's some of my favorite co-op.  You just have to be considerate if you're playing as Sonic.  Smash is actually a little better in that department, I think.  The second player is more involved, and more vulnerable, but still not prone to Contra-esque fall off the screen deaths.  The fact that the second player has to keep near the first player, and can warp to them at will, is probably the only reason my amateur gamer fiance agreed to play the game a second time with me.

Secondly, there was a big lack of game themed environments and minor enemies in most of the story. No, a generic ruined castle does not represent or suit Altea's finest (Marth), nor does a would-be Angel Island in the sky suit anyone not named Sonic (Seriously, why were the ROBs in charge of that island when a Sonic connection was screaming to be used there?) The same arguement could also be made for series enemies (which could have added to the sense of nostalgia and fanservice) being replaced by generic beat-em-up cannon fodder.

While I agree with this, I would want to caution against taking it to too far an extreme, that is giving each character their own segregated world.  We have the games they came from for that, and the mish-mash is all part of the fun in Smash.  SSE extended that into a fantastic presentation.  I just can't tell you how great it felt, watching Yoshi meet up with Link (that sleep-deprived face when Yoshi looks at the screen on character select cracks me up every time), or seeing Pikachu shock Ridley.

If and when Bitchslap comes around, I already know the first thing I want.  NO Smash Bros. Dojo.  That's right, you heard me.  I don't want another Daily Updated Smash Bros. Dojo.  After the last one, I don't think that #1. gamers deserve it & #2. the game should be incredibly hyped up as it was.  I mean, I was buying it day 1, as was pretty much the vast majority of Wii owners out there.  It was a very very nice gesture by Ninty, but I agree with what STM said a while ago, about how awesome it would've been if we didn't know Sonic was in the game and how sweet the surprise would've been in SSE.

It's not like I don't see your logic, much of the Dojo was junk anyway.  Periodic show/news updates through conventional means works just fine.

But regarding Sonic, we *ALL* know there is no way anyone would keep a lid on his presence.  It's too much marketing fuel, even if day one is the only time it makes a difference.  Guest character owners would probably insist on some mentioning on the package, as well.  MAYBE they could revise the packaging after launch if they really wanted to be sneaky, but that's unlikely.  A bombshell like that would never survive the internet, anyway.  Even though, yes, I can imagine the fanboyish orgasm at seeing Sonic's SSE appearance with no clue he'd be featured, his announcement video was equally awesome (God bless whoever chose Live And Learn for that BGM; *PERFECT* choice).

4439

X / Re: 1up interview: Hironobu Takeshita says "whine moar for Mega Man X 9"

« on: January 05, 2009, 07:04:11 AM »

Yeah, they kinda had to differentiate between them ANYWAY for the sake of Vile's final boss fight.

4440

Rockman Series / Re: Ancient Theories/Fanon

« on: January 05, 2009, 07:02:56 AM »

Classic:
-Protoman is training Rock in MM3
-Snake Man's weakness is Spark Shock (inadequate explanation of MM3's weapon cycle, suggested order began with Magnet Man and ended with Needle Man)
-Snake Man's weakness is Hard Knuckle (I saw a pic in a Player's Guide)
-Quickman's beams are in Wily Stage 2 (Player's Guide fails again)
-Wily made Protoman (thank you, RubySpears...)
-MegaMan is a 40-year-old guy with a pistol

X:
-All X games after X5 are non-canonical (X6, X7, Z1, Telos, MMZOCW, the entire concept of the Elf Wars, and ZXA all fly in the face of it)
-Zero is Rush (originated in X2 reviews but is still believed by gaming peripheral manufacturers as of January, 2006)
-Zero was made by Cain (hey, I thought so until X4)



And, for the hell of it, some more current ones:
X:
-Force Metal is in X8 (a material first discovered in 22XX is in 21XX)

Zero:
-Omega is the X1 Zero body (disproved by MMZOCW; would have been awesome, though)
-Weil is Wily (knew damn well that was false as soon as Z3 was out, but it took Z4 and an Inafune interview to put that one to rest)

ZX:
-Biometal is locked to a single individual, as opposed to selecting from the "pool" of Chosen Ones (circumstantial, and EXTREMELY questionable given the monologues of Pandora and Prometheus).
-Girouette is Zero (Prairie would know; besides, check eye color)
-Vent and Aile exist only in AUs, different genders of the same person (disproved before RMZX was even released)
-Vent and Aile are blood siblings (fans fail to notice that their outfits are Giro Express uniforms; they are co-workers both orphaned and adopted by Giro following the same Maverick attack; this is not unusual considering said attack was on an amusement park)
-Vent and Aile share the same skin tone (Aile is lighter; the difference just isn't as obvious as with Grey and Ashe)
-Grey and Ashe exist only in AUs (references to each's introductory stage are seen in the other's story)

Legends:
-The Master is X/Zero/Light (disproved by Japanese interview; thanks to Marshmallow Man)
-Artificial beings cannot physically grow or reproduce (get equipped with Carbons)

Mother Elf was Iris (Z2 heydays)

Ah, memories...  So much missed opportunity.

4441

X / Re: 1up interview: Hironobu Takeshita says "whine moar for Mega Man X 9"

« on: January 05, 2009, 06:38:16 AM »

I think the reason for that is X1 Zero being pre-Z-Saber.  As a fellow buster-user, the devs probably feel that X1 Zero is too similar to X (well, why ELSE isn't he part of the playable roster in MHX?).  No reason it couldn't be done, though.  Flashback or no, I'm certainly not going to argue with it [/shameless plug of old work].

4442

X / Re: 1up interview: Hironobu Takeshita says "whine moar for Mega Man X 9"

« on: January 05, 2009, 06:17:56 AM »

Oh believe me, I *LOVE* Xtreme2.  It's my favorite game of the entire X series.

The connection between X6 and Xtreme2 is really just a circumstantial thing with Isoc's mysterious shutdown, hence the reference by Alia.  So far as the "souls" collected, Xtreme2's DNA Souls belong to Reploids; X6's Nightmare Souls belong to the Nightmare Virus.  Similar in theme, I suppose, but not linked in the actual storyline.

Barring shovelware the GBA is all but obsolete, and manufacturing GBC hardware that is no longer in use and incompatible with the current handheld would be pretty senseless.  It's a huge hassle and it is for this reason, as seen in the MM9 interview, that Capcom didn't go through with sticking MM9 on an actual cartridge, instead using the NES cartridge concept as a CD case for releasing artwork and stuff.  If Capcom were to go for GBC visuals, more likely they'd go the route of the DSi download shop.  But I, personally, would like to see something that takes full advantage of the DS's abilities, perhaps PS1-style visuals.

4443

X / Re: 1up interview: Hironobu Takeshita says "whine moar for Mega Man X 9"

« on: January 05, 2009, 06:00:57 AM »

Possible. theyd still have to explain Axl's absence though. thats one big thing. they have to explain a situation for him.

Considering what they did to Bass in MM9 I'm not expecting much.  We'd probably see Axl lying in the background somewhere with a microscope hooked up to his forehead.

And I'd prefer the LiveMetals evolve into MMZ's Chips; the Chips could be made out of the LiveMetal ore. Now we have an explanation for chips, and why X was limited to only one in X3. In MMZ, the new Reploids have higher tolerances.

*a'hem* Live Metal = Japanese term for Biometal, which MMZ predates and as such no MMZ content can "evolve" from it without involving time travel.  I believe you're thinking of Force Metal, the stuff from Command Mission.

......and you do realize Force Metal never existed on the planet before the meteor presumably never identified until 2202 fell to Earth, right?  It's impossible for that to be relevant to X3 (21XX).  MMZ and beyond?  Possible, but unlikely.  If it happened, it would be severely downplayed compared to its intentions.  Force Metal was expected to render Energen crystals obsolete.  At best guess two centuries later in MMZ, that never happened, probably due to how dangerous it is; over-exposure to Force Metal causes an extremely high likelihood of Maverick behavior.  The quantity of Force Metal is not so relevant as its strength (utilized in gameplay as "erosion/immunity", and highly focused on in story with the whole SFM warheads and all).

"Chips" in MMZ step on the same territory as Power-Up Parts in earlier X games, of which you could equip up to 4 in X5 and Xtreme2, and 5 in X6.  Then there's X7, which had, what, 12 Chips to a character (it's been a while)?  And X8, which had its own "metal" (not Force Metal) system had a whole freaking list of Chips applied simultaneously.  X3's Chips are a different concept, they were distributed by Light specifically for use in X's armor, and impossible to use without first obtaining the specific armor part it was to be installed into.  I'd say that concept is more comparable to X8's Neutral Armor parts than anything else.

I, personally, wouldn't want another X game.  They already admitted that the story ends in Mega Man X5 and 6-8 is considered to be non-canon. I'd rather a new classic series game that bridges the Classic and X series.

Enough people have corrected you that I shouldn't have to explain this.  But since I'm bored enough that I feel like straightening things out for the record:  There are numerous references between later X games that confirms their validity.  First of all MMZ, despite whatever its conception was, was released to follow X6's "sneak peek" ending and not X5 (Zero is sealed deliberately, behind a force field with his name on the door, not to mention with LEGS; as opposed to being left in a junk heap as in X5).  X7 foreshadows MMZ twice; facing Snipe Anteater as Zero, and beating the game as Zero.  Z1 and Z3 feature Orbital Elevators which are given a lot of emphasis across X8 and XCM.  MMZOCW outlines plain as day that Zero was placed in stasis twice during the series gap; once before and once after Elf Wars.  Zero's involvement in Elf Wars is irreconcilable with an X-series timeline that ends at X5; he HAS to come back from that beforehand.  And this is not even touching the obvious, even if in-game unconfirmed, design inspiration of Axl in Biometal Model A, along with more story parallels between ZXA and the X-series Copy Chip arc than I care to count.

You could not, in any way, shape, form, or scent (that's right, I can SMELL the error on you), be any more wrong.

the next X game should be an Xtreme 3. maybe with different graphic, but a typical Xtreme storyline.

I'm all for that.  Although, to be honest, I've often envisioned an Xtreme continuation tying in more with the main-series story.  Xtreme1 and 2 were independent stories that just happened to take place earlier than the currently released main-series games, and reused bosses and flaunted my fanboyishly favorite repli-gal.  I'd like to see something that deals with the aftermath of the conflicts of X4 and X6 (X6 technically IS the aftermath of X5, so no need to go there).  X4 especially, for more Iris references if nothing else.  Seriously, I cannot swallow that no baddies thought to try and salvage 1/2 of the ultimate Reploid when she came so close to success, and regardless of whether or not they work out the kinks, still has OBVIOUS mind-farking value against Zero.

4444

Gaming / Re: Obligatory Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum thread

« on: January 05, 2009, 12:11:19 AM »

......F#$*^%, I keep forgetting that.

Seriously, in future games you should be able to GTS anything after the National Pokedex.  Or at the very least count online matches in the "Seen" section.

Well, I have to leave now, but I suppose I could trade you one later.

4445

Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Bitchslap: What Do You Want To See In It?

« on: January 04, 2009, 11:44:31 PM »

Well, discussion of characters and moves will take more time than I have at the moment, so I will return for that.  For now, the following play mechanics.

-No more tripping.
-Board The Platforms!
-Voice while online with Friends, although I absolutely do want the customizable taunts to stay as well; they have their own charm to them.  In fact, stick an option in there somewhere for whether or not to use them offline.
-Smash Balls should be in Adventure mode, I don't care how badly it'll break it.  The other solo modes in general need more Final Smash and less Dragoon.
-Stage Builder needs to take a serious step up.  Ease up on the restrictions: size, parts, and ESPECIALLY the empty space for scenery.  We could use some destructible blocks in there, too.  And allow the use of custom levels in Friend matches.
-Enable Special Brawls online, especially Super Sudden Death.
-*NEED* Smash64 Metal Mario music.
-User-entered soundtracks.
-Option to organize Team matches without the necessity for color changes.
-Bring back Score mode.
-Stickers as power-ups suck; the attack types are too overly specific.  As cool as more collectibles are, the dev time would be better spent elsewhere.
-Please undo the Home Run Bat nerf.
-Never, ever, ever, EVER get rid of Blast Boxes.

And even though it's character, I can't go without saying it:
-I MISS MY MEWTWO!!!

You know that's not going to be possible.

*smacks Sakura with his magical talking fish*


DEBATE OVER

NO MORE [tornado fang]ing BOMBS IN SUDDEN DEATH.

Hell no.  You can never have too many Bob-ombs.

~No convoluted Adventure Mode. Have an overarching story, just don't make it a platformer.

Personal preference should not by any means mandate the removal of a game mode.  I loved SSE.  If you don't like it, you don't have to play it, there aren't even any rewards exclusive to that mode anyway.

By no means am I saying that Bitchslap's adventure needs to be as long as Brawl's.  Trim it down if it's deemed necessary, even Melee's 20-minute Adventure was fun.  Da Dood's suggestion of a 3 Hour quest may be right on the mark.  But it should absolutely not be given the axe altogether.

~Buff the Shield. Yes, it's helpful against Metaknight, but I've had enough of trying to shield against attacks, then they still work. Shield cancels all until it runs out (hence, why even bother having the shield breaking in the first place). This will also give Heavy characters who already have a large/better shield the edge they apparently still need.

If that happens then Yoshi needs to be able to jump out of his shield; his inability to do so and longer shield transition time is the tradeoff for his immunity to shield-poking.

~Free up the camera! Naughty shots are going to happen no matter how much you try to avoid it, and it's not going to change the game's rating!!!
~And make snapshots JPG's or something usable! Really, Nintendo, ****!

God bless the hackers.
(see attachment)

4446

Gaming / Re: Obligatory Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum thread

« on: January 04, 2009, 11:13:54 PM »

Yeah. But it'll still be an internet hunting adventure finding someone who's got one.

I was talking about GTS.  Everyone goes in there thinking to Seek right away, and freaks out at insane requests.  Don't.  Put up a semi-rare breeded Pokemon as I outlined above, and request any old Chikorita.  I've already gotten a couple starters that way.  It shouldn't take long before someone responds, and if the Chikorita sent to you isn't to your liking, just have it shack up with your favorite Ditto and breed until you get a good one.

4447

Gaming / Re: What makes and kills replay value for you?

« on: January 04, 2009, 10:36:35 PM »

You know how HARD it is to camp in that stage?

I didn't say it was easy, I said it can be done.  I know, I've done it.  As opposed to the final stage which absolutely cannot be camped, no matter how hard you may try.

Any game becomes easy after memorization. Even Star Fox 64 has that element.

You have a keen sense of the obvious.  However, I made that statement as a matter of severity, not as an absolute.

But the Hero and Superhero modes, I eventually wound up buying because I'll never want to memorize three layouts, which should keep the game interesting. One layout, two layouts; second nature. Three? Too much to keep up with.

As I already said within it, my last post was written within the context of the core package, not DLC.  DLC worked wonders for MM9.  Endless Attack, which would have been heaven if not for those damn claws, and Proto Man were both wonderful.

Hero and Superhero were welcome additions, but IMHO too little too late.  There's really no reason anybody should have to purchase extra difficulty levels separately, and while an extra buck of Wii points won't break my wallet, the extra wait for early adopters was a killer.  No player, least of all the hardcore who are most likely to make that early purchase, should have to have their hand forcibly held for a month before a proper challenge is permitted.  Great content, bad strategy.

4448

X / Re: 1up interview: Hironobu Takeshita says "whine moar for Mega Man X 9"

« on: January 04, 2009, 09:45:05 PM »

Boy, I take some downtime from the internet and look at what I miss?

On the original topic, no matter how many magic fish smacks and boots to the head I bequeath, the fanboy favoritism will never die.  The NES style, despite being technically limited, is still a worthwhile format in that they actually present a nice level of detail considering the technical limitations they're adhering to (that and the whole thing is cheap and easy, so it helps minimize development costs).  The Classic series also contains relatively simple designs no matter what technical limits are applied, simply because that's the atmosphere they built it on.

The SNES X-series style, on the other hand, is a different story.  It was made for the relatively simple armor designs of X1, and two sequels later it was all too obvious that the series character design had outgrown the visual style.  Zero's revised armor was never displayed properly on the SNES, and the X3 capsule upgrades were a complete mess of pixels.  I could accept this if it were a technological limitation, but it's not, it's a style flaw.  The SNES is capable of better.  The style chosen for X on the SNES was adequate for its conception but is too lacking in detail for the later evolutions of the series.  As the designs have grown even more complex since the series left the SNES, these issues have only been magnified further (how in any way do you expect an SNES-style Axl to be done well?).  Also, from a production standpoint, the relative complexity of the SNES as compared to NES lessens the development cost benefits.  Hell, it's the same number of colors to a character on the SNES as on PS1 or NDS, the extra processing power of later systems were merely used to add bells and whistles: more/larger objects, faster framerate, recorded audio clips, and a few spiffy effects like transparent dash shadows.  Take that away, and the only difference is that the SNES uses an inferior drawing style.  There's no reason to return to those shackles.

I have no issues against a 2D X9, mind you.  But there's no reason to adhere to the archaic and now inadequate SNES visuals (SFX, on the other hand, are another story).  Either do PS1 style sprites and re-think the physics (air-dash momentum in particular), or just build a new style.

yeah, the graphics seemed sorta bad in places, such as how no one has facial expressions. this is the biggest issue with X though. as hes just standing there with no expression, screamin REDIPS! YOU... YOU MAVERICK! which is hillarious to watch. also then theres some of the "forced VAing. lol, RRRREDIPS!

You say that as if facial expressions are common in MegaMan games.  Besides Legends they have never been utilized as part of 3D models.  For that matter their use in mugshots is pretty rare as well; X5, X8, MHX and Z4-ZX are about all that come to mind for the platformers.

Note also that the three X-series games that bothered with expressions are extraordinarily lazy for a far less subtle reason: armor neglect.  In X5 (not so much an issue except in the X vs. Zero aftermath, which could have been corrected sprite-wise without having to edit art) and X8 it was just lazy; in MHX it was downright laughable.

who else agrees that if they  make an Elf wars game, it should be like CM? I mean, it WAS a final strike that defeated Omega...

Agreed, but for another reason.  In an X-series RPG the party mechanic throws a monkey wrench into the story: You need something to tip the scales in order to justify single boss so blatantly overpowering X or Zero on their own, something which post-X1 always has fans raising eyebrows.  In XCM, it was Force Metal.  For Elf Wars, a possible factor such as that has already been established: Cyber-Elf abuse.

4449

Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Thread

« on: January 02, 2009, 08:23:32 AM »

Well, after that bit of revenge for the many Falcon/Warlock PANCHes, I think I'd better crash for the night.

May your memories of my butt and eggshells be pleasant ones.

4450

Gaming / Re: Super Smash Bros. Thread

« on: January 02, 2009, 07:55:31 AM »

*growls*

Dammit, that never happened before.  The last time I recall spontaneous DC's was New Pork City, for crying out loud.

I'll give the whole custom stage thing up for tonight, but I'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME NINTENDO!  NEXT TIME!!!!