Messages

676

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

« on: September 08, 2012, 05:33:58 PM »

Maybe I was too frustrated with Fi replacing Midna to give the rest of the game a fair chance

It's your loss if that is the case, because Skyward Sword is a pretty damn awesome game.  But then again, I can't say that I don't get where you're coming from, either.

I tried to like Fi, I really did.  But she is easily the most annoying "navigator character" I have ever seen in gameplay.  There is no excuse for

beeping someone to let them know that their health bar is beeping.

677

Rockman Series / Re: It Dumbfounds Me that People Find BBAMM Offensive

« on: September 08, 2012, 05:20:52 PM »

Both Flame and Objection Man nailed their respective points.

You are correct, AA, in that a fighting game crossover is not a Mega Man game.  But that would excuse his absence, not his mockery.  There's a world of difference.  I wasn't terribly concerned with, for example, the lack of any "true" blue bomber in UMvC3, for exactly that reason.  However, Capcom CHOSE to include Mega Man in SFxT, and if they throw in a punchline with no joke, as Flame so aptly put it, then we have every right to criticize them for it.  We have every right as fans to not be amused.

BBAMM's presence in SFxT is a direct reference to both Universe (what would have been BBAMM's first playable appearance) and Legends 3 (BBAMM's "digger" backstory in SFxT), set up with Inafune's permission prior to him leaving the company, when the games were still on track for release.  The tie-in would have been for the good of all three.  But letting that pass unmodified after what happened to both Mega Man titles is an act of gross negligence on Capcom's part.

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Rockman Series / Re: It Dumbfounds Me that People Find BBAMM Offensive

« on: September 08, 2012, 06:26:33 AM »

Never said you had to find it funny. I just didn't think it was worth getting offended over. I'll understand disliking it or getting peeved towards it because of timing, but no offense meant, none should be taken.

of.fen.sive adj
causing displeasure or resentment <offensive remarks>

Frankly, I find that comment offensive.

Put away the pitchfork for a moment.  You're assuming that being "offended" specifically denotes an extreme and overzealous reaction, a violent retaliation and/or a desire to abolish, or at the very least, some accusation of malice by the offending party.  None of that is by any means true.  I may take offense to the fact that you are telling others how to feel, but that doesn't mean I'm going to join a bandwagon against you, ostracize you, otherwise be a dick to you, encourage my friends to boycott your business, or any other such nonsense.  Holding intelligent and constructive conversations with you does not require that you personally approve of my feelings, and there's no reason for me to pretend that it does.  Finding something offensive is a personal, subjective matter.  To what extent that offense goes and what type of reaction it warrants, that too, is up to the individual.



Parodies are only funny if they are not being passed as a replacement for the original work, otherwise they are seen as ridicule.  And that's why many a gamer find BBAMM to be offensive: Because the "genuine" Mega Man has been MIA in video games for the last couple of years after numerous lost opportunities.  It should come as no surprise that context plays a huge part in what does and doesn't bother someone.  For the last 23 months gamers have been looking to Capcom for some sign of the blue bomber's stability after Inafune's departure, and Capcom's answer has been the cancellation of everything we looked forward to, plus BBAMM in a fighting game.  Why is it surprising that such a situation upsets people?  We all know what BBAMM was intended to be: a friendly jab at our fond memories.  What he turned into was a mocking reminder of what was ripped away from us.  The exact same action holds a vastly different meaning depending on the setup, and the one fully and solely responsible for that setup is Capcom.  So why shouldn't the fans be upset with Capcom?

So, yes, the people who are pissed at BBAMM, *ARE* pissed mainly because of Legends 3.  I just don't see anything wrong with that.  If we had some other "proper" Mega Man game to at least attempt to take the focus off, then maybe things would be different.  But if Mega Man lives in gaming ONLY as a joke, then that's a problem, and I can't blame any fan who is bothered by that.

679

Rockman Series / Re: Does a Mega Man game need boss refights?

« on: September 08, 2012, 05:54:34 AM »

Try Legends 2.  More music, less atmospheric effects.

In most Mega Man games I like boss refights because they demonstrate how much more powerful you've become.  But it's somewhat less relevant in the Classic series, when power-ups outside of the basic special weapons are scarce.  Still, I agree it's a convenient way to learn everyone's weakness.

All depends on how it's handled, and there's a lot of different ways it can be spun.  Overall I don't find anything wrong with it, but it needs to avoid being TOO large of an obstacle, or it destroys your feeling of progress.  Powered Up's boss rematches were a complete disaster in that regard.  On the opposite end of the scale, Xtreme2's rematches barely slow you down.

680

Gaming / Re: The "What are you currently playing?" Thread

« on: September 08, 2012, 05:33:46 AM »

Still working at NSMB2.  I haven't been plowing through it nearly as quickly as I expected, and I guess it's because the game didn't impress me.

Oh, it's a good game, don't get me wrong.  It just doesn't offer much of anything that NSMBWii doesn't, outside of the raccoon tail (which we just got in 3D Land) and the fact that Player 1 can be Luigi without having to hack the game.  I mean, jeez, very nearly the entire soundtrack is lifted from the Wii.

681

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

« on: September 08, 2012, 05:27:45 AM »

Skyward Sword did a good job of humanizing Zelda herself, who is typically a pretty distant character in the games.  But yeah, I agree, I liked Twilight's supporting cast better.

Because Midna [tornado fang]ing rocks!

682

X / Re: Vile/VAVA: Anti Hero or Villain?

« on: September 06, 2012, 12:49:34 AM »

It'd say it's a pretty darn logical theory, given that research into "vaccines" for the Sigma Virus (not entirely appropriate wordage, there) stretch all the way from X3 to XCM.

683

X / Re: X4 is really overrated

« on: September 03, 2012, 05:26:38 PM »

X4 had the Quad-Shot.

X doesn't have four arms.

I thought the graphics were pretty good, though I wonder why they did not use the charging animation from X4 in X5 and X6.

Well, they do in X5 if you fight against X.

Oddly enough, the X5/X6 charge animation looks pretty darn good at lower framerates; the "sparks" are positioned so that they have an almost SNES-like pattern to them as they converge.  The problem is they ramped up the framerate so damn high that it just looks like a bunch of lines.

684

X / Re: Why does everyone hate Mega Man X6?

« on: September 03, 2012, 05:26:13 PM »

On X3's ride armors: They were "keepable" and had lifebars, and were summonable, but the fact is, they just were not implemented well. Only about 2 sections really utilize them fully. And even then it's only for about 3 seconds before you have to drop it to keep going on foot.

Almost every other X game has done Ride Armor's better, simply because they are part of the stage design, and are optional. They are things you come across, and can use. X3 however, while still optional, GIVES them to you to keep, like a power up, and Summon whenever you find the appropriate area to do so, and yet they have the same amount of utility they did in X1 and X2, and no more. They dont actually give you any obstacles or environmental bits for you to utilize the armors potential fully. They dont adapt the stages to them at all. At their worst they are for Item hunting. At their best, they are used for all of 20 seconds.

One thing about X3's Ride Armors that irks me a bit is how utterly redundant the Kangaroo is.  I love it, it looks positively awesome, but for practicality's sake it is useless.

I have no idea what this "Max Armor" you are talking about is, but I think you mean the X3 armor. I love it's design too, something about it just looks plain awesome. But the sprite itself for it was dreadful. The armor design simply outgrew the sprite style. I do love myself the X4 armor though. It's more- like the rest of X4- the last game that has that sort of classic X1-3 "feel" to it. X5 and 6 instead tried to use motifs for their armors. Falcon, Art Deco, Samurai, Ninja... The Glide armor seems more like an attempt at copying the Blade Armor, and just doesnt feel like it works design wise, and the Neutral Armor is just a bad design. Good ideas, (the bright lights whos colors represent which version of the Armor is being used was nice) but the design itself is not too great. especially the stupid collar.

Dammit, Flame, how do you keep reading my mind?

Well, anyways, the term "Max Armor" comes from X3 toy packaging, though it is believed to be simply the Japanese equivalent to "full armor" (Used to refer to X1, X2, and X4 armors in MMXOCW).  The confusion comes from the fact that the X3 armor is the only "unnamed" armor to appear in Bandai's Mega Armor Series.

And oi, X8's collar...  I don't think I've ever seen such a transparent attempt to cover a Mega Man artist's laziness in my life (we can't see X's mouth = we don't have to do armored expressions).  Yoshikawa had no business staying in the art director's chair after allowing a stunt like that.

685

X / Re: Why does everyone hate Mega Man X6?

« on: September 03, 2012, 06:14:06 AM »

they're another step towards RPGing-up your action game.

You realize that's EXACTLY what the point of the armor system was in X1, right?

starting out a level with a ridiculously overpowered buster.

Nobody in their right mind would defend starting the game with the end-of-game secret armor minus one attack.  Why Capcom couldn't at LEAST revisit the stock charge, I will never know.

In X6, oddly enough, your buster shot is the full and sole "practical" reason that anyone would ever use unarmored X over Falcon X.  It's larger and it actually has better piercing abilities; Capcom over-nerfed Falcon's shot to the point where any enemy whatsoever will stop it dead in its tracks.

686

X / Re: Why does everyone hate Mega Man X6?

« on: September 03, 2012, 06:01:34 AM »

Well, Trel, most of your complains you've already made earlier in the thread, and for the most part Flame beat me to the punch on the response.  Although, in all fairness, starting with the armor is optional in X5 (pick Zero, you don't get it), and the extra part slots give you some incentive to experiment without armor.  Neither point is true in X6.  Your DEFAULT FORM in X6 is armored.  Unarmored is super-hard-with-no-point-except-to-prove-you're-a-badass mode.  It's that simple.  In no video game whatsoever is it considered remotely intelligent to turn off your default abilities without knowing what's ahead.

Yeah, I love Kangaroo and Hawk Ride Armors as much as the next guy, but in X3 you can use them for all of 2 minutes before the stage demands you leave them behind.  Not amazing.  You're further hindered by a generally weak arsenal; even if it barely beats out the Blade Armor, X3 has NOTHING on Shadow+Ultimate Buster+Overdrive.  Hell, no X game period has anything to that level of destructive power, save Xtreme2.

Yes, yes, I know, kill Zero for his saber, but the game is nearly over by then and you still have to stumble through the crapass double shot for every saber wave you fire.

687

X / Re: X4 is really overrated

« on: September 03, 2012, 05:55:52 AM »

Well, you didn't need to, but I don't think there was a good reason to stop you moving in the first place. It'd feel better if you weren't.

Actually the double-shot sprite ended with X4.

Yes, but X4 didn't have anyone performing a double shot in the first place.  X5 did.

688

X / Re: Vile/VAVA: Anti Hero or Villain?

« on: September 02, 2012, 01:14:55 AM »

RZOCW seems to implicate Zero being equipped with the same AI as X. I reckon he works that way because of his unique integration with the Sigma Virus, of which the "true form/essence" IS the Suffering Circuit.

There's a world of difference between Zero's AI and X's AI, but saying the two are equally sophisticated is fair, I think.

Thing is, according to the Zero Collection website (which I must admit is the only way to make sense of the Z1 statements of the virus turning Zero good), Zero's AI as it was originally constructed was faulty, and the virus was meant to correct it.

689

X / Re: Rockman X is Over

« on: September 01, 2012, 07:26:43 AM »

You know, this game is made more for the Japanese demographic. They tend towards mobile games moreso than the West, so despite how insulting this game is, it's probably just not for us.

So LET'S SEE WHAT THEY THINK OF IT SHALL WE?

http://www.themmnetwork.com/2012/08/25/what-do-our-far-east-friends-think-of-xover/

That was a fun read.  I've seen people claim that the Japanes are more content/dignified/less whiney than we are.  The thing is, they come from people who read japanese books, not people who participate in japanese communities.

I honestly have to wonder if a company can suck as badly as Capcom does without doing it on purpose.  I mean, seriously, they've known damn well what Mega Man game we wanted since

San Diego 2010

, and they can't pull their heads out of their asses long enough to do it.

690

X / Re: X4 is really overrated

« on: September 01, 2012, 07:19:49 AM »

No, he's right. While I will praise up and down how awesome X2's Double Shot is, the one thing that holds it back is that it actually does stop you dead when you fire the first shot on the ground. Try walking or dashing and then fire the first half.

The thing is, with X2's double buster, you didn't NEED to move.  You were assured that whatever was standing in front of you was about to get completely annihilated.

Not so in X3.  The shot is stronger than the standard, yes, but nowhere NEAR the strength of the previous titles.

As far as ZX goes, yeah, the lack of a two-arm visual is unfortunate.  Seemingly ever since X5 such a visual has gone the way of the dinosaur.  You'd think that making both left-handed and right-handed buster sprites would be cake compared to, say, walking saber slashes.

691

X / Re: Why does everyone hate Mega Man X6?

« on: September 01, 2012, 07:13:43 AM »

Well, X6 *IS* more open than any other game in the series, so I can see how that would catch people off guard.  Knowing the game is built that way, though, it's one of the things I love about it.  It's not just that the game doesn't hold your hand in equipping you for the obstacles, but rather, the fact that the obstacles themselves have multiple solutions.  It makes you use your head, find the method that best suits your preferred equipment, and such.

Such obstacles are confined to the alternate paths, which are in no way required, and the game's final stretch, when other than your own short-sightedness you really have no excuse to NOT be properly equipped.  I pity those who play the game for the first time on X Collection, though.  On the PS1 you have the Start/Select/Load Previous Data option available to you at all times.  On X Collection, you damn well better save frequently, especially if you don't enjoy X5-part-collecting levels of suicide.

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Rockman Series / Re: Would you mind if they made another series with the Fur Coat Megaman

« on: September 01, 2012, 07:04:25 AM »

Basically every Zero-series weapon is a saber derivative except for the buster, which uses the saber to charge, and the Z-Knuckle.

693

Gaming / Re: RPM's Nintendo Wi-Fi lists (now with 3DS)

« on: September 01, 2012, 07:02:21 AM »

Added as well, both to my 3DS and to the thread list.

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Rockman Series / Re: Possible changes for the franchise?

« on: August 22, 2012, 04:47:15 AM »

I personally would hope Mega Man DOESN'T see a new series, or more specifically, not another "rebooted" cast.  We've done that six times already and it's fragmenting the fanbase.  I believe Command Mission proved that, contrary to Inafune's beliefs, there is no real reason to lock a given set of characters into a single specific genre.  You can reboot the gameplay and keep the familiar faces, and quite frankly, I think Capcom NEEDS to keep the familiar faces.  In the last eight years Mega Man has been radically shifting aesthetics nearly every game, with only ZX Advent and MM10 providing anything close to consistency.  That needs to stop.  Part of the reason that all of three people mourn Mega Man Universe is that the art style was bat [parasitic bomb] crazy.  Sure, you can do that and create a HUGE deal with such a unique and defining look, but only if you know what the hell you're doing.  You're going to face skeptics and you have to nail your project in order to turn them (see Wind Waker).  Capcom isn't up to that.

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X / Re: Reploid reviving

« on: August 19, 2012, 05:44:03 AM »

I am saddened at your lack of mention of GBD.

Forgive me, I was thinking of supporting characters.  GBD doesn't do any supporting; he exists solely to be cannon fodder.

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X / Re: X4 is really overrated

« on: August 19, 2012, 05:40:48 AM »

I still remember how awesome Zero's theme sounded in X5, so I disagree that's it not as memorable as X4's. I'd say they're pretty even.

Agreed.  I find Zero's X5 theme to be one of the best tracks in the game; it's the perfect "guy who saves your ass" theme song.  Unfortunately I don't think the derivative stage clear jingle came out nearly as well; that's yet another area where X4 smoked X5.

And actually, I liked Zero's X7 theme too.  My least favorite is probably X3's (I know, I know, PB wants to bash my head in with his shield for that one), and even that's pretty decent.

In terms of music, Zero is the Bowser of Mega Man: You could give him 20 different theme songs and they'd ALL be badass.

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Gaming / Re: The Senran KAGURA (Ninja Chick Brawler) Thread (3DS, Vita, etc)

« on: August 19, 2012, 05:30:46 AM »

Nintendo's been quite good with the M-rated games lately. Resident Evil's found a home on their consoles (Revelations, anyone?), Eternal Darkness is a classic on Gamecube, and there's quite a few other examples. To think that is still an issue is to live in the past, Gaia.

Nintendo's fine on violence, yeah, but sex is another story.  Remember how scandalous DoA Dimensions was; the thing's only T-rated and it still managed to be ruled as child porn in certain corners of the world (which is RIDICULOUS considering how tame the game is compared to series entries in Sony and Microsoft's corners).

It basically boils down to how much leeway accepting the M rating will buy them.

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News and Announcements / Re: X & Zero To Be Featured In New SEGA/Capcom/Bandai new RPG, Project X Zone

« on: August 19, 2012, 05:22:57 AM »

The man's got a point.

This notion that the fanbase cannot be pleased is rather ridiculous.  Everyone and their dog knows what Mega Man fans want: This, Legends 3, and possibly Rockman Online.  Capcom simply choses to not make it happen and then gets to pretend we're unreasonable when we reject their latest iPhone shovelware.

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X / Re: Reploid reviving

« on: August 18, 2012, 07:07:59 AM »

My problem with most of this that there is no real judgment calling on either of their parts. It always ends the same way: with a fight and the suspected Maverick dying. It's the traditional trapping of the Mega Man action game. But with the X series, I think the games' could've handled both the gameplay and this dubious case of who-or-what-is-a-Maverick more intelligently by giving players some more choices and more consequences.

I don't consider linearity to necessarily be a bad thing.  The author has the right to define their character independent of the player, and quite frankly, most gamers wouldn't give a damn anyway.  During the rare instances where the player DOES have a choice in a Mega Man game, they tend to simply take the path of least resistance and accept it as burned in stone (I am probably the only guy on the face of the Earth who appreciates the fact that I can get by the battle with Iris without directly attacking her in X4).

A "false Maverick" has a good chance of dying simply because the series treats its NPCs in general as disposable (whether dying or dropping off the Earth; Alia, Signas, and Light are about the only exceptions).  But it's not always the result of battle.  See Doppler (X3) and Ferham (XCM).  They're removed for the sake of plot convenience; they did not die as a result of battle with X and Zero.

The open-ended "Mass Effect" route would be a cool mechanic to play with, I'll give you that EASILY.  I just see it as "different" and "interesting", not objectively "better".  There are a lot of games out there that aren't really supposed to be deep in terms of their narrative, and a lot of gamers who wouldn't appreciate it even if they were.

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X / Re: Rockman X is Over

« on: August 18, 2012, 06:45:49 AM »

In all fairness, at least Nintendo's auto-plays wait for you to suck at the game first.