Topic: What defines 'Hard Mode'?

[TAoR]

F-Zero GX, Story Chapter 7, Very Hard Mode.

TOPIC OVER.

That was controller-breaking hard

[Nekomata]

F-Zero GX, Story Chapter 7, Very Hard Mode.

TOPIC OVER.

http://www.dailymotion.com/Maxwell_Adams/video/x3cj5b_story-mode-mission-7_videogames

[TAoR]

Was that on Very Hard mode?

[Nekomata]

yes.


http://www.freelanceastronauts.com/view.php?id=379
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[Satoryu]

FZeroGX is far beyond hard mode. It's just not fair. Alone, it took me days to beat Episode 7 on Very Hard.

[Fxeni]

It's one of those things that you just don't really feel like doing again if you can avoid it.

[Satoryu]

Ugh, why did you remind me that I did have to beat everything again after the data got wiped?

[Fxeni]

It really really sucks that you can't back up the saves of that game through regular means.

[Hypershell]

FZeroGX is far beyond hard mode. It's just not fair. Alone, it took me days to beat Episode 7 on Very Hard.

Jeez, you're not kidding.  EVERYTHING on GX's Very Hard is insanity.  I crawled my way through all but two or three chapters before I decided to hack for the last of the AX racers.  Though IIRC I did eventually get 7 before that.  It was 8 that was all hell for me.

That scrolling spike trap in Splash Woman's stage is totally classic Mega Man, though.

I've cleared them all and replay 3 more than any NES game in existence, believe me, I'm familiar with classic MegaMan traps.  The actual NES games do not take it to such an extreme.  Dropping you onto a 2-block wide trap is par for the course, you can realistically evade that.  4 is too far.  The previous screen also forces you into the dead-center, so you don't have the benefit of luck-of-the-draw with your fall position either.

I can't comment on Bag's pic as I'm not all that familiar with GB physics and such.  But the bottom of the first pic is the only one that looks exceedingly bad.

[Da Dood]

There's a ton of places like that Splash Woman fall in early games. At the beginning of Wily1 in MM5 there's a fall where if you pick the right side, the screen will scroll down and you land right on top of about 6 spikes, absolutely no way to tell other than trying and no way to avoid death. The entire second half of Quick Man's stage is totally unfair first time through. If you don't land where the game wants you to land, it's death.

And F-Zero GX is just bull. They really should make 1P racing games like the rollercoaster race in Donkey Kong Country 2. You have to race perfectly to win, but there's no way you'll lose if you race perfectly, unlike those F-Zero games and Mario Kart.

[VixyNyan]

Right, I found these examples all in one game!

Better hit that Carry fast, Meggerman!

I can't comment on Bag's pic as I'm not all that familiar with GB physics and such.  But the bottom of the first pic is the only one that looks exceedingly bad.

If you have good Carry precision, it's pretty simple.
And the maps are based on many screens pieced together, so it scrolls from one screen to another when you fall down. ^^

- Rockman World (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

^ Bags maps are referring to part 2 and 3 of my videos. I picked up those far-distance items on my first try. ^^

[Hypershell]

The entire second half of Quick Man's stage is totally unfair first time through. If you don't land where the game wants you to land, it's death.

I can't comment on MM5 since 4-6 are a blur in my head.  As for Quick Man, evil yes, but doable.  At least in that case you can see obstacles as they scroll up.  Placing a wide death trap at the bottom of the screen, invisible until the instant before you fall, is another story.  And again, where you fall is luck-of-the-draw, so that's at least SOME chance, which is not the same thing as fixing you where you're screwed if you don't know what's coming, which is what Splash Woman does.

Most such hazardous falls in classic-series also include lots of spikes in the scenery beforehand, effectively warning you to keep your guard up.  The worst fall that I recall in classic-series is Doc Robot Spark Man in MM3, and even that's not so bad if you stay calm.

It's not that MM9 is hard, in fact it's actually quite easy, it's just that it makes the habit of blind-siding you.  Lousy design in my book, not that I don't like the game overall.  I do.  But I don't think it holds a candle to a true NES game without factoring in Endless Attack and ProtoMan Mode.  Even then, 2 and 3 are still superior.

and Mario Kart.

Depends on which Mario Kart.  Double Dash is dirt-simple.  Wii, on the other hand, is utter lunacy on 150cc.

But you know, I might have even put up with that if a FREAKING PERFECT SCORE was enough to satisfy the unlock conditions.  But it wasn't.  A full F*@#!ing 60 points, which in itself took many replays, and I get a measly B rank.  At that point I consider myself fully justified to hack a constant Star Man and blow through those bastards (hey, I wanted my Dry Bowser).

[Fxeni]

I just want to say this:

Screw you Mario Kart Wii and your stupidass item favouring of the worst possible kind I have ever seen in a competitive game. Far far worse than any Super Smash Bros could ever wish to do.

[Da Dood]

Mario Kart Wii on 150cc and Mirror is just stupid. I played it enough to unlock all characters, but you know, it's that kind of situation where if they'd just make the A.I. a little bit less brutal I'd replay the game every day.

[Pringer X]

I think a good Hard Mode should have enemies be just slightly stronger, and different attack patterns. If you just fill up the screen with more baddies or instant death traps, then that isn't exactly a good definition of a 'hard mode', just a more bitchy one. I think that in most fighting games, the AI used for difficulty should be sort of emulated with other games. Make their tactics different, make them use different attacks, and don't tie the player's hand behind their back. A truly hard game should allow the player to use their entire armory and STILL provide a challenge without being repetitive as hell.

[Keno]

Hypershell, play a little gem of a game called Rockman World 5.

[Hypershell]

I try, but if I have a GB/C MegaMan game other than Xtreme2 on for more than 5 minutes or so, I start to seizure.

[Bag of Magic Food]

Xtreme 2 was good, but it wasn't THAT good!  It was on par with World 5 at least.

[Elpis TK31]

Xtreme2 > World5, but I've never had W5 on cart and that means a big deal to me.

As for Hard mode, you people talk a good game, but have you ever beaten Chaos Legion on Hard?
It is ruthless, and is the only Hard mode clear I am truly proud of.

I love Zero1 Hard mode because it's actually easier than Normal
and people say that gimping a weapon is bad, hah.

ZX has the best Hard mode imo, it spices up you're enemies, intensifying the battles and survival of stages while it doesn't remove any of your abilities. I don't see the LE Gauge being locked as crippling, just get hit less >.>

-Elpis

[Strider Xhaiden]

As for Hard mode, you people talk a good game, but have you ever beaten Chaos Legion on Hard?

I couldn't even clear it on Normal.

That said, I HAVE cleared God Hand on Hard mode, and that includes the "Evil Gene" bonus fight in the arena.

[Keno]

There's no way in hell constantly wall dash jumping Xtreme 2 is better than RW5. RW5 is so boss you don't even know. 4's boss too. Gotta love actual recoil.

[Bag of Magic Food]

No, I don't like the recoil!  It makes it harder to figure out the frame-perfect way to make a tool-assisted run when charging up sets you back.  Though I bet managing the timing of the boomerang fist is harder, so I haven't even tried the fifth game with tool assistance yet.

[Nekomata]

that recoil is sexy~

[AquaTeamV3]

that recoil is sexy~

Indeed.  The best part is launching yourself backwards off of a cliff accidentally when trying to take down some enemy.  Seems a lot more realistic.  Only other MM weapon to do that was the Buster Cannon from MML2.

[Tickle Buffalo]

Realism. Very important in a game like this.