After another long day of work, I come home and on my first day off in over a week, I immediately feel obligated to review the next game in this series. I open up my emulator and start Mega Man Zero 4. I see the title screen with those flashy Game Boy Advance interpolation rotation effects.
I feel nothing.
I get through the first level. It's fine. I fight the first boss. It's fine.
I continue to feel nothing.
What is the point? Why am I doing this?
Mega Man is a series that brings me no joy. I've only resigned myself to play it for the sake of others who want to read my thoughts on them. I'm sick of it. I can't keep doing this.
I'm sure Zero 4 is fine or whatever, it can't be much better or much worse than the other games in the series. I just don't have it in me to keep playing through these games. They all blend together in my mind and make me feel so empty.
I won't ever understand these games.
I feel nothing.
I get through the first level. It's fine. I fight the first boss. It's fine.
I continue to feel nothing.
What is the point? Why am I doing this?
Mega Man is a series that brings me no joy. I've only resigned myself to play it for the sake of others who want to read my thoughts on them. I'm sick of it. I can't keep doing this.
I'm sure Zero 4 is fine or whatever, it can't be much better or much worse than the other games in the series. I just don't have it in me to keep playing through these games. They all blend together in my mind and make me feel so empty.
I won't ever understand these games.
Reviewed on Sep 21, 2022
11 Comments
don’t game to write. game to game 👍
I played through the first six NES games a long while ago and I'm still on vacation leave from the games, lol.
Thank you everyone 🥺
Happy you finally put it to rest, I was feeling you were tired of the series long ago.
May your next days off be better and more full of joy. ;-)
May your next days off be better and more full of joy. ;-)
I feel this way about the Resident Evil series and a few other institutions of gaming. Over time my perspective has shifted from painstakingly playing through every game series in release order to just playing the good one™. if I don't gel with it that's that and I move on. Sometimes I don't even bother simply because of trivialities like the setting and music! My whims are more important to me than engaging with freaks on the internet who have nothing critical to say about Dark Souls their own favorite game to me, instead chosing to resort to a primitive state and parrot "filtered" ad nauseum.
Yeah, I only played so many because I was asked to. I honestly wouldn't have if I didn't care about The List.
Thank you for your thoughts and kindness!!!!
Thank you for your thoughts and kindness!!!!
i think it's just one of those things you have to be in a particular mindset for.
the Zero series in specific always felt to me that it was a specialized thing for the longtime fans of the series. It focuses entirely on what was (and still is) one of the most iconic characters in the franchise, wraps up plot threads that they've been laying out since the SNES days of the series, and has absolutely no intention to naturally ease the player into its mechanics or teach them any of it. It runs on the assumption that you already know what you're doing, and if you do, you will experiment. That's why its ranking system is so harsh.
It's one of those things that's really hard to recommend unless you already like action platformers.
the Zero series in specific always felt to me that it was a specialized thing for the longtime fans of the series. It focuses entirely on what was (and still is) one of the most iconic characters in the franchise, wraps up plot threads that they've been laying out since the SNES days of the series, and has absolutely no intention to naturally ease the player into its mechanics or teach them any of it. It runs on the assumption that you already know what you're doing, and if you do, you will experiment. That's why its ranking system is so harsh.
It's one of those things that's really hard to recommend unless you already like action platformers.
Hey girl, just passing here to randomly say that I just finished Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (1996, Arcade) and it may have one of the most raw takes on Mega Man's ethos ever???
Just look at it: https://youtu.be/fiQVyiIWMmI
Wily: Peace for humans and robots? Then why do you destroy my robots you metallic hypocrite? Do you destroy robots to bring them peace? What's the difference between my actions and yours? We are alike, you and I!
"Mega Man: Noooo! Can I really be the same as Wily? It's true I destroy his robots with no hesitation! I could have negotiated with robots instead of slaying them. Maybe I could have made peace... Am I as violent and evil as the man I oppose? Am I spreading war instead of stopping it?"
I'm truly flabbergasted.
(Shortly afterwards Wright comes and convinces Mega Man that a little bit of genocide is sometimes necessary, though)
Just look at it: https://youtu.be/fiQVyiIWMmI
Wily: Peace for humans and robots? Then why do you destroy my robots you metallic hypocrite? Do you destroy robots to bring them peace? What's the difference between my actions and yours? We are alike, you and I!
"Mega Man: Noooo! Can I really be the same as Wily? It's true I destroy his robots with no hesitation! I could have negotiated with robots instead of slaying them. Maybe I could have made peace... Am I as violent and evil as the man I oppose? Am I spreading war instead of stopping it?"
I'm truly flabbergasted.
(Shortly afterwards Wright comes and convinces Mega Man that a little bit of genocide is sometimes necessary, though)
'If it's not fun, why bother?'' it's really overused quote in the realm of gaming since Reggie first said it but I belive that it holds so much truth. Your reviews are all amazing, I may not agree always but everything I read from you ahs been very interesting, so don't feel obligated to review or play something that you don't like or doens't 'cause an emotion on you, paly something that makes you feel, wheter something good or bad.
I know I'm commenting this months after it was posted, but I used to have the same problem when I used Letterboxd, and just wanted to say a few words.
Keep up the good work!
I know I'm commenting this months after it was posted, but I used to have the same problem when I used Letterboxd, and just wanted to say a few words.
Keep up the good work!
lpslucasps
1 year ago