Ch1NaTown
2002
I commend the developers for trying out new things with the Mega Man formula, but they sure as hell did not have the finess or forethought necessary to pull them out.
The core gameplay loop and controls of Mega Man Zero is stellar, combat feels impactful and responsive, and the level design isn't too shabby either, but all adjacent systems and mechanics are some of the worst in the franchise.
If this game did not have the life system that it does, the level system that it does, the insanely grindy E-Crystal requirements for cyber elves that it does, and wasn't stuck in such a small screen it could've been one of my favorites, but all of these systems really drag down the experience as a whole.
The core gameplay loop and controls of Mega Man Zero is stellar, combat feels impactful and responsive, and the level design isn't too shabby either, but all adjacent systems and mechanics are some of the worst in the franchise.
If this game did not have the life system that it does, the level system that it does, the insanely grindy E-Crystal requirements for cyber elves that it does, and wasn't stuck in such a small screen it could've been one of my favorites, but all of these systems really drag down the experience as a whole.
2014
It is the inherent problem with Mario Kart that sometimes you just have to accept that RNGjesus is the one taking the wheel and you wining or losing solely depends on what the people in the last place roll for items and not on your skill.
Other than that this is probably my favorite MK game, I love the track design and absolutely love the car customization and controls, but like any other game in the series, it can often be frustrating.
Other than that this is probably my favorite MK game, I love the track design and absolutely love the car customization and controls, but like any other game in the series, it can often be frustrating.
1988
Hitboxes are a mess, it is still pretty much impossible to recover from a death due to the terrible checkpoint placement, but at least this one HAS a continue system differently from the arcade counterpart.
It is a Gradius game if I ever saw one.
It is a Gradius game if I ever saw one.
Definitely has its charm, but I'm not sure what this game wants to be at times.
Party customization is undermined by forced party members and sections of the story where you can't even add different Pokémon to your group.
The storytelling is "charming" but barebones, and the difficulty of the game spikes super randomly at times, where for most of the time the game offers no resistance to you (super easy) and then out of nowhere you get one shot by some random enemy in a dungeon you were revisiting.
What I'm trying to say is that, the difficulty isn't a draw, the gameplay isn't a draw, the story isn't a draw, then wtf is the draw of the game? It feels like all of these aspects of the game keep stepping on each other's toes.
There's potential for greatness here, but the game feels way too directionless to me.
Party customization is undermined by forced party members and sections of the story where you can't even add different Pokémon to your group.
The storytelling is "charming" but barebones, and the difficulty of the game spikes super randomly at times, where for most of the time the game offers no resistance to you (super easy) and then out of nowhere you get one shot by some random enemy in a dungeon you were revisiting.
What I'm trying to say is that, the difficulty isn't a draw, the gameplay isn't a draw, the story isn't a draw, then wtf is the draw of the game? It feels like all of these aspects of the game keep stepping on each other's toes.
There's potential for greatness here, but the game feels way too directionless to me.