UrLocalBanktoad
2084 Reviews liked by UrLocalBanktoad
Disney's Tarzan
1999
Tarzan was one of my favorite disney movies when I was little, so playing this game was a blast as well!
Run
2008
you're never gonna guess what you do in this game
The Legend of Zelda
1986
He really went and invented save slots, very cool Miyamoto. He is the true ruler of Hyrule cuz he rules. Aside from that cool fact, Legend of Zelda still holds water. It took me 10 minutes to realize I was playing a weird mod as Zelda herself, perhaps I am not the observant gamer Miyamoto wanted in order to find all the...secrets...! As well as the... other secrets...?! I just can't look over the fact I saved Zelda with Zelda. Onto the finer details, this game is very peculiar because there are a rupeellions number of items to collect in order to progress. Make sure to inspect the labyrinths thoroughly. Maybe one of the first games to raise the question "how does this goofball carry all this?" this is probably why all these punks are fixing to rob me after I get any Triforce shard and leave the house. It's on sight and I'm in the crosshair.
Among all Link carries are the classics. The boomerang flabbergasts its victims, the candle is a safety hazard. The gift-wrapped C4 I rigged to explode in the middle of my speech on "do twinks deserve more or less?". You actually need a PhD in "Where's Wally?" to guess which spots to explode and arson to collect the goodies. The game can be completed without a guide... unless you consider your heart one. Dawww. Fuck it we ball, I don't need a job, I don't need marriage, I certainly don't need a guide. The game certainly gets more bearable with the Master Sword, though. LeBron, scream if you love the Master Sword! Shoot, LeBron reportedly forgot to retrieve the raft before leaving the room. No, Google, I'm not feeling lucky. I'm getting by on skill alone, although I constantly forget to pick up my bow. In the pp sized sword we trust.
Speaking of this sword, it can shoot a beam at max health. I am more often not at full health, so it's just a fun fact at this point. When do the fun facts officially become... just facts? Look at Ganon btw brooo he ate cement when he was 6 đ fuck it we ball again let me close the distance gap between us, we have a button to mash boys and girls. Ain't no shot I'm losing after going through so many bosses... by the by, wouldn't you know it, the enemy variety is quite high. I seem to always find the perfect time to attack at the wrong time, I bet the Darknut facing me as soon as I press the button to deal unavoidable damage to me doesn't know I just shouted at him to eat my Darknuts!! save me Aonuma, Aonuma!!, Aonuma....save me...
I think navigating the map is pretty fun, depending on the day. But 2 months ago, yesterday and today (yeah I played this game at a pretty conspicuous schedule.) it is fun. I wish the enemies didn't respawn, what does mortality mean in literature if not enjoying the time spent with those who may go? The fish stalker is enough. Although not easy to farm rupees with him I'm tellin you
Among all Link carries are the classics. The boomerang flabbergasts its victims, the candle is a safety hazard. The gift-wrapped C4 I rigged to explode in the middle of my speech on "do twinks deserve more or less?". You actually need a PhD in "Where's Wally?" to guess which spots to explode and arson to collect the goodies. The game can be completed without a guide... unless you consider your heart one. Dawww. Fuck it we ball, I don't need a job, I don't need marriage, I certainly don't need a guide. The game certainly gets more bearable with the Master Sword, though. LeBron, scream if you love the Master Sword! Shoot, LeBron reportedly forgot to retrieve the raft before leaving the room. No, Google, I'm not feeling lucky. I'm getting by on skill alone, although I constantly forget to pick up my bow. In the pp sized sword we trust.
Speaking of this sword, it can shoot a beam at max health. I am more often not at full health, so it's just a fun fact at this point. When do the fun facts officially become... just facts? Look at Ganon btw brooo he ate cement when he was 6 đ fuck it we ball again let me close the distance gap between us, we have a button to mash boys and girls. Ain't no shot I'm losing after going through so many bosses... by the by, wouldn't you know it, the enemy variety is quite high. I seem to always find the perfect time to attack at the wrong time, I bet the Darknut facing me as soon as I press the button to deal unavoidable damage to me doesn't know I just shouted at him to eat my Darknuts!! save me Aonuma, Aonuma!!, Aonuma....save me...
I think navigating the map is pretty fun, depending on the day. But 2 months ago, yesterday and today (yeah I played this game at a pretty conspicuous schedule.) it is fun. I wish the enemies didn't respawn, what does mortality mean in literature if not enjoying the time spent with those who may go? The fish stalker is enough. Although not easy to farm rupees with him I'm tellin you
Persona 3 Reload
2024
Persona 5 Royal you could never be her
What the hell is this new item mcdonalds? I was very excited to try out this new mcnugget because the original chicken mcnuggets are fucking delicious! This new one doesn't even taste like a chicken nugget, it just looks like one and it tastes very bad >:( Fuck you mcdonalds for making such a disgusting item.
Sonic Crackers
TBD
That's racist, Sonic.
Game #WhereDidHisArmsGo
Game #WhereDidHisArmsGo
Firestriker
1994
Funny little Arkanoid em up ARPG hybrid actually. The game is super easy until the very end but 5 credits was more than enough for me to conquer this in under 2 hours blind. Sometimes a game doesn't need to be ultra polished, it just needs to be really out there and wacky. I can safely say that in my quarter century of gaming, I have never encountered anything remotely like this game and thus it's worth playing for that aspect alone. The story is just run of the mill, the music is catchy enough, the visuals only get the job done, and really there's nothing that will make anyone fall in love with Firestriker. But it's the ultimate example of a game being more than the sum of its parts imo. I mean hell, the randomized boss rush at the end and the unique dialogue if the player continues against bosses will definitely be an aspect I remember in the future.
Also, the English version adds lines like "I pity the fool" so that's lived in my brain for a while now lol.
Protip if you play this: the grinding spot is hidden here. You can continuously revisit it for max HP and POW: https://youtu.be/LywWmlSGRGk?t=2714
Also, the English version adds lines like "I pity the fool" so that's lived in my brain for a while now lol.
Protip if you play this: the grinding spot is hidden here. You can continuously revisit it for max HP and POW: https://youtu.be/LywWmlSGRGk?t=2714
Lila's Sky Ark
2022
Sights & Sounds
- Although the promotional art seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis (I've seen marketing material sporting 3 different styles), the in-game art is at least consistent. The majority of what you'll see is the game world's intriguing pixel art
- Smaller sprites like Lila and most of the enemies lack detail owing to their diminutive stature, but larger characters and bosses are richly detailed and often wildly creative
- The world itself looks like a more sparsely populated Hieronymus Bosch painting. Everything you encounter features an absurdist, almost psychedelic design. All the while, environments are strikingly colored in a semi-opppsing magenta/teal purple/orange palette, making the world look bathed in either sunrise or sunset depending on your location
- The music is passable; much of it is pretty but forgettable except for the boss tracks, which are universally good (check out The Pianist's theme, for example). Most of the tunes are comprised of synthesizer samples, but some identifiable instruments (piano, violin, percussion) are used often to great effect.
Story & Vibes
- Although the general thrust of a story exists in Lila'a Sky Ark, the details are esoteric and the allusions and references ultimately lead nowhere. Even though I always knew (approximately) where I was supposed to go usually knew what to do when I got there, I never felt like I understood why. I can see that the world is under attack by monsters who want to steal its creativity, but why? Lila is the only human-looking entity, but why? And what the hell is the point of the Gaint Cat Slug?
- Part of my ignorance is my own doing. Didn't research the game enough before diving in. Apparently, Lila's Sky Ark is meant to be the prequel to Monolith of Mind's first game, Resolutiion, so I suppose I'll have to play that to perhaps retroactively clear up some confusion
- Given my own misstep, I won't judge the game's narrative too harshly, but I still think it's valid to criticize the fact that the absence of a self-contained narrative works against it's ability to stand on its own strengths. It often feels like you're trapped in a lore-rich environment with no foothold to latch onto to begin even guessing what's going on
Playability & Replayability
- But is it any fun to play? Well, yes and no. Movement feels good, so things like traversal and dodging should feel snappy and natural to anyone that's played a game evoking Hyper Light Drifter. However, instead of using impressive-looking melee attacks and skills, you... uh... throw boxes
- That's right. All combat in LSA (ha, I get it) centers around gathering environmental items, cramming them in your backpack, and hurling them at enemies' heads. Initially, this feels woefully awkward, but after a few hours of experience, it'll only feel mostly awkward
- Some of the throwables you'll encounter have special AoE effects and/or higher damage, so be sure to retain these for difficult enemies or boss fights as most standard enemies can be undone simply using the boxes and pots you find
- You may even locate or purchase recipes for some of the powerful ammo pickups, which can be crafted by a gigantic Slow Loris in exchange for the game's currency
- Exploration is at least interesting. As imaginative as the art design is, you truly never know what lies on the next screen. I think this was the highlight of LSA for me. Everything felt constantly new and weird, which really motivated me to scour every nook and cranny for collectibles (mostly glasses for your giant robot cyclops father). It's unfortunate that the gameplay and story were so mediocre
- I don't know if I'll ever revisit LSA, unless I play Resolutiion someday and love it. I fear that it may also be a visually appealing but ultimately mediocre experience, though
- If you get stuck, the devs have published a beautiful guide in the Steam walkthrough section for this game
Overall Impressions & Performance
- Lila's Sky Ark is not a bad game; it just doesn't live up to the intrigue of its world by not giving you any chance of understanding it beyond wild conjecture. If the narrative would just click into place, I could likely see past the awkward combat mechanics and have a fuller appreciation of the game. Without it, though, I'm just a bit lost among the pretty colors
- Ran well without bugs on the Steam Deck
Final Verdict
- 4.5/10. Strong art direction and interesting exploration can only take a game so far. What's the point of building an imaginative world full of lore if you refuse to share any of that lore with the player?
----------
Looking for a new game to play on Steam? Don't feel like spending any money? Good news! I'm giving away a whole bunch of games on Backloggd, and all it'll cost you is a review.
----------
This game didn't make the list, but here are some games from 2022 that I really liked
- Although the promotional art seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis (I've seen marketing material sporting 3 different styles), the in-game art is at least consistent. The majority of what you'll see is the game world's intriguing pixel art
- Smaller sprites like Lila and most of the enemies lack detail owing to their diminutive stature, but larger characters and bosses are richly detailed and often wildly creative
- The world itself looks like a more sparsely populated Hieronymus Bosch painting. Everything you encounter features an absurdist, almost psychedelic design. All the while, environments are strikingly colored in a semi-opppsing magenta/teal purple/orange palette, making the world look bathed in either sunrise or sunset depending on your location
- The music is passable; much of it is pretty but forgettable except for the boss tracks, which are universally good (check out The Pianist's theme, for example). Most of the tunes are comprised of synthesizer samples, but some identifiable instruments (piano, violin, percussion) are used often to great effect.
Story & Vibes
- Although the general thrust of a story exists in Lila'a Sky Ark, the details are esoteric and the allusions and references ultimately lead nowhere. Even though I always knew (approximately) where I was supposed to go usually knew what to do when I got there, I never felt like I understood why. I can see that the world is under attack by monsters who want to steal its creativity, but why? Lila is the only human-looking entity, but why? And what the hell is the point of the Gaint Cat Slug?
- Part of my ignorance is my own doing. Didn't research the game enough before diving in. Apparently, Lila's Sky Ark is meant to be the prequel to Monolith of Mind's first game, Resolutiion, so I suppose I'll have to play that to perhaps retroactively clear up some confusion
- Given my own misstep, I won't judge the game's narrative too harshly, but I still think it's valid to criticize the fact that the absence of a self-contained narrative works against it's ability to stand on its own strengths. It often feels like you're trapped in a lore-rich environment with no foothold to latch onto to begin even guessing what's going on
Playability & Replayability
- But is it any fun to play? Well, yes and no. Movement feels good, so things like traversal and dodging should feel snappy and natural to anyone that's played a game evoking Hyper Light Drifter. However, instead of using impressive-looking melee attacks and skills, you... uh... throw boxes
- That's right. All combat in LSA (ha, I get it) centers around gathering environmental items, cramming them in your backpack, and hurling them at enemies' heads. Initially, this feels woefully awkward, but after a few hours of experience, it'll only feel mostly awkward
- Some of the throwables you'll encounter have special AoE effects and/or higher damage, so be sure to retain these for difficult enemies or boss fights as most standard enemies can be undone simply using the boxes and pots you find
- You may even locate or purchase recipes for some of the powerful ammo pickups, which can be crafted by a gigantic Slow Loris in exchange for the game's currency
- Exploration is at least interesting. As imaginative as the art design is, you truly never know what lies on the next screen. I think this was the highlight of LSA for me. Everything felt constantly new and weird, which really motivated me to scour every nook and cranny for collectibles (mostly glasses for your giant robot cyclops father). It's unfortunate that the gameplay and story were so mediocre
- I don't know if I'll ever revisit LSA, unless I play Resolutiion someday and love it. I fear that it may also be a visually appealing but ultimately mediocre experience, though
- If you get stuck, the devs have published a beautiful guide in the Steam walkthrough section for this game
Overall Impressions & Performance
- Lila's Sky Ark is not a bad game; it just doesn't live up to the intrigue of its world by not giving you any chance of understanding it beyond wild conjecture. If the narrative would just click into place, I could likely see past the awkward combat mechanics and have a fuller appreciation of the game. Without it, though, I'm just a bit lost among the pretty colors
- Ran well without bugs on the Steam Deck
Final Verdict
- 4.5/10. Strong art direction and interesting exploration can only take a game so far. What's the point of building an imaginative world full of lore if you refuse to share any of that lore with the player?
----------
Looking for a new game to play on Steam? Don't feel like spending any money? Good news! I'm giving away a whole bunch of games on Backloggd, and all it'll cost you is a review.
----------
This game didn't make the list, but here are some games from 2022 that I really liked
Sonic the Hedgehog
1991
Sonic the Hedgehog has been a series that I've loved ever since I was a kid. Thanks to Sonic Adventure and Sonic Unleashed, I was exposed to a series that, while not always consistent, has captured my heart thanks to fun gameplay, great characters and interesting stories.
In spite of having played many Sonic games multiple times, the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the Mega Drive has been one of my least played ones. Not to say that others have been replayed much, I'd say Sonic Adventure is probably the one that I've replayed the most, but I don't tend to come back to the Classic games much.
But recently, out of the blue, I decided to play the first game. No special reason, just felt like it.
Before I get into the meat of it, what is Sonic the Hedgehog?
Well, he's a lot of things, but let's keep it simple.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a fast-paced platforming series that sees Sonic and his friends going around mutliple zones to stop Dr. Eggman's plans for world-domination.
And the first game is pretty much that. Eggman is being a shit-head and trapping Sonic's little animal friends inside of robots called Badniks, so Sonic goes on a quest through South Island to stop him.
Pretty cookie-cutter, all things considered. The USA manual and the "Sonic Bible" mentioned some other stuff like the planet Mobius, and Sonic's parents, but those aren't really canon, as far as I'm aware.
Ever since Sonic Adventure, the Sonic series has mainly followed the original Japanese stories, with some American elements being mentioned here and there, like how Dr. Eggman's full name is Dr. Ivo Robotnik, with Eggman being more of a name he took so that Sonic's insults wouldn't hurt him anymore.
Sonic canon can be funny sometimes.
But what do you do in this game? Simple, you go fast and eat ass.
Ok, maybe without the ass part.
You play as Sonic and you jump and roll through 6 zones, all of them having 3 acts, with the 3rd act being home to a boss against Eggman, who's always using a different machine to stop you.
Unlike a game like Super Mario Bros., you only use one button, as Sonic's speed builds up automatically. And this kinda brings into one of the things that makes Sonic stand out.
You see, after you build up some speed, you can press down on the D-Pad to make Sonic roll. If he's on an incline, then his speed will build up more and more, making him reach stupendous speeds!
This can be pretty fun, but this doesn't always happen.
The reason? The stages themselves are kind of a rollercoaster in design.
It feels like the developers were a bit cautious about making the game all about speed. Maybe the player could beat these levels quickly and the game would be over in half-an-hour or less. And that is true, since some of the faster-paced levels, like Green Hill and Starlight, can be beaten pretty quickly.
So, there's other levels that aren't as fast-paced. The second zone of the game, Marble Zone, takes place underground and there is much lava to be found. The overall level design of the zone doesn't really involve inclines and slopes as much as the others, and sometimes you'll be waiting on top of blocks in order to proceed.
Of course, if you're good enough, you can make some of these parts quicker, but that doesn't happen all of the time.
The epitome of this is everybody's favourite zone, Labyrinth Zone. I really like the aesthetic of this zone, taking place in ancient underground ruins, but Sonic will be walking on water through most of it, and unlike Mario, he's pretty slow underwater. I don't even take much issue with the fact that you'll need to swallow bubbles to keep yourself from drowing, it's just the level's pace that makes the overall pacing of the game uneven.
And they knew you wouldn't like it, because Act 3 of the Scrap Brain Zone is pretty much a Labyrinth Zone Act 4. Boi.
Outside of that, I did end up liking zones like Spring Yard Zone and Scrap Brain Zone for their mix of slower and faster parts, which helped the pacing feel a bit more consistent.
The bosses themselves are ok. Many of them aren't particularly hard, but I do recommend bringing some rings with you.
Which brings me into one of the Sonic's series main mechanics... the Ring system!
You see, unlike something Super Mario Bros., where you need power-ups to be able to take in more hits, with Sonic, as long as hold on to one ring, you're good! When you get hit, all of your Rings will scatter, so hopefully, you'll be obtain some back.
Buuuuutttt... if you're trying to go for 100% completion, you do need to perserve at least 50 rings until the end of a stage (with the exception of the Act 3s). The reason why that is is because if you reach the end of a stage with at least 50 rings, a giant ring will appear for you to jump into.
This special ring will take you to a Special Stage!
Special Stages in Sonic 1 are a bit of an acid-trip to look at, but they have a pretty interesting aesthetic. Sonic can only jump in these, as the stage itself is always spinning around. It's up to you to navigate these courses until the end, while avoiding the Goals, as they end the levels early, to get the Chaos Emerald.
If you get all six Emeralds, you'll get a better ending.
In my most recent playthrough of this game, I actually was able to get all of the Chaos Emeralds! But the ending isn't much different from the normal one, so you can see 100% completion as more of an extra challenge.
That challenge can be quite hard though, as maintaining 50 rings can be pretty difficult, especially in stages like Labyrinth Zone, where you'll get hit pretty often. And there's only so many chances you get at obtaining the Emeralds, since there's only one giant ring in Acts 1 and 2.
This game isn't very long, you can beat in around an hour if you know what you're doing, so having some replay-value helps, although I think this couldn've been better handled.
In regards to the presentation, for a Mega Drive game that came out in 1991, it looks pretty nice! Sprites are well animated, backgrounds are nicely detailed, and the colors pop really well! Definitely helped the system stand out compared to the NES.
Additionally, the soundtrack is pretty good! Composed my Masato Nakamura of the Dreams Come True band, there's a lot of pop-inspired songs and they all fit each of the zones pretty well!
The Green Hill Zone music in particular, is one of the most famous tracks in the franchise. A pretty catchy tune, indeed.
Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog is a pretty decent start to the Blue Blur's journey. There are a few issues I have with the game, that the sequels would improve on, but Sonic 1 is still fun to play, I'd say.
In spite of having played many Sonic games multiple times, the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the Mega Drive has been one of my least played ones. Not to say that others have been replayed much, I'd say Sonic Adventure is probably the one that I've replayed the most, but I don't tend to come back to the Classic games much.
But recently, out of the blue, I decided to play the first game. No special reason, just felt like it.
Before I get into the meat of it, what is Sonic the Hedgehog?
Well, he's a lot of things, but let's keep it simple.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a fast-paced platforming series that sees Sonic and his friends going around mutliple zones to stop Dr. Eggman's plans for world-domination.
And the first game is pretty much that. Eggman is being a shit-head and trapping Sonic's little animal friends inside of robots called Badniks, so Sonic goes on a quest through South Island to stop him.
Pretty cookie-cutter, all things considered. The USA manual and the "Sonic Bible" mentioned some other stuff like the planet Mobius, and Sonic's parents, but those aren't really canon, as far as I'm aware.
Ever since Sonic Adventure, the Sonic series has mainly followed the original Japanese stories, with some American elements being mentioned here and there, like how Dr. Eggman's full name is Dr. Ivo Robotnik, with Eggman being more of a name he took so that Sonic's insults wouldn't hurt him anymore.
Sonic canon can be funny sometimes.
But what do you do in this game? Simple, you go fast and eat ass.
Ok, maybe without the ass part.
You play as Sonic and you jump and roll through 6 zones, all of them having 3 acts, with the 3rd act being home to a boss against Eggman, who's always using a different machine to stop you.
Unlike a game like Super Mario Bros., you only use one button, as Sonic's speed builds up automatically. And this kinda brings into one of the things that makes Sonic stand out.
You see, after you build up some speed, you can press down on the D-Pad to make Sonic roll. If he's on an incline, then his speed will build up more and more, making him reach stupendous speeds!
This can be pretty fun, but this doesn't always happen.
The reason? The stages themselves are kind of a rollercoaster in design.
It feels like the developers were a bit cautious about making the game all about speed. Maybe the player could beat these levels quickly and the game would be over in half-an-hour or less. And that is true, since some of the faster-paced levels, like Green Hill and Starlight, can be beaten pretty quickly.
So, there's other levels that aren't as fast-paced. The second zone of the game, Marble Zone, takes place underground and there is much lava to be found. The overall level design of the zone doesn't really involve inclines and slopes as much as the others, and sometimes you'll be waiting on top of blocks in order to proceed.
Of course, if you're good enough, you can make some of these parts quicker, but that doesn't happen all of the time.
The epitome of this is everybody's favourite zone, Labyrinth Zone. I really like the aesthetic of this zone, taking place in ancient underground ruins, but Sonic will be walking on water through most of it, and unlike Mario, he's pretty slow underwater. I don't even take much issue with the fact that you'll need to swallow bubbles to keep yourself from drowing, it's just the level's pace that makes the overall pacing of the game uneven.
And they knew you wouldn't like it, because Act 3 of the Scrap Brain Zone is pretty much a Labyrinth Zone Act 4. Boi.
Outside of that, I did end up liking zones like Spring Yard Zone and Scrap Brain Zone for their mix of slower and faster parts, which helped the pacing feel a bit more consistent.
The bosses themselves are ok. Many of them aren't particularly hard, but I do recommend bringing some rings with you.
Which brings me into one of the Sonic's series main mechanics... the Ring system!
You see, unlike something Super Mario Bros., where you need power-ups to be able to take in more hits, with Sonic, as long as hold on to one ring, you're good! When you get hit, all of your Rings will scatter, so hopefully, you'll be obtain some back.
Buuuuutttt... if you're trying to go for 100% completion, you do need to perserve at least 50 rings until the end of a stage (with the exception of the Act 3s). The reason why that is is because if you reach the end of a stage with at least 50 rings, a giant ring will appear for you to jump into.
This special ring will take you to a Special Stage!
Special Stages in Sonic 1 are a bit of an acid-trip to look at, but they have a pretty interesting aesthetic. Sonic can only jump in these, as the stage itself is always spinning around. It's up to you to navigate these courses until the end, while avoiding the Goals, as they end the levels early, to get the Chaos Emerald.
If you get all six Emeralds, you'll get a better ending.
In my most recent playthrough of this game, I actually was able to get all of the Chaos Emeralds! But the ending isn't much different from the normal one, so you can see 100% completion as more of an extra challenge.
That challenge can be quite hard though, as maintaining 50 rings can be pretty difficult, especially in stages like Labyrinth Zone, where you'll get hit pretty often. And there's only so many chances you get at obtaining the Emeralds, since there's only one giant ring in Acts 1 and 2.
This game isn't very long, you can beat in around an hour if you know what you're doing, so having some replay-value helps, although I think this couldn've been better handled.
In regards to the presentation, for a Mega Drive game that came out in 1991, it looks pretty nice! Sprites are well animated, backgrounds are nicely detailed, and the colors pop really well! Definitely helped the system stand out compared to the NES.
Additionally, the soundtrack is pretty good! Composed my Masato Nakamura of the Dreams Come True band, there's a lot of pop-inspired songs and they all fit each of the zones pretty well!
The Green Hill Zone music in particular, is one of the most famous tracks in the franchise. A pretty catchy tune, indeed.
Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog is a pretty decent start to the Blue Blur's journey. There are a few issues I have with the game, that the sequels would improve on, but Sonic 1 is still fun to play, I'd say.
It was pretty fun. Played with @Aiko1704.
Knuckles' Chaotix
1995
At this point, we have talked plenty about the Sega Genesis and its lineup of titles from the good, the bad, and the ugly, and we have even talked a brief bit about several Sega CD titles and how good they can be when the proper time and care is put into themâŚâŚâŚ which rarely happened, but you get the idea. So, I think it is about time that we briefly, and I mean briefly, go into the last ditch effort that Sega had in order to keep the Genesis alive throughout the mid-90s, the Sega 32X. Much like the Sega CD, this was an add-on for the Sega Genesis that was meant to be a placeholder for Sega fans before the Sega Saturn came out, allowing them to play 32-bit games straight from their Sega Genesis. However, as you would expect, this didnât really work out well at all, as not only were there only 40 games made for this system, which is practically nothing compared to almost every other video game system out there, but the games that were released onto the thing really werenât all that special, with a good handful of them even requiring you to need both the 32X AND the Sega CD in order to play it with! But hey, at least some noteworthy games came out for it, so we may as well go ahead and cover what is definitely the most noteworthy game out of those 40 to choose from, Knucklesâ Chaotix.
Much like with Tailsâ Skypatrol, this is the first and only time that Knuckles managed to get a starring role in his own game, with most people probably not even knowing about this thing existing, considering that it is one of the only Sonic games from this era to never be ported onto anything else or included on any sort of collection pack. It is a shame too, especially considering how many other garbage Sonic games have managed to get the port treatment, and back when I first discovered that this was a thing, I was curious myself as to how it turned out. The fact that it was a game starring Knuckles was enough to convince me to give it a shot, but I at least hoped it was on the same level of quality as something like Sonic CD, where I would say it is the only reason you would wanna get a Sega 32X. So, I loaded up a totally-legal emulator to play the game on, and I can certainly say that it is, indeed, a video game. It does what it does well enough, and Iâm sure that big Sonic fans would have a good enough time with this, but it definitely has plenty of big issues holding it back, making for what I would consider to be a âwhateverâ game and nothing more then that.
The story is typical for that of any Sonic game, where on a mysterious island, the evil Dr. Robotnik and his loyal servant Metal Sonic set out to find all of the mythical Chaos Rings in order to take over the world, but when Knuckles hears about this happening, he just canât have that shit, so he assembles the Chaotix, consisting of him, Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, Charmy the Bee, and Mighty the Armadillo, to head on out to this mysterious island themselves and stop Robotnik from doing the evil things he usually does. Itâs a Sonic game, so you know exactly what you are going to get from a story like this, but it is cool seeing the introduction of the Chaotix, who would go onto being recurring characters throughout the rest of the seriesâŚâŚâŚ. well, except for Mighty, who is probably dead in a ditch somewhere.
The graphics are great, looking about as vibrant and colorful as any other Sonic game that was released around that time, even more so given what the system is running on, and they even show off some of them fancy-schmancy graphics they have their with sprites changing sizes and all that, so thatâs pretty cool, the music is solid enough, having plenty of energetic and wonderful tunes to listen to while you try to blaze around at the speed of sound, although it isnât gonna come close to the quality of some tracks from other Sonic games despite its quality, and the gameplay/control is, for the most part, typical of what you would see in a Sonic game, with there definitely being the foundation for yet another great entry in this series in here somewhere, butâŚâŚâŚ.. hoo boy.......
The game is a 2D platformer, where you take control of two of any of the characters I just previously mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago, including some other joke characters that Sega included in there just to fuck with you, go through a set of six different zones in whatever order the game decides you will go through them in, defeat plenty of enemies as you fly and bounce through all over the place with your Chaotix powers, gather plenty of different powerups to assist you along the way in some of the most ridiculous ways that you could possibly imagine, locate all six of the Chaos Rings so that you can get the good ending of the game so that you donât feel like a pathetic piece of shit, and take on plenty of bosses that can range from either being generally easy to being just as unmanageable as the game itself is most of the time. What we got here is mostly your typical Sonic adventure, except with plenty of wrenches thrown into the mix to change things up, and while some of these wrenches manage to turn those bolts enough to where it makes the game a little more fun, those other wrenches are turning some other bolts that I would much rather not be there at all.
To get the good stuff out of the way first, the amount of original stuff this game has in it compared to plenty of the other games in the series is quite impressive, from the amount of characters you can play as to the powerups that you can get, each one being somewhat different then what you have ever seen before, and it is pretty fun messing around with all of these different things to see what does what and what works best for the adventure ahead. Itâs especially sweet whenever you find those characters and powerups that work just wonderfully for you, such as the case with Charmy the Bee, who is RIDICULOUS in this game, being able to fly around all over the place and pretty much snap the entire game in half. Kinda renders the entire main gimmick of the game mute at the end of the day, butâŚâŚ sigh, we will get to that in just a second.
What I also liked about this game was the bonus and special stages that you could find in the game. Much like Sonic 3 & Knuckles, you can find plenty of big rings hidden throughout the stages, and these will take you to a bonus game where you are falling down a giant corridor, hitting all of these different blocks with goodies in them before you exit the stage. It is a pretty simple concept, not having as much interactability as the bonus stages from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but it is simple and manageable enough to where I am still able to enjoy it all the same, and get plenty of helpful goodies along the way. But of course, we canât forget about the main Special Stages, which you get to by getting 50 rings and jumping into the giant rings at the end of the stages, and these stages are pretty much 3D versions of the Special Stages from Sonic Tw- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO................................ ok, to be fair, they arenât as bad as the ones in Sonic 2, with these ones being a lot more open, manageable, and instead of needing to get a bunch of rings, you instead just have to collect a few of the blue spheres again. This can be a bit frustrating at times, especially when it comes to some of the later special stages, but they didnât manage to give me as much shit as those other stages, so I will gladly take these any day of the week over those.
But anyways, now that we all that out of the way, we may as well get to the stuff that I DONâT like in this game, and they are some pretty big parts of it to, so letâs start off with the main gimmick of the game: the Bound Rings. Throughout the entire game, you will be permanently stapled to another person, who you can swap out with someone else at these stations you find in the stages, but no matter who you play with, you are stuck with them through these rings. With these rings, you are meant to propel yourself forward and backwards with your partner, using your momentum to get you around to specific areas and to get through the stages, with you also being able to perform specific actions at certain parts where one of you will be temporarily stuck in place, while your partner will be spinning around trying to help you proceed forward. This, if you ask me, is what ultimately kills this entire game for me.
I donât hate this idea on paper, as I feel if properly managed, this could make for a very interesting mechanic that could be very fun to fuck around with. However, when it comes to this game, it does NOT work at all in your favor in the slightest. It feels so fucking awkward to do anything in this set up, as you will either be completely halted trying to get yourself moving again, which is definitely what you should not be at all in a SONIC game, or you will be yanked around all over the place, flying around at the speed of sound, not being able to control yourself, and just begging for the end of the stage to be around the corner so that you can just get a move on. Sure, it isnât as bad as how I am describing it in parts, but trust me, when you actually try this game out for yourself, you can feel how broken this shit is, and not in a good way, making it way more frustrating to play as a result, and can be the one thing that will decide whether or not you will enjoy this game.
What also doesnât help this out at all are the levels themselves, as they are also pretty poor as well. Most of these levels are built in the way that you would typically expect for a Sonic level to be built like, which would usually be a good thing in most cases, but this isnât a normal Sonic game, and as such, it suffers as a result. You will have to fight with the level design in many instances while also fighting with the Bound Rings, which can make it so that some of the levels feel like mazes, not sure of where you need to go in order to be done with this shit quicker. It just goes to prove even more that a gimmick like this simply does not work for a Sonic game, as it expects you to go about this in a way that you would usually do so in your average game in this series, minus a few sections here and there, and it just makes things all the more difficult as a result. Thankfully, there are some levels that donât suffer from this too much, but a good amount of them do, and it can make for a very unsatisfying journey as a result of this.
Overall, despite some pretty great visuals, music, characters to mess around with, and special/bonus stages to try out, I just simply wasnât able to get too into Knucklesâ Chaotix as a whole, with the Boun Rings making doing anything in this game much more stressful and annoying then it needs to be, making for what I can only say is an ok game at the end of the day, and nothing more. I would recommend this game for those who are huge Sonic fans, as well as those who donât mind dealing with gimmicks like this in one of these games, because while I certainly wasnât able to enjoy it that much, you could probably get more out of it then I could. Or maybe not, but hey, you wonât really know for yourself unless you try it out. But hey, if I will give the game any sort of credit whatsoever, I will say that it was at least one of the most memorable games from the entire 32X library. I mean hell, what other games do they have on here, anyway? Some Spider-Man game, a random shmup, an FPS or two here or there, and of course, how can we forget everyoneâs favorite game of all time!âŚâŚâŚâŚ. Slam City with Scottie Pippen.
Game #605
Much like with Tailsâ Skypatrol, this is the first and only time that Knuckles managed to get a starring role in his own game, with most people probably not even knowing about this thing existing, considering that it is one of the only Sonic games from this era to never be ported onto anything else or included on any sort of collection pack. It is a shame too, especially considering how many other garbage Sonic games have managed to get the port treatment, and back when I first discovered that this was a thing, I was curious myself as to how it turned out. The fact that it was a game starring Knuckles was enough to convince me to give it a shot, but I at least hoped it was on the same level of quality as something like Sonic CD, where I would say it is the only reason you would wanna get a Sega 32X. So, I loaded up a totally-legal emulator to play the game on, and I can certainly say that it is, indeed, a video game. It does what it does well enough, and Iâm sure that big Sonic fans would have a good enough time with this, but it definitely has plenty of big issues holding it back, making for what I would consider to be a âwhateverâ game and nothing more then that.
The story is typical for that of any Sonic game, where on a mysterious island, the evil Dr. Robotnik and his loyal servant Metal Sonic set out to find all of the mythical Chaos Rings in order to take over the world, but when Knuckles hears about this happening, he just canât have that shit, so he assembles the Chaotix, consisting of him, Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, Charmy the Bee, and Mighty the Armadillo, to head on out to this mysterious island themselves and stop Robotnik from doing the evil things he usually does. Itâs a Sonic game, so you know exactly what you are going to get from a story like this, but it is cool seeing the introduction of the Chaotix, who would go onto being recurring characters throughout the rest of the seriesâŚâŚâŚ. well, except for Mighty, who is probably dead in a ditch somewhere.
The graphics are great, looking about as vibrant and colorful as any other Sonic game that was released around that time, even more so given what the system is running on, and they even show off some of them fancy-schmancy graphics they have their with sprites changing sizes and all that, so thatâs pretty cool, the music is solid enough, having plenty of energetic and wonderful tunes to listen to while you try to blaze around at the speed of sound, although it isnât gonna come close to the quality of some tracks from other Sonic games despite its quality, and the gameplay/control is, for the most part, typical of what you would see in a Sonic game, with there definitely being the foundation for yet another great entry in this series in here somewhere, butâŚâŚâŚ.. hoo boy.......
The game is a 2D platformer, where you take control of two of any of the characters I just previously mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago, including some other joke characters that Sega included in there just to fuck with you, go through a set of six different zones in whatever order the game decides you will go through them in, defeat plenty of enemies as you fly and bounce through all over the place with your Chaotix powers, gather plenty of different powerups to assist you along the way in some of the most ridiculous ways that you could possibly imagine, locate all six of the Chaos Rings so that you can get the good ending of the game so that you donât feel like a pathetic piece of shit, and take on plenty of bosses that can range from either being generally easy to being just as unmanageable as the game itself is most of the time. What we got here is mostly your typical Sonic adventure, except with plenty of wrenches thrown into the mix to change things up, and while some of these wrenches manage to turn those bolts enough to where it makes the game a little more fun, those other wrenches are turning some other bolts that I would much rather not be there at all.
To get the good stuff out of the way first, the amount of original stuff this game has in it compared to plenty of the other games in the series is quite impressive, from the amount of characters you can play as to the powerups that you can get, each one being somewhat different then what you have ever seen before, and it is pretty fun messing around with all of these different things to see what does what and what works best for the adventure ahead. Itâs especially sweet whenever you find those characters and powerups that work just wonderfully for you, such as the case with Charmy the Bee, who is RIDICULOUS in this game, being able to fly around all over the place and pretty much snap the entire game in half. Kinda renders the entire main gimmick of the game mute at the end of the day, butâŚâŚ sigh, we will get to that in just a second.
What I also liked about this game was the bonus and special stages that you could find in the game. Much like Sonic 3 & Knuckles, you can find plenty of big rings hidden throughout the stages, and these will take you to a bonus game where you are falling down a giant corridor, hitting all of these different blocks with goodies in them before you exit the stage. It is a pretty simple concept, not having as much interactability as the bonus stages from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but it is simple and manageable enough to where I am still able to enjoy it all the same, and get plenty of helpful goodies along the way. But of course, we canât forget about the main Special Stages, which you get to by getting 50 rings and jumping into the giant rings at the end of the stages, and these stages are pretty much 3D versions of the Special Stages from Sonic Tw- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO................................ ok, to be fair, they arenât as bad as the ones in Sonic 2, with these ones being a lot more open, manageable, and instead of needing to get a bunch of rings, you instead just have to collect a few of the blue spheres again. This can be a bit frustrating at times, especially when it comes to some of the later special stages, but they didnât manage to give me as much shit as those other stages, so I will gladly take these any day of the week over those.
But anyways, now that we all that out of the way, we may as well get to the stuff that I DONâT like in this game, and they are some pretty big parts of it to, so letâs start off with the main gimmick of the game: the Bound Rings. Throughout the entire game, you will be permanently stapled to another person, who you can swap out with someone else at these stations you find in the stages, but no matter who you play with, you are stuck with them through these rings. With these rings, you are meant to propel yourself forward and backwards with your partner, using your momentum to get you around to specific areas and to get through the stages, with you also being able to perform specific actions at certain parts where one of you will be temporarily stuck in place, while your partner will be spinning around trying to help you proceed forward. This, if you ask me, is what ultimately kills this entire game for me.
I donât hate this idea on paper, as I feel if properly managed, this could make for a very interesting mechanic that could be very fun to fuck around with. However, when it comes to this game, it does NOT work at all in your favor in the slightest. It feels so fucking awkward to do anything in this set up, as you will either be completely halted trying to get yourself moving again, which is definitely what you should not be at all in a SONIC game, or you will be yanked around all over the place, flying around at the speed of sound, not being able to control yourself, and just begging for the end of the stage to be around the corner so that you can just get a move on. Sure, it isnât as bad as how I am describing it in parts, but trust me, when you actually try this game out for yourself, you can feel how broken this shit is, and not in a good way, making it way more frustrating to play as a result, and can be the one thing that will decide whether or not you will enjoy this game.
What also doesnât help this out at all are the levels themselves, as they are also pretty poor as well. Most of these levels are built in the way that you would typically expect for a Sonic level to be built like, which would usually be a good thing in most cases, but this isnât a normal Sonic game, and as such, it suffers as a result. You will have to fight with the level design in many instances while also fighting with the Bound Rings, which can make it so that some of the levels feel like mazes, not sure of where you need to go in order to be done with this shit quicker. It just goes to prove even more that a gimmick like this simply does not work for a Sonic game, as it expects you to go about this in a way that you would usually do so in your average game in this series, minus a few sections here and there, and it just makes things all the more difficult as a result. Thankfully, there are some levels that donât suffer from this too much, but a good amount of them do, and it can make for a very unsatisfying journey as a result of this.
Overall, despite some pretty great visuals, music, characters to mess around with, and special/bonus stages to try out, I just simply wasnât able to get too into Knucklesâ Chaotix as a whole, with the Boun Rings making doing anything in this game much more stressful and annoying then it needs to be, making for what I can only say is an ok game at the end of the day, and nothing more. I would recommend this game for those who are huge Sonic fans, as well as those who donât mind dealing with gimmicks like this in one of these games, because while I certainly wasnât able to enjoy it that much, you could probably get more out of it then I could. Or maybe not, but hey, you wonât really know for yourself unless you try it out. But hey, if I will give the game any sort of credit whatsoever, I will say that it was at least one of the most memorable games from the entire 32X library. I mean hell, what other games do they have on here, anyway? Some Spider-Man game, a random shmup, an FPS or two here or there, and of course, how can we forget everyoneâs favorite game of all time!âŚâŚâŚâŚ. Slam City with Scottie Pippen.
Game #605
Mega Man Zero 3
2004
Zero 1 got 4 stars, Zero 2 got 4.5, Zero 3 gets... 3.5? I'm honestly kind of let down, I really had high hopes for this game but I can't put it any higher in good faith. Still, 3.5 is not bad at all, but I don't see what people see in this game sadly.
This game probably has the strongest story compared to Zero 1 and Zero 2; Dr. Weil is an incredibly compelling villain that makes him pretty easy to hate, a nice change of pace from Zero 1 and Zero 2 where the villains are a little more morally dubious. Seeing a lot of previous characters return is great and the ending is PHENOMENAL, but I'm verging into spoiler territory, so I'll cut it off there.
In regards to gameplay, I like the fact that you no longer need to grind your weapon rank, which was a big complaint from a lot of people in Zero 1 and Zero 2. I personally really didn't mind it all that much, but it's a plus for those who do. Also, the ranking system is made much more lenient, allowing you to have a much easier time getting the EX skills like the Shield Orbit and Sweeping Shield upgrades, which made the BOOMERANG SHIELD of all things my main secondary staple weapon. Cyber-elves no longer needing to be downloaded is a neat touch, but I actually found myself using way less Cyber-elves than I did in the other games (the only time I ever used more than 1 in a stage was the final boss).
I'll be going into some spoiler territory here, you have been warned.
Unfortunately, this game has me a little mixed.
Boss patterns waver between REALLY fun and then "what the hell is this". For the most part, most of them are FINE.
Tretista Kelverian (the Cerberus boss) is a good example of the former, pretty much taking all the good parts of Guts Man G from Megaman 7 and making it into a quick and exhilarating match where you get to dash right above the boss. I'd like to also bring up Omega Phase 1; pretty much every attack he pulls out has a clear pattern that is fun to dodge and weave around. Really fun opponent to fight all-around.
On the other hand, you have the Anubis Necromancess V rematch, where they replace what made the first one fun and made it into a slog and just kind of a worse version of the first fight despite it being a supposed "upgrade". Instead of having to do a tight walljump to avoid getting crushed, you just have to dash out of the coffin's way. Instead of getting a quick burst of enemies you have to take out before Anubis overwhelms you, you instead get bogged down in quicksand and only have to deal with one paltry enemy. Considering the fact that Anubis Necromancess III was my favorite boss in Mega Man Zero that made me love the Zero games, this is such a heartbreaking downgrade.
In general, one big complaint about the bosses I have is how they DON'T STOP TALKING. Of course, the series has had annoying bosses that talk a lot mid-battle like Hanumachine and Phoenix Magnion, but Zero 3 goes WAY too overboard with it. Childre Inarabitta, Deathtanz Mantisk, Crea and Prea, Volteel Biblio, Cubit Foxtar (possibly one of the biggest offenders here); trying to learn patterns when they keep shouting really obnoxious voiceclips is just not fun at all.
Let's move on to the weapon system.
Boomerang Shield got a much needed upgrade, and with the boost of some EX Skills, it's actually a good ranged option that can cover what the Z-Saber can't (and it's not like anyone actually likes using the dinky Buster). As I said, this landed Boomerang Shield as my main secondary weapon.
That said, why not the Chain Rod? I stated in my Zero 2 review how much I loved it, so what happened? Well, they REMOVED THE CHAIN ROD.
I was incredibly distraught when I realized that the Chain Rod got turned into a glorified pogo stick with the Recoil Rod, and I still don't understand why they did this. The Chain Rod opened up stage design to such an incredible degree that going from swinging around and finding new places to just having a pogo stick you pull out every now and then to do a puzzle or get to a hidden alcove. Gutting one of the best aspects of the previous game just feels wrong, man.
Finally, we get to a more personal aspect of the game. If you read my reviews often, you know what I'm going to talk about now.
Colorblindness Rating: D
So, in this game, you have the holographic doors you can enter and have every fairy active at once in; basically an "easy mode". Entering these doors puts this harsh green filter on everything that makes it hard to tell what stage of charge I currently have. The backgrounds of the normal levels typically do a good job at contrasting with the yellow and green of the charging effect, so this was never an issue up until now.
Now, this normally wouldn't be an issue; I simply don't use the holographic door because I feel like the game is at a good difficulty already and I give the game an A- rating, whatevz. However, something that rubbed me the wrong was that they decide to put a HIDDEN BOSS IN THESE HOLOGRAPHIC DOORS. Who hides content in the easy mode!? Shouldn't it be the other way around!? Learning that I had to deal with the green background and confusing myself with the charge time just to fight the hidden boss in the holographic world was just not fun at all.
But it doesn't end there, no. This game decided to have a fun memory game... where you have to memorize the COLORS ON THE DOORS. Did they REALLY have to pick yellow, green, and red as the colors?? If it wasn't for the blue doors, it would have been borderline impossible for me to even complete the puzzle. This puzzle just felt like a sucker punch to the face; and this was the moment where I began to think: "Hm, people seem to really love this game, but I'm not so sure I enjoy this as much as they do."
This next point isn't so much about colorblindness, but rather accessibility and for those who may suffer from epilepsy: This game has two instances of really strong flashing lights that I frankly find needless and inexcusable. The first is when Copy X MKII pulls out an E-Tank and, for some reason, he's surrounded by a pillar of bright flashing colors while healing back up. There's frankly no need for this epilepsy-inducing move and I think it's inclusion is horrible. Thankfully, I only ever saw him pull out the E-Tank once so I only had to experience it once, but I can't say the same thing for the next one. Omega Phase 2 has this quirk that his body extends to the background. Not a big deal ordinarily, but for some INEXPLICABLE REASON, every time you hit Omega in his second phase, this ENTIRE BODY begins flashing, and since he typically covers about 80% of your screen, you're going to get assaulted by a bright flashing light EVERY TIME YOU HIT HIM. Seriously, Capcom? I thought we were over this kind of nonsense with the NES games.
Having to deal with all of this feels HEARTBREAKING. Do you know how awful it feels when you hear something get praised so much, only to find out you don't enjoy it? It feels awful, but writing down my feelings helps.
I think Megaman Zero 3 was a step up in story but step down almost everywhere else. Here's to hoping Zero 4 will hold up.
This game probably has the strongest story compared to Zero 1 and Zero 2; Dr. Weil is an incredibly compelling villain that makes him pretty easy to hate, a nice change of pace from Zero 1 and Zero 2 where the villains are a little more morally dubious. Seeing a lot of previous characters return is great and the ending is PHENOMENAL, but I'm verging into spoiler territory, so I'll cut it off there.
In regards to gameplay, I like the fact that you no longer need to grind your weapon rank, which was a big complaint from a lot of people in Zero 1 and Zero 2. I personally really didn't mind it all that much, but it's a plus for those who do. Also, the ranking system is made much more lenient, allowing you to have a much easier time getting the EX skills like the Shield Orbit and Sweeping Shield upgrades, which made the BOOMERANG SHIELD of all things my main secondary staple weapon. Cyber-elves no longer needing to be downloaded is a neat touch, but I actually found myself using way less Cyber-elves than I did in the other games (the only time I ever used more than 1 in a stage was the final boss).
I'll be going into some spoiler territory here, you have been warned.
Unfortunately, this game has me a little mixed.
Boss patterns waver between REALLY fun and then "what the hell is this". For the most part, most of them are FINE.
Tretista Kelverian (the Cerberus boss) is a good example of the former, pretty much taking all the good parts of Guts Man G from Megaman 7 and making it into a quick and exhilarating match where you get to dash right above the boss. I'd like to also bring up Omega Phase 1; pretty much every attack he pulls out has a clear pattern that is fun to dodge and weave around. Really fun opponent to fight all-around.
On the other hand, you have the Anubis Necromancess V rematch, where they replace what made the first one fun and made it into a slog and just kind of a worse version of the first fight despite it being a supposed "upgrade". Instead of having to do a tight walljump to avoid getting crushed, you just have to dash out of the coffin's way. Instead of getting a quick burst of enemies you have to take out before Anubis overwhelms you, you instead get bogged down in quicksand and only have to deal with one paltry enemy. Considering the fact that Anubis Necromancess III was my favorite boss in Mega Man Zero that made me love the Zero games, this is such a heartbreaking downgrade.
In general, one big complaint about the bosses I have is how they DON'T STOP TALKING. Of course, the series has had annoying bosses that talk a lot mid-battle like Hanumachine and Phoenix Magnion, but Zero 3 goes WAY too overboard with it. Childre Inarabitta, Deathtanz Mantisk, Crea and Prea, Volteel Biblio, Cubit Foxtar (possibly one of the biggest offenders here); trying to learn patterns when they keep shouting really obnoxious voiceclips is just not fun at all.
Let's move on to the weapon system.
Boomerang Shield got a much needed upgrade, and with the boost of some EX Skills, it's actually a good ranged option that can cover what the Z-Saber can't (and it's not like anyone actually likes using the dinky Buster). As I said, this landed Boomerang Shield as my main secondary weapon.
That said, why not the Chain Rod? I stated in my Zero 2 review how much I loved it, so what happened? Well, they REMOVED THE CHAIN ROD.
I was incredibly distraught when I realized that the Chain Rod got turned into a glorified pogo stick with the Recoil Rod, and I still don't understand why they did this. The Chain Rod opened up stage design to such an incredible degree that going from swinging around and finding new places to just having a pogo stick you pull out every now and then to do a puzzle or get to a hidden alcove. Gutting one of the best aspects of the previous game just feels wrong, man.
Finally, we get to a more personal aspect of the game. If you read my reviews often, you know what I'm going to talk about now.
Colorblindness Rating: D
So, in this game, you have the holographic doors you can enter and have every fairy active at once in; basically an "easy mode". Entering these doors puts this harsh green filter on everything that makes it hard to tell what stage of charge I currently have. The backgrounds of the normal levels typically do a good job at contrasting with the yellow and green of the charging effect, so this was never an issue up until now.
Now, this normally wouldn't be an issue; I simply don't use the holographic door because I feel like the game is at a good difficulty already and I give the game an A- rating, whatevz. However, something that rubbed me the wrong was that they decide to put a HIDDEN BOSS IN THESE HOLOGRAPHIC DOORS. Who hides content in the easy mode!? Shouldn't it be the other way around!? Learning that I had to deal with the green background and confusing myself with the charge time just to fight the hidden boss in the holographic world was just not fun at all.
But it doesn't end there, no. This game decided to have a fun memory game... where you have to memorize the COLORS ON THE DOORS. Did they REALLY have to pick yellow, green, and red as the colors?? If it wasn't for the blue doors, it would have been borderline impossible for me to even complete the puzzle. This puzzle just felt like a sucker punch to the face; and this was the moment where I began to think: "Hm, people seem to really love this game, but I'm not so sure I enjoy this as much as they do."
This next point isn't so much about colorblindness, but rather accessibility and for those who may suffer from epilepsy: This game has two instances of really strong flashing lights that I frankly find needless and inexcusable. The first is when Copy X MKII pulls out an E-Tank and, for some reason, he's surrounded by a pillar of bright flashing colors while healing back up. There's frankly no need for this epilepsy-inducing move and I think it's inclusion is horrible. Thankfully, I only ever saw him pull out the E-Tank once so I only had to experience it once, but I can't say the same thing for the next one. Omega Phase 2 has this quirk that his body extends to the background. Not a big deal ordinarily, but for some INEXPLICABLE REASON, every time you hit Omega in his second phase, this ENTIRE BODY begins flashing, and since he typically covers about 80% of your screen, you're going to get assaulted by a bright flashing light EVERY TIME YOU HIT HIM. Seriously, Capcom? I thought we were over this kind of nonsense with the NES games.
Having to deal with all of this feels HEARTBREAKING. Do you know how awful it feels when you hear something get praised so much, only to find out you don't enjoy it? It feels awful, but writing down my feelings helps.
I think Megaman Zero 3 was a step up in story but step down almost everywhere else. Here's to hoping Zero 4 will hold up.
The debut game of Richter Belmont and just a very good Classicvania all around. The game is closer to Castlevania III Dracula's Curse in design, but has a more cinematic flair to it.
You get some cool cutscenes which shows how cool of a character Richter is, as well as highlights Drucla being an absolute dickhead that we love. This game did wonders for the characterisations for the Castlevania cast.
Gameplay-wise, it is pretty much the first Castlevania but the controls are more fine-tuned. Richter has a cool backflip move that is handy for avoiding a lot of enemy attacks. It's a shame that they didn't give it the Castlevania IV controls considering this came out after that, but I can't complain, Castlevania 1 controls are still fun.
Gameplay is a little more brutal than all the other games. The bosses are some of the hardest I've fought so far so if you are a gamer with little patience, play it on emulator or get the PS5 port.
If you know what to do, you can unlock the secondary character who makes the game a little more easier, but let's also admit a little more fun.
The music is absolutely baginging but that's almost a given for this franchise at this point. A lot of the locales are nice nods to the past castlevania games like the fist level being a Simon's Quest town.
Overall, Great Classicvania game and one of the better ones. Didn't like it as Castlevania IV and maybe III, but it's still up there. Richter is my favourite Castlevania character so far.
You get some cool cutscenes which shows how cool of a character Richter is, as well as highlights Drucla being an absolute dickhead that we love. This game did wonders for the characterisations for the Castlevania cast.
Gameplay-wise, it is pretty much the first Castlevania but the controls are more fine-tuned. Richter has a cool backflip move that is handy for avoiding a lot of enemy attacks. It's a shame that they didn't give it the Castlevania IV controls considering this came out after that, but I can't complain, Castlevania 1 controls are still fun.
Gameplay is a little more brutal than all the other games. The bosses are some of the hardest I've fought so far so if you are a gamer with little patience, play it on emulator or get the PS5 port.
If you know what to do, you can unlock the secondary character who makes the game a little more easier, but let's also admit a little more fun.
The music is absolutely baginging but that's almost a given for this franchise at this point. A lot of the locales are nice nods to the past castlevania games like the fist level being a Simon's Quest town.
Overall, Great Classicvania game and one of the better ones. Didn't like it as Castlevania IV and maybe III, but it's still up there. Richter is my favourite Castlevania character so far.
Mega Man Zero
2002
This review contains spoilers
This game was my bisexual awakening. And what better way to celebrate Pride Month than reviewing Mega Man Zero?!?!?!
Mega Man Zero is a misunderstood classic that ranks among one of the best Mega Man games, and also as one my favorite games of all time. But honestly, yeah, itâs not surprising why it has such a mixed reception among the Mega Man community. The game is very good in my eyes, but leans pretty hard into the difficulty, which absolutely turned off some people, especially with the original GBA release (more on that at 11). However, Mega Man Zero was rereleased on most modern platforms with the release of the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection. God, what a mouthful. I don't like abbreviating titles, but I just have to, at this point. MMZ/ZXLC (LMFAOOOOOO) added the Save Assist feature, which was essentially designated Save States with free healing. It's an optional feature, which is good, as I think it makes the games too easy in the scoring department, but most players have opted to leave it enabled. I personally leave it off, but hey, player accessibility should take priority above all else in my eyes. Having it as an option is great, for sure. And for the record, I left them on for my most recent playthrough. I've beaten all but Mega Man Zero 4 without them (and I have some major reservations about that game), and scoring really wasn't a priority for this playthrough. Even then, I still beat the game without many deaths. I've beaten Mega Man Zero several times beforehand, about⌠6 or 7 times at this point? I should really start a Hard Mode playthrough at some point⌠But, without further ado, let's look at Mega Man Zero!
The game kicks off with a mysterious young girl, fairy, and a band of soldiers fighting off a mass of reploids, who look oddly like X. As the men continue to fall, the robots only continue to fire back. Eventually, this only leaves Ciel, and two other soldiers. As the reploids gain distance on the three, they come to a dead end, with a disfigured reploid in the same room, unconscious. Before they can take a look at the young robot, the X reploids arrive at the same room, and promptly kill the two soldiers, leaving only the girl and the fairy. Without any other options, the girl casts the fairy, named Passy, subsequently killing Passy, but revives the reploid, without memory of the past, kickstarting the first stage of the game.
Mega Man Zero takes the best elements of Mega Man X and simply adds to its already great gameplay, but with the tradeoff of having an incredibly high skill ceiling for newer players. Itâs an incredibly difficult game to learn, but equally as satisfying to master. Your primary weapon of choice is the Z Saber, a close ranged combat tool, which slices enemies in two, while also doing great damage on its own, being a quintessential tool for combat. Your longer ranged option, the buster shot, is a long ranged tool, but is heavily nerfed from the X days. It does decent damage compared to the Z Saber, but can be charged up, making it a great room clearer. This balance between a great short ranged and long ranged attack plays well into Mega Man Zeroâs high skill ceiling. Better players will typically wield the Z Saber a majority of the time, with efficiency and damage on it's side at the cost of putting the own player at risk, while newer players will typically stick with the Buster Shot, due to its solid damage and longer ranged potential, but not being as strong as the Z Saber. Only when you truly get great at the game will you use both in perfect conjunction, as well as the other two, optional weapons; the Shield Boomerang and Triple Rod. Both of these share similar design philosophies to the main two weapons. The Shield Boomerang deflects incoming fire, but lacks a good attack game, and the Triple Rod having a superb ground game, with a neutered air game. Additionally adding to the balance, is the Element Chips. After defeating certain bosses, the player can gain one of three Element Chips. For the love of god, DON'T skip these. They are crucial to succeeding in Mega Man Zeroâs relentless combat. On top of being a part of the weakness chain of bosses, they also provide bonuses against enemies. From stunning to burn effects, one should almost always be equipped. I think these were amongst my favorite weapons in Mega Man history. I do like the weapons of traditional Mega Man, but Zero is much better in this regard. Not only do the weapons consume no ammo, encouraging experimentation, they're seamless in the combat. No potentially finicky weapons in the way of your weakness chain, charge and use your weapons like normal. It's certainly less varied, but it's so practical. Charge it up, and bam. Plus, even without elements, the Saber and Buster are needed for optimal times, rather than just spamming the same shot over and over again (hint hint, classic and x series). There's actually a strategy! The amount of depth that Mega Man Zero has is commendable for a GBA game. While the combo game would only keep improving in future games, Zero 1 is still remarkable in this regard. Look up Mega Man Zero: The Ultimate Disrespect, and you'll see what I mean. If Zero gets in Smash 6, he'd become among the most hated platform fighters in a WHILE. Combos are an entirely optional element of the Zero series, but I'm not saying that Zero lacks any tech at all. I'm not going to explain it all, but if you're curious, do look it up for yourself.
Mega Man Zero's high skill ceiling always brings me back for more and more runs. Starting out, Zero is a glass cannon. He can take some hits, but he's a pretty fragile character. This is a pretty big turn off for newcomers, but hear me out. While it's possible to turn Zero into a practically unkillable god, this would take multiple natural playthroughs to do, or takes hours of grinding, which is obviously pretty boring, and even when you do so, your rank suffers from it. Why? The Cyber Elves. These are one time use fairies that either install a permanent upgrade onto Zero, or provide a one-stage effect. Pro tip; avoid relying on these. A majority of them just aren't worth it for the hit to your rank alone. Maybe use the Health up ones, but other than that, they are almost entirely disposable. I usually never use any, except for a Health up or two, which are undoubtedly the ones that anyone should instantly feed and upgrade. But you're definitely tempted to use them, with how dishearteningly oppressive this game's world and difficulty are. Mega Man Zero is among the hardest games in my eyes, especially for casuals. You will get your shit promptly wrecked if you aren't careful. Enemies deal massive damage, instant kills are prominent, and the bosses can be pretty brutal. But MAN, crushing that A Rank always feels great. I always feel like my Rank parallels my own skill level with Mega Man Zero. And keeping that A Rank ain't easy. My 7th Grade English Teacher always told me, âYou get a Free A when you enter this classroom, but you have to be able to uphold it.â Compare that to Mega Man Zero. If I'm eating shit one too many times, it always feels like my fault that I got a D Rank. The bosses and enemy design is almost perfectly fair. The stages allow you to speed through with grace, so long as you take the time to learn them. The game responds accordingly to your skill level, by adding some new boss attacks at A Rank or higher. And when you nail that A Rank, it's an immaculate feeling. Oh yeah, can I talk about the BOSSES?
First off, this gangster-ass song. Secondly, good. LORD. These bosses are goddamn awesome. The most perfectly challenging (but screw you Phantom), thrilling boss fights in gaming history. When you hear those loud-ass sirens, you know it's about to be a good beat down. The bosses truly feel intimidating, potentially even stronger than Zero himself. They can easily kill you off in seconds. They're quick, but all of their attacks are dodgeable. It's just a matter of actually getting skilled at the video game. You no longer feel like the lone Reploid. You ARE the lone Reploid, fighting for dear life, as he knows that only he Zero, can save the day. X and Axl may be gone, but Zero's still kicking ass. Anyways, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah. Anyways, the bosses are awesome. Yeah, not much more to say. All of them were bangers for the most part.
Of course, no game is perfect. I donât have many major qualms with Mega Man Zero overall. Itâs a foundationally solid game, but one with a few too many flaws, keeping it from a perfect 10/10 in my eyes. For one, fuck the Retry Chips system. Okay... âfuckâ is a strong word. I just had to get my âfuckâ quota out of the way. Anyways, on paper, the Retry System is similar to Devil May Cryâs Yellow Orbs. But the issue is that Retry Chips are scarce as hell in Mega Man Zero. In Devil May Cry, not only is Devil May Cry more forgiving in general, it's always super easy to find more. And if you can't find more, you always have the option of buying them. I'm not saying Mega Man Zero needs a shop, but upping the drop rate of them would be well appreciated. Now, as someone who's beaten Mega Man Zero several times, I could care less about not having the Retry Chips. I can very easily clear the game without any. But for newer players, this is a very punishing system. Because when you run out of Retry Chips, you're straight up out of Retry Chips. You don't get 2 extras upon finishing a mission; honestly the best way to fix this issue in this eyes. Also, note that when you Game Over, that's it. You can either give up on the mission and skip it (NEVER do this), or reload your save. And that can be a killer for some stages. Like PROTECT THE FACTORY!!! Easily the WORST stage in the game, in part to the GBAâs awful screen crunch. If I had like, 5 or 6 more pixels, this stage would be SO much better. You have these safe zones above moving platforms suspended in midair, but they're just BARELY low enough to see on the screen, so you have to awkwardly wall jump in order to see the platforms. This ruined an otherwise solid mission. I just straight up skip this mission whenever playing casually. It's too annoying to put up with. D Rank my ass for all that I care. Also, this is more of a nitpick, but I gotta say, Mega Man Zero would greatly benefit from some kind of tutorial. You're thrown into all these different systems and missions at once, and it's pretty difficult to get into the groove of things. Almost everything that I praised about Mega Man Zero is poorly explained, in my eyes. So 1 or 2 tutorials here or there would be well appreciated. And finally, a very small nitpick, Weapon Level Ups are weirdly irritating to me. I'm fine with unlocking the combos, but Charging should be a default IMO.
I usually never cover stories in my reviews, but for the Mega Man Zero series, I have to make an exception, because Mega Man Zero has a pretty cool story. It doesnât go as hard as the following entries, but I still think itâs enjoyable from start to finish. As I previously stated, after a deep sleep, Zero awakens from his 100-year slumber, after Sigma was defeated in the X Series. But a lot can happen in a 100-year time span. Disregarding Zero, thereâs seemingly no survivors from the X Series. X, Ailia, Axl? Nope. Theyâre all gone. After the final confrontation with Sigma, a new government, dubbed Neo Arcadia, would be formed out of what was left in the X Series. However, the Neo Arcadians are highly unjust, slaying any Reploids that come their way. Ciel, a young girl, would flee Neo Arcadia and form a Resistance, believing that the Reploids were wrongly executed. This is where Zero, in a coma at this point, comes in and saves Ciel. Zero is truly the last hope for the Resistance. As we saw in the intro, the Neo Arcadians arenât afraid to get their hands dirty for their own sake. So, Zero agrees to help fight back, to save the Reploid race. While I did state that X was technically deceased, he lives on in two different forms. X, the X we see in Mega Man X, and Copy X, a false X, and the leader of Neo Arcadia, created by Ciel, having a crucial flaw of lacking any sense of moral judgment. X assists Zero, by giving him his saber, while Copy X only wants to see Zeroâs ashes. And stopping Copy X ainât easy either. Because, at his disposal are the Four Guardians, Sage Harpuia, the hot one, Fairy Leviathan, the one that wants the D:/ drive and fast, Fighting Fefnir, the token hothead of the bunch, and Hidden Phantom, the cool ninja one. I really like these four. Theyâre pretty intimidating, having a unique battle intro theme, that sounds⌠holy??? IDK, but itâs still cool, but who cares. Oh yeah, can I talk about Zero 1âs stellar world building? Zero 1 is a semi-open world game. Sure, you can always stick down in the Resistance, but do a few dozen wall jumps, and youâre on the surface! Almost everything is connected in Mega Man Zero, and missions also affect the world as well. After the âRetrieve Dataâ mission, the Underground Laboratory is permanently locked off, as the area begins to collapse when Maha Ganeshariff is defeated. Itâs a nice attention to detail, and it actually made me care about what happened to the world. Speaking of the world, once all missions are fully completed, Zero can finally head straight for Neo Arcadia, with the help of Spirit X. After Ciel says her goodbyes, itâs time to get Copy Xâs head on a wall! The final missions are also pretty solid, but that leaves us with the final battle. Copy X vs Zero! This is, in my opinion, the hardest of the fights in the game. Copy X, specifically his second phase, does pretty crazy damage. Itâs not impossible by any means, but I did almost Game Over on my first try. But, after Copy X is defeated, Neo Arcadia begins to fall, leaving Zero alone in the Desert, with Spirit X passing over the torch to Zero. Shortly after this happens, Zero notices a horde of Reploids coming towards him. With no other option, the war on Neo Arcadia begins, as Zero tears straight through the robot, concluding Mega Man Zero
Casting aside my gripes with Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Zero is a one of a kind masterpiece. It's up there with the best GBA games in my eyes. It's one of the most challenging, but also most replayable games that I've played thus far. Its low points are definitely pretty low, though, which is why I hesitate to give it a perfect 5 star. I still do love it though, and itâs been a constant replay of mine over the years. I recommend giving it a shot if you can. If you didnât like it at first, I may suggest turning on the checkpoints in the Switch release, which seems to be a popular option among fans. But, thatâs all I have to say right now. Zero 1 is a pretty good game!
okay imma go back to bayonetta origins now i swearâŚ.
Mega Man Zero is a misunderstood classic that ranks among one of the best Mega Man games, and also as one my favorite games of all time. But honestly, yeah, itâs not surprising why it has such a mixed reception among the Mega Man community. The game is very good in my eyes, but leans pretty hard into the difficulty, which absolutely turned off some people, especially with the original GBA release (more on that at 11). However, Mega Man Zero was rereleased on most modern platforms with the release of the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection. God, what a mouthful. I don't like abbreviating titles, but I just have to, at this point. MMZ/ZXLC (LMFAOOOOOO) added the Save Assist feature, which was essentially designated Save States with free healing. It's an optional feature, which is good, as I think it makes the games too easy in the scoring department, but most players have opted to leave it enabled. I personally leave it off, but hey, player accessibility should take priority above all else in my eyes. Having it as an option is great, for sure. And for the record, I left them on for my most recent playthrough. I've beaten all but Mega Man Zero 4 without them (and I have some major reservations about that game), and scoring really wasn't a priority for this playthrough. Even then, I still beat the game without many deaths. I've beaten Mega Man Zero several times beforehand, about⌠6 or 7 times at this point? I should really start a Hard Mode playthrough at some point⌠But, without further ado, let's look at Mega Man Zero!
The game kicks off with a mysterious young girl, fairy, and a band of soldiers fighting off a mass of reploids, who look oddly like X. As the men continue to fall, the robots only continue to fire back. Eventually, this only leaves Ciel, and two other soldiers. As the reploids gain distance on the three, they come to a dead end, with a disfigured reploid in the same room, unconscious. Before they can take a look at the young robot, the X reploids arrive at the same room, and promptly kill the two soldiers, leaving only the girl and the fairy. Without any other options, the girl casts the fairy, named Passy, subsequently killing Passy, but revives the reploid, without memory of the past, kickstarting the first stage of the game.
Mega Man Zero takes the best elements of Mega Man X and simply adds to its already great gameplay, but with the tradeoff of having an incredibly high skill ceiling for newer players. Itâs an incredibly difficult game to learn, but equally as satisfying to master. Your primary weapon of choice is the Z Saber, a close ranged combat tool, which slices enemies in two, while also doing great damage on its own, being a quintessential tool for combat. Your longer ranged option, the buster shot, is a long ranged tool, but is heavily nerfed from the X days. It does decent damage compared to the Z Saber, but can be charged up, making it a great room clearer. This balance between a great short ranged and long ranged attack plays well into Mega Man Zeroâs high skill ceiling. Better players will typically wield the Z Saber a majority of the time, with efficiency and damage on it's side at the cost of putting the own player at risk, while newer players will typically stick with the Buster Shot, due to its solid damage and longer ranged potential, but not being as strong as the Z Saber. Only when you truly get great at the game will you use both in perfect conjunction, as well as the other two, optional weapons; the Shield Boomerang and Triple Rod. Both of these share similar design philosophies to the main two weapons. The Shield Boomerang deflects incoming fire, but lacks a good attack game, and the Triple Rod having a superb ground game, with a neutered air game. Additionally adding to the balance, is the Element Chips. After defeating certain bosses, the player can gain one of three Element Chips. For the love of god, DON'T skip these. They are crucial to succeeding in Mega Man Zeroâs relentless combat. On top of being a part of the weakness chain of bosses, they also provide bonuses against enemies. From stunning to burn effects, one should almost always be equipped. I think these were amongst my favorite weapons in Mega Man history. I do like the weapons of traditional Mega Man, but Zero is much better in this regard. Not only do the weapons consume no ammo, encouraging experimentation, they're seamless in the combat. No potentially finicky weapons in the way of your weakness chain, charge and use your weapons like normal. It's certainly less varied, but it's so practical. Charge it up, and bam. Plus, even without elements, the Saber and Buster are needed for optimal times, rather than just spamming the same shot over and over again (hint hint, classic and x series). There's actually a strategy! The amount of depth that Mega Man Zero has is commendable for a GBA game. While the combo game would only keep improving in future games, Zero 1 is still remarkable in this regard. Look up Mega Man Zero: The Ultimate Disrespect, and you'll see what I mean. If Zero gets in Smash 6, he'd become among the most hated platform fighters in a WHILE. Combos are an entirely optional element of the Zero series, but I'm not saying that Zero lacks any tech at all. I'm not going to explain it all, but if you're curious, do look it up for yourself.
Mega Man Zero's high skill ceiling always brings me back for more and more runs. Starting out, Zero is a glass cannon. He can take some hits, but he's a pretty fragile character. This is a pretty big turn off for newcomers, but hear me out. While it's possible to turn Zero into a practically unkillable god, this would take multiple natural playthroughs to do, or takes hours of grinding, which is obviously pretty boring, and even when you do so, your rank suffers from it. Why? The Cyber Elves. These are one time use fairies that either install a permanent upgrade onto Zero, or provide a one-stage effect. Pro tip; avoid relying on these. A majority of them just aren't worth it for the hit to your rank alone. Maybe use the Health up ones, but other than that, they are almost entirely disposable. I usually never use any, except for a Health up or two, which are undoubtedly the ones that anyone should instantly feed and upgrade. But you're definitely tempted to use them, with how dishearteningly oppressive this game's world and difficulty are. Mega Man Zero is among the hardest games in my eyes, especially for casuals. You will get your shit promptly wrecked if you aren't careful. Enemies deal massive damage, instant kills are prominent, and the bosses can be pretty brutal. But MAN, crushing that A Rank always feels great. I always feel like my Rank parallels my own skill level with Mega Man Zero. And keeping that A Rank ain't easy. My 7th Grade English Teacher always told me, âYou get a Free A when you enter this classroom, but you have to be able to uphold it.â Compare that to Mega Man Zero. If I'm eating shit one too many times, it always feels like my fault that I got a D Rank. The bosses and enemy design is almost perfectly fair. The stages allow you to speed through with grace, so long as you take the time to learn them. The game responds accordingly to your skill level, by adding some new boss attacks at A Rank or higher. And when you nail that A Rank, it's an immaculate feeling. Oh yeah, can I talk about the BOSSES?
First off, this gangster-ass song. Secondly, good. LORD. These bosses are goddamn awesome. The most perfectly challenging (but screw you Phantom), thrilling boss fights in gaming history. When you hear those loud-ass sirens, you know it's about to be a good beat down. The bosses truly feel intimidating, potentially even stronger than Zero himself. They can easily kill you off in seconds. They're quick, but all of their attacks are dodgeable. It's just a matter of actually getting skilled at the video game. You no longer feel like the lone Reploid. You ARE the lone Reploid, fighting for dear life, as he knows that only he Zero, can save the day. X and Axl may be gone, but Zero's still kicking ass. Anyways, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah. Anyways, the bosses are awesome. Yeah, not much more to say. All of them were bangers for the most part.
Of course, no game is perfect. I donât have many major qualms with Mega Man Zero overall. Itâs a foundationally solid game, but one with a few too many flaws, keeping it from a perfect 10/10 in my eyes. For one, fuck the Retry Chips system. Okay... âfuckâ is a strong word. I just had to get my âfuckâ quota out of the way. Anyways, on paper, the Retry System is similar to Devil May Cryâs Yellow Orbs. But the issue is that Retry Chips are scarce as hell in Mega Man Zero. In Devil May Cry, not only is Devil May Cry more forgiving in general, it's always super easy to find more. And if you can't find more, you always have the option of buying them. I'm not saying Mega Man Zero needs a shop, but upping the drop rate of them would be well appreciated. Now, as someone who's beaten Mega Man Zero several times, I could care less about not having the Retry Chips. I can very easily clear the game without any. But for newer players, this is a very punishing system. Because when you run out of Retry Chips, you're straight up out of Retry Chips. You don't get 2 extras upon finishing a mission; honestly the best way to fix this issue in this eyes. Also, note that when you Game Over, that's it. You can either give up on the mission and skip it (NEVER do this), or reload your save. And that can be a killer for some stages. Like PROTECT THE FACTORY!!! Easily the WORST stage in the game, in part to the GBAâs awful screen crunch. If I had like, 5 or 6 more pixels, this stage would be SO much better. You have these safe zones above moving platforms suspended in midair, but they're just BARELY low enough to see on the screen, so you have to awkwardly wall jump in order to see the platforms. This ruined an otherwise solid mission. I just straight up skip this mission whenever playing casually. It's too annoying to put up with. D Rank my ass for all that I care. Also, this is more of a nitpick, but I gotta say, Mega Man Zero would greatly benefit from some kind of tutorial. You're thrown into all these different systems and missions at once, and it's pretty difficult to get into the groove of things. Almost everything that I praised about Mega Man Zero is poorly explained, in my eyes. So 1 or 2 tutorials here or there would be well appreciated. And finally, a very small nitpick, Weapon Level Ups are weirdly irritating to me. I'm fine with unlocking the combos, but Charging should be a default IMO.
I usually never cover stories in my reviews, but for the Mega Man Zero series, I have to make an exception, because Mega Man Zero has a pretty cool story. It doesnât go as hard as the following entries, but I still think itâs enjoyable from start to finish. As I previously stated, after a deep sleep, Zero awakens from his 100-year slumber, after Sigma was defeated in the X Series. But a lot can happen in a 100-year time span. Disregarding Zero, thereâs seemingly no survivors from the X Series. X, Ailia, Axl? Nope. Theyâre all gone. After the final confrontation with Sigma, a new government, dubbed Neo Arcadia, would be formed out of what was left in the X Series. However, the Neo Arcadians are highly unjust, slaying any Reploids that come their way. Ciel, a young girl, would flee Neo Arcadia and form a Resistance, believing that the Reploids were wrongly executed. This is where Zero, in a coma at this point, comes in and saves Ciel. Zero is truly the last hope for the Resistance. As we saw in the intro, the Neo Arcadians arenât afraid to get their hands dirty for their own sake. So, Zero agrees to help fight back, to save the Reploid race. While I did state that X was technically deceased, he lives on in two different forms. X, the X we see in Mega Man X, and Copy X, a false X, and the leader of Neo Arcadia, created by Ciel, having a crucial flaw of lacking any sense of moral judgment. X assists Zero, by giving him his saber, while Copy X only wants to see Zeroâs ashes. And stopping Copy X ainât easy either. Because, at his disposal are the Four Guardians, Sage Harpuia, the hot one, Fairy Leviathan, the one that wants the D:/ drive and fast, Fighting Fefnir, the token hothead of the bunch, and Hidden Phantom, the cool ninja one. I really like these four. Theyâre pretty intimidating, having a unique battle intro theme, that sounds⌠holy??? IDK, but itâs still cool, but who cares. Oh yeah, can I talk about Zero 1âs stellar world building? Zero 1 is a semi-open world game. Sure, you can always stick down in the Resistance, but do a few dozen wall jumps, and youâre on the surface! Almost everything is connected in Mega Man Zero, and missions also affect the world as well. After the âRetrieve Dataâ mission, the Underground Laboratory is permanently locked off, as the area begins to collapse when Maha Ganeshariff is defeated. Itâs a nice attention to detail, and it actually made me care about what happened to the world. Speaking of the world, once all missions are fully completed, Zero can finally head straight for Neo Arcadia, with the help of Spirit X. After Ciel says her goodbyes, itâs time to get Copy Xâs head on a wall! The final missions are also pretty solid, but that leaves us with the final battle. Copy X vs Zero! This is, in my opinion, the hardest of the fights in the game. Copy X, specifically his second phase, does pretty crazy damage. Itâs not impossible by any means, but I did almost Game Over on my first try. But, after Copy X is defeated, Neo Arcadia begins to fall, leaving Zero alone in the Desert, with Spirit X passing over the torch to Zero. Shortly after this happens, Zero notices a horde of Reploids coming towards him. With no other option, the war on Neo Arcadia begins, as Zero tears straight through the robot, concluding Mega Man Zero
Casting aside my gripes with Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Zero is a one of a kind masterpiece. It's up there with the best GBA games in my eyes. It's one of the most challenging, but also most replayable games that I've played thus far. Its low points are definitely pretty low, though, which is why I hesitate to give it a perfect 5 star. I still do love it though, and itâs been a constant replay of mine over the years. I recommend giving it a shot if you can. If you didnât like it at first, I may suggest turning on the checkpoints in the Switch release, which seems to be a popular option among fans. But, thatâs all I have to say right now. Zero 1 is a pretty good game!
okay imma go back to bayonetta origins now i swearâŚ.
G-Force
2009
This game is like nier automata,but actually good