growing up i played every single mmbn game (including bcc) except this one. for a very long time, i heard almost exclusively bad things about it, ranging from being called a gimmick game to being slandered for its plot. and honestly? playing this over a decade after release, it's still a fresh entry to the series to me.
i'm gonna start with probably my most contentious opinion about this game and it's that liberation missions are actually a very fun and cool idea that are executed pretty well. this is the first time you get to play as other navis that aren't megaman (bcc nonwithstanding); prior to this game's release, that was something i had been wanting to do for ages. it also puts a SRPG spin on the gameplay that feels natural and makes use of the wide variety of navis in the series. if anything, my only complaint is that the liberation missions aren't given more depth. i would kill for a spinoff of this game that was just liberation missions with a wider selection of navis and the ability to build your own teams with more folder slots for more self-expression. as is, this is a great base template, and i'm sad that we never saw more of this.
in regards to the rest of the game, i really enjoyed the main campaign. the premise is fairly straightforward, which is nice after 4. i am a 4 defender but having an actual main plot throughout the game with characters, development, and stakes is so much more preferable than jamming it all in the last hour. and the dungeons of this game have to be some of the best in the series, no lie. i think the standout has to be gargoyle castle, i really adored how mazelike the layout was while also forcing you to intricately chart out a path through the maze. and the music of ship comp? to die for, simply to die for.
the only thing really holding me back from loving this game is the outright horrid postgame. all the v2 and v3 viruses being locked behind progression gates results in just really poor pacing. it makes you have to scour the internet twice to grab all the chips you need for 100% instead of organically introducing tougher viruses throughout the game. and the bonus liberation missions are dreadfully tedious due to how strict the turn requirements can be. it's such a shame, because typically postgame is where MMBN games kick into high gear and let you really see the best of what the game has to offer. with this game, you end up seeing the worst.
beyond that though, i don't have much more to say. i feel obligated to say that team protoman fucking RULES and team colonel sucks. colonel as a navi sucks huge shit and i hated playing as him + like half of team colonel, fuck his version being canon. besides, chaud acts extremely out of character in team protoman when he has to give lan tutorials, which puts a stupid grin on my face. and most importantly, you get to play as PROTOMAN. but, if you must choose, i recommend the DS version over either of the GBA carts. not only do you get both versions on one cart, but you get improved music quality, the dual screen can display maps, and you get longer save times (obviously a good thing). actually how could i forget to mention the absolute most important thing about the DS version: if you put a copy of MMBN1 into the GBA dongle slot while playing this game (yes it's really called a dongle slot), you get to hear one of the best tracks in the entire series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd_uwRx4D5E).
so, in summation, highly recommend this game if you overlooked it or if you enjoyed any of the other MMBN games. there's so much here i truly loved and i wish i had played it sooner. it feels like i was missing out on this for far too long.
i'm gonna start with probably my most contentious opinion about this game and it's that liberation missions are actually a very fun and cool idea that are executed pretty well. this is the first time you get to play as other navis that aren't megaman (bcc nonwithstanding); prior to this game's release, that was something i had been wanting to do for ages. it also puts a SRPG spin on the gameplay that feels natural and makes use of the wide variety of navis in the series. if anything, my only complaint is that the liberation missions aren't given more depth. i would kill for a spinoff of this game that was just liberation missions with a wider selection of navis and the ability to build your own teams with more folder slots for more self-expression. as is, this is a great base template, and i'm sad that we never saw more of this.
in regards to the rest of the game, i really enjoyed the main campaign. the premise is fairly straightforward, which is nice after 4. i am a 4 defender but having an actual main plot throughout the game with characters, development, and stakes is so much more preferable than jamming it all in the last hour. and the dungeons of this game have to be some of the best in the series, no lie. i think the standout has to be gargoyle castle, i really adored how mazelike the layout was while also forcing you to intricately chart out a path through the maze. and the music of ship comp? to die for, simply to die for.
the only thing really holding me back from loving this game is the outright horrid postgame. all the v2 and v3 viruses being locked behind progression gates results in just really poor pacing. it makes you have to scour the internet twice to grab all the chips you need for 100% instead of organically introducing tougher viruses throughout the game. and the bonus liberation missions are dreadfully tedious due to how strict the turn requirements can be. it's such a shame, because typically postgame is where MMBN games kick into high gear and let you really see the best of what the game has to offer. with this game, you end up seeing the worst.
beyond that though, i don't have much more to say. i feel obligated to say that team protoman fucking RULES and team colonel sucks. colonel as a navi sucks huge shit and i hated playing as him + like half of team colonel, fuck his version being canon. besides, chaud acts extremely out of character in team protoman when he has to give lan tutorials, which puts a stupid grin on my face. and most importantly, you get to play as PROTOMAN. but, if you must choose, i recommend the DS version over either of the GBA carts. not only do you get both versions on one cart, but you get improved music quality, the dual screen can display maps, and you get longer save times (obviously a good thing). actually how could i forget to mention the absolute most important thing about the DS version: if you put a copy of MMBN1 into the GBA dongle slot while playing this game (yes it's really called a dongle slot), you get to hear one of the best tracks in the entire series (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd_uwRx4D5E).
so, in summation, highly recommend this game if you overlooked it or if you enjoyed any of the other MMBN games. there's so much here i truly loved and i wish i had played it sooner. it feels like i was missing out on this for far too long.