AW's Gaming Reviews

So MM2 is overrated, but it's still a 10/10!?

Hold it. You should use your first post as a post that holds links to all your reviews in this thread.

I will be commenting on how to much improve your reviews when I get the time.

http://www.the-magicbox.com/forums/show … hp?t=10160

You will want to use the first post to index reviews and give an intro to your reviews. This gives people quick access to reviews they want to read. All you have to do is copy the url post # when you post the review and link to it in the first post. You have a lot of reviews (esp. if you're going to review all the Megaman games) and this format is for the best for that.

Game: Mega Man 4 (NES)

“Mega Man holding pattern"

When it comes to a long running franchise, it goes without saying there are going to be moments of deja vu. Mega Man fans are especially aware of this, but even with games that don't truly evolve from sequel to sequel each one manages to contain a feel of its own. The first Mega Man was a rough sketch of a portrait that Mega Man 2 would quickly and famously streamline. Mega Man 3 would take some liberties with its game play and ultimately stifle the flow that would have greatly benefited the series. But what about Mega Man 4? Does it restore the flow of chi or only intensify an abstract case of mental blockage?

There are several things about Mega Man 4 that are more than welcome. The robot master crew is probably the most challenging out of the NES line-up and we see the introduction of some new characters like Dr. Cossack and his daughter. Okay, so these characters aren't exactly deep (like any of Mega Man's characters are deep) and only serve to fuel the "fake antagonist" scheme employed by the following two games, but they help hide the fact that Mega Man 4 is Mega Man 3's hangover. It's amazing how even the smallest thing would make me reflect on the last game in the series, not the one in front of me. Needless to say this is a losing proposition for any video game.

Because of this, Mega Man 4 lacks an identity. As laughable as that may sound given how many games there are in the series, it's this train of thought that makes it a very noticeable and extremely damaging problem. The silver lining to such a conundrum is that this indirectly gives Mega Man 5 and 6 a head start right out of the gate, something that is of the utmost importance for the titles that wrap up Mega Man's time on the NES.

CONCLUSION:

Despite the fact the Mega Man 4 begins and ends on somewhat of a downer, fans of the blue bomber will find little reason not to add this to their ever growing collection if they haven't already. Mega Man's downs aren't usually as bad as those of another, beloved blue-colored character, but they can still end in disappointment. This is something Mega Man 4 proves to be true at the end of the day despite being more than adequate.

Overall Score: 7/10

Considering who is likely to read these things, do I really need to explain how Mega Man works? I think everyone on this board knows the game mechanics:

I (some incarnation) Mega Man. There bad robot. Me shoot bad robot or "misunderstood robot" if X series and beyond. It dies. Me do that over and over. This goes on for years and years and years across many console. Capcom shameless until pulling the plug in mid-2011. The slightly disillusioned fan I am I should care but don't.

Additionally, as selfish as it may seem, I wrote these things for myself so I'd have a point of reference years down the road. I thought it'd be interesting to chronicle (not that this is important in the scheme of things) and see if my opinion of these games changes down the road. I figured I post them here to spark some conversation.

I've no real desire to write for profit or professionally. I wrote for some websites in the past and yeah, I used a more streamlined and focused style back then.

GoldfishX wrote:

I know the shots don't pass through like in MM2, but they still get the white "hit" star and it gives them some invincibility for about half a second to a second. It's not like standing in front of Big Eye and going turbo on the buster. I thought Shadowman was one of the hardest (but most fun) fights in the whole series with just the buster.

Shadowman is one of the hardest, definitely.
In fact, he's even a bit tricky when you use his weak spot, since that basically requires you to slam into him. Top Spin was one of the weirdest and yet most insanely powerful weapons in the game for some reason...

I love MM3 and 4 most of all though, so it's nice to see what someone else thinks.
I liked how every game built a new template that the sequel would expand on, until 5, which didn't really do anything significant (other than introduce Beat), which is why it's one of my least favorites.

I loved having to revisit the MM2 bosses in MM3, and I also think it has one of the best soundtracks in the series. MM3 was full of little surprises, although I'll admit some of the stage design is problematic (i.e. the bits where you NEEDED Rush. I'm looking at the latter half of the revisit to Needleman's stage here).

4 had an awesome soundtrack and it introduced the chargeable buster, the Two Castle gimmick, and the Wily Capsule battles which the following 2 games would not expand significantly upon. There's some nostalgia involved, I'm very much aware, but it really is one of my favorite games of all time.

Yotsuya wrote:

What did you guys think of Mega Man 9 in light of the first 3 or 4?

I liked that it went back to its roots, and it also showed that the classic MM game design is still very viable, but the difficulty was too high for me to want to play through multiple times (and this is coming from someone who played through all 6 NES games numerous times).

Game: Mega Man 5 (NES)

"Uneven, but a lot better than a simple glace would imply"

I have to admit, I was extremely skeptical when I put down the money for a Mega Man 5 cart. In all honesty, I thought it was ludicrous that I was paying more for one of the sequels than I did for a copy of the 1987 original. Nothing in that respect has changed, but I'll be damned if Mega Man 5 didn't pull the rug out from under me despite partaking of previous, seemingly uneventful play throughs. So how did Mega Man 5 go from drab to fabulous? That's a question I'd love to answer... if I could.

As the title of this review suggests, Mega Man 5 is an uneven beast when it comes to overall difficulty. Fun as it still is figuring out the boss/weapon "weakness chain" it takes next to nothing to get through the initial wave of robot masters and their levels. This and the overall feel of the game changes dramatically once the player enters the fortress levels. There's an abstract sense of maturity that presides over the last portion of the game, something that reminds me of the sobering steel and seriousness of a Mega Man X game. Given that I've never been too comfortable with cuteness Mega Man portrayed with it's earlier artwork and later games like Mega Man 7 and 8, it's interesting to experience this kind of undertone at this point in time.

Interesting as this can be, the most significant change Mega Man 5 brings to the table is the fact the series has finally cleared that oddball hump that started with Mega Man 3 and continued with Mega Man 4. Even after playing through all the NES Mega Man games I still can't explain why those particular titles felt as stunted and bizarre as they do. Needless to say, I was glad to see things were back on track despite the fact Mega Man 5 doesn't deviate from the tired and true formula. Would anyone expect anything less?

CONCLUSION:

While I can't say I was exactly thrilled with the price tag it carries, Mega Man 5 is a lot better than a quick glance or a half-remembered memory would suggest. As one would expect, the game doesn't do anything radical yet there are some subvert forces at work that are devilishly alluring once they're discovered. If you're into Mega Man, I would definitely suggest digging for them.

Overall Score: 8/10

Game: Mega Man 8: Anniversary Collector's Edition (SAT)

Nice extras, but it's probably not worth the extra dough

As most Mega Man fans know, Mega Man 8 on the Sega Saturn is somewhat of a rarity. Originally intended as Saturn exclusive along with the excellent Mega Man X4, this plan quickly changed when Sony made it known they were interested in bringing the games to the PlayStation as well. To the enlightened, such a story is riddled with irony considering it's widely believed Sony was more interested in showing off the 3D capabilities of their system than allowing 2D sidescrollers live on to the next generation. Tongue-in-cheek as it ended up being, in what was more of a tradeoff for the lost of the exclusive, Capcom gave the Saturn version the edge in bonus material. So what's so different about Mega Man 8 on the Saturn compared to the PlayStation? Not much, but enough to make the value of these releases as different as night and day.

As silly as it may seem, I remember being extremely upset that I couldn't fight Cut Man and Wood Man when I played through the PlayStation version all those years ago just because of what console I was playing on. These battles (and the remixed tunes that play during them) are nice touches, as are the sound, music and hidden animation test that appear in the additional bonus mode, but when you get down to it, these things mean ultimately mean little when the whole picture is considered. What am I talking about? Well, before one can really say how much these extras add one must ask how good the core game is. So, for a Mega Man game, how good is Mega Man 8? Does it sail towards the heavens or does it dwell in the darkest depths?

Shallow as it may seem, the deciding factor in Mega Man 8 failure and success ends up being graphics and art direction. Why? Well, when one considers that nothing of significant note has really changed in the gameplay department in eight games you can't really call that a defining element. For better or worse this is true, blue Mega Man. So, given that there is nothing truly new, it's easy to see why a rather superficial element such a graphics becomes important yet this is where the game ends up divided upon itself. From a graphical standpoint the game is beautiful; I have no qualms about the quality of its 2D prowess. So what's the problem? The art direction. As if Mega Man 7 on the SNES wasn't bad enough, Mega Man 8 takes the characters and world we grew up with on the (blissfully limited) NES and shoves them through the cuteness grinder once again.

Now, I expect some to fire back with the argument that Mega Man has always been "cutesy," not necessarily in the games themselves (where the NES thankfully prohibited it) but in official artwork Capcom has produced throughout the years. Point taken, but that doesn't mean we have to indulge this and splash it all over the freaking screen. Okay, I'll admit if I want a dose of stone cold seriousness I could always pop in a Mega Man X game but I find it hysterical how Mega Man 8 is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this. Quite honestly I thought this game would go down as the cuddliest Mega Man game in existence but Capcom proved me wrong with Powered Up on the PSP. What's even more surprising (i.e. downright wrong) is how Mega Man 8 outsold Mega Man X4. Let me repeat that: Mega Man 8 sold more copies than Mega Man X4. How is that even possible? Here we have a game that literally adds nothing to its continuity while Mega Man X4 is a series highlight that gives the original Mega Man X a serious run for its money.

CONCLUSION:

As a product I have to say I somewhat loathe Mega Man 8. I know you can't teach an old dog new tricks but that doesn't stop pet owners from dressing up their dogs in ridiculous outfits. The truth is dogs aren't meant to wear clothes and there's no reason Mega Man needs to look uber cute. What's cute about robots fighting robots? Anyway, as hopelessly off track as I've become, I can't say this bone Capcom threw Saturn owners (it's more like a treat than a bone) is worth the extra green. Stick with the PlayStation version if you're a casual fan and only indulge in this version if you have the obsessive compulsive desire to own everything that is Mega Man.

Overall Score: 7/10

Game: Mega Man X2 (SNES)

"A truly standard sequel. Nothing more, nothing less...."

1995, maps in the latest Nintendo Power, sixth grade, an upcoming birthday, a short-lived neighborhood rental store, a sleepover party, a seventy dollar price tag and a friend's skull smashed into my living room floor by another guest. The amount of memories triggered by the mere mention of Mega Man X2 is simply staggering. In April of 1995 all I could think about was getting my hands on this cart, continuing the battle against the malicious Mavericks.

Looking back, I can't help but wish I could travel back in time and recapture that magic, that unique combination of patience, desire and blissful ignorance that defines childhood. That ability to not overanalyze anything - and I mean anything - at all. Unfortunately, those days don't last and retrospect and insight eventually crash the party. As much as I enjoyed (and still enjoy) the SNES, I can't say I miss paying ridiculous prices for cartridge based games, although I can certainly question what I was thinking when I shelled out seventy bones for Mega Man X2.

Don't get me wrong. This isn't a case of buyer's remorse that's been festering for fifteen years, but in knowing what I know now, that X2 is the definition of a standard sequel, I can't help but think that money could have been spent on a more captivating gaming experience. Given how wise a majority of a child's purchases are however, that may be too much to expect of my younger self. Still, with the forethought of the place the game once held in my personal hierarchy, what makes X2 worth hanging onto? The answer is rather surprising....

Gameplay wise, Mega Man X2 is pretty much identical to its predecessor: progress through mostly liner stages collecting heart tanks, sub tanks, and cleverly hidden capsules while maintaining one's health on the way to the area's quote unquote boss. Beat the boss and take their weapon; use those acquired weapons to take advantage of enemy weaknesses in future encounters. After defeating the grunts, take down the kingpin (gee, I wonder who THAT could be?) and save the day.

Okay, so it's a bit more fun than my slapdash explanation is making it sound, but in general X2 only adds a few new wrinkles to what players experienced in the original. The most important of these is the introduction of a group of three Mavericks (it was originally meant to be four but the female member was scraped due to the limits of the Cx4, as was Violen's second form) that call themselves the "X-Hunters." Eventually, the player learns the "unification" is just a fancy term for stealing Zero's parts and slapping him back together to get his "revenge" on you for "letting him die." Depending on whether or not X hunts down and defeats the X-Hunters for Zero's "parts" during the main eight stages of the game, there may or may not be an extra boss in the final level of the game that accounts for the game's two possible scenarios.

Black and white as that may seem, the X-Hunters prove to be much more than the key to the game's outcome. While I'll admit I'm not exactly goo-goo gaga over these characters themselves, they do add an element that was missing from the original Mega Man X. That element is danger. Looking back at certain Mavericks in that title, some of them hardly left me quaking in my boots, and in a way that dampened the effect certain moments in that game had on me. This really isn't the case in Mega Man X2, where there is a strange sense of abstract edginess, even dirtiness to everything that fights against the clean feel of the original. Much like the opening cinematic says, "a real war is about to begin" and the kid gloves are off. Even Yuki Iwai's peculiar musical score plays into it as does the immediate sequel Mega Man X3.

As impressive as it is for the series to change it's temperament without utilizing major changes in presentation or game play, the effect can only go so far. Additionally, while I wouldn't want to change the game from its final form, I do have to question the usage of the Cx4 chip and the sacrifices made to utilize it. Mega Man X2 probably would have found a wider audience with a lower retail price and larger print run, something the Cx4 prohibited, and is the reason why carts still fetch a decent amount of cash on the secondary market. Of course, today's prices are about half of what the game went for originally, but the game hasn't held its value for the right reasons.

CONCLUSION:

Taking in all the above into consideration, Mega Man X2 on the SNES is mainly geared towards the true blue and perhaps slightly disillusioned Mega Man fan. Those with a mild interest should steer clear of procuring the actual cart and just find a copy of The Mega Man X Collection for the Gamecube or PlayStation 2. As for this Mega Man fan, while I'm glad I've managed to retain my copy throughout all these years despite my decaying faith in the series, it's far from the trophy I once considered it.

Overall Score: 7/10

Game: Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X

"Nice, but it's too late for love...."

In 1983, Def Leppard released the classic rock song “Too Late for Love.” Despite how perfectly that song describes my current feelings towards the dismal fate that awaited the conclusion of the Mega Man X series, I know that singer Joe Elliott couldn't have been singing about Capcom's failings given the series first brick wouldn't be laid until a decade later. So, that said, when we get right down to it, is Maverick Hunter X a nice remake? Definitely, I couldn't imagine telling anyone anything otherwise. Still, nothing short of a case of amnesia can make me forget that Mega Man X5 was mediocre, X6 was cash-in garbage, X7's 3D wrote a check it’s tush couldn't cash and that X8 stuck out in bottom of the ninth in the storyline department. Indeed, it is too late for love and the curtain has definitely fallen.

However, such painful chapters aside, Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X is yet another in a long line of solid remakes for the PSP. I'm not as under whelmed as that last sentence makes me out to be but there really isn't that much to say. If you liked the original, you'll be right at home here. I love how even subtle changes (mainly the rearrangement of the capsules) changes the true and tired path I've relied on for years to get through the original, and it's nice to see that some of the bosses (like Storm Eagle and Armored Armadillo) have been made a bit more challenging. Unfortunately, that last part that doesn't always hold true. There are several occasions where the game is actually easier than the original when set on normal difficulty. Why would you make a boss like Spark Mandrill an even bigger pushover, allowing him to be frozen with every shot of the Shotgun Ice? Same goes for the last boss who’s been even given a new (and insanely pointless) attack, and don’t even get me started on how deadly the overdone knock-back from enemy attacks can be.

As small as such follies are everything eventually comes back to the storyline and the unlockable “The Day of Sigma” video. Given that the only back-story the original had to go on was passages from Dr. Cain's journal in the instruction manual, The Day of Sigma offers a treasure-trove of information on how the conflict between the mavericks and humans started. It's great to have some more narrative to chew on, but adding to the vast list of inconsistencies that plague the series canon at this point is unwise. On another, somewhat related note, why are some the in-game animations almost comical in nature? X's running animation, Launch Octopus' hit animation and Bospider's landing animations make me think twice about the X series being more serious in nature than original series.

If all the above wasn't enough, the biggest question Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X raises is why did Capcom feel a remake was necessary in the first place? I recently replayed Mega Man X on the SNES late last year and – to no surprise – it's held up extremely well over the years, much more than its two immediate successors. Unlike Lunar: Silver Star Harmony where another whirl helped change my opinion about the underlying product to a certain degree, this take does little to enhance or dilute my thoughts on the experience at its core. In other words, the time spent updating this classic could have been spent doing something much more productive. Then again, given the state of creativeness in the world of video games today maybe not.

CONCLUSION:

Despite the contempt I hold for some things Mega Man, I know I can't hold Maverick Hunter X responsible for the sins of its successors, which are technically its forbearers in this case. Unfortunately – or perhaps fortunately – this doesn't change the fact it really didn't need to be remade, nor do any of its sequels. The game is worth nabbing and adding to your collection if you can get a good deal on it, just be aware that it's still a shallow product despite being an enhanced version of a SNES classic.

Overall Score: 7/10

Game: Metal Gear Solid

"Metal Gear Solid can tell one heck of a story, but I can no longer turn a blind eye to everything else"

It goes without saying that every once in a while a game comes around that is dubbed as an experience. Beyond the simple fact that every game is an experience, we tend to use such terminology when a game is lauded as above and beyond or is considered essential playing. Unfortunately, while many believe the endless praise they pay towards these games helps them remain appreciated down the road, it often has an undesired effect. Sometimes such praise only delays the negative and unforeseen - or rather ignored - aspects of a game from being seen. While there are several games that come to mind when looking for the usual suspects, one game tops them all: Metal Gear Solid.

Now, I'm not here to rain on anyone's parade. I still have a great deal of respect for what Metal Gear Solid brings to the table, and I couldn't imagine any serious PS1 library without it, it's just that after my latest playthrough I'm no longer willing to let the game's triumphs overshadow the things that drive me clinically insane. So what are those things? Well, before we get into that, let's look at why the game is celebrated.

As if it's any kind of real surprise, the driving force behind Metal Gear Solid is the narrative and its cinematic nature. Of course, we all know the jokes that go along with this territory: "Metal Gear Solid is a great movie, err... game to play" and "there's about fifteen minutes of gameplay in the entire game." While there is some obvious hyperbole in there, there's a bit of truth to the sarcasm. Additionally, the skepticism that many level at the story and its plausibility is justified as well. Still, this being a video game, a place where imagination should be allowed to roam free, and taking into account what Kojima and his crew were trying to accomplish, I'm willing to sacrifice some control and realism for the sake of the overall vision. The most crucial element in all of this is the characterization of the game's key players. The full voice acting goes a long way in accomplishing this and it's amazingly well done (outside the hilariously bad continue screen pleas) but it's the writing that clinches it. Unlike a Mega Man X game where Capcom tries (and fails) to make us feel bad about "retiring" the bad guys, Metal Gear Solid actually does make one feel bad about gunning down the members of FoxHound. For example, while the actions of Psycho Mantis and Sniper Wolf are far from excusable, once we hear about their tragic pasts they become more than a mere obstacle blocking your way. As poignant as the characters end up being, the obvious anti-nuke message and the "just live" sentiment near the end come off a lot more tongue-in-cheek than most would probably like. We all know that Snake is going to be dragged back to the battlefield at one point or another, there's no need to toy with us about that.

As for my problems with Metal Gear Solid, some of them actually start with a quick read of the manual. I'm not talking about misprints or misinformation; I'm talking about the writing of loaded statements. Can anyone read the section on the second page (What is "Metal Gear"?) and not feel the bar has been set way beyond the sky? "Fighting alone does not make a game, stealth is more important!" "Metal Gear had a huge impact on gamers and manufactures alike." "...the "Metal Gear" series continued to be widely discussed as a visionary masterpiece." All these of these cringe worthy statements beg the question: why couldn't Konami let their product speak for itself? So, I take it a game that emphasizes stealth is better than a game that encourages running and running, or a game that has both? If Metal Gear had such an impact, why didn't we see a game during the SNES/Genesis era? Finally, when a company calls their own product a "visionary masterpiece" I can't help but lose a little faith in what I've been told about Kojima's humbleness. We won't even touch things like the phrase “human drama” in it's relation to a video game or putting the words "Metal Gear" in parentheses.

Okay, so the above doesn't really count because we're not really talking about the game, so let's get to that all-important element, game play. I'll admit years ago everything seemed fine and dandy to me in this respect; snapping necks and shooting stinger missiles quickly became second nature. Unfortunately, I completely forgot about the ill-conceived inventory system (why can't the Key Card always be active? I love switching between items like crazy in gas-filled rooms) or how touchy the controls are when it comes to the difference of flipping an enemy over my shoulder and choking them. The kicker is just how annoying some of the scenarios you're thrown into can be (the communications tower) and surprising amount of expertise they can require. At times it feels like you're set up to fail. I'm hardly against trail and error (actually, I think they give badges out to Syphon Filter players for that), and I know I'm not a particularly good Metal Gear Solid player, but I'm just not going to put in all that time to remember the game backwards and forwards and remember where cheaply placed camera turrets are in electronically jammed areas. All in all, there's a level of cheapness ingrained within that I just couldn't ignore anymore.

Ironically, as troublesome as the above can be, the true meat of Metal Gear Solid's game play is the various boss fights. You'll stumble upon bosses at a super accelerated rate and they pretty much make the game what it is, not the parts in-between. Unfortunately, as fun and inventive as some of these battles are (the Hind, Sniper Wolf) they often feel more like an extension of the storyline than a component of the game play. There really isn't a boss fight that's not unique or memorable in its own way, but this is another area where the current reality snaps one out of their nostalgia fueled bliss. Some of these fights are annoying as hell to say the least, especially the two tortuous battles that lie beyond the titular battle tank. Sound wise, beyond the previously mentioned voice acting, Metal Gear is competent to stellar. While I'm always in the mood for a good "Duel" (the boss theme) and can easily appreciate the rest of the mood-setting score, it's simply workman-like its construction and application. It's not really inspiring despite being appropriate. As for the sound effects, the amount of detail easily shows when your fire your weapons in areas that produce an echo or when you tap walls to attract enemies.

CONCLUSION:

Despite all the qualms above, is Metal Gear Solid still worth owning and playing? The answer is an unsurprising yes, but at the same time I can no longer pretend that the game is the bulletproof masterpiece many bill it as. Additionally, I am also done with the thought that it is automatically better than any of the Syphon Filter titles because of its pedigree. That may be true when it comes to narrative and cinematic quality, but not when it comes to the game play, which should be at the front of any gaming experience. Metal Gear Solid takes a gamble in this respect and wins, but it's not exactly the prettiest kind of win. Still, if there is anything could help Metal Gear Solid in the present, it's for people to be realistic about how it stands today and not pretty up the picture because they can.

Overall Score: 7/10