I was initially not going to do a review for this, but I decided why not. And I'm going to try and make a review short for once lmao (try being the operative word).

I think X2 is definitely a solid follow up to X1 in my opinion. In fact, I think it does a very great job creating its own identity for itself and making it distinct from X1. There's a lot to love here, whether it be the new gimmicks such as utilizing the hovercyle and air dashing, or many of the varied levels that I really loved going through. I really liked how wonderfully unique in themes the levels were this time around, such as a desert stage, a crystal mine stage, and even a volcano stage too. All of them were really well thought out and creative level designs that I really enjoyed, with really sick setpieces too (such as the climb in Flame Stag's stage as the volcano was rising). And the bosses were just as engaging to fight as they were in the last game too (even if just like in the last game, they made me pull my hair out with how difficult they could be lmao).

I also thought the music in this one was like---I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but just as good as X1's to me? Like, the soundtrack for this game REALLY slaps. I think I like pretty much every level stage theme in this game (with the exception of the junk yard stage, just wasn't my cup of tea). My absolute FAVORITE stage theme though would definitely be that of Wire Sponge's stage theme, which might just be among my favorite tracks in this entire series for me. I swear, it sounds like a fusion between music from the Classic Sonic trilogy and the Sonic Advance trilogy---if that makes sense lmao. Loved the boss themes too, such as the X Hunter's, Sigma's first theme, and of course... I mean... ZERO'S THEME IS LIKE, PEAK MEGA MAN MUSIC. I-I've known about that theme even before getting into the series (and especially the amazing MvC3 remix of it). It's just so legendary... like seriously...

But uhhh, speaking of Zero though, erm... brings me to the only thing I didn't like about X2: the X Hunter subplot of having to get Zero's parts. I know whether or not you get all the parts doesn't really matter that much, but just idk... the principle of not saving Zero the right way just didn't sit well with me lmao. I ended up restarting the game over completely just so that I could get the "good ending", even if it didn't matter that much (of course, this was before I found out about the password generator, making me facepalm). Anyway, idk, I just felt like it kind of messed up the pace and structure for me. I don't think I'd have a problem with it if it was handled differently, but it just rubbed me the wrong way though. I also do kind of wish the Zero fight was canon though, but instead of fighting real Zero, maybe we just fight the fake one. Because even though I wanted to save my boy, it still would've been pretty hype having to fight an enemy Zero even with all of the parts obtained (and then maybe real Zero shows up to deal the final blow or something). Though, it was pretty cool how in the actual story Zero just shows up and EASILY takes care of the fake one like it was nothing, what a badass lmao.

But I digress, aside from that, not really many other issues with the game. I think it definitely made some improvements over the first game, even if I think in some ways I still prefer the first game more. Story-wise, I'm happy that Zero was brought back from the dead. Of course, I knew he was never dead, being on the Internet and all, but I'm happy to see one of the coolest motherfuckers ever created to be alive and kicking again lmao. Sigma continues to be an antagonist I find to be really cool with how every time we kill him, he just keeps coming back stronger and smarter. But I like that despite that, X and Zero are going to be ready to kick his ass again each and every time---just simple good guy vs bad guy stuff is all I need sometimes, haha. And I love the growing bromance of X and Zero, it's becoming one of my favorite gaming duos for sure. Anyway, X2 was quite fun, I really enjoyed my time with it, despite a couple of frustrations here or there.

(...and this review ended up being long AGAIN, son of a---lmao.)

I've been interested in this series for a very long time. I've listened to music from it, watched reviews of the series, and have heard great things about it from people/friends as well. And of course, I've definitely seen the memes from some titles, haha. However, I was always a bit hesitant on taking the plunge out of fear of the series not being my cup of tea, or it being too difficult. It wasn't until I tried out a Touhou fangame inspired by the X series that was the push I needed to finally try the series out through the Legacy Collection.

And I'm very happy I did so, because man is this game just so damn COOL. Okay, so when I first started playing, I was kind of a mess. Didn't know what I was doing at all, felt like I'd never make any progress, and was starting to feel disheartened. But I decided to keep going, look at guides/tips, videos in order to help me out, and then after that... it started to get really fun! The feeling of excitement I felt when I beat my first maverick boss was just so awesome, and it really made me feel like "Okay, maybe I can actually beat this lmao?". And so I would go on to fight Flame Mammoth, Storm Eagle, and Spark Mandrill, and then... that is when I started to get it. That is when I realized why these games were so well regarded, because of how fun and addicting the gameplay was. I loved getting more used to the mechanics---such as dashing and wall climbing. I loved being able to build my arsenal of power ups and then getting excited upon wondering "Ooooh, I wonder what this power up I got does". And I loved using said power ups against the proper bosses who were weak to them (like, my mind was blown with how fucked Spark Mandrill got from Chill Penguin's power up, I had no idea the power ups were THAT huge of game changers). And then I felt really proud of myself when I was able to beat some bosses with just the X Buster. It's like the more I played the game, the more I got my ass beat, and the more I learned... the more satisfying it was for me to actually beat them. And then when I would lose, I would be like, "Okay, I've got their ass next time", and then just try again.

...or I would also maybe try to break my controller in half, but that's on me, not the game's fault lmao.

I just really liked that sense of challenge, I feel that same way when I play Touhou too. So much so that when I put the difficulty on Rookie Hunter mode twice, I ended up turning it off each time, and even started over just so that I could do it on the game's regular difficulty. The thing about me is that with some things, I just can't let myself play on a lower difficulty. My pride would just not allow me to lower the difficulty and play the game AT ALL lmao. And it probably would've saved me less trouble and stress if I did... (but I'm incredibly stubborn with stuff like this, it might be a problem lmao). And this game was REALLY TOUGH for me, probably one of the toughest games I've played, and very frustrating too. But at the same time, that difficulty thrill is fun to me (so long as it's not like, too insurmountable lol). And so when I'm up against a difficult boss, it's fun when I finally beat it, like I really accomplished something. LIKE MAN... THIS GAME IS SO COOL DUDE, I SEE IT NOW LMAO.

Alongside that, I really loved the incredible level-design throughout the many stages, and especially the amazing attention to detail of how beating certain bosses affects the environment of another---usually making it much easier for you. Like, I'm not a game developer expert at all, but having such ambitious level design in 1993 is pretty damn sick honestly. The way this game is structured and the way its designed... it's hard to describe, but it's really well done in its execution of helping the player learn the ropes and challenge themselves just through simply playing the game. Now granted, I uhhh... looked up guides and stuff to help me out, but even taking that out of the equation, I can just tell that the game is really well-designed in that aspect. And then the music... like... yessss... I've listened to the music in the past when I was a kid, but it was really nice hearing these themes old and new to me. Chill Penguin, Flame Mammoth, and Zero's theme are definitely my favorites, and I really loved the Sigma Stage Select music too. Honestly, I really liked a lot of the Sigma themes in general.

I guess my only few gripes would be that I really wish there wasn't a life system, just a personal thing. I like being able to get back into the action, so losing all my lives and having to restock could be a bit of a chore. That and some of the upgrades were HELL to get, which I'm looking at you buster upgrade. Whoever designed getting that upgrade must have had a seriously bad day back in the office, because my fingers were aching after having to do that shit who knows how many times lmao. I mean, it was DEFINITELY worth it for the upgrade, but I would've much preferred a less taxing way to get it lmao. Other than that, not really much else that really bothered me that I can think of at the time of my head.

Anyway, I've always held a lot of respect for Mega Man. I didn't grow up with him like many others, but I had always heard such great things about the games, spin-off material, music, etc. It made me really want to one day try some of the series that really interested me, like the X series or the Legends series. And I'm really happy I ended up trying this game out and enjoyed it, it's a game I've wanted to at least try once in my lifetime. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the games expand or innovate from this one. I hope to especially see more added onto the story as well---since it's an early 1990s title, I didn't expect that much in-depth storytelling, but I really do like the overall premise and lore the X series established in this one,. And I'd really like to see more of X and Zero's characters too! I was already interested in them having seen them in crossover games and the like, so getting to play and learn more about them will be really cool. So yeah, I'm really happy I enjoyed this first entry, and I'm excited to play more of this series.

(Man, I really need to get better at writing shorter reviews... 😖)

If I had to say, Tekken is probably my favorite fighting game franchise. For a lot of reasons, whether it be for the fun gameplay, the incredible music, and especially for the story and characters. I know that's a weird thing, liking the story and characters of a fighting game more than other aspects of it, but that's just how I feel about some fighting game series, and especially Tekken which has my favorite story content in a fighting game.

Been playing Tekken since Tekken 4 back on the PS2, which I know is considered the black sheep of the franchise and did not do as well as the prior titles. But I have many fond memories of that game as my entry to the series, especially in regard to its story, atmosphere, and music. I had a lot of fun playing through the various' characters story routes and learning about their backgrounds and history. Of course, I was only about 7 or 8 at the time, so I couldn't really understand some of their stories (Most likely the whole Devil Gene thing probably went over my head, seeing as how genetics wasn't something I was learning as a 1st or 2nd grader lmao). But I was just so fascinated by the fun gameplay, presentation and storytelling that I fell in love with the series. So when I get older, I ended up looking more into the other games---their stories, and everything just clicked with me about the premise of a generational blood feud. Sure, it can be kind of nonsensical at times, but I mean, that's what's so good and interesting about it imo. I just love that premise so much, and also the interconnected or separate stories of the other characters as well.

With the announcement of Tekken 8, I was both excited yet a little worried. I had played Tekken 7, and while I enjoyed the game itself, the story really disappointed me aside from a few good things that I liked here or there. And the treatment of other characters made me really worried about Tekken going forward. So while I was absolutely pumped for Tekken 8, I was still worried about how the story would be done. I honestly just wanted the story to be just okay, or even just a bit better than 7's. But... to my surprise, it exceeded my expectations wholeheartedly. I now see the Harada vision... lmao, because he really went all out with the story for this game. Getting to see so many characters I've grown to love play even just a small part was incredible, and of course, that final segment is probably one of my favorite final segments in not just fighting games, but possibly video games in general. It's definitely up there for me with how it was constructed in terms of its bombastic and emotional impact. I was very happy, and truly pleased with how the story ended up, and it honestly makes me want to play parts of it again as I'm writing this, haha. The music also in this game I also think is really good---not my favorite Tekken OST, but I think there are definitely a lot of standout tracks in this, whether it be Storm Rising, Time Will Reveal, and my favorite Liberation. I didn't think Solitude could be beaten as my favorite Tekken menu theme, but Liberation just fits the vibe of this game so well. I can't describe exactly why, but it just strikes a chord with me so hard tbh. Also the Jukebox is once again a wonderful addition tht should be in Tekken forever lmao. Love the option of being able to set my own tracks for the menus and stages, just like back in Tekken 7.

Now as for the gameplay itself, I'm not really a... Tekken expert lmao. I've played the games a good bit, but I'm no competitive player or anything (though it would be nice to be at least middle of the pack in terms of being good lmao). But everything in the game feels just as good as other Tekken games I've really liked such as 7 or Tag 2. I think the heat system in this game is really cool, and I love all the different features they give you in terms of learning how to play the game, even a feature that's dedicated to punishing training which is really cool. The presentation of this game is absolutely stunning with how amazing the characters, stages, and visual effects look in game, alongside the awesome camera angles during rage arts, activating heat, and other things as well. It's funny how back when 7 was the new game, I couldn't see them topping the visuals of that one, but now with 8 being out, it makes 7 look like it came out ages ago, and like, 7 is still a really good looking game imo lmao. I also really appreciate the special characters interactions that occur at the beginning of a battle between characters as well, I feel like that was a really nice addition. It may be rather problematic to be a fan of this, but... I just want Kazuya and Jun to live a happy life together lmao. Maybe they can use the Vegeta clause for Kazuya to be redeemed in some possible way, but idk, lmao. Truthfully, I'm very biased towards Kazuya as he's my favorite character in the series, for his nuance and how there could still be potential humanity left in him, despite him being so dickish and comically evil almost all of the time. His relationship with Jun is also one of my favorite aspects of the series, and I hope we get to see more of that going forward as I feel Jun may perhaps be the only person in Kazuya's life who he actually cares about. The only thing I guess I wish this game had was Team Battle. It's one of my favorite modes in Tekken, and it's a shame it seems to be absent in this game like it was in Tekken 7. Hopefully it could be added via an update or DLC, alongside more offline modes as well. It's cool how they even went out of their way to add an "adventure mode" sort of thing with your own avatar in order to learn the game and stuff. Like, they didn't have to add something like that, but it's really cool that they did so honestly.

Really happy and satisfied with how much Tekken 8 really exceeded my expectations. It's an important series for me, and I'm really glad that it ended up being one of my favorite games of this year, especially with how much I was anticipating it as well. Also Lili de Rochefort is absolutely amazing, and I love her, and I just feel like that's just an important fact that needs to be shared. She is a very ho---precious ojou-sama (insert flushed face lmao).