tasukete
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Area 51
2005
This review contains spoilers
Area 51 is a mixed bag for me.
On some levels, I love the audacity it has. I like the ideas it plays with, the attempt of fleshing out a plot much bigger and overwhelming than your character's own role in the story; but on many other levels, it's a merely ok FPS romp with some different variations that don't amount to much, at least for me.
This game is, bizarrely, freeware (see here: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Area_51_(2005)#cite_note-1).
In 2008 (that's the date as far as I can tell), the US Air Force sponsored three different Midway games as free downloads, those being "The Suffering: Ties That Bind", "Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War", and this. An...interesting choice of game to be sure.
Area 51 is intriguing in how far it delves into that alien and conspiracy spookiness, alongside little gameplay touches here and there are quite neat to see in an FPS. One of the biggest highlights for me was the ability to use a radioactive arm scanner to analyze objects, humans, corpses, yourself or even air in order to see what it is comprised of, or find information from secret dossiers or alien objects. It turns into sort of a collect-a-thon, trying to find where that hidden secret is in the levels you explore.
Initially the game has you travelling with your squad, engaging in firefights with extraterrestrials and journeying deep into the infamous government facility in order to rescue another group of soldiers trapped within. Eventually, you're left on your own to settle the matters at hand, uncovering a plot that's out of this world (badum tss). The weapons you use are some standard issue FPS stuff: pistols, smgs (that you can dual wield!), shotguns (that you can dual wield...that must hurt), and snipers. Several weapons have alternate fire modes, and there are alien and unique weapons to find throughout that vary in effectiveness but aren't too shabby. Your character also has the ability to lean and shoot, making it easier to get back behind cover after sending some suppressing fire or checking corners without being immediately seen.
The big gimmick of the game is that your character at a certain point can transform from human to mutated alien at will; the benefits of being in that form allow you to shoot homing attacks that replenish your health, but at the cost of your alien energy depleting. It also provides increased visibility of enemies and enhanced strength.
If I were to be honest, I used this ability as a last resort when ammo was low and health was in dire straits; I never really used it outside of that. It's a cool idea, but it doesn't really feel like it adds to the gameplay outside of plot necessity or a brief respite. I thought maybe it would be one of those things where if you use the alien form more you could get a different ending where you succumb to that form, or if you primarily use your human form you manage to withstand that fate...but there's only one ending that doesn't really elaborate on much. This aspect of your character is a missed opportunity that I feel should have been fleshed out. Despite the plot making it seem extremely urgent and vital that this soldier needs to find a cure, it mainly seems like a net benefit to have this form without much in the way of negative consequences, at least, not in terms of how the story goes along.
Speaking of, despite the grand spectacle of what this game presents through text and secret bonus content, the main story is delivered in a standard narration style featuring an extremely phoned in performance by David Duchovny (who seemed like a perfect fit for this game at first glance but alas), who seems bored out of his mind with this material. Marylin Manson sort of speaks his lines with what I assume is supposed to be a spooky, otherworldly tone, but feels quite wooden as well.
There are moments of pure 50s B movie camp that will definitely get those that are interested in such things into it, but these goofy, intriguing moments and the huge conspiracy stuff are delivered by gameplay that isn't too engaging and at times annoying.
There are a variety of enemy types, some more challenging than others (and some more stressful to deal with than others), and the difficulty of the game increases quite a bit near the second half, and you start to feel the length of the game...it begins to feel kind of padded out, sort of becoming a slog by consequence, and there could have been some areas that could be cut in favor of more memorable set pieces.
To elaborate, the environments, especially for the first half, aren't very memorable; mostly hallways and corridors, not very detailed, with the bigger rooms serving as firefights or areas of minor exploration...the graphics don't look the best either outside some neat initial cutscenes. The best part of the second half is the visuals, funnily enough, with more intriguing areas, but it's still not quite worth the buildup.
All in all, if I could give this game a 2.75/5, it would be more appropriate of a rating; it's not terrible, I liked its ideas, and it kept my attention, but it's held back on some levels, visuals and gameplay being the most dated aspects.
However, of interesting note is that it still sees preservation and modding in the form of Project Dreamland and most recently (12/13/21!) Area 51 Preservation Project which brings multiplayer back online (this latter mod I didn't try out because I beat this a month earlier). Since it's literally freeware in perpetuity, give it a try, mod it out and try out the multiplayer. There's fun to be had with this game, it's just a mixed bag overall.
On some levels, I love the audacity it has. I like the ideas it plays with, the attempt of fleshing out a plot much bigger and overwhelming than your character's own role in the story; but on many other levels, it's a merely ok FPS romp with some different variations that don't amount to much, at least for me.
This game is, bizarrely, freeware (see here: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Area_51_(2005)#cite_note-1).
In 2008 (that's the date as far as I can tell), the US Air Force sponsored three different Midway games as free downloads, those being "The Suffering: Ties That Bind", "Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War", and this. An...interesting choice of game to be sure.
Area 51 is intriguing in how far it delves into that alien and conspiracy spookiness, alongside little gameplay touches here and there are quite neat to see in an FPS. One of the biggest highlights for me was the ability to use a radioactive arm scanner to analyze objects, humans, corpses, yourself or even air in order to see what it is comprised of, or find information from secret dossiers or alien objects. It turns into sort of a collect-a-thon, trying to find where that hidden secret is in the levels you explore.
Initially the game has you travelling with your squad, engaging in firefights with extraterrestrials and journeying deep into the infamous government facility in order to rescue another group of soldiers trapped within. Eventually, you're left on your own to settle the matters at hand, uncovering a plot that's out of this world (badum tss). The weapons you use are some standard issue FPS stuff: pistols, smgs (that you can dual wield!), shotguns (that you can dual wield...that must hurt), and snipers. Several weapons have alternate fire modes, and there are alien and unique weapons to find throughout that vary in effectiveness but aren't too shabby. Your character also has the ability to lean and shoot, making it easier to get back behind cover after sending some suppressing fire or checking corners without being immediately seen.
The big gimmick of the game is that your character at a certain point can transform from human to mutated alien at will; the benefits of being in that form allow you to shoot homing attacks that replenish your health, but at the cost of your alien energy depleting. It also provides increased visibility of enemies and enhanced strength.
If I were to be honest, I used this ability as a last resort when ammo was low and health was in dire straits; I never really used it outside of that. It's a cool idea, but it doesn't really feel like it adds to the gameplay outside of plot necessity or a brief respite. I thought maybe it would be one of those things where if you use the alien form more you could get a different ending where you succumb to that form, or if you primarily use your human form you manage to withstand that fate...but there's only one ending that doesn't really elaborate on much. This aspect of your character is a missed opportunity that I feel should have been fleshed out. Despite the plot making it seem extremely urgent and vital that this soldier needs to find a cure, it mainly seems like a net benefit to have this form without much in the way of negative consequences, at least, not in terms of how the story goes along.
Speaking of, despite the grand spectacle of what this game presents through text and secret bonus content, the main story is delivered in a standard narration style featuring an extremely phoned in performance by David Duchovny (who seemed like a perfect fit for this game at first glance but alas), who seems bored out of his mind with this material. Marylin Manson sort of speaks his lines with what I assume is supposed to be a spooky, otherworldly tone, but feels quite wooden as well.
There are moments of pure 50s B movie camp that will definitely get those that are interested in such things into it, but these goofy, intriguing moments and the huge conspiracy stuff are delivered by gameplay that isn't too engaging and at times annoying.
There are a variety of enemy types, some more challenging than others (and some more stressful to deal with than others), and the difficulty of the game increases quite a bit near the second half, and you start to feel the length of the game...it begins to feel kind of padded out, sort of becoming a slog by consequence, and there could have been some areas that could be cut in favor of more memorable set pieces.
To elaborate, the environments, especially for the first half, aren't very memorable; mostly hallways and corridors, not very detailed, with the bigger rooms serving as firefights or areas of minor exploration...the graphics don't look the best either outside some neat initial cutscenes. The best part of the second half is the visuals, funnily enough, with more intriguing areas, but it's still not quite worth the buildup.
All in all, if I could give this game a 2.75/5, it would be more appropriate of a rating; it's not terrible, I liked its ideas, and it kept my attention, but it's held back on some levels, visuals and gameplay being the most dated aspects.
However, of interesting note is that it still sees preservation and modding in the form of Project Dreamland and most recently (12/13/21!) Area 51 Preservation Project which brings multiplayer back online (this latter mod I didn't try out because I beat this a month earlier). Since it's literally freeware in perpetuity, give it a try, mod it out and try out the multiplayer. There's fun to be had with this game, it's just a mixed bag overall.
Mega Man Zero 4
2005
What a great way to cap off the Zero series! Once again, Inti Creates provides a solid and challenging action platformer with good-ass music and what I consider to be a top-tier story. I’m not going to spoil anything here, but the plot of this series is concluded in just… a really good way. That said, I gotta put this just a little lower than Zero 3 because there were a few small moments that weren’t fun. Also, stealing enemies’ weapons with the Zero Knuckle was neat, but I kinda stopped using it because those weapons never felt particularly useful. I could probably write more, but I’m really tired right now so my brain’s a bit fried. But yeah, Zero 4’s a very good game in every respect!
Resident Evil 4
2005
The grandfather of modern games such as Dead Space, The Last of Us, etc., a game that defined an era, a game whose lineage can be traced for over 15 years!
The game still plays very well. The gameplay is intense and enjoyable. They really knew how to craft intense moments, such as the mob scene. The gameplay is simple, easy to grasp, and it’s more forgiving than its predecessors, but it’s not dumbed down to any degree.
It looks good for its time (and even now).The level design of the rural areas, right up to the castle, is thought out well enough. Getting from point A to point B feels good.
The story is bizarre. Obviously, this is still a resident evil game. It’s not incredibly deep, but it won’t impair your enjoyment as it does its job. The main villain is straight out of a Shakespeare play, complete with outlandish quotes.
In conclusion, it’s a masterpiece in my eyes. You’ve probably played it, but if not, definitely do so.
The game still plays very well. The gameplay is intense and enjoyable. They really knew how to craft intense moments, such as the mob scene. The gameplay is simple, easy to grasp, and it’s more forgiving than its predecessors, but it’s not dumbed down to any degree.
It looks good for its time (and even now).The level design of the rural areas, right up to the castle, is thought out well enough. Getting from point A to point B feels good.
The story is bizarre. Obviously, this is still a resident evil game. It’s not incredibly deep, but it won’t impair your enjoyment as it does its job. The main villain is straight out of a Shakespeare play, complete with outlandish quotes.
In conclusion, it’s a masterpiece in my eyes. You’ve probably played it, but if not, definitely do so.
Hilarious writing, immersive battle mechanics, enchanting presentation, diverse world design. All important aspects for a great role play adventure are turned to 11 in one of the very best NGC gems.
Don’t get fooled by the cute and simple looking gameplay, the fights deliver exceptional tactical depth with mechanics and possibilities that get never explained by the game, but are just for the player to be revelated (for example that the fog that makes the attacks of all fighters go into the blue can be blown away by Madame Flurrie with a perfect timing that the enemies take all the disadvantages that come with this event.)
The exceptional turn-based gameplay is perfectly met by the level’s riddles, reaction required events and metroidvania-like exploring elements. The world and their characters are as much alive as they are made out of paper, which is a triumph in itself.
The timeless art style does not age and the catchy score supports the magical and often mysterious atmosphere which is just the icing of the top of a great main story and the diverse and exciting sub-plots of all regions that you will visit on your journey through this delicious adventure.
10 out of 10: In my opinion the best JRPG and turn-based game of all time!
Don’t get fooled by the cute and simple looking gameplay, the fights deliver exceptional tactical depth with mechanics and possibilities that get never explained by the game, but are just for the player to be revelated (for example that the fog that makes the attacks of all fighters go into the blue can be blown away by Madame Flurrie with a perfect timing that the enemies take all the disadvantages that come with this event.)
The exceptional turn-based gameplay is perfectly met by the level’s riddles, reaction required events and metroidvania-like exploring elements. The world and their characters are as much alive as they are made out of paper, which is a triumph in itself.
The timeless art style does not age and the catchy score supports the magical and often mysterious atmosphere which is just the icing of the top of a great main story and the diverse and exciting sub-plots of all regions that you will visit on your journey through this delicious adventure.
10 out of 10: In my opinion the best JRPG and turn-based game of all time!
Mega Man Zero 3
2004
Hell yeah. This is the Zero series at its best. Honestly, I even think it’s Mega Man in general at its best too. I really don’t have much to say; the levels and bosses are fun and fairly challenging, Zero’s moveset is as fun as ever (I absolutely LOVE doing high jumps with the Recoil Rod), and the music is really really good (Cannon Ball is one of the biggest bangers on the GBA for sure). If, for whatever reason, you’re only gonna play one of the Zero games, definitely make it this one.
Migrating to the brief, portable format this time, Zero Mission is a dual remake + expansion of Metroid streamlined with the lingo of Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion. Of note are some varied scenarios here: namely using bugs to remove obstacles, ziplines, unexpected boss fights, and even a tense stealth-oriented second half deviating from Metroid's norm. The good news is that this is their most accessible entry yet, as evident in the inclusion of map rooms, objective markers, item descriptions, recharging stations aplenty, much friendlier areas, etc. The bad news is that the imagination of past powerups went missing, leaving it up to their unique gameplay passages and the novelty of Zero Suit Samus to carve an identity of its own. Besides that, it's simply another well-produced and well-executed batch of items and secrets to uncover.
What a randomly, shockingly fun game! The beat-em-up sections feel great. The bullet hell stuff can get tedious especially without some of the later upgrades, but it's not too bad. The story is also delightfully weird, I don't know if its a bad translation or if it's meant to be absurd, but either way I had a great time.
Mega Man Zero 2
2003
Mega Man Zero 2 is a refinement of Zero 1. It changes the gameplay slightly by replacing the Triple Rod with the Chain Rod, a weapon that's both a rod and a grappling hook. Other than that, Zero 2 adds extra abilities in the form of EX skills (obtained from beating bosses with a high rank) and Forms. These extra abilities add a fun degree of additional customization.
In general, I really liked the game. It's basically more Mega Man Zero but better. Only complaint is that they should've added a "Skip cutscene" button already, would make going for high ranks much more fun. Recommended.
In general, I really liked the game. It's basically more Mega Man Zero but better. Only complaint is that they should've added a "Skip cutscene" button already, would make going for high ranks much more fun. Recommended.
Mega Man Zero 2
2003
The ideal sequel that improves every aspect
No other 2nd entry in a series will get as much praise from me as Mega Man Zero 2. Where to begin
Zero controls just as good as he did in the first entry and I've stated the control as being perfect in that game with seamless wall jumping to saber slashing action and that will stay consistent throughout this sub series.
The weapons available to zero are mostly identical to the ones in the first game but numerous tweaks make them more fun to work with overall. Firstly before you can choose your first level you have 4 weapons at your disposal as opposed to just the saber and buster which somewhat fixes the issue I have with alot of the X game where you're just a bit too limited at the start for my liking but Zero 2 gives you all these weapons and unlike the extra weapons in zero 1 the game is designed with them in mind so that's a plus but let's talk about the new weapon
The chain rod I had mixed feelings on when I first played the game but now I love the thing as you can use it to latch onto surfaces and swing like spider man.I will admit it's a bit finicky but its required like 2 times in the game so I can let it slide. In combat though like the triple rod it can be aimed in 8 directions and has more reach than the triple rod so those pesky enemies on the ceilings will no longer pose a threat. The rod is also how you get access to the 2 sub tanks found in the levels throughout and having physical sub tanks unlike zero 1 which forced you to grind for them makes the game that much more accessible to everyone. The issue in the X games where even if you only needed a little bit of health the character in question would use all the energy stored has been fixed as well which is as good as it sounds.
The graphics and music in the game are just way more memorable than the first's as well. A variety of colors and environments are on display such as a forest that goes into some old ruins, a train with a detailed background that makes it seem like it's going as fast as you can imagine with cargo stored on board, the outside of a laboratory with ice chunks floating on the water and the inside being completely frozen over. I'll always prefer the best spritework of 16/32 bit games more than the graphics of any game releasing on current gen platforms cuz sprites just have more charm. The music is upbeat when it needs to be and sinister when the story ramps up later on as well. Overall the presentation hits the mark in every area it needs to and I cant think of anything i dislike. The remastered tracks are all phenomenal and add that much more to the experience
With all that out of the way now onto the level design and other gameplay elements. The cyber elves system has been improved with 2 simple tweaks. The required e crystals needed to feed the elves has been lowered and the drop rate has been raised substantially making getting health upgrades a non issue for new players. This let's the player determine the difficulty of the game like some of the best metroidvanias and mega man x games. EX skills are introduced in this game and I find it to be a awesome reward but still pretty challenging to get. You have to go into a stage with an A rank in order to get the ex skill from the boss and this just encourages the player to get better at the stages to get skills that gives the combat variety like with the ice buster ex skill that acts like a shotgun when used right or the powerful downward stab. The EX skills are a bit hard to get but I still find them to be a great addition and Zero 3 definitely perfects the system.
Now, the level design. The most important part of any platformer. Inti creates handled the design so well that 4 playthroughs later I enjoy the game as much as i did when I first played the game. I think that this game has some of my favorite platforming in the entire series and it balances with combat a lot better than games like X1, X3, and even better than Zero 3 and 4. The first 4 stages are all very memorable for their own reasons like jumping across floating ice chunks in the frozen factory to avoiding icy gusts that freeze you while enemies approach then handling ice physics to clear gaps and avoid hazards which sounds bad but it's very fun when you master the way to keep your speed going. That's just one level yet I can just point out these amazing parts of the level off the top of my head which isnt something I can do for MMZ1 very often. The train stage has multiple blinking lights that pass the train then a gate passes by that you have to jump over while dealing with the usual enemies too which makes a stage that's technically flat as all hell really interesting and engaging overall. Most of the levels in the game all have level design like this and it's just a major step up. The factory level in the 2nd half of the game is definitely my favorite no contest. This level has flaming buckets going up and down which the player has to avoid by dashing under or jumping over them but the fun part is that you can use an ice infused attack to deactivate the touch damage and using this across the level to make extra platforms while dodging enemy fire jumping across crumbling platforms that drop into lava after a couple of seconds dashing under invincible enemies all without getting hit once raises my serotonin levels to the max. There are some stinker levels and some stinker aspects of good levels like the first part of the 2nd midstage which has you jumping from airship to airship and sometimes the ship is off screen and you have to either wait for it or take a leap of faith which is just not very fun but thankfully the latter parts of the stage are all pure kino. My least favorite stage is harpuias stage with terrible spike placement and a mind numbing gimmick wherr you have to hit an enemy when it's a specific color to reveal platforms of the corresponding color which just feels like a waste of time. But other than that my problems with the level design are pretty small and I just move on pretty quickly.
The bosses are mainly just ok overall. Some are pretty annoying and too fast but alot are also cakewalks with or without weaknesses so that's pretty whatever. The panther boss is probably my favorite for the unique arena and his selection of attacks and I like fighting him without his weakness but other than that the bosses are pretty much improved overall.
So yeah I enjoy this game quite a bit as you can tell. Easily in my top 15 games ever made and in my top 3 mega man games
Base gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics:9/10
Level Design:9.5/10
Weapon/Technique Selection:9/10
Music:9/10
Boss Fights:7/10
Difficulty Design:10/10
Replayability:9/10
Overall:10/10
No other 2nd entry in a series will get as much praise from me as Mega Man Zero 2. Where to begin
Zero controls just as good as he did in the first entry and I've stated the control as being perfect in that game with seamless wall jumping to saber slashing action and that will stay consistent throughout this sub series.
The weapons available to zero are mostly identical to the ones in the first game but numerous tweaks make them more fun to work with overall. Firstly before you can choose your first level you have 4 weapons at your disposal as opposed to just the saber and buster which somewhat fixes the issue I have with alot of the X game where you're just a bit too limited at the start for my liking but Zero 2 gives you all these weapons and unlike the extra weapons in zero 1 the game is designed with them in mind so that's a plus but let's talk about the new weapon
The chain rod I had mixed feelings on when I first played the game but now I love the thing as you can use it to latch onto surfaces and swing like spider man.I will admit it's a bit finicky but its required like 2 times in the game so I can let it slide. In combat though like the triple rod it can be aimed in 8 directions and has more reach than the triple rod so those pesky enemies on the ceilings will no longer pose a threat. The rod is also how you get access to the 2 sub tanks found in the levels throughout and having physical sub tanks unlike zero 1 which forced you to grind for them makes the game that much more accessible to everyone. The issue in the X games where even if you only needed a little bit of health the character in question would use all the energy stored has been fixed as well which is as good as it sounds.
The graphics and music in the game are just way more memorable than the first's as well. A variety of colors and environments are on display such as a forest that goes into some old ruins, a train with a detailed background that makes it seem like it's going as fast as you can imagine with cargo stored on board, the outside of a laboratory with ice chunks floating on the water and the inside being completely frozen over. I'll always prefer the best spritework of 16/32 bit games more than the graphics of any game releasing on current gen platforms cuz sprites just have more charm. The music is upbeat when it needs to be and sinister when the story ramps up later on as well. Overall the presentation hits the mark in every area it needs to and I cant think of anything i dislike. The remastered tracks are all phenomenal and add that much more to the experience
With all that out of the way now onto the level design and other gameplay elements. The cyber elves system has been improved with 2 simple tweaks. The required e crystals needed to feed the elves has been lowered and the drop rate has been raised substantially making getting health upgrades a non issue for new players. This let's the player determine the difficulty of the game like some of the best metroidvanias and mega man x games. EX skills are introduced in this game and I find it to be a awesome reward but still pretty challenging to get. You have to go into a stage with an A rank in order to get the ex skill from the boss and this just encourages the player to get better at the stages to get skills that gives the combat variety like with the ice buster ex skill that acts like a shotgun when used right or the powerful downward stab. The EX skills are a bit hard to get but I still find them to be a great addition and Zero 3 definitely perfects the system.
Now, the level design. The most important part of any platformer. Inti creates handled the design so well that 4 playthroughs later I enjoy the game as much as i did when I first played the game. I think that this game has some of my favorite platforming in the entire series and it balances with combat a lot better than games like X1, X3, and even better than Zero 3 and 4. The first 4 stages are all very memorable for their own reasons like jumping across floating ice chunks in the frozen factory to avoiding icy gusts that freeze you while enemies approach then handling ice physics to clear gaps and avoid hazards which sounds bad but it's very fun when you master the way to keep your speed going. That's just one level yet I can just point out these amazing parts of the level off the top of my head which isnt something I can do for MMZ1 very often. The train stage has multiple blinking lights that pass the train then a gate passes by that you have to jump over while dealing with the usual enemies too which makes a stage that's technically flat as all hell really interesting and engaging overall. Most of the levels in the game all have level design like this and it's just a major step up. The factory level in the 2nd half of the game is definitely my favorite no contest. This level has flaming buckets going up and down which the player has to avoid by dashing under or jumping over them but the fun part is that you can use an ice infused attack to deactivate the touch damage and using this across the level to make extra platforms while dodging enemy fire jumping across crumbling platforms that drop into lava after a couple of seconds dashing under invincible enemies all without getting hit once raises my serotonin levels to the max. There are some stinker levels and some stinker aspects of good levels like the first part of the 2nd midstage which has you jumping from airship to airship and sometimes the ship is off screen and you have to either wait for it or take a leap of faith which is just not very fun but thankfully the latter parts of the stage are all pure kino. My least favorite stage is harpuias stage with terrible spike placement and a mind numbing gimmick wherr you have to hit an enemy when it's a specific color to reveal platforms of the corresponding color which just feels like a waste of time. But other than that my problems with the level design are pretty small and I just move on pretty quickly.
The bosses are mainly just ok overall. Some are pretty annoying and too fast but alot are also cakewalks with or without weaknesses so that's pretty whatever. The panther boss is probably my favorite for the unique arena and his selection of attacks and I like fighting him without his weakness but other than that the bosses are pretty much improved overall.
So yeah I enjoy this game quite a bit as you can tell. Easily in my top 15 games ever made and in my top 3 mega man games
Base gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics:9/10
Level Design:9.5/10
Weapon/Technique Selection:9/10
Music:9/10
Boss Fights:7/10
Difficulty Design:10/10
Replayability:9/10
Overall:10/10
Mega Man Zero
2002
Mega Man Zero is certainly a good start for the series, but there are some blatant flaws here that can’t be ignored. I’ll start with the Cyber-elves. You’ll find them throughout the missions and most of them give you a temporary boost of some sort (stunning enemies, healing Zero, etc.), but some others will provide permanent upgrades for Zero. However, you’ll need to feed them each some Energy Crystals before being able to use the permanent Cyber-elves. This sounds fine, but the problem is that the necessary amounts of Crystals are staggeringly high. You will really have to grind for these things, and that’s not fun. I suppose they didn’t want to make it too easy to fully upgrade Zero, but they definitely didn’t have to go that far with the Energy Crystal costs. Next up, we’ve got a big one: the lives system, and I have one question about it: who the fuck thought it was a good idea? For those who don’t know, this game really broke the mold by not giving you some extra lives back after losing all of them, therefore you can only get more of them as they’re scarcely scattered throughout the levels or very rarely dropped by defeated enemies. This issue is coupled with the fact that you are locked out of a mission if you fail it without any lives left. Yeah, I guess you could say it makes sense in terms of story, but you could apply that logic to so many other games, just about all of which don't have these kinds of features! Thankfully, this bullshit can be avoided in the Legacy Collection with the Save Assist feature, which gives you checkpoints throughout the stages. You’re automatically sent back to the most recent one upon death without any lives lost. While such a feature might not be necessary for the other games in the collection, it’s absolutely essential for at least your first playthrough of this one. Once you have Save Assist enabled, you’re in for a fun action platformer. It has the same fun, fast-paced movement of the X series, pretty good music, and generally solid level design. The bosses are kinda hit or miss (The second phase of the final boss is an absolute miss), but I felt like the good outweighed the bad. Also, while the story is rather simple in this game, it provides a nice foundation for what’s to come and has some really cool moments (rot13 spoiler: V ernyyl yvxr Mreb erzrzorevat ubj zhpu orggre gur erny K jnf hcba qrsrngvat Pbcl K) Overall, despite its blatant issues, Mega Man Zero 1 is absolutely worth playing if you enjoy challenging action platformers.
Jet Set Radio Future
2002
The style, the music, the gameplay.
This game took everything good about the original and improved upon it in ways kid me and adult me appreciate very very much. Also got a sneaky F-bomb in the soundtrack which always got a laugh out of me as a kid. The only negative about this game is that it's stuck on the OG Xbox with no backwards compatibility support or ports.
This game took everything good about the original and improved upon it in ways kid me and adult me appreciate very very much. Also got a sneaky F-bomb in the soundtrack which always got a laugh out of me as a kid. The only negative about this game is that it's stuck on the OG Xbox with no backwards compatibility support or ports.
i have a similar experience with majora's mask that i do with earthbound, that it's absolutely amazing and incredibly worth playing, but (at least the original version) feels frustrating to actually play.
i had the misfortune of playing on the emulated gamecube port, which at the time i didn't know had a variety of issues such as input delay and random crashing. i thought, since i was using dolphin on an underpowered device, that it wasn't the game's fault, but nah the gamecube port just sucks.
on the 3DS it's a different story, and i loved it dearly to a point where i have about 30 hours on just one playthrough. that was how i first beat the game back in 2015, doing every sidequest and obtaining every mask to royally kick majora's Ass using the fierce deity was so satisfying that it almost makes me forget this game is imperfect.
the fanbase of this game is divided between whether the N64 original or 3DS remaster is superior, and while i'm partial to the 3DS i can't really say whether i prefer it as i've never played the original properly on a system that runs it awfully.
i would highly recommend this game, and it continues to be my favourite for its world, story, characters and art, but if the N64 version is actually as bad as i thought when playing the busted gamecube port then that knocks it down by a little.
overall an unfair judgment on my part but the 3DS version was phenomenal please go play that if you can
i had the misfortune of playing on the emulated gamecube port, which at the time i didn't know had a variety of issues such as input delay and random crashing. i thought, since i was using dolphin on an underpowered device, that it wasn't the game's fault, but nah the gamecube port just sucks.
on the 3DS it's a different story, and i loved it dearly to a point where i have about 30 hours on just one playthrough. that was how i first beat the game back in 2015, doing every sidequest and obtaining every mask to royally kick majora's Ass using the fierce deity was so satisfying that it almost makes me forget this game is imperfect.
the fanbase of this game is divided between whether the N64 original or 3DS remaster is superior, and while i'm partial to the 3DS i can't really say whether i prefer it as i've never played the original properly on a system that runs it awfully.
i would highly recommend this game, and it continues to be my favourite for its world, story, characters and art, but if the N64 version is actually as bad as i thought when playing the busted gamecube port then that knocks it down by a little.
overall an unfair judgment on my part but the 3DS version was phenomenal please go play that if you can
Resident Evil 2
1998
The first Resident Evil game that I beat. Where to start with this game? it’s pretty much perfect, I love the old tank controls, always make the game more claustrophobic. The pre-rendered backgrounds make Raccoon City come alive, with the neon signs and the burning buildings filled with shuffling zombies filling the streets.
Mr. X and Ada Wong are welcome additions. Leon and Clair are fun to play as, I like how both play throughs are different enough and the ending is absolutely awesome.
If you’ve played the remake and want to see the precursor, then I assure you that after the initial shock of visuals and tank controls, you’ll fall in love with this classic, as I did.
Mr. X and Ada Wong are welcome additions. Leon and Clair are fun to play as, I like how both play throughs are different enough and the ending is absolutely awesome.
If you’ve played the remake and want to see the precursor, then I assure you that after the initial shock of visuals and tank controls, you’ll fall in love with this classic, as I did.
Mega Man Legends
1997
A pretty simple yet oozing with charm game that never overstays its welcome.
It both visually and (mostly) gameplay wise holds up incredibly well, especially for a game released in 1997. I think in terms of just presentation alone it easily knocks most of its original Playstation peers out of the park. From the very bright, warm, colorful aesthetic that reminds me a lot of the Miyazaki films, and to the often clever ways the developers mix and match 3D models with 2D sprites for the graphics. Compared to the more simplified cartoonish aesthetic of Classic Mega Man, to the modernized futuristic edge of the X series, and so on, this stands out for having probably my favorite “look and feel” of any Mega Man series.
It's weird to label this as an “RPG” because whatever elements it has are pretty light and almost superficial to what’s just a 3D running gun shooter with tricky tank controls. The amount of grinding you have to do to get the best weapons and armor is just insane in a game like this. Maybe if the enemies had a higher drop rate or if the dungeons were a bit more experimentally designed (which is weird considering Mega Man is universally known to have really specialized level design) then this could’ve felt a more rewarding effort worth taking. In my playthrough I didn’t really need to try this until the last boss of the game which I loved for how Kingdom Hearts-ish it was designed.
Also apparently this game had sidequests?? I never really bothered with that many of the NPCs to really do much of these, besides the game show and funding to rebuild the city after it got wasted in some battles. On top of that there’s apparently this hidden morality system which exists to only turn your suit darker????
Overall, a pretty great game. Tron Bonne Stans rise up.
It both visually and (mostly) gameplay wise holds up incredibly well, especially for a game released in 1997. I think in terms of just presentation alone it easily knocks most of its original Playstation peers out of the park. From the very bright, warm, colorful aesthetic that reminds me a lot of the Miyazaki films, and to the often clever ways the developers mix and match 3D models with 2D sprites for the graphics. Compared to the more simplified cartoonish aesthetic of Classic Mega Man, to the modernized futuristic edge of the X series, and so on, this stands out for having probably my favorite “look and feel” of any Mega Man series.
It's weird to label this as an “RPG” because whatever elements it has are pretty light and almost superficial to what’s just a 3D running gun shooter with tricky tank controls. The amount of grinding you have to do to get the best weapons and armor is just insane in a game like this. Maybe if the enemies had a higher drop rate or if the dungeons were a bit more experimentally designed (which is weird considering Mega Man is universally known to have really specialized level design) then this could’ve felt a more rewarding effort worth taking. In my playthrough I didn’t really need to try this until the last boss of the game which I loved for how Kingdom Hearts-ish it was designed.
Also apparently this game had sidequests?? I never really bothered with that many of the NPCs to really do much of these, besides the game show and funding to rebuild the city after it got wasted in some battles. On top of that there’s apparently this hidden morality system which exists to only turn your suit darker????
Overall, a pretty great game. Tron Bonne Stans rise up.
I don't know how my parents got this game because the N64 was a hand-me-down but the only thing I remember is a thief and my 4 year old ass being so terrified because they chased the MC around. I don't know if playing it again will live up to the memories because it is absolutely hilarious looking back at it