Game: Mega Man (NES)

"Only hardcore Mega Man fans should invest in the original"

The original. It's needless to say that every video game series has to start somewhere. For Mega Man, the beginning was in December of 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System. As easy as it is for one to slap down a date and call it a starting point, when did Mega Man become a household name, when did it really take off? Look no further than Mega Man 2 and 3.

So why am talking about the immediate sequels when it's the original that's on the table here? When dissecting a game, it's good to start with a dose of reality. Most people (Capcom included) would probably have a hard time saying that the original Mega Man was a complete success. In fact, the creation of the superior Mega Man 2 was supposedly a "rogue effort" by the developers involved, a project that was far from being on the front burner. So in going from one game that almost never had a sequel to a game that now has nine, where does the original Mega Man fit in beyond being a point of origin?

To get to the bottom of that question, one has to at least focus on the first three games. As odd as this may sound in this day and age, Mega Man's initial adventure was undoubtedly unique. I'm not talking about things like having six bosses instead of the standard eight or the lack of energy tanks, but the impersonal, industrial feel the stages. Other elements, like gun turret traps, the drab color palette, uneven difficulty and lack of support characters fueled the feeling that you were truly alone, that you were charged with terminating six humanoid robots with little to no explanation. All you knew was that they had to be destroyed.

This begs the question: what is the original Mega Man known for? It's collection of robot masters? It's insane crash damage when fighting the Yellow Devil? It's somewhat peculiar and forgettable level design? These are all good answers, but it's only one them - the game's cast of robot masters - that are truly memorable. Obviously, the game's music goes hand and hand with this, but beyond these simplistic yet loveable characters there's nothing here the sequels don't or can't do better.

CONCLUSION:

This is why the original Mega Man is for the true-blue Mega Man fan only; casual fans can get by without or have a more engrossing time with one of its sleeker and much more welcoming successors like Mega Man 2 or 6. If anything, a NES cart of Mega Man is more of a trophy than a tangible playing experience, which is not exactly the greatest reason to buy something in the first place.

Overall Score: 7/10

Game: Mega Man 2 (NES)

"The quintessential Mega Man game is perhaps the most overrated Mega Man game"

Like most fans, I love Mega Man 2. No ifs, ands or butts about it, Mega Man 2 single-handedly spearheaded my interest in the blue bomber and video games in general. That’s a tall order for any game to fill, yet as simple of a joy as the game is even today, there's something my ever-evolving self has to ask, has Mega Man 2 been hurt by the never-ending hype?

I ask this question because over the years I've seen other gamers continuously put other landmark titles I grew up with on unrealistically high pedestals. Final Fantasy VII may have been great adventure, but does a sealed black-boarder copy of the game really warrant four hundred dollars? Xenogears may have had a psychotically layered narrative that essentially turned it into a playable anime, but was the game really perfect? Metal Gear Solid put you in the ever convincing shoes of a professional killer but can its aging gameplay match the cinematic quality of its story? Castlevania: Symphony of the Night may have some of the best level design out there, but was it hurt by the cascade of similar games that followed? As endless as these kinds of questions are to the people that played them, it's the rampant, blind fandom that ignores the obvious that makes one wonder how damaging such views can be.

Damaging or not, even after replaying Mega Man 2 for the first time in the last few years, I can't even begin to tear this game down. Sure, it's rather lax in the difficulty department, but that's an area I've never been too concerned with when it comes to games in general. Even running through the game like I was on auto-pilot wasn't enough hurt it, which leads me to wonder how one could even begin to take down a game like Mega Man 2? A stake dipped in holy water? My guess is a good as any, but I wouldn’t count on it. It probably just rise from the dead like Dracula.

CONCLUSION:

Regardless of my ranting, Mega Man 2 is the hallmark everyone remembers it being. Despite my attempt to approach the game from safe vantage point to avoid the disappointment that sometimes comes with reminiscence, my worries evaporated quicker than a snow cone on a hot summer day. Relieved as I am that the game is more-or-less timeless, I'm still uncomfortable tooting the game's horn, something I'm not afraid to do for the also stellar Mega Man X4.

Overall Score: 10/10

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

Yeah, I know the score defeats the point I was trying to make. That said, when I was honest I really couldn't give it anything else....

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.

In hindsight that probably would have been the wiser thing to do, but I wasn't exactly sure how to go about doing that.

Edit:

But I was thinking, as self-defeating as it may sound, that may not be a good idea. I mean I want people to check out my thoughts, but I also want them to focus on the discussions that are spawned from them. Having everything accessible from the first post would detract from that, wouldn't it? I'd rather the thread be read as a single entity than someone looking for a single game they're interested and high-tailing it there. I'm sure some people wouldn't do the digging but then I think some would.

Additionally, regular vistors wouldn't have to dig anyway as the new post function would keep them on the top of the topic.

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 3 (NES)

"Could have been great; instead it's merely decent"

When it comes to the NES Mega Man titles, there seems to be no greater rivalry than Mega Man 2 vs. Mega Man 3. Even if a fan prefers one of the later installments, it's unlikely that these two games, instrumental in forging Mega Man's identity, end up on equal ground. So which camp am I in? Despite my best effort not to add to the seemingly endless love for Mega Man 2, I have to go with it, not Mega Man 3. But why? While I can't exactly say Mega Man 3 is "busted," there are some design choices at work here that really throw a wench in the experience for me, things that were fine last time out and should have been left alone.

A lot of Mega Man 3's problems center around boss fights. First of all, the amount of crash damage one receives from making contact with a robot master is flat out wrong. I can understand this kind of damage being higher from a fortress boss, but I shouldn't lose one-fourth of my health for what is essentially a silly hit. The problems continue as the built in invincibility period after a successful hit on a boss has essentially been eliminated. This means you can score hit upon hit in quick succession without waiting between blows. While one could see pumping ammunition down an enemy's throat as a good thing, there are times were it absolutely destroys any semblance of challenge this title has to offer.

The game's other main flaw revolves around the addition of everyone's favorite canine sidekick Rush. Mega Man 2's Item 1, 2 and 3 have been replaced by the Rush Coil, Jet and Submarine. Giving such items more of an identity is appreciated as is their necessity in navigating the levels. What's not welcome is setting up the stages and power-ups in such a manner where the player can get stuck with no recourse (other than to exhaust their lives and continue) because power ups don't respawn after death. This becomes a real issue in the somewhat pointless Doc Robot levels as do continue points.

CONCLUSION:

As much as I love Mega Man, I can't give Mega Man 3 the same kind of love I give Mega Man 2. Again, there is no reason to put that game on a pedestal but it's free of the problems found here, as are solid outings like Mega Man 4, 5 and 6. That said, I have to agree with Keiji Inafune that there are many things here that could have benefited from being redone and the change in leadership from the teams that crafted the first two games definitely shows at the end of the day.

Overall Score: 7/10

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

The parts I bolded actually talk about the game. Your reviews need much work explaining the game mechanics. I haven't played the game and it is like you are assuming that I know exactly how everything controls. Does MegaMan handle well? Is his array of moves fun to use? Are the enemy placement and platforms challenging and well-thought out? What do you think of the uneven difficulty? The difficulty spike needs to be explained in what exactly the developer does that spikes the difficulty.

You need to expand dramatically on the last part I bolded. It is not enough to tell the reader that the robot masters are memorable, but WHY they are memorable. You're not doing the game's only strength justice with what you've written on it.

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.

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.

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).

It's funny you mention Mega Man 9 and (inadvertently) 10. I was going to ask you if I should DL and play these since I've played most of the numbered ones recently. It may make me sound like somewhat of a coward but the overall level of difficulty people often talk about has me worried.... I like games to be challenging but it's an element that's not at the top of the list as far as what I look for in a game. Regardless, I probably should since my brother-in-law is kind of pissed I've had a PS3 for a few months and haven't taken it online yet. Better become his friend before the end of the year.

Additionally, I guess I'll come out and say what's going to be posted is going the whole way up to Mega Man 8 but Mega Man 7 won't be included. I've played it before (and I guess I could play it on the Anniversary Collection) but I generally like to play games on their originating console. It's probably going to be a bit before I can get a MM7 cart since they go for a decent amount.

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 6 (NES)

"Can play like a dream or a nightmare... it all depends on the player"

Much like Mega Man 2, I have fond memories of Mega Man 6. While it's hard to deny the series was running out of gas by this point - just take a look at some of the robot masters - there were several things that managed to grab my attention. The most important additions in Mega Man 6 revolve around the Rush adapters that grant the player the ability to turn into Jet and Power Mega Man. These forms allowed the player to reach previously inaccessible areas and helped bring back a little of the exploration that was slightly siphoned out of the games over the years.

Welcome as adapters are, they can also show one how sloppy the game can be. The first eight stages of the game play like a dream and I have no complaints. It's only after the player enters the final two fortresses do we see where how ugly things can get when game's challenges are not tackled the right way. Things are entertaining and a breeze with the right weapons/form in hand, but this slick veneer is quickly peeled away when the player is caught between a rock and a hard place. Even with advance knowledge of what's ahead it's amazing how easy it is for trouble to rear its ugly head.

Still, like the family pet the fails to do its business outside, it's hard to stay mad at Mega Man 6. This especially holds true when one considers the fact the game almost didn't make it out of Japan. With the arrival of Mega Man X on the SNES, Capcom decided to forgo publishing the game abroad; it was only after Nintendo decided to pick it up for the fading NES that we actually got the game. While it's easy to see how Mega Man 6 would pale to the first title in the X series, I think most can agree it would be annoying to have a title missing from a string of sequels.

CONCLUSION:

Its interesting history and aggravating points aside, Mega Man 6 is an excellent conclusion to the NES library of Mega Man titles. While my memories don't exactly gel with currently realities - the game not being quite the juggernaut I remember - such is the fate of many of the games we grow up with. That said the game is easily a worth while investment for fans and newcomers alike.

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 X (SNES)

"An excellent start to a series that would eventually drown in its own excrement"

Relationships are a peculiar thing. Much like people, relationships grow, die and cause an unbelievable amount of strife from time to time. It's this triangle of emotions that describes my relationship with Capcom's long running Mega Man X series. Love, hate, I could go on and on for hours why one game is great and another is terrible, why Capcom owes its fan base the sincerest of apologies, and how disillusioned the whole mess has left me. But then I'm sure I don't stand alone. Still, given why I'm here and what entry we're talking about, why bring up the long, huge, gargantuan list of transgressions that would rear their ugly heads in the future.

All the drama aside, the original Mega Man X was all about new possibilities. A new console, a new Mega Man in a different time. A more serious time. Gone is the artwork that made the original series look cute and cuddly, in comes a sobering wave of stone and steel. Items like Heart Tanks and Capsules emulate the basic concept of leveling up like an RPG. The music takes on its iconic, hard-rock approach early on. A powerful adversary, one without a shred of morality or decency, arises unsuspectingly from the forces of good. It's these things and more that define and drive Mega Man X forward.

First of all, let's talk about the additions to the game play. Much like the original Mega Man, X has his own version of the Mega Buster called the X-Buster, which can (initially) charge to two distinct levels. Beyond basic weaponry (and the story-based difference between Mega Man and Mega Man X) X has a few extra tricks up his sleeve. With the wall climb, no longer does not quite making a jump spell doom for Mega Man. When clinging to a wall, X can kick the wall and boost himself up; doing this in quick succession will allow him to scale the wall. Later on, additional power-ups will allow X to perform a forward dash, more or less replacing the slide introduced in Mega Man 3. Combining jumping and dashing (even when clinging to walls) will allow the player to jump even greater distances. Other power-ups hidden and provided by X's creator add things like an extra charge level to the X-Buster, the charging of acquired enemy weapons, the head butting of specific blocks and even the ability to cut the damage inflicted by enemies in half.

Other changes also encourage player exploration. Unlike past Mega Man titles, the gauge representing the life sustaining energy in X's micro-fusion fuel tank doesn't start out equal to that of your enemies. By finding a Heart Tank, X can permanently add two additional units to his health bar. It's true that this approach somewhat limits what challenges you can tackle at a given moment by eroding the possible orders one can complete the stages in, but in hindsight it makes fighting through the stages and bosses less about attrition and more about strategy and planning. This is what eventually robs the game of most of its challenge. Like most, I can remember when things like the last boss gave me trouble, but now, and even after long periods away from the game, it's nothing to come back to it, beat it on one life and not have to use a single Sub-Tank. Because of this, it’s hard to have even the slightest since of fear when encountering some of the Mavericks. I mean who really quakes in their boots when they fight Chill Penguin? Spark Mandrill may look pretty intimidating but once you have the Shotgun Ice he's barely going to move a muscle unless he's lucky enough not to get frozen. Ironically, he's even easier in Maverick Hunter X where the other bosses are actually a bit more challenging.

Difficulty issues aside, Mega Man X makes up for it in just about every other category. Game play that doesn't abandon or throw away what worked before, additions that subtlety add to the experience and aren't blind attempts to find something that sticks, solid graphics, tight game play, great level design, the level affecting level effect, a story that doesn't slop on the drama to inane ends - you name it's done right.

CONCLUSION:

While it's true Mega Man X doesn't take any significant risks with its game play and presentation, there is little doubt that the light touch Capcom took in "upgrading" Mega Man for the next generation of consoles was the right way to go, and it ultimately results in what is perhaps the best introductory title the franchise has seen. Unfortunately, while one can expect the standard here to be maintained for the next few games, it does nothing to make X and Zero's eventual, backwards slide into video game hell any easier. Regrets aside, the original Mega Man X is suggested playing for anyone interested in the SNES and platforming, while the two immediate sequels are only recommended for die-hard fans.

Overall Score: 9/10

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 X3

"A solid sequel that is interesting for all the wrong reasons"

Third time's the charm. Like most sayings, it's a classic that we use every now and then. The only things that are for certain are death, taxes, and sequels. There's always a sequel, even if it's unjustified. All jesting aside, it may surprise some to know that Mega Man X3 was the sequel that almost never was....

Gazing upon a clipping saved from an old issue of Nintendo power (Volume 78), Greg Ballard, President of Capcom USA, proudly announces the canceled cancellation of Mega Man X3, claiming "Mega Man X3 represents Capcom's commitment to the Super NES... and Mega Man's millions of fans." Despite how tongue-in-cheek that statement sounds now with eight plus games in the series, I can remember how blasphemous the thought of a canceling a Mega Man game sounded to me back then. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted X3, the closest I ever got to it during my childhood was the time I rented it and I proceeded to tromp through it in a single night. Actually, I take that back, it was more like a handful of hours.

That said, one might say that's a good thing. Why fork over sixty to seventy dollars for a game that offers such a short experience? Point taken, but when you're that young you never think about the longevity of your purchases. Even after that brief experience with the game, Mega Man X3 would remain "the forbidden fruit" for years to come. X3 was "the one that got away." Ironically, that long awaited meeting would come to fruition - thirteen years later. Unfortunately, as most know, a lot can change in thirteen years, and when it comes to this particular series, it has. The rest of the narrative pretty much writes itself - even the most devoted fan can become disillusioned with a whole body of work even if only some of it is bad. Of course, there are times where one can find their own truths within such a quagmire. I think I've discovered and accepted my truths with most of the chapters of this convoluted saga and Mega Man X3 is no exception. So what is that truth? Mega Man X3 may be somewhat more interesting than some of the other games in the series, but it's interesting for all the wrong reasons.

Unlike Mega Man X and X2, the majority of Mega Man X3 was handled by what Keiji Inafune calls "outsiders." As would be expected, all of the game's artwork and character design may have been handled internally, but many other elements where not. Mega Man X3's music, for example, was handled by an outside group called the Minakuchi Engineering Staff. That's not exactly the most revealing piece of information. However, years later, the actual employee (of the Minakuchi Engineering Staff) responsible for the music would be revealed: Kinuyo Yamashita. As it turns out, Yamashita helped compose music of the original Castlevania during her time with Konami, and such a rock-laden approach can be heard here.

So what does Kinuyo's score have to do with the core experience at the heart of X3? Lots. While I'll admit she hits (Gravity Beetle, Toxic Seahorse) as much as she misses (opening intro, capsule theme), the rough texture of her pieces parallels that abstract "edginess" and wreck loose feel that first took hold in Mega Man X2 but was absent from the "clean" original. Once again, there is a real sense of danger to the proceedings that isn't related to the game's difficulty level but is provided by unavoidable, single-entry characters like Bit and Byte (the Nightmare Police), not series mainstays like Sigma and Vile. Also returning from X2 is the concept of cause and effect. Accomplishing certain feats earlier on (mostly defeating or destroying certain adversaries) changes how some things unfold in the second half of the game. It's nothing truly dramatic, a different boss fight or two, or a slightly different ending, but it adds a bit of replay value where it is sorely needed. The rest of the game plays out as one would expect, not broken but not inspiring.

CONCLUSION:

Far from the missing crowning jewel I billed it as in my adolescence this one is purely for the fans. More of the same usually isn't a bad thing when it comes to Mega Man, but then it's nothing to get excited about either. That said I have to cast my vote for the SNES original when compared to the CD-based version released in the Mega Man X Collection. The full-motion videos are nice, but the remixed music simply doesn't gel with graphics from a previous generation. I'm glad that Mega Man X3 managed to find it's way off the drawing board, but in all honesty, it's only because it's the stepping stone that made the series fourth (and perhaps best) installment possible.

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

Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge (GB)

"Nice game, but like the NES original it isn't without its flaws"

Love it or hate it, Mega Man games grow like leaves on trees. Given the vast amount of success Mega Man enjoyed during the early years of the NES, it was only natural that some version of the game would end up on Nintendo's portable, gray brick. Mega Man: Dr.Wily's Revenge (known as Rockman World in Japan) would mark the beginning of yet another series of titles for the blue bomber, one of the first Capcom would outsource rather than develop internally.

Given that this title is often referred to as "Mega Man" given the lack of subtitle on the title screen, the first thing most people do is compare this to the 1987 original. This makes sense given the game borrows from that game, presenting four of its six robot masters. While Cut Man, Elec Man, Ice Man and Fire Man reappear in all their glory, everything else is new, or rather a mix of things from Mega Man and Mega Man 2. For example, while Elec Man's level will remind one of the area they played through on the NES, it's crossed with elements that were used Air Man's level. It's an interesting hybrid to be sure, but the allure can be cut short facing your first robot master without the aid of the correct weapon.

Annoying as that is, things get back on track pretty quickly. The damage incurred from robot master weapons and enemies is much more balanced in this rendition, so you won't get blown away as quickly. Unfortunately, trouble rears its ugly head during the game's concluding levels. While the first Wily level can be tough with its five concluding battles nothing compares to the last. I love a challenge as much as the next guy but the final level is too big for it britches and throws everything it can at the player. As one can imagine, this puts quite the damper on the proceedings yet there are other areas of the game that help make up for it like the excellent soundtrack. Seriously, I can't be the only one who blares Cut Man and Fire Man's theme from the back of my car, can I?

CONCLUSION:

Regardless of my weakness for delectable 8-bit chiptunes, Mega Man: Dr.Wily's Revenge stands as a solid, portable take of the Mega Man we all know and love. I wish the concluding levels of the game were a little more forgiving than they currently are but I can think of games that are guilty of far more. Still, take the above a grain of salt, because the game is definitely capable of making one grind their teeth no matter how one sugarcoats it.

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

Game: Legend of Legaia (PS1)

"The real enemy is in the mist, but it’s not the Seru"

Genesis Trees. Seru. Ra-Seru. Malevolent Mist. Crystal Grass. Weed Hammers. There are so many things that remind me of 1999's Legend of Legaia it isn't funny. Like most RPG's, Legaia is big on imagination but short on individuality. Well, that last part isn't completely true, the game offering its own unique twist on combat. Still, was this element of the game enough to make it successful in its day, and is it enough to power it twelve years later?

In the world of Legaia, combat is a little more involved than it is in most role-playing games. Characters attack enemies with left and right punches (weapons and Ra-Seru) and high and low kicks. These strikes, when performed in a specific order, unlock “arts,” unique attacks that surpass standard blows in strength and ability. Depending on how they're performed, arts can be overlapped to form combos. In short order these basics are joined by advanced techniques like Hyper Arts (elementally-infused beat-downs), Super Arts (combos ending with otherwise inaccessible moves) and Miracle Arts (ultimate attacks that require a maxed-out command bar and ninety-nine arts points).

So how is all of this action reigned in? First of all, arts consume arts points. Also limiting what can be attempted per turn is the length of a character's command bar. By employing the “Spirit” command, the player can temporarily extend this bar, restoring their AP and raising their defense. Not only is protecting your character in this manner important, the command effectively shaving two-thirds worth of damage off any attack, it's also how your characters fuel their offensive.

Unfortunately, as clever as Tactical Arts System is, things start to slowly unravel when one looks beyond the hand-to-hand combat. As important as it is for your characters to absorb Seru throughout the course of the adventure, the player will quickly discover there is little reason to cast offensive Seru unless they're in a boss battle and can use the Kemaro spell. Faced with such a situation (despite the fact some summons can hit multiple targets) the main reason behind most casting will be healing. Unattractive as offensive magic ends up being, its small potatoes compared to the real problem holding Legaia's combat hostage: money.

So how can money cause a game's battle system to collapse? It's quite easy. We've already touched on the slow pace of combat – multiple menus, watching arts and summons unfold, the need to switch between offense and defense – that's easy to overlook when traveling from A to B. Unfortunately, this forgiveness runs thin when one's faced with the wide gap between the gold obtained from fighting and price of new equipment. So if you love to fill your coffers each time you get to a new town, you're not going to be very happy. What is going to make you even more unhappy is the amount of time you'll have to devote to get the cash.

Now, I'm not against working for money and experience in an RPG, but you'd think by this point in the evolution of gaming this kind of stuff would be done away with. I can see and accept things like this in an older, SNES RPG like Breath of Fire II, but in this day and age (and even back in 1999) it's unnecessary. And this is how combat, Legend of Legaia's “ace-in-the-hole” becomes its biggest liability because of it's over exposure. At this point you may be wondering if it can get any worse. It does. Random battles become tortuous during the final leg of the journey where normal enemies gain the ability to smite your entire party; it's especially painful in the final dungeon where the Seru come in threes.

Beyond the plight befalling Legaia's combat, there's little debate that the remainder of the experience is inspired, adequate, and insipid. Michiru Oshima's music is a great example. The light and heavy earthen tones employed throughout are appropriate on the whole, but it's never anything more than a simple backdrop that can't live beyond its context. Pointed commentary aside, even I have to eat those words upon entering a Mist Generator; the drive and oppression that flows from “The Misty Nest” personifies the evil nature of these infernal machines to a tee. Truth be told, there is nothing special about this composition, but it capitalizes on the kind of synergy that's missing from the majority of the score.

Legaia's storyline shares a somewhat similar fate. Like most J-RPG's, the cliche's are out in force, so don't expect anything to jump out and truly surprise you. However, one of the best segments of the game is ironically wrapped around the played-out concept of time travel. It's interesting to meet the game's villains before their decent into madness even if they're given the bare minimum of development. As one dimensional as the villains are, it's not like Vahn, Noa and Gala exactly jump off the screen. There is no doubt they are likable, but they don't break any new ground as far as character archetypes go. You have the good old country boy with the mandatory blue hair in Vahn, the disciplined warrior-monk on a quest for revenge with Gala and the lonely, socially-awkward wilderness girl Noa. As if it needs to be said, the type casting continues in battle with Vahn being the all-around character, Noa relying on her agility to make up for her fragile frame and the big bruiser Gala starting off extremely limited but coming into his own late–to-mid game.

Last but not least are graphics. While most people will probably agree that Legaia looks a lot better in battle than out of it, both realms lead to the argument that Legend of Legaia is somewhat dull and uninspired. While this happens to be true given the game's setting and scenario, there are several things that fight against it. Despite the fact the normal, non-Seru enemies could have used a lot more imagination, the Seru themselves are an intriguing bunch that come off as a demented take on Nintendo's Pokemon. Watching your characters bruise enemies with arts along with the visual evolution of your character's Ra-Seru, weapons and armor are sights to behold.

CONCLUSION:

After playing through Legend of Legaia for the first time in over a decade, I've learned that one's memory can be awfully selective. I had placed Legaia on equal footing with the genre's heavyweights only to discover that its shortcomings place it significantly lower. That said, I'm glad I played it and rediscovered the truth. As annoying as some of the situations in game can be, I'm going to go easy on it. While some will see this as a disservice, I can't condemn the game when its ambitions are in the right place. Guilty or not, if you're a fan of RPG's and have a soft spot for the original PlayStation there is no excuse to skip over what Legend of Legaia has to offer - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Overall Score: 7/10

I remember Legaia had a really nice sense of discovery to it. The world was blocked off by mist, so it felt like an accomplishment making it to each new area. Plus the game was quite difficult and not a cakewalk. Was well worth the playthrough.

I remember I was actually somewhat into Metal Gear Solid at the time...My karate guy was "Ocelot" and the girl was "Mel". I don't even remember what their actual names are. lol

As far as the first point goes I totally agree. When it comes to overall difficulty I will say there are a few boss fights that are definitely a pain in the rear, mostly those were bosses that use strong moves that are completely untellegraphed. Still, as annoying as I found the last stretch of the game there was a certain arrangement of accessories I used on Gala that pretty much gave me unlimited MP ~ well enough to cast Spoon over and over.

Game: Lunar Silver Star Harmony

"Harmony is what Alter code:F should have been for Wild Arms"

When it comes to RPG's, all I know is I've had my fill. In the late 90's with the PlayStation in full swing, it almost seemed like every other game coming out was an RPG, much like how every other game today is a first person shooter. As mindless as the later appears to be anymore, genres have their time and place, and time has taught me what I once considered a goldmine was no different. Memories fade, reality crashes the party yet fanboys continue to place games on pedestals.

It's those pedestals that I want to talk about. No, I'm not going to go on an anti-FF7, Xenogears rant here, but rather a Lunar rant. Lunar might have been hot in 1992 on the Sega CD - a system that practically no one had/has - but by the time it reached the PS1 in Silver Star Story Complete in 1999, I had no idea what the fuss was about. Sure, the game was loaded for bear with superficial extras - a cloth map, hardback manual, soundtrack CD and new full motion videos - but game was stuck in the past. Really, what was so magical about this game? What did others see that I couldn't? Ten plus years later, picking up a copy of Lunar: Silver Star Harmony at a local game store, I asked myself that question again.

But before we get into what Harmony brings to the table, let's talk a bit about classics. The back of the case tells me this is one of the "best adventures of all time." Well, that statement is full of itself much like a Rhapsody of Fire press release. Now, I would be much more apt to believe this if it said this was "one of the best adventures of it's time" which, if we just cut through all the crap, means that it's probably more of a "personal classic" to those who played it in 1992 than anything else, much like how Wild Arms became one of my "personal classics" back in 1997. Still, do I go around billing Wild Arms as one of the "greatest adventures of all time"? No, and, quite simply I don't because it isn't true. I loved Wild Arms, and I still do, but I also like to keep things in perspective, which is something advertising can rarely do.

So beyond the above, how does Wild Arms factor in to what Harmony has to offer? Well, in a nutshell, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is what Alter code:F could have, should have been to the original Wild Arms. In Alter code:F, Media Vision disregarded a lot of what the original version of it's product offered when it "upgraded" (yeah, "upgraded," that's charitable; more like "retrofit") the game play to what was introduced in the tiresome Wild Arms 3. Harmony, on the other hand, retains what works and ditches what didn't. Those wretched dungeon designs? Gone. That archaic inventory system? Goodbye. The extremely low sampled soundtrack? Fixed. The only real problem I ran into was the game allowing me to invest an infinite amount of time in a battle that could not be won. Seriously, just make the boss smite me into the ground like in Silver Star Story Complete so we can get on with it.

Still, as impressive as this version is in comparison to the previous two (outside the voice acting), at the end of the day, this is still Lunar, and all the problems that accompany Lunar's narrative still exist. Actually, thanks to the new prologue, many of Lunar's worst kept secrets are now out in the open even more than before, and that's saying something. The game's dialogue is still extremely well written (outside the whole "we're on an adventure - yay!" thing) but is limited by personalities that don't exactly pop off the screen - at least at first. While the game seems a bit brisker this time around, a bit too much time is wasted in battle announcing attacks (the quicker the battles are in a game such as this the better) and there's some balance issues surrounding the new arts attacks (Luna's is godly) but the game is much better off with them than without.

CONCLUSION:

Despite the fact the PSP is already port/remake city, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is one of the better efforts out there despite how limited its game play can be. While I can't say I've discovered what makes it so special in the eyes of some, I can say I'm closer to the answer than I was before. Still, despite the fact it's incredibly easy to tear down anything Lunar tries to boast about, this probably is the definitive version of this "personal classic," and if you haven't played it there is no better time than now.

Overall Score: 8/10

Game: Wild Arms Alter code:F (PS2)

A “Well Crafted” Lullaby

When it comes to this player and video games, the past is an all you can eat buffet. The past is a fertile valley of known knowns while the future (while in high definition) is bleak and dark. Games sure do look pretty these days, but beyond that has anything really changed? Gameplay hasn’t evolved nearly as much as developers would like one to believe and original ideas are few and far between. Well, the last point is rather moot because originality in the world of video games has become somewhat of a parody of itself. Whenever a game popularizes a genre, in comes a flood of similar products vying for the same slice of the pie. Shooters fit that bill right now while console RPG’s where the big thing back in the late 1990’s. Really, looking at the original PlayStation’s library of games it’s not really hard to see where trends were heading.

Still, as much as I profess my love of video games for systems that have gone to the great cloud keeper in the sky, I can’t say I find playing games to be easy. Huh? To put it another way, while I have no problem stuffing my coffers with great games I’ve previously played and owned, I find it extremely hard to sit down and put time into a game. It really doesn’t mater if I enjoyed the hell out of it the last time around, it’s just hard. With such a revelation laid bare, one may question why I would even bothered to pick up Wild Arms Alter code:F. Well, it has to do with the PlayStation original, one of my all-time favorites which I recently re-completed. The original finished, I figured why not give the 05’ remake a spin considering it hasn’t been touched since it first came out? Unfortunately, six years is decent sized chunk time for memories and opinions to fade, and oh my did I need a refresher course on this one. So in the spirit of relaying the foundation, let’s tackle what Alter code:F has to offer, brick by brick by looking at the back over of this behemoth.

A treasured classic returns in an all-new RPG saga!

I think most would agree this statement belongs in oxymoron land. I don’t think one should get to call a remake an “all-new RPG saga.” It just doesn’t hold water. It’s like saying cougars would make good house pets. Tongue-in-cheek as this really is, this overstatement is important because it hints at what Alter code:F wants to be. As for calling the original Wild Arms a “classic,” well, I try and avoid terms that draw lines in the sand when talking about video games. Personally, I call games I’m smitten with “personal classics” but I guess I will indulge some advertising and say, yes, Wild Arms is a classic despite going toe to toe with a game like Final Fantasy VII. If not, why would I have been so excited about this product’s impending release?

Wild Arms Alter code: F features a variety of technical and artistic advancements along with an updated storyline.

Without plunging into a bulleted list of what “advancements” Alter code:F’s has to offer, I find it more pressing to talk about what Alter code attempts do with it’s various changes, or rather the message behind it. As most know this is no mere port of the PlayStation classic, but a “revisioning” that most bill as a “remake.” As simple as such a label appears, make no mistake that Alter code:F, as a game, wants to be seen as more than a remake. The game may appear to embrace that which is based but at the same time it wants to be its own separate entity. It’s this dual nature that makes Alter code:F unique, but as most would expect, such a scheme is hardly foolproof. Even from the most basic of viewpoints, it’s easy to tell the game tries to be more than it is when it tries to improve upon already successful material. There is perhaps no better example of this other than the music of Michiko Naruke.

Much like the works of other prominent video game composers like Final Fantasy’s Nobuo Uematsu, a sizable portion of the series success can be attributed to Naruke. I’m not going to sit here and place Naruke among the elite composers of the industry (she isn’t) but it’s almost a forgone conclusion for one to think of “To the End of the Wildnerness” when they hear a random whistle. Still, such nostalgia aside, the score for the original game worked so well because its ideas weren’t drenched in unnecessary complexity. So how does that concept translate years later given the various the advancements in sound technology? Not so well. Somewhere along the line, Naruke forgot that too much bombast can be a bad thing. Time after time, over zealous instruments take turns - and fail - at making previously successful tracks even more successful. Yet this problem is not limited to just the music but has been ingrained in almost every aspect of Alter code:F. Ironically, Naruke starts to find her groove with new pieces like “Determination, and then...” which more than make up for the classics she botches. Still, it’s somewhat sad that Naruke’s score is one of the better aspects of this remake despite its hitches.

Beautifully rendered CGI graphics based on the original material found in the video game and anime series.

Saving my thoughts on Alter code’s graphical prowess for later on, I want focus on design, artwork and sources of inspiration. Out of these three, it obvious that sources of inspiration (“original material”) is the most important given it’s going to affect the remaining categories. As expected, I have a bit of a bone to pick with using the anime series as “original material.” Like most anime adaptations, Twilight Venom takes a lot of liberties with the “real” original material (the original video game) so calling this “original material” is a gross misrepresentation. Now, given most people picking up Alter code:F in 2005 were fans of the original (why anyone else would play such a dated game is beyond me) to most it would make sense to keep the original’s art style intact, right? What seems like common sense to me and you is completely lost on those behind Alter code:F.

So why is the art direction so important with Wild Arms and Wild Arms Alter code:F? Because it has everything to do with the impression Japanese culture made on American audiences back in 1997 with games like Final Fantasy VII. Again, sounding like a broken record, Final Fantasy VII introduced a myriad of things to a new audience, one of those things being anime. Yet while many continue to credit Final Fantasy VII with making anime look “hip” in the west, the original Wild Arms and its opening video drove that message forward even more, to me at least. So when think of or see anime, Wild Arms is less than a hop, skip and a jump away. This is why the original art style is so important and why the new art style in Alter code:F is such a blunder. The list of things born out of this change that annoy me is never ending: I really hate the way Jack’s new gloves look (grrr!), I really hate the look of the Protowing/Gullwing and I really hate how Jack only draws his sword for Fast Draws. Really, you’re going to sit there and try and convince me that a swordsman is going to half-heartedly “punch” things instead of sawing them in half because it’s a “normal” hit? Sure… that’s a battle you’re bound to win Media Vision.

All and all, the taking of “liberties” is a battle that Alter code:F loses to various degrees, something I’ll point at more as we come across each category but as for the number of changes that result in actual “improvements” the number is rather low. I’ll give them the concept of Rudy attacking with his ARM on normal attacks instead of a sword, that’s a pretty well thought out change, but it also results in some of the game’s lowest lows. If anyone wants to seriously stand there and tell me that Rudy’s collection of cartridges is more impressive than the guns he wielded in the original I would take extreme pleasure in laughing at you until my sides hurt. Quite honestly, if this is the best they can do I rather this game was more of an updated carbon copy of the original. Actually, if that’s what Alter code:F was it be of a much higher quality, not the physical manifestation of uninspired seconds.

A redeveloped script with new plot twists and puzzle solving.

Surely they jest using the term “redeveloped script.” For the most part, what the player reads emulates what was said in the original only, you know, sloppier. The original had its flaws (like Berserk being translated as Belselk which is actually a much better name in my opinion) but like a lot of players out there, I can’t say I’m happy with Agetech getting the rights to localize and publish this thing, especially considering the year of delays we where hit with. Allowing this game to percolate on the burner for another year certainly didn’t help it in the long run. Ironically, the most intriguing changes to the script are things that ultimately mean nothing. Wait a minute, did they just use the pronoun “she” in a reference to Alhazad? I always thought Alhazad was a he, not a she. Other changes are the result of omissions (The Maze of Death and Tripillar were nuked out of existence and replaced with lame substitutions) and the Gate Generator occurs after the Demon’s Lab rather than the Fallen Sanctuary. Still, most of the liberties the game makes with its subject matter fail when placed side by side with the original which makes one wonder what makes it so stilted, the original writing or the translation.

The same can really be said of the game’s puzzle solving. While there are some who would hate to admit it, the quality of Wild Arms’ puzzle solving has been in free fall since Wild Arms 3. The newer the Wild Arms game is, the more painful the attempt at recapturing that past magic ends up being. The real kick in the pants is how watered down the solutions have become. I remember getting stuck on certain puzzles for days in the original the first time I played it. To some, that would seem more like an annoyance than a virtue, but when I look back at the since of pride I got once I discovered the solution and it was more than worth the temporary obstruction. Alter code:F can’t conjure such emotion because it’s simply not of the same caliber. Well, that’s not entirely true. The game manages to offer some intriguing puzzle solving with the Puzzle Box side quest that’s much improved over the original build seen in Advanced 3rd. Seriously, you could make a game consisting only of these puzzles, call it “Puzzle Box,” charge me fifty dollars for it and I’d line up around the corner to buy it like I did for this game - only I’d be much more content. It’s sad day when a side quest portion of a game is more attractive than the quest that’s meant to propel it forward.

Going hand-in-hand with such disappointment is dungeon design. Does anyone remember when dungeons were more than soulless, flyby item drive-throughs? I can, and that era seemed to end with the closing of the 32/64 bit era. Unlike many of the other problems found within Alter code:F, I can’t say this isn’t a problem is exclusive to Wild Arms or the RPG genre. It’s dumbfounding how insipid level design has become these days and people wonder why I latch onto memories of ten or even fifteen year old games. It’s not really too hard to comprehend is it? Earlier games had to made up for their lack of gloss with design; now that graphics have became the main event design has taken a backseat, the number of polygons a “engine” can push and how speedy the framerate is being everyone’s main concern.

More than 60 hours of game play on a Dual Layer DVD.

I don’t know about anybody else, but a game a promising me sixty hours of gameplay isn’t quite the proposition it use to be.  Sure, there was a time where I saw a lengthy completion time as a virtue, as something that added value to a game. Due to that warped sense of logic, I once believed that the RPG was superior to every other genre out there simply because they were longer. Fifty hours to complete a fifty dollar game automatically meant I got the biggest bang for my buck, right? Fast forward a decade and a half and I realize how dumb those thoughts really were. Sixty hours? I still have no life like I did back then but can barely play a game for more than an hour at time these days. I thought my attention span was suppose to get better (longer) with age but all age has bought with it is an inescapable sense of maturity. I still like to play video games but sitting in front of the TV for that long to play a game? I completed the original Wild Arms in a little less than thirty hours and got a great return on my investment. I would play Alter code: F for over sixty and feel half empty because half of that time was mere fluff, doing inane things for the sake of completeness because of the perfectionist I am – one of my most annoying flaws.

A mere fifteen hours in I remember looking at the back of game case at this particular buying point thinking “what did I get myself into?” Ironically, a good chunk of those hours were spent leveling Jack’s lame-ass Fast Draws. Outside the fact these attacks look insanely flaccid to those in the original (what I wouldn’t give to have seen a Magnum Fang or Guilty Blade; hell, even the simplistic Meteor Dive would have been a treat) the amount of time I spent making these attacks and Jack economical was psychotic. I can see the need to ditch Secret Signs since they were easy to abuse but to replace it with system that requires so much work when no other character requires such a commitment is completely shortsighted. Okay, so Rudy’s ARMS require a heaping handful of Gella to maintain, but in typical Wild Arms fashion there’s a simple method around that and makes the remainder of the game your bitch. Again, you don’t have to level up these attacks, but I doubt anyone wants to use up their MP reserves in two measly attacks. Couple this with Jack’s ridiculously low MP, lack of a real MP restoration item, the fact if you are over eager to level up (there’s a trick for this too) the formula behind Fast Draws will screw you and you can start to see how mindful you have to be about certain things compared to, oh I don’t know, actually enjoying the game.

New playable characters round out the familiar cast of adventurers, adding depth to the tactics and battle system.

Saying there is any depth and tactical elements to Alter code:F’s battle system is extremely charitable. Once certain abilities are learned (like Gattling Raid, Brave Seal, Great Booster) most battles - boss battles, because these will be the only fights you’ll be fighting the more you play (more on that later) will come down to repeating the same pattern. I guess that could be seen as a “strategy” per say and sure, the original game was rather simplistic in that respect but I’m willing to give a game released in 1997 a lot more leeway than one released in 2005. Alter code:F (and to a little lesser extent Wild Arms 3) like to act as if nothing has changed since 1997. What’s really changed since the first game besides the Inertia Cancel? MP has returned for obvious reasons but besides that nothing. While this evolutionary, dead-end cycle was going on, other games were presenting with intriguing new takes on RPG combat. I’m not going to tout them as flawless (even something as refreshing as Legend of Legaia has its flaws) but at least they were mixing things up.

Adding to the combat crisis are the characters themselves.  For the sake of all that’s good and holy, let’s get the big one out of the way: Rudy is a god. The supposedly redeveloped script puts more of an emphasis on the power of ARM (I would have said “ARMs” but I had to poke fun at the oddball way this is written in-game) so we had to make Rudy insanely powerful and destroy any semblance of balance. Remember the good old days where Rudy ARMs and Jack Fast Draws were on somewhat even ground? Okay, so Cecilia had to cast Hyper on Jack so his Fast Draws could equal out to a good strong ARM attack like Rudy’s Phaser but offensively both characters carried an equal amount of clout. Jack would occasionally need to fall back on Heal Blade (which I miss) to help out Cecelia giving Rudy the edge as the all-out attack character but you get what I’m saying. A dynamic such as this is totally lost in Alter code:F because the sole purpose of remaining characters eventually becomes turning Rudy a one-man death machine. Unlike Wild Arms 3 where HP totals took the Gattling Force ability into consideration because every character had it, the same can’t be said here when it comes to bosses encountered during the main story. Every once in while the game will try and throw a unique boss situation your way but players with even the slightest grasp of RPGs will be able to strong-arm their way through them with little effort.

Stunning FMV cut-scenes relays the story like never before!

If we’re talking about the drawn anime FMV one sees when they load a game I have to say the video that opened the 1997 original is vastly superior and more impressive. I’m not just referring to the slightly stilted character redesign (something that should have been left alone) but quality in general. Honestly, there are a few points within where the animation seems to be missing some frames. Obviously, as other aspects of the game imply, the game didn’t exactly have the biggest budget, something that would become even more apparent with Wild Arms 4. Now, if we’re talking about CGI cut-scenes things are much worse. These scenes are just slightly enhanced, in-game engine videos that leave a lot to be desired. Really, they look like something a fledgling 3D modeler would come up with in a computer graphics class, not something that should be gracing a fifty dollar video game. There are earlier PlayStation 2 games that look better than this despite their age. There are PlayStation 2 games with in-game engines that look better than this. I’m sorry, I’m not usually this much of a graphics whore but when you write loaded statements you should expect some witty retort in return.

Stunning Graphics Engine – Detailed characters, enemies and environment truly bring this game to life.

They sure do like to use the word “stunning” don’t they? Unfortunately, despite the emphasis there is nothing stunning about the graphical engine used in Wild Arms Alter code:F. Why? Well, there’s a multitude of reasons, many of which were already explained above.  The first is more than obvious: Wild Arms Alter code:F is the original Wild Arms slapped in a Wild Arms 3 shell. The game uses the exact same engine employed by the 2002 sequel and it shows from things like borrowed spell animations to the odd pixilation problem that still exists. (I noticed Media Vision!) Really, it’s hard to take any boast about the game’s graphical prowess seriously. The real problem is while it acceptable in and of itself, does everything have to be so uninspired? I appreciate the wider color palette (the lack of which simultaneously hurt and helped Wild Arms 3) but do towns have to be so small? Do all the attacks and enemies have to look so flat and boring? I’m really tired of using that old “it’s still well crafted excuse” to justify the fact I’m dealing with stuff like this. The original game may have pushed way fewer polygons in battle yet my character’s attacks looked way more attractive? That just isn’t right. Additionally, while everything is now three-dimensional, the 3D rarely makes a given scene more impressive than it was back in 1997. There are only a small handful of scenes that truly knock me on my ass with their looks and three of them happen in the Guardian Temple when the guardians peer into Jack, Rudy and Cecilia’s hearts. Still, I’d got chills watching these scenes in 2D. The game’s last great scene is a new addition dealing with Rudy, Surf Village and the guardian of Hope and is the main reason fans should check this game out. So, I guess the graphics can bring the game to life – once every blue moon.

Evolved Battle System – Control up to six party members to combat the forces of evil.

Again, “evolved” is pushing it. I guess I understand printing lies and half truths to push your product when it’s this outdated, but then given this is a remake I don’t think customers were expecting any kind of grand evolution. Anyway, beyond picking on some failed advertising at least the latter half of this is true. The roster is doubled this time around, two of the characters proving insanely useful (in turning Rudy into a behemoth) and the third proving insanely useless and rather surprising. Still, while I could just copy and paste everything I’ve previously said about combat here, there are some other issues we haven’t tackled yet. I don’t know about anyone else, but is the encounter rate high enough for you? Seriously, makes the original look that much better even though there wasn’t a cancel system. Speaking of the cancel encounter system, about half way through the game it’s going to be your best friend if you have enough Migrant Medals. Why? Thanks to the easy level-up method there’s no reason to fight a normal battle ever again! If I can get a level or two between each dungeon/boss by fighting Mega Apples what’s there to keep me from sailing though dungeons outside surprise attacks that come courtesy of low luck? Honesty and integrity? Sure, let’s go with that… all I know is fifty million cancels later I can put the game away.

Another sore spot is the fact that equipment is still a thing of the past. Man, where ever you turn the lame ideas presented in Wild Arms 3 infest this game! I don’t know about anyone else, but I really enjoyed stumbling upon new pieces of equipment for my characters in the original. What’s this? Ooooh, a new piece of armor! I wonder who it goes on! Let’s see! Yay, it’s for Rudy! This experience may seem kind of trivial in the vast scheme of a RPG, but it’s these commonplace things that Wild Arms 3 overlooked and took for granted in exchange for one of the messiest skill systems in existence. And speaking of things related to the skill system, I also miss assigning runes (materials) to my characters! It was always a thrill getting a new rune and seeing who got the biggest bang out of it. Those days are gone and over in Alter code:F now that Cecilia has complete reign over summons in exchange for her mystic ability. You can make enemy pay dearly if you cast the right material (hell, with a decent level and FP Advance you can end most battles before they even begin) but it comes at the cost of character customization. I guess the skill system kind of makes up for that but it’s far from exciting. Gee, who would have ever thought to but HP ups on Cecilia or put critical ups on Rudy and Jane? Seriously, you’ve done this all before in a game called Final Fantasy IX.

Last but not least, can we kill off the Crossfire Sequence yet? I love how Wild Arms 3 touted this like it was next big thing in RPG battles but it’s not. Having characters and enemies troll around the battlefield between every attack is just a big time-waster and when one considers how much time they’ve wasted with the majority of this game it’s a poorly concocted combo. I just love how the long distances between enemies and the player’s characters magically disappear during a critical hit. Very realistic. I think most would agree in an old-school RPG like this battles should be as straightforward and as quick as possible. Things are a bit more streamlined when fighting on the high seas, but those moments are the vast minority.

CONCLUSION:

I really wanted to like Wild Arms Alter code: F the second time around, but as optimistic as I was when I first but the disc in my PlayStation 2 my enthusiasm evaporated as the hours dragged by. The reason why is simple: the 1997 original had soul while this remake reminds one how game design has become a blind, corporate mechanism. Wild Arms deserves more than this and that’s why I had no choice but to take each oversold selling point on the back cover and knock them down a peg or two. I may have been able to turn a blind eye to the series various failings in the past, but I can no longer candy coat the truth to protect my fragile psyche. I have to be honest, pull the band-aid off and admit that playing the later games in the series is like hitting the snooze button over and over again in a vain attempt to sleep in. Sure, you may have gotten a few extra winks, but you’re more tired than you would have been if you had just gotten your lazy bones up in the first place.

Additionally, Alter code:F proves it is not just a copy of a previously successful game. No. Alter code:F feels like a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy. It’s a like a message that goes though a handful people and bits and pieces of it get misconstrued. The message may essentially say the same thing in the end, but in no way is it the same as hearing the message oneself.  In other words, Alter code:F’s could have been something, it could have been a spectacular companion piece to the PlayStation original. Instead, Alter code:F’s so fake it almost feels like an insult; it’s so fake one can’t help but wish it’s lackluster experience was a dream.  Unfortunately, we’re not asleep and one cannot fully understand how inferior it really is until they play it and the original.

Overall Score: 6/10

Game: Wild Arms (PS1)

A small J-RPG treasure

Role-playing games. Final Fantasy VII.  A genre and the game that was destined to define it. Final Fantasy and role-playing games may have been available in North America prior to it's release late 1997, but you could have easily fooled anyone the opposite was true when Final Fantasy VII went on sale. The rest of the narrative pretty much writes itself: Final Fantasy VII opened the floodgates, Final Fantasy VII proved to Americans that RPGs and anime could be pretty rad, Final Fantasy VII proved RPGs no longer had to sacrifice in superficial areas to compensate for their lengthy duration.

Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII. Yeah, I enjoyed it during its heyday. Hell, I enjoyed it way past its heyday when my friends and I had (pointless) competitions to see who could get their limit breaks at the earliest point in the game. It's an important title and still is. Would I have gotten into the genre without the marketing blitz and buzz that surrounded it? Probably not. Still, beyond Squaresoft being the obvious "breadwinner" when it came to RPGs during the 32-bit era, I can't say they produced my favorite offering of the era. That crown belonged to a small development studio called Media Vision who produced a title called Wild Arms, a game that beat Final Fantasy VII to the market by a mere four months. As small as that window of opportunity seems, Wild Arms would need every second of it to get any kind of a jump on Square’s impending behemoth and be of any relevance.

So what's so special about Wild Arms? Why should anyone care that it was eventually overshadowed by a perceivably superior title? Well, I'm not really saying anyone should care, but I believe the game has something to offer even the most jaded fan, and this is coming from someone who actually played it after playing Final Fantasy VII. One of the biggest sins people try to peg on Wild Arms is the fact that it a majority of the experience seems to be built upon clichés. I absolutely love this argument because, in a nutshell, they’re correct. Why would I utter something that seems to defeat the point I'm trying to make? Because I've yet to play an RPG that doesn't conform to the vast body preconceived notions that comes with the territory. It's like watching a horror movie with good dialogue; does such a thing even exist? Save the world fare it may be, something all RPGs quests eventually boil down to, there’s something devilishly alluring about Rudy, Jack and Cecilia's quest even though we’ve seen it all before. Wild Arms manages to do that thing that all good games are capable of, making the familiar feel fresh. I love the inner turmoil Rudy faces in being a stranger in a stranger world, the initially selfish desire of Cecilia to be seen as more than a symbol and Jack’s ability to eventually overcome his darkened past. As I said, it’s been done, but it’s the manner in which it is accomplished that speaks volumes beyond the archetypes at play.

Of course, some people will have issues with the way Wild Arms accomplishes its goals. Wild Arms is a first generation PS1 title and, as expected, looks like a first generation PS1 title. Combat is presented in full 3D and the models look antiquated even when compared other early games. I’ll admit I’m not too crazy over the super deformed, bobble-head characters or flaccid design that reigns over the game’s non-boss combatants and summons but the sequels wouldn’t improve on this either. Wild Arms does get what matters correct however, and that’s the look and feel of the game’s antagonists. Really, outside of Odessa from Wild Arms 2, Media Vision has found it impossible to match the power, intensity and soul of these characters and it’s not hard to see why. Wild Arms 3’s Prophets? Please. Wild Arms 4’s Brionac. Whatever. Wild Arms 5’s pathetic attempt at class/race warfare? Laughs. The Metal Demons (and Odessa) are on a completely different level than the previously mentioned forces of evil and it’s not hard to see why. Unfortunately for Media Vision, I’m no longer willing to lie to myself about what those games lack compared to the first two PS1 entries.

Another area that’s ripe for criticism is the simplicity of the combat engine. Again, I won’t deny it has little to nothing over the systems seen before it and the force system is hardly revolutionary but we’re dealing with an era before the advent of materia. People love to tout FFVII’s materia system as the be all, end all magic system but I don’t see how materia is that different from the previous game’s Esper system. In fact Espers may actually be a bit superior in my opinion. Regardless, simplicity is not always the vice people make it out to be. Sure, most battles play out the same, Rudy assaulting bosses with his ARMS, Jack nailing bosses with Fast Draws (eventually backed by Hyper) and Cecilia having a hard time striking a balance between attack and support magic the closer one gets to completing the game.

Such daggers aside, Wild Arms will probably look a lot better out of combat where its Zelda-influenced gameplay takes hold. Unlike combat, exploration of the game’s world takes pace on an overhead, two-dimensional plane. In dungeons, players will overcome puzzles with the aid of tools, objects that are unique to each character. Some of these are as simple as gunpowder bombs or as complex as Hanpan who helps you reach otherwise inaccessible switches and items. Dungeons are also teaming with traps that can inflict damage to a characters hit points as well. Going from typical JRPG combat to action-RPG like game play outside is handled with an extreme amount of care, the seamless transition easily being the game’s major calling card. Still, there are other areas of Wild Arms that are sure to impress like Michiko Naruke’s western influenced music score. While Naruke would struggle to varying degrees with games that followed, Wild Arms’ audio would prove to be an essential part in driving home the steampunk setting the game takes place in. I can’t say it’s one of the defining scores of the 32/64 bit era but for fans of video game music it’s pretty much essential listening.

CONCLUSION:

I’m sure to many I’ve failed to offer a compelling argument as to how Wild Arms can hold it’s own to previously mentioned kingpin known as Final Fantasy VII. Despite the multitude of comparisons above, taking Final Fantasy VII down a peg or two was not my intention even though it ended up being that way. Still, while people champion Final Fantasy VII for all the things touched upon in the opening paragraph, I found Wild Arms did the exact same thing for me – perhaps even more so - despite lacking the pedigree of its contemporaries. I also think the game contains more heart than a majority of the games it was put up against back in 1997 or exist today, and quite honestly that’s something you can’t put a price on.

Overall Score: 9/10

Game: Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Edition (PSP)

“Final Fantasy, drown in mediocre extras"

Final Fantasy. It's a name that once held a significant amount of clout. In recent years, or more accurately, ever since Squaresoft and Enix merged after the disaster that was Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, "enhanced" ports of previously successful entries have come down the pike in the numbers one expects from in vitro fertilization. As disgusting as this cow-milking practice has become, and as disgusting as it is that I'm probably going to shell out for the sixth version of Final Fantasy IV in the Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection come April, I still like the original Final Fantasy despite the fact it lacks a robust storyline. Given that, I was more than willing to enlist for the first and most faithful recreation of the game on the PS1, but beyond that release the core game has been fitted with so many ill-fated additions that it's diluted what was a simple yet enjoyable experience. So, in the spirit of debate, let's look at the three main segments that make up Final Fantasy's 20th Anniversary Edition.

~ Final Fantasy: The Main Course ~

The core of the experience that emulates the original adventure on the NES, one will find that many liberties have been taken since Final Fantasy Origins. Most of them aren't too groundbreaking: the high resolution graphics are nice to look at even thought there wasn't really anything wrong with how the game was presented on the PS1 and GBA; the heightened accuracy of attacks at the beginning of the quest is quite helpful as are the additional commands available during combat (like Defend) that weren't originally there. Unfortunately, it's one of the most welcome changes, the ditching of casting system for mages that puts everything into jeopardy by absolutely destroying the game's balance. Now, most will jest at the idea of the original Final Fantasy being balanced, especially when the spell casting units where as handicapped as they were, but in its own, odd-ball way, it was. Here, there is no real worry about getting through a dungeon in one piece because your party has so many options, which destroys the last bit of challenge the title had.

~ Soul of Chaos: A Lesson in Monotony ~

A set of four optional dungeons that were first featured in the GBA Dawn of Souls package, Soul of Chaos represents some of the most insipid concepts that can be used to artificially inflate a game's lifespan. These multilevel dungeons throw their pre-programmed floors at you in random order, and the treasures on each floor are randomly selected from a pool specific to that floor. This means you won't find everything they have to offer in one play through. Boss floors, filled with classic bosses that are just a sad way of siphoning off past ideas, are set up so you can only take on one before you are forced to advance or leave. The mostly static (and weak) cast of enemies you encounter in random encounters will chip away at your enthusiasm faster than a rabbit nibbling away at a carrot as the super-powered bosses prove the game's battle system isn't really built for challenging battles.

~ Labyrinth of Time: It Gets Worse ~

As much as the Soul of Chaos dungeons remind me of terrible dungeons like Wild Arms 3's Abyss or Star Ocean 3's Sphere Company, The Labyrinth of Time shows up to prove things can get even messier. Once again, the levels are thrown at you in a random level, but this time the focus is mostly on non-combative challenges like memory games. This would be fine on its own, but we're not done. Each level requires you to sacrifice abilities for "time" to keep the "miasma" at bay. Miasma basically acts like a poison that saps away at your health and magic and increases enemy encounters until you leave the area. The whole experience is as fun as sounds. On top of that, you'll need to pass and fail challenges in a handful of certain patterns to encounter the various versions of the game's hardest boss. Oh, goody-goody gumdrops!

~ The Conclusion: Finally ~

Much like the evil miasma itself, Final Fantasy on the PSP starts out great until the extras corrode your soul from the inside out. Of course, just looking at the Square Enix logo (and what it's come to represent) is enough to do that, so you don't really need to subject yourself to the torture within this UMD to experience that. Still, I would honestly recommend the PS1 Origins package, Dawn of Souls and the much more deserving Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions over this 20th Anniversary cash-in. It's pretty to look at, but that's about it.

Overall Score: 6/10

One interesting thing about the PSP FF is the equipment glitch (http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/937909-fina … faqs/50991). Granted it makes thing EASIER, but it's fun to cause 600+ damage on things before even the Earth Cave.

Doesn't FFIV [on the SNES] have a simular glitch? I think it's only good for making money however. Tactics has one as well I think, which is good for mass producing Orlandu's [sp] Excalibur which has auto-Haste.

Game: Final Fantasy II: 20th Anniversary Edition (PSP)

“FFII can be an enjoyable experience, but it's still extremely flawed"

Once one of the "forbidden treasures" never launched outside of its port of origin, Final Fantasy II - the real Final Fantasy II - first saw daylight in the west as part of the 2003 Origins package. That version, which is closer to the original than what's presented here, showed everyone (outside those who hadn't been lured into checking out fan translated ROM images of it years earlier) why it was skipped over: busted mechanics. The tangled web of changes within Final Fantasy II come from another, less acclaimed, series - the SaGa series.

Much like SaGa Frontier, gone are the concepts of experience and levels. This alone doesn't make the game bad. Despite the bashing SaGa Frontier took (and continues to take) the general fact is that its character development system wasn't really broken per say, or as broken as some other things in that game were. The problem with Final Fantasy II is that it is broken, and couldn't be fixed unless you rebuilt it from the ground up.

As many know, in the original version - and the "faithful" PS1 remaster - there where many tricks the player could employ to fool the computer into giving their characters dramatic stat boosts. There was the "select/cancel" trick that, due to poor/selective programming, could rack up massive spell usage and weapon levels. That particular loophole was abolished in the Dawn of Souls port, but there are those that remain. The classic, "smack myself around for HP" trick still works, as does the old "spam magic on myself for MP cause my characters are more durable targets than the enemies are" trick. The loss and retention of these shortcuts throughout the various versions has made for an interesting story, but once one realizes that many of Final Fantasy II's gameplay systems still rely on the employment of these shortcuts, red flags are eventually raised.

While the abolishment of the select/cancel trick disallows one to cheaply power level their weapon levels, it also raises questions on how or when these levels rise. For example, lets say Firion's skill with a sword is currently at two, and it stays at a two (no increases on the meter) even though your attacking wave after wave of enemies. All of a sudden you enter a new area and it starts to rise again. Wha? What invisible force governs the growth of this particular statistic? Change in environment, given events? Granted, it's always in balance and there never really a point where you're underpowered in this respect but why is there an invisible wall here? Compounding this are issues with certain weapon classes (axes) having adequately powered weapons available at certain times.

The weapon leveling system may have been reigned in, but the spell casting system is as short-sighted as ever. First of all, we ditched the lame item limit (somewhat) so why can't we ditch the sixteen spell limit considering every version of FFII since Dawn of Souls has been less strict than the last. Okay, so you don't exactly need every spell. You don't even need half of them. Not even one fourth? It's this that makes my next argument seem kind of fickle, but without the select/cancel trick, getting spells to level sixteen is a rough trek. And quite honestly, there is no way a casting of Bolt should cost as much as a casting of Ultima at the same level. Don't even get me started on the boneheaded way the damage for this aforementioned "ultimate spell" is calculated - you need a truly ultimate character to make it even worth casting, which is downright silly when the game's story places so much emphasis on obtaining it. In other words, just use the "legendary" Blood Sword on the bosses again.

However, Final Fantasy II starts to look much better once you look beyond its ever-flawed mechanics. Generally speaking, while the story isn't of a blockbuster nature, the fight against a malevolent empire is a nice, primitive precursor to Final Fantasy VI. It's also nice to see that the player's characters have lines this time around and don't really fit into the "silent protagonist" mold the four warriors of light did in the original. Sonically, Nobuo Uematsu's score taps into the game's overarching militaristic theme, the contrast between the "Rebel Army Theme" and the "Imperial Army Theme" being the crowning achievement that pulls everything together.

As for extras, Final Fantasy II outdoes Final Fantasy's Anniversary Edition by a mile. The clever (yet somewhat flawed and ill-explained premise of) Rebirth of Souls reappears from the GBA, and the Arcane Labyrinth puts the game's password/ask system to clever use even though it's still just another lame excuse to extend replay value.

CONCLUSION:

Despite all the complaints in the first five paragraphs, I think I enjoyed playing through Final Fantasy II more this time around than I did in 2003 on the Origins package. This doesn't exactly translate into a ringing endorsement, as the game requires a bit of finesse until you get your party on their feet and make peace with the games various flaws, but you could certainly do worse. There is always something worse....

Overall Score: 6/10