Kolzig

Nintendo 3DS

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There's a lot of devious stuff in that game that is kind of specifically there to fuck with knowledgeable players of Megaman games, it's really great.

 

This is my absolute favourite trope in games - genre savvy bait. I especially love it because it gives the designer an opportunity to make players unlearn some of their assumptions.

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Megaman X, on the other hand, i think is overall the best Megaman game, and it's probably the first one i'd tell somebody to go play. The SNES X games, that's the first three, are all really great. The later PSX and PS2 games are wildly uneven. (Ranging from pretty alright to worst-in-franchise, sometimes in the same game.)

 

The X series is my personal favorite, at least the first few.  I still like X4 because at the time playing the entire game as Zero was such a major difference from playing as X.  That line blurred a lot as the series went on.

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I never really had much fondness for the Playstation MMX games, but the first couple are generally quite well liked. (I think 5 is, in particular?) 6 and 7 were made without Inafune's involvement and are pretty broadly regarded as the worst Megaman games. X8 was then actually a pretty surprising return to form, it's a really underrated game, but the franchise had already been too tarnished for the game to really win anybody over.

The Zero and ZX games that came after are mechanically stupendous, they're really solidly built games. I don't actually have a ton of love for the Zero series on the whole, I personally think the governing systems in Zero are punishing in a kind of self-defeating way, but it's hard to argue with how it actually plays, and the two ZX games that followed are simply just awesome. Those two series also have some of the

in the entire franchise.

If you liked how Zero played in the X games, you should definitely track down some of the Zero and ZX games. If you just like having multiple characters to choose between, put extra emphasis on finding copies of the ZX games. There's a very good collection of the Zero games for the DS, and the ZX games are both also DS games. Unfortunately, they all tend to fetch some premium prices on the secondary market given the fanbase and the lack of current availability.

All that said, it's good knowing that IntiCreates is working on Mighty No 9, because their work on latter-day Megaman games was pretty fantastic. (Not just Zero and ZX, but MM9 and MM10 too.)

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I didn't play any of the X games after 5 and even then I liked 4 more.  5 had a lot of things going on, some of which I liked, some of which I didn't.  I also really liked the remake of MMX for the PSP which let you play the game as Vile.

 

I agree about the systems in the Zero games.  The other reason I never got into them was the style.  I just didn't care for the way the games looked.  I never played the ZX games because I assumed at the time that they were just more Zero games.

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Maverick Hunter X was a really nice remake, so was Powered Up, the MM1 remake. Powered Up also let you play as the bosses and as other characters, had new stages with all that entails, and even had an awesome level editor with online sharing.

^ It's a huge shame MM2 never got a remake. There was buzz that the cancelled Megaman Universe was, after Powered Up kind of tanked, Inafune trying to slip a Megaman 2 remake through to market by building on Powered Up's content-creation features and emphasizing them as a selling point.

The ZX games are definitely distinct from the Zero series, it's a completely different set of systems and is much less punishing, though it can still be rough in its own ways. For example, you had to avoid weak points on bosses, or else you'd damage the power-up you were fighting to take from them, damage that manifested in the form of a permanently reduced energy bar for that item. Which sounds worse than it is, it definitely sounds like a rough system, but not in the way that the systems in the Zero games kind of defeat the purpose of giving you power-ups in the first place.

The main thing ZX has going on is that instead of gaining new weapons or upgrades, you gain entirely new forms that each have many different unique attacks, abilities, and mobility options. ZX Advent goes really crazy with the conceit, you end up with dozens of forms from a basic Zero-like form all the way up to screen-filling beasts. I think Advent gets a little too gimmicky and so i like the first ZX more, but they're both very good. More bothersome is that ZX Advent has an abysmal voice-acted english localization, right up there with some of the worst examples from the history of the franchise. It's incredibly grating.

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Pokémon Bank is finally out in Europe and Australia today, and still not out in North America. Geez, Nintendo, get your act together.

 

 

Why is North America the new Europe? I miss the days when Europe was Europe.

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I'm guessing the staggered release is because there would be too much strain on the servers if it was a global release all at once. As for why Europe first, I can't say. Maybe coz NOE has their shit together? Or they prioritised Pokebank over Chibi robo?

 

Either way it's not that important. It's not a game changer in the world of pokemon, that's for sure (or at least for me) - I just get my Munna back.

 

Either way, as a Brit, I am not complaining!

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So, I bought Fire Emblem. It's quite good! However, I still think it is a game designed for people who already played the previous entries, because while it seems to be so much better with permadeath turned on, newcomers would probably have their asses kicked really badly if they played with it enabled. That would be my case.

 

I have a couple of doubts: the "parley" option is used to fight other people through streetpass/wireless? And how can I make sure I won't lose any recruitment opprtunity?

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I have a couple of doubts: the "parley" option is used to fight other people through streetpass/wireless?

My memory is apparently a little foggy, i don't remember what this parley option is, but people you streetpassed with should show up on the world map as armies you can pick fights with and/or buy stuff from.

 

Also, If you don't want to miss recruitment opportunities, just keep an eye on this reasonably non-spoilerly guide. (The children's missions won't show up until you start pairing off the first-gen characters in marriages.)

It's also not really true that the game is just unambiguously sooooo much better with permadeath on. All it's even doing in Awakening is enforcing the playstyle the series is built for. (Which is important to note, because if you're throwing around units on the other setting like they're expendable fodder, remember: That's not what FE is.)

 

That said, if you're finding the early missions very lax, that's because they are. The game doesn't open up at all until you're about ten~twelve missions in. The difficulty starts cranking up and the game starts handing you the items you need to take advantage of the class-changing character-building metagame of Fire Emblem.

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My memory is apparently a little foggy, i don't remember what this parley option is, but people you streetpassed with should show up on the world map as armies you can pick fights with and/or buy stuff from.

 

Also, If you don't want to miss recruitment opportunities, just keep an eye on this reasonably non-spoilerly guide. (The children's missions won't show up until you start pairing off the first-gen characters in marriages.)

It's also not really true that the game is just unambiguously sooooo much better with permadeath on. All it's even doing in Awakening is enforcing the playstyle the series is built for. (Which is important to note, because if you're throwing around units on the other setting like they're expendable fodder, remember: That's not what FE is.)

 

That said, if you're finding the early missions very lax, that's because they are. The game doesn't open up at all until you're about ten~twelve missions in. The difficulty starts cranking up and the game starts handing you the items you need to take advantage of the class-changing character-building metagame of Fire Emblem.

Thanks a lot, Sno! Again, a very helpful post.

 

An yep, I guess you're right about the difficulty. Just passed through the tenth mission, it was way harder and so much better, it forced me to understand a bit better the mechanics and the advantages of pairing units. With Permadeath on, it would be a bloodbath. 

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Bravely Default is soooooooooooooooo good.

 

Concurred.

 

What I'm finding wonderful is that, beyond the actual RPG parts which are streamlined/complex and how beautiful it is, there is never wasted time if you're not playing. My 3DS is currently in sleep mode in my bag and I'm building up SP and my village is getting upgraded. It feels such a realised game.

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I hit the chapter 5 wall and decided to play a decidedly better JRPG on a different system (Persona 4). I will pick BD back up at some point, but probably when there's another 3ds release to bring me back to it. 

I've heard good things about Senran Kagura Burst's combat, but I'm not sure whether I can bring myself to buy it.

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Curious to hear your thoughts on the basis for "decidedly better". Persona 4 is one of my favourite games of all time but I don't feel Bravely Default is markedly inferior. It is certainly more traditional (and the story not as amazing as a murder mystery) but the job system allows more scope for play, similar to how Final Fantasy Tactics is a solid TRPG as a base but the ability customisation options elevate it beyond that.

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Griddle insinuated that something happens in Chapter 5 that sours things immensely.

 

I haven't reached there - I stopped playing around Chapter 2 because apparently I do that with every RPG and never noticed - but I wouldn't be surprised if a JRPG had a really strong opening and middle and then turns to shit at the end because that is my experience with FF13 and I'm still mightily pissed off about it.

 

Like seriously it's been like four years and you can still get me ranting about the conclusion of that game at the slightest opportunity. I edited out the bit in this post where I just started complaining about it.

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I interoperated it that the 'wall' wasn't an event that happens, but an increase in difficulty. I am at chapter 3 and experiencing a difficulty jump such that my team can't get through the fire dungeon. I need to grind, and grind is always off putting. But I'm also playing it on hard. Is anyone else? I'm finding it enjoyably difficult, and every job class gained feels like I've earned it. 

 

I steered clear of FF13. But I don't like a large majority of FF games, including 7.

 

I've heard good things about Senran Kagura Burst's combat, but I'm not sure whether I can bring myself to buy it.

I feel the same way. I'll get it when I've finished BD I guess. ._.

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The majority of games turn pretty terrible at the end!

 

To me, Griddle's post read like "this game isn't good enough for me to try and overcome this frustrating obstacle".

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It's less like "isn't good enough" more like "isn't short enough." I wouldn't say it's a frustrating obstacle, more like a surprise which makes me need a break from the game.

 

I prefer the combat in BD to Persona 4, but the style and story of Persona 4 blow BD out the water. In the end, they're what keep me going after hour 30 when I've seen every part of the combat inside-out. 

 

The job system I find fantastic. I want to master all the jobs, but I feel incredibly unfulfilled when I do. It's strange. I love planning all the different powerful combinations, but once I get there all I can feel is a little bit empty, as though I've beaten the game because I've figured out how to kill bosses without any effort. 

The jobs and combat play to my love of min-maxing, but also make me depressed when I achieve it. Persona doesn't do this. Generating powerful poersonas feels good, but (so far) hasn't made the game ridiculously easy.

 

I'm not a huge JRPG fan, so for BD to keep me playing for 30+ hours makes it a great game. I didn't mean to seem so down on it.

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Agreed on all of that. Even inside the first hour of Bravely Default, I was zoning out so hearing people say that it's 80 hours+ should be turning me off but the systems are keeping me into it. I predominantly play RPGs so I'm already used to that.

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The job system I find fantastic. I want to master all the jobs, but I feel incredibly unfulfilled when I do. It's strange. I love planning all the different powerful combinations, but once I get there all I can feel is a little bit empty, as though I've beaten the game because I've figured out how to kill bosses without any effort. 

The jobs and combat play to my love of min-maxing, but also make me depressed when I achieve it. Persona doesn't do this. Generating powerful poersonas feels good, but (so far) hasn't made the game ridiculously easy.

 

I'd suggest to play BD on hard then. Makes the combat much more satisfying. Even with my well thought out crew, bosses still manage to floor me if I'm careless. And i'm 40 hours in, and only at the fire temple.

And you won't be saying that about persona's fusion when you try to do all of Margaret's requests.

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I am playing on hard, but with 4 ninjas it makes the bosses pathetic. If I try and play without breaking the game, it makes it more fun, but it's still not particularly difficult. I've only wiped once or twice and that was thanks to making obvious mistakes early in the game. Again, I love the combat. I just have that min-max itch that makes me want to break it.

 

As a side point, I think that's why I prefer western RPGs. The fact they make the character me, or designing a character makes me want to role-play. I never min-max in those games. JRPGs are about other people which makes me disconnect from the role-playing element and fall into the "I'm going to break this" mindset. 

 

I'm not that far in P4, so I'll have to see if I change my mind. I hope I don't, the aesthetic of that game has gripped me. 

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I've definitely seen people do the same thing for western RPG's. Seen a lot of conversations about min-maxing TES games and stuff, that always makes me cringe. That's a set of systems that can crumble in a stiff breeze.

It could definitely be argued that most RPG's require players to be in the right mindset.

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