61 Frames Per Second : mega man 2

What's in my MP3 Player: LetThereBeLight, a Mega Man 4 OC Remix

Nadia Oxford — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 03:54:00 GMT

Line up to revoke any good feelings you have about me, because I think that Mega Man 4's soundtrack is better than Mega Man 2's.

”Oh my God Nadia how can you embarrass yourself like this?”

Though I thoroughly believe Mega Man 2 deserves its pedestal in the hearts of the people, I actually don't have the same nostalgic attachment to the title as other Mega Man fans. My first game was Mega Man 3, which I followed up with Mega Man 4. Mega Man 4's gameplay isn't exceptionally good, but the graphics and soundtrack are among the NES' best.

”So you say, but you still sound like you were dropped on your head as a baby and dragged away by a dog, poor wee child.”

Maybe so, but if you give the soundtrack a good listen, you can hear an attempt to go somewhere different. Dustman's stage is far beyond Mega Man's usual rock n roll du jour; it's a subdued tune, quite melancholy, that brings you back to those rainy days you spent indoors with your NES.

It also gave rise to the greatest OC Remix of all time.

LetThereBeLight by musician Stefan Ajax/AmIEvil is a rare instance of a remix I don't feel compelled to explain to any non-gaming company within listening range. The name is a bit deceptive, since one might expect a remix of Brightman's stage (also awesome, don't deny it), but what counts is how it sounds. LetThereBeLight is melancholy, like its source material, but also dark, tortuous, and mysterious. You would expect it to accompany a scene in a movie where the main cast has resolved to find their way out of a haunted forest, but will inevitably end up in the mouth of some hell-dog.

AmIEvil hasn't contributed any OC Remixes for a number of years, but he does seem to have a band that's touring around Sweden. So here's a “Hooray!” for a talented guy, though I do miss his automatically-accessible work.

Related Links:

What's In My MP3 Player: Super Metroid "In Your Prime"
What's In My MP3 Player: Castlevania II "Castle of Tears"
What's in my MP3 Player: Shadow's Theme

Mega Man 2.5D?

Nadia Oxford — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:30:00 GMT

I'm automatically skeptical about fan-made games. I will nod at the demos and videos and say, “That's very nice,” but I won't get excited until there's a final product for me to play through.

What can I say. I've seen innumerable projects that began with energy and enthusiasm that surged like Niagara Falls. All but maybe 3% have been dammed up by extended work schedules, “family issues,” or exam season.

For all my adult cynicism, I am hoping that the “Mega Man 2.5D” project survives. It aims to add half a dimension to the classic Mega Man 2, not unlike Super Paper Mario or even (twitch) Bug! for the Sega Saturn.

The demo video looks like the final product would be a lot of fun to blaze through, while at the same time it's a loving tribute to the pinnacle of retro platforming titles. Seems like there's no escape from the disappearing/reappearing blocks.

When I was a kid, I called the disappearing/reappearing blocks “Dustbusters,” because, well, that's what they sound like.

Related Links:

Mega Man Robot Club
Know Your Mega Man Boss Weaknesses. It Will Save Your Life.
Mega Man 2 vs Mega Man 3: The Eternal Battle for Everlasting Peace

Mega Man Rap Video: Creative Work, a Lot of Filth, or Both?

Nadia Oxford — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:58:00 GMT

I have with me a video that people either seem to hate, or enjoy immensely. Simply titled “Mega Man 2,” it's a rap/metal conglomerate remix that, in my opinion, is catchy and pretty well put-together.

There's also forkfuls of swearing, which is what seems to turn people off. I don't think Mega Man would belt out lyrics like “From the windows/To the walls/'Til the sweat drips from my ballz”, no matter what any Robot Master might throw at him. But I guess worse has happened for the sake of a rhyme.

If you want to start complaining about continuity errors, you may as well ask why this video has Rush despite the Mega Man 2 theme. Rush and Protoman.

Video after the jump. What do you think?

Related Links:

The Mega Man Robot Club
Mega Man 9 Bosses Look Like Mega Man Bosses
Scene Re-Dub Attempts To Make Up for Mega Man X4's Past Sins

Know Your Mega Man Boss Weaknesses. It Will Save Your Life.

Nadia Oxford — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:46:00 GMT

Quick. Name Snake Man's weakness in Mega Man III.

Your two seconds are up. Do you know it? That's what I thought.

According to the word on the wind, I'll be getting a BB Gun for Christmas. I plan to arm myself and quiz citizens of the world on their Mega Man trivia. You would do well to study up, and to stock up on Red Bull (I'm thinking about being lenient on ignorant gamers who provide a suitable offering to slake my wrath. They might not be wholly spared, but a shot to the bum is preferable to a shot through the eye).

It just so happens Cybermoon Studios has visual references for Mega Man boss weaknesses. The games covered include Mega Man, Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3 and Mega Man 9.

Which means when I stuff the business end of my Red Ryder up your nose and slur “Dust Man. Which is it?”, you're going to have a problem. Unless CyberMoon keeps drawing for the good of humanity.

Related Links:

The Mega Man Robot Club
Mega Man 2 vs Mega Man 3 The Battle For Everlasting Peace
Mega Man 9 Bosses Look Like Mega Man Bosses

Mega Man Dies and Goes To Robot Hell For His Sins

Nadia Oxford — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:01:00 GMT

Wise people are known to furrow their brows, stroke their beards and wonder why Doctor Wily just doesn't throw his entire stable of robot jerks at Mega Man. There are two answers to that question. First, there is certainly something psychological with Wily's slow trickle of Robot Masters; the even distribution gives Mega Man a challenge, but doesn't overpower him. This, in turn, leads to some rambling theory about every human's need to chase a Questing Beast.

The second answer is probably the right one: if Mega Man had to fight every Robot Master at once, his games wouldn't be much fun, stupid.

Gee, the guy who put together this video makes it look so easy. In fact, there's something primal and just a little sexual about this nine-man confrontation.

Just when you thought we'd never see another interesting Robot Master, here comes METBUBBNEAANAASOMANKNANWOAOAAIR Man.

Related Links:

What I'm Playing This Weekend: Mega Man Anniversary Collection
Mega Man is a Dick
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Seven Minutes With Mega Man 9's Music

Nadia Oxford — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:48:00 GMT

What are you thankful for this year? If your answer isn't "Mega Man 9" and "Bitchin' guitars," I don't want to talk to you anymore.

At this point in your life, you've no doubt heard Mega Man 2's "Doctor Wily Stage One" remixed on every instrument from the jew's harp to some dog's armpit. It's high time we start running Mega Man 9's fantastic soundtrack into the ground. Let this Freddie fellow lead the revolution with this lovely seven minute compilation/remix of every tune in the game.

Be wary of last boss spoilers if you're like me and haven't bested Wily yet. Ugh, the shame.

Related Links:

The Mega Man Robot Club
Mega Man 9 Bosses Look Like Mega Man Bosses
For Love of the Game: Rockman 7 FC

WTFriday: Mario Versus Air Man

Bob Mackey — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Note to readers: WTFriday is a weekly feature where I find something stupid about video games and get you to laugh until it goes away. Please try to forget this is what I normally do every day of the week.

Today's WTFriday is more strange than stupid, but it's worth looking at nonetheless. Listen, I'm only human and sometimes I reach my capacity for hate. That being said, ROM hacks usually are stupid; they either make your playable character naked/demonic/into feces, or they're "remixes" which are unplayably hard for everyone except the hacker himself. The ROM hack I'm about to show you is unplayably hard, but it's also undeniably cool; and you also have the benefit of watching a YouTube video of said hack instead of having to suffer through it yourself. Believe it or not, this is an extremely modified hack of the original Super Mario Brothers:

Going to the page for this video will give you a ROM download link, but I urge you to not take advantage of this kind offer, lest you rob this hack of its magic. Plus, I'm pretty sure it was made with voodoo, or one of the dark arts. You don't want that stuff in your computer.

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WTFriday: Atlus Takes on Third Wave Feminism
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My Last Mega Man 9 Post, I Swear

Bob Mackey — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Mega Man 9 is currently kicking my ass and making me rethink my status as a gamer; after a little over an hour of play, I've only seen a few robot bosses and nearly beat Splash Woman. Needless to say, this is a time of crisis, and I need my friends more than ever. So before you lose all respect for me and never read any of my posts again, I have a few substantive things to say about the game. Thanks for your support.

I'd like to begin by saying that, thanks to a self-imposed media blackout, I knew practically nothing about Mega Man 9 before I sat down to play it. Only later, after I had my fill of cursing at spikes, I sat down to read 1UP scribe and Mega Man fanatic Jeremy Parish's excellent review; it was the first source to inform me that Mega Man's slide and charge shot--established from the third and fourth entries in the series, respectively--were both missing from 9. This came as a bit of a shock, since I'd played the game for a while and hadn't even noticed. Could this have been some very boring episode of The Twilight Zone?

The answer is actually simple: Mega Man 9 is a return to the mechanics that made Mega Man 2 such a fan favorite. I'll let Jeremy Parish explain more:

...MM9 apes a very specific slice of 8-bit design: namely, Mega Man 2. Though it employs only a moderate amount of sprite recycling (most of which is primarily seen in recurring characters and a handful of familiar enemies), the game is a determined effort to create the ultimate 1988-vintage run-and-gun, twenty years after the fact. It eschews a great many of the later technical innovations of its own series -- much ado has been made about Mega Man's lack of sliding and charged shots, but there are more subtle absences as well. Backgrounds are much less detailed than they were in, say, Mega Man 6, Rush has been downgraded to his Mega Man 3 forms, and the overall sense of animation is on par with NES games running on the MMC3 chip.

You'll have to excuse me for the freakout over old news, but this is making me rethink my choice in the dread battle of Mega Man 2 vs. Mega Man 3. Sure, Rush is in 9, but is my beloved Mega Man slide--which I claimed was one of the reasons I prefer 3 to 2--really all that beneficial if I never even tried to use it in the new game? This is a time of great thought and regret, and I think only the refreshing powers of several afternoon naps will get me through this Sophie's Choice of gaming. Please pray for me.

Related Links:

Mega Man 2 Vs. Mega Man 3: The Eternal Battle for Everlasting Peace
Mega Man 9 Goes Back To Your Roots. Way Back.
What I'm Playing This Weekend: Mega Man Anniversary Collection

Mega Man 2 Vs. Mega Man 3: The Eternal Battle for Everlasting Peace

Bob Mackey — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Monday's release of Mega Man 2 on the Virtual Console was a long-awaited addition to the service, as well as what many consider the pinnacle of the franchise. BUT NOT ME. I didn't buy the game this week, not because I hate it, but because I already own it on the Mega Man Anniversary Collection--and that five bucks can buy 99% of a vegetarian burrito at the Chipotle up the street. I'm not about to sacrifice a burrito simply for the convenience of not having to turn on my PS2.

Tex-Mex delights aside, the recent revival of old-school Mega Man made me think of the classic schoolyard/adult blogger argument of "What's better, Mega Man 2 or 3?" Really, we should all just shut up and be happy that both games exist and can be played on a variety of systems to this very day; but still, I tend to prefer Mega Man 3 for reasons that may not be quite rational.

Undoubtedly, the addition of both Rush and the Mega Man Slide in 3 made the game much easier, and brought the series just up to the tipping point of having excessive mechanics; see the charge shot in 4 and onwards for evidence of this. I think that's generally why I enjoyed 3 most of all--not to mention that Mega Man's collection of numbered platforms from 2 were replaced with an awesome robotic dog that transformed into things. If you want to split hairs, you can fault 3 for barely paying lip service to the boss-themed levels seen in 1 and 2--but it's still awesome that Top Man lives in a greenhouse full of giant cats.

I think the main--and perhaps, completely personal--reason I couldn't get into Mega Man 2 as much as 3 was due to its bitchy point of entry. Much like with Guts Man's stage in Mega Man 1, child protocol in the 80s made it mandatory for Air Man to be defeated first--which always annoyed me, since I've never really been able to get to hang of jumping between those giant, horned floating heads in his level. With Mega Man 3, I could always immediately slide right in and kick Top Man's ass--and, as a bonus, get that chunky profile shot of Mega Man via the Top Spin. Also, all of Mega Man 2's robot bosses appear in 3--albeit, in slightly-inferior forms--just in case you missed them. Check it out:

So, what's the general consensus on Mega Man 2 vs. Mega Man 3? Tell me how wrong I am.

Related Links:

Mega Man 9 Goes Back To Your Roots. Way Back.
Where I Draw the Line With Retro
The Ten Greatest Classic Mega Man Levels, Part 1

Where I Draw the Line With Retro

Bob Mackey — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Today's Virtual Console release of Mega Man 2 reminded me of the time I naively planned to play through all of the Mega Man games in order through the then-new Anniversary Collection. I miraculously made it through most of the first game--which is pretty damn tough--only to be stopped in my tracks by that asshole on the right. Yes, thanks to the Yellow Devil, I will never know the sweet, sweet joy that comes with finishing our blue hero's inaugural adventure. Please do not describe the endorphin rush, for it would only make me sad.

Here's a video if you need a reminder of my pain. I no longer possess the reflexes to beat this monstrosity--if I ever had them to begin with:

As much as I like retro games, there are certain things about them like our friend the Yellow Devil that try my patience and make me say "no more." At the risk of being called "weaksauce," I know my limits. With the first Mega Man, those limits were clearly embodied in a cheap boss (never mind that the video above makes him look incredibly easy) in which I would have to invest hours of muscle-memory training. But it isn't just the ravages of age that are keeping me from games that I'd honestly like to replay. I've had the intention of having another go at Final Fantasy VIII ever since my first playthrough of the game back in 1999, but the threat of something so slow and dated in a distinctly 32-bit era kind of way keeps me at bay.

So where does your logical, rational mind draw the line when it comes to retro? Are there certain things you cannot--or will not--do, despite your love for games of the past? I think it's healthy to know your limits, even if they do make you a little sad inside.

Related Links:

Mega Man 9 Goes Back To Your Roots. Way Back.
The Delights of Continuity in Mega Man and Abroad
The Ten Greatest Classic Mega Man Levels, Part 1

Worlds of Power: Books That Worried Your Parents and Pissed Off Your Teachers

Nadia Oxford — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:45:00 GMT

My weekend sojourn with Bionic Commando Rearmed's Mr Rad Spencer reminded me of all things good, pure and 8-bit. I even remembered that my husband owns most of the Worlds of Power books, novel "adaptations" of popular Nintendo games from Back in the Day™. He transferred them over to our new basement apartment home after we were married; it's a dowry my parents are proud of, I'm sure.

Alas, I cannot find the Bionic Commando adaptation, but if I were to guess, I'd say Rad Spencer wasn't allowed to shoot anyone with his awesome guns. I did find Ninja Gaiden, which is dedicated to "the Ninja in everyone's dad." Holy shit, I thought my dad just sold alarm systems. This is awesome news.

I don't know if you kids today have book fairs, but they were a staple of my school days. My generation was not in love with the printed word and teachers did their best to make sure we didn't fall into any affairs. They policed our book fair purchases, declaring comic books to be verboten "trash," especially comic books about the Ninja Turtles or that rude Bart Simpson. The cutting-edge Nintendo Entertainment System was the worst enemy of my grade school marms, so F.X. Nine's Worlds of Power was book fair contraband, too.

I think any teacher who discourages a kid from reading material aimed at him is missing the point of their job, but I have to admit that Worlds of Power is junk food for the mind. The characterisation is bad, the writing is overly-simple and the transparent attempts to avoid references to violence are laughable and even insulting. Everyone knows that Ryu's father dies at the start of Ninja Gaiden; it was console gaming's first vault into storytelling beyond Mario staggering across eight kingdoms in a heart-breaking search for his princess. The Worlds of Power books, desperate to win the approval of adult authorities (not bloody likely), minimised human deaths in its pages and in fact brought Ryu's father back to life.

No. Bad. Jesus brings forth the dead, not F.X. Nine.

I'm going to search very hard for our Bionic Commando book. If I fail, I'm sure I can find some substitutes and we'll all go on a G-rated literary journey. In the meantime, enjoy 8-Bit Lit, an excellent 1UP feature that will learn you some game novel history and is dedicated to the bionic soldier in everyone's mom.

Related Links:

Watcha Playing: Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
Gone Vertical: Hands-On Bionic Commando
There Is Nothing Funny About Bionic Commando Funny Books

The Ten Greatest Fire Levels in Gaming History, Part 2

Peter Smith — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:31:00 GMT

Resident Evil 2 — Raccoon City Streets

Hideki Kamiya followed the logical zombie progression after Shinji Mikami's original Resident Evil, going from the '50s schlock of a haunted mansion/mad-scientist's lab combo and straight onto the '60s of Romero-urban-zombie-apocalypse. Kamiya's sequel also had a novel twist on the dual protagonists of the first by making two slightly different quests for the heroes Claire and Leon. You know how zombie apocalypses work, right? When survivors need to stick together to survive, you separate them immediately. Resident Evil 2 opens with a tanker truck of gasoline exploding in downtown Raccoon City, with Claire and Leon stuck on either side of the ensuing blaze. When you finally start guiding your poorly equipped, clean-cut cop or street-smart biker chick through the undead, you do it in flames. And, yes. The zombies are totally on fire too. — JC

Metroid Series — Norfair

As far as distinctive game worlds go, Metroid's is hard to beat. Brinstar, Norfair and Tourian are unforgettably tangible, subterranean realms as hostile as they are sprawling. Amazing how much atmosphere the designers squeezed into eight bits, aided by Hip Tanaka's hypnotic soundtrack and the almost fluorescent black of the NES palette. As the game's resident heat zone, Norfair is an odd one — a disorienting, uneasy melange of lava, rock, metal and a weird bubbly substance that continues to freak me out. In its Super Metroid incarnation, Norfair is more cohesive and arguably more of a true "fire level," but for my money, it loses some of the truly alien quality of its NES counterpart. — PS

Mega Man 2 — Heat Man

The early Mega Man titles' greatest strength was not their lightning-fast take on Mario-style platforming or the novelty of acquiring physical abilities from antagonists. It was their ability to create spaces that were at once fantastical as well as functional. These arenas weren't built to superficially house a challenge; they were made to do things in the world of 200X. Even more so than Mega Man's Fire Man stage, Heat Man's stage is a furnace, a kiln of umber brick and steel silver floors that conveys a literal sense of oppressive heat. Even the stage's disappearing platforms of orange brick glow and look hot to touch. The music and challenge of playing the actual stage only emphasize its physicality. — JC

Click here for Part 1.
Click here for Part 3.

Raised on the Stuff

John Constantine — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:00:00 GMT

As I listened to this past Friday’s 1up Yours podcast, lazily typing away and sipping coffee, I perked up when the crew got on the topic of how they planned to introduce their children to videogames. While What They Play’s John Davison is already raising two very young gamers of his own, the other three gents still aren’t fathers but they all mentioned that they definitely want to see their kids weaned on classics from a young age. This is interesting to me because I’ve given the subject quite a lot of thought. My plan? Bed time stories.

I will read stories to my child until they’re embarrassed by it but I also plan on playing classic games with them before bed. I’ll sit down with my son or daughter and fire up The Legend of Zelda or Mega Man 2, something with simple, impressionist visuals and rich with implied narrative. We’ll trade the controller back and forth and when they ask about the world, I might just make something up. Or ask them what they think. We’ll move through the technology quickly so they can acclimate to the vocabularies of different development eras. My hope is they’ll find what I found in these texts; potent fuel for the imagination.

How about you reader? How will/do you play with your young ‘uns?

On another note, I can’t encourage you enough to head over to 1up.com and start listening to the 1up Yours podcast. Garnett Lee, Shane Bettenhausen, and Shawn Elliot are three of the most important voices in the industry today and they’re damn entertaining drunks as well. Another shout out also to John Davison, whose What They Play is fast becoming as essential resource for parents in the western world.