MegaMan ZX- the pinnacle of 2D platforming? [Archive]

GFLPraxis

Jul 20, 2006, 01:14 PM

The more I see of this game, the better it gets. I almost cried when the first video footage of the game came out showing Zero and X together again with the four guardians from the Zero series as playable characters and gameplay based on the awesome MegaMan Zero games... I got to play it at E3, which was awesome...but it just keeps getting better and better.

Click here for an awesome gameplay montage. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=8QbvreYLnX4)

Incredibly Cool-loooking Boss Fight (http://youtube.com/watch?v=sfgui7NgZfw&search=rockman%20zx)

The MegaMan Zero series were my favorite platformers on the GameBoy Advance, easily crushing Sonic. This looks like Zero on steroids- special effects from the DS hardware everywhere, with all the major villains (excepting of course Weil) from the Zero series playable (the four guardians were not evil, and genuinely concerned with humanity, their methods were just wrong and they were manipulated by Weil and Copy X), six characters (Zero, X, and the four: Harpuia, Fefnir, Phantom, and Leviathan) with COMPLETELY different playing styles, a Metroid Fusion-esque feel with a large overworld leading into the different missions, etc...

On top of that, we learned just before E3 that the entire game would be voice acted. On the Nintendo DS. Well, now it turns out that the game has anime cutscenes throughout as well, in addition to voice acting throughout (including seperate voices and different storylines depending on whether you choose to play as Van or Aeile).

Watch the 3rd video (bottom left) to see a full cutscene as it appears on the DS. Wow, just wow.
http://media.ds.ign.com/media/794/794195/vids_1.html

The top two videos there show him playing against the first boss and playing through the first stage with only the X form.

Anyone else very excited about this game?

MacRumorUser

Jul 20, 2006, 01:28 PM

just looks same old same old to me I'm afraid. :(

2nyRiggz

Jul 20, 2006, 01:35 PM

Indeed...same old crap to me.

Bless

Dagless

Jul 20, 2006, 01:38 PM

never been interested in Megaman. I don't understand all this X, Zero business. I'm probably uneducated but it seems like a linear Metroid to me but not as good as Turrican. Though I've only played the NES games.

Actually that Youtube gameplay vid looks so similar to Turrican 3 it's a little spooky.

GFLPraxis

Jul 20, 2006, 02:05 PM

Ugh, jimmi, I've heard your MegaMan-Turrican comparisons way too much. You're thinking of the ORIGINAL MegaMan series. MegaMan X is an entirely different series in an entirely different timeline with an entirely different playing style, and Zero is even more different.

Zero is all about swordfighting :) X is about gunfire and has some slight similarities to Turrican, but very, very different- I watched a bunch of turrican videos, MegaMan X moves and plays entirely differently, kicking off walls and just having a different feel.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZWtlDdHn4-A - MegaMan Zero 4
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tkuXs-8j7K8 - first level of MegaMan Zero, before you get most of your techniques

It's very, VERY different from Turrican.

The NES MegaMan series had 6 games, then one on SNES, then died. The X games started on SNES and moved to Playstation (where Zero became a playable character), then was succeeded by the Zero series on GBA (which no longer had X playable).

t1rider321

Jul 20, 2006, 02:32 PM

if you cant wait you can acutally buy this game right now from play asia
http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-hq-49-en-70-17ti.html

i also recomend jump super stars
[URL="http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-hq-49-en-70-eud.html[/URL]
its a awsome game and not that hard to understand

mkrishnan

Jul 20, 2006, 02:38 PM

This games sounds really interesting...as if I didn't have enough reasons to want a DS Lite!!! :eek: :o

Dagless

Jul 20, 2006, 03:10 PM

GFLPraxis

Jul 20, 2006, 04:29 PM

Like I said, I haven't played them much ;) Plus it seems like whoever makes them doesn't like the UK. I don't see them much over here, bar some millionth Battle Red/Blue or something on the GBA. They seem to be the only ones I've seen in the shops ever, too. so don't blame me :P

Yeah, theMegaMan Battle Network games are an RPG series, very different from the MegaMan Zero platformers, and occur in an alternate universe and are completely unconnected to the franchise other than some people having the same names. The only really really good one in the series was Battle Network 3 IMHO, as the sequels and prequels were always either too short or overcomplicated.

Chaszmyr

Jul 20, 2006, 05:16 PM

The game looks pretty darn cool and I'll definitely buy it, but I certainly wouldn't call it the pinnacle of 2D gaming.

Dagless

Jul 20, 2006, 05:21 PM

Praxis, if I were to buy a Megaman game which should I get? After a new game and sidescrolling shooters are a weak spot of mine.

NewbieNerd

Jul 20, 2006, 06:08 PM

Praxis, if I were to buy a Megaman game which should I get? After a new game and sidescrolling shooters are a weak spot of mine.

You should have kept your PSP and gotten MegaMan: Powered Up. :p It's a super cute remake of the original. I like it a lot, but I do think I'm more a fan of the X style games where you get armor upgrades, can dash, and can jump on walls. I might get Maverick Hunter, though it's just a redo of MegaMan X which I already have for my SNES (I should get that thing out...).

I would like this new game for the DS. Maybe then the wife and I would swap for awhile, as she's interested in playing my Powered Up anyway. I'll at least swap when FF3 is out!

sk1985

Jul 20, 2006, 06:19 PM

Foxglove9

Jul 20, 2006, 06:22 PM

I never liked the X series Mega Man's that much. And haven't played the Zero's on GBA but they always looked pretty good. I'm still a fan of the regular Mega Man style games and boss characters.

The PSP new Mega Man game looks much better than that DS game. Not having played either, they both look like solid titles I'd like to try.

Dagless

Jul 20, 2006, 06:37 PM

The pinnacle of 2D gaming platformers not likely. I assume you've never played Castlevania Symphony of the Night. Now that is easy one of if not the best 2D games of all time stretching all genres. The only 2D game that competes with it is Crono Cross (now thats an RPG).

Seriously SOTN kills any DS or GBA castlevania game (or Mega Man game). Everyone of those new Castlevania games tries to repeat it's winning formula, but none of them has equaled that game's impact. It's simplicity and genuine great game play (borrowed from the metroid series and improved upon) is simply timeless. Now thats a classic.

I dunno, I played the original way back when and I wasn't too keen. Should have kept the CD seeing its going for so much on eBay! the best Castlevania game I've currently played is either Aria (very basic feel) or Dawn (overcooked, yet more challenging feel).
the best 2D, IMO, is Turrican 2. Beautiful pixel art and frankly the best soundtrack ever (http://satansam.co.uk/music/turrican.zip). again, all my opinion :)

mkrishnan

Jul 20, 2006, 06:39 PM

Did Castlevania:SotN ever hit PSP or any other handheld? I always wanted to play it, but am loathe to find the box my PS is in and unpack it... :(

Foxglove9

Jul 20, 2006, 06:49 PM

SOTN is pretty darn amazing, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's the best 2D game ever. It's really good though.

Super Turrican on SNES is an amazing fun game that most people probably never heard of or played. And it I don't blame them after the terrible Turrican 1 game on Genesis, they should have called it something else.

Personally I thought Earthworm Jim was better than Symphony of the Night, though I would hate to have to chose between them. They're both must owns but EWJ has more replay value, where as SOTN I haven't touched since I first finished it.

Foxglove9

Jul 20, 2006, 06:51 PM

No, for now only on PS1, though might be available as a PS1 download for the PSP at some point. But that's pure speculation.

The GBA versions of Aria and Harmony are almost as good as SOTN, if that is more readily available for you.

Did Castlevania:SotN ever hit PSP or any other handheld? I always wanted to play it, but am loathe to find the box my PS is in and unpack it... :(

mkrishnan

Jul 20, 2006, 07:02 PM

The GBA versions of Aria and Harmony are almost as good as SOTN, if that is more readily available for you.

Thank you. :) I played Circle of the Moon but never got to those two...I probably should, while I wait to convince myself to get a DS. ;)

Topono

Jul 20, 2006, 07:06 PM

I personally think Yoshi's Island is the best 2D platformer ever. "Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy" was probably the best level in any video game.:D

mkrishnan

Jul 20, 2006, 07:08 PM

"Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy" was probably the best level in any video game.:D

Oh my god, that level. :D

I'm not sure what I'd nominate...something from SM3 probably, but I'm not sure.

sk1985

Jul 20, 2006, 07:12 PM

EDIT I don't know why my post changed but it basically said I want another 2D version of the series on a next get platform because the 2D graphics would be amazing. Unfortunately sony and M$ don't let 2D games get licensed for their respected systems. Hopefully nintendo will let it slide.

I dunno, I played the original way back when and I wasn't too keen. Should have kept the CD seeing its going for so much on eBay!
The prices don't seem too bad. They are ranging from 10 to 50 dollars. If someone really wants to play SOTN badly they could always burn a copy. I don't really think it's stealing because it's no longer in production and Konami doesn't see a cent from any used copies sold (basically they've made all the money they could off of this game). I normally don't recommend piracy but when something is so outdated and hasn't been on the market from almost 10 years then I say it's a go!!!

Dagless

Jul 20, 2006, 07:32 PM

The only problem there is finding a pixel artist who can produce work for HD resolutions, and going off how badly (or just impossibly) 2D is resized I guess this upcoming trend of "multi res" consoles is only going to hurt such a game.

Meh, forget the big consoles. Castlevania games are perfect on handhelds.

ooh, my fave level!
Starlight Zone in Sonic 1. Music has always had a huuuge influence on me. Which is probably why I'm madly in love with vintage Mario and Sonic, Turrican and Castlevania. great tunes.

and hey, I've seen GUIDES for SotN go for £60. the games, in the UK at least go for around that - if not more. but this is the UK.

RedTomato

Jul 20, 2006, 07:41 PM

Am quite interested in playing some of the Castlevania games to see what all the fuss was about.

Are any of them playable on a mac, either through an emu or MAME?

If not SOTN then which ones?

GFLPraxis

Jul 20, 2006, 07:50 PM

Praxis, if I were to buy a Megaman game which should I get? After a new game and sidescrolling shooters are a weak spot of mine.

Get any of the MegaMan Zero games on GBA. The first is the most difficult of the entire series (if you enjoy obscenely difficult games like I do- hard mode is almost impossible), but doesn't have as many special unlockable moves as, say, Zero 3.

All the Zero games start, and since Zero's memory was wiped and it occurs a hundred years after MegaMan X, you don't need to know the enormously confusing MegaMan storyline to get started with it.

Or, just get MegaMan ZX on launch day :)

sk1985

Jul 20, 2006, 07:56 PM

Am quite interested in playing some of the Castlevania games to see what all the fuss was about.

Are any of them playable on a mac, either through an emu or MAME?

If not SOTN then which ones?
Of the original ones on the NES the 3rd one is the best. The ones on the SNES are good (they don't play like current castlevania games, they are far more basic). Only one of them is pretty bad...I'm sorry I can't remember which one was horrible. Also Castlevania X on the Turbo graphics system is pretty tight, it's the best of the old style games.

P.S. the only reason why didn't recommend the new GBA and DS ones is because you can find them anywhere. These games are just SOTN clones.

mkrishnan

Jul 20, 2006, 08:00 PM

Are any of them playable on a mac, either through an emu or MAME?

Any GameBoy Advance one -- Circle, Aria, Harmony -- can be played using a GBA emulator, if you get the ROM... Discussion of how to get ROMs is is not encouraged here. ;)

Dagless

Jul 20, 2006, 08:01 PM

Simons Quest. I've never played it myself but theres many people against that game.

Start where I did Tomato, Castlevania Doublepack on GBA. Has Aria of Sorrow on it which is very, very good. Turned me into a fanatic :)

Chaszmyr

Jul 20, 2006, 08:03 PM

To all of you discussing the GBA and DS Castlevania games:

They are awesome, but Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was better.

Foxglove9

Jul 20, 2006, 08:06 PM

I second that, in fact I just did the same thing recently for that exact game.

If someone really wants to play SOTN badly they could always burn a copy. I don't really think it's stealing because it's no longer in production and Konami doesn't see a cent from any used copies sold (basically they've made all the money they could off of this game). I normally don't recommend piracy but when something is so outdated and hasn't been on the market from almost 10 years then I say it's a go!!!

Dagless

Jul 20, 2006, 08:10 PM

Strange how we went from talking about Megaman, to Turrican, to Castlevania where there is a track on Dawn of Sorrow called The Pinnacle (http://satansam.co.uk/music/pinnacle.mp3).

Think I'm going to get this ZX game just to see what all the MegaMan fuss is about, I keep hearing all over the web how good it is. but the Euro release date is still TBA (according to Gamefaqs) so looks like its another import job.

Counterfit

Jul 20, 2006, 08:14 PM

Man, I haven't played MegaMan since X2...

crachoar

Jul 20, 2006, 08:41 PM

CrackedButter

Jul 21, 2006, 02:48 AM

I have never played Megaman since the NES and now I'm confused as to which on to buy for the DS?

I also haven't ever played Castlevania or a Zelda game, when I was younger I only bought the Mario games.

If anybody wants to give me some suggestions? I do fancy a few RPG's.

I also saw in a local Gamestation some GBA games that were second hand, there was a Megaman game there with a "4Z" or "4X" in the title and a GBA Zelda game, with something to do with pico's??

Anyway are they worth getting as well as the new Zelda game coming out soon for the DS?

ReanimationLP

Jul 21, 2006, 03:18 AM

I've played Symphony of the Night so much I can get 200% completetion rate in about 5-6 hours.

SOTN has become one of those one-sitting games to me. :cool:

But I still <3 it. SOTN and FF7 got me into the original Playstation.

Haoshiro

Jul 21, 2006, 06:42 AM

The NES MegaMan series had 6 games, then one on SNES, then died. The X games started on SNES and moved to Playstation (where Zero became a playable character), then was succeeded by the Zero series on GBA (which no longer had X playable).

Actually it didn't die, MegaMan was/is "Rockman" in Japan.

There is a Megaman 8 as well as 9 ("Rockman & Forte" in Japan) but I believe originally these were not released in the USA. The X series came out after MM6 and was the first MM game on the SNES.

I just checked Wikipedia and they show that "Rockman & Forte" was released on the GBA as "MegaMan and Bass", which is pretty cool.

raggedjimmi:

MegaMan, to me, is the original "hardcore" platformer. The games are among some of the most difficult games I have every played. They also have an expansive history and story. Here in the USA I remember them having MegaMan tournaments aired on television, it was extremely popular and likely some of the best NES games made (although the difficulty kept me from getting into them much).

If you are a platform fan you should check them out, and read up on some of the history on wikipedia, it's pretty interesting... I don't know if there has ever been a series of games this long running. 9 MegaMan "Classic" games, 8 "X" games, 2 "Xtreme" games, and 4 "Zero" games... 23 total, 6 of which were on the original NES.

You might say I was pretty surprised you haven't played ANY of them, considering the fan of platformers and 2D you seem to be! Oh, and Mega Man 3D sucked, I haven't seen a 3D MM game since the first N64 release, heh. Gotta love a series that has pretty much stayed 2D even now.

Chaszmyr

Jul 21, 2006, 09:38 AM

MegaMan, to me, is the original "hardcore" platformer. The games are among some of the most difficult games I have every played.

The early MegaMan games are difficult by modern game standards, but as far as NES games go they weren't that hard. (Mere mortals like myself could actually beat MegaMan games, unlike many of the other games I owned).

GFLPraxis

Jul 21, 2006, 10:28 AM

If you are a platform fan you should check them out, and read up on some of the history on wikipedia, it's pretty interesting... I don't know if there has ever been a series of games this long running. 9 MegaMan "Classic" games, 8 "X" games, 2 "Xtreme" games, and 4 "Zero" games... 23 total, 6 of which were on the original NES.

+ 2 "Legends" games, 6 "Battle Network" games as well as a Red and Blue version of most of them, + two collections, + MegaMan & Bass, + Command Mission, + Network Transmission, + 2 arcade games, + MegaMan Soccer...

I don't know if there has ever been a series of games this long running.

The only series I can think of that has more titles is Mario, but a lot of that is spinoffs (Mario Kart, Mario Party, etc), while most of the MegaMan games are platformers remaining true to the core game mechanics.

pcypert

Jul 21, 2006, 10:54 AM

I'm a gaming poser, but as a kid I lost hours to Castlevania 2 on the NES...that's always been my favorite. Never got into SOTN...sold it a week later and got some Japanese imports and Resident Evil 1 which I all enjoyed much more....

Paul

Motley

Jul 21, 2006, 11:32 AM

Dagless

Jul 21, 2006, 12:15 PM

So anyone tried the Megaman X collection? I've seen it for about $15 for the gamecube and have been tempted. I've only played the first X game and enjoyed it, but heard the series went downhill from there.

I read about that a while ago but, yep, it didn't make it over here so I never got to play it. How daft they didn't bring it here.

CrackedButter

Jul 21, 2006, 01:25 PM

So nobody wants to offer me their sage advice on a Megaman, Castlevania game to get or a Zelda one?

sk1985

Jul 21, 2006, 01:47 PM

True. Easily the best game ever made.

However, I think you meant 'Chrono Trigger'. It was much better than 'Cross', although, I enjoyed both.
Yeah thats what I meant. I personally dislike trigger (it's still good but it can't hold a candle to the original). I don't know what I was thinking (I had a temporary lapse of judgment). Even 12 years after that game came out it still ranks as one of the best RPGs of all time. I personally like it way more then FF7 and FFX and thats saying a lot.

GFLPraxis

Jul 21, 2006, 05:24 PM

So anyone tried the Megaman X collection? I've seen it for about $15 for the gamecube and have been tempted. I've only played the first X game and enjoyed it, but heard the series went downhill from there.

I'd get it. All of the first three X games were extremely good, MegaMan X3 is considered one of the best but very rare. MegaMan X4 was also amazing and I personally enjoyed X5 and X6 despite the nonsensical storylines (X5 and X6 are hotly debated).

It's worth it for $15.

Dagless

Jul 21, 2006, 06:37 PM

Is Dr. Willy still in the games? Or did I dream him up even... He sounds like he was in Megaman.

ddrueckhammer

Jul 21, 2006, 09:44 PM

Sorry as far as platformers on the DS go I think that Castlevania DS, NSMB, and Viewtiful Joe are better...

ravenvii

Jul 21, 2006, 10:23 PM

Is Dr. Willy still in the games? Or did I dream him up even... He sounds like he was in Megaman.

Dr. Wily. Is he still around? You'll have to find out yourself... :)

I've beaten MegaMan 1-8, and MegaMan X1-5. I need to get my hands on X6 and play that. I'm not bothering with X7 and X8 - they were 3Dified and I heard they sucked. I'll get around to playing MegaMan Zero, but I'll wait until they get cheap. :D

I've heard of MegaMan XZ, but what's the storyline? Can anyone tell/link me?

As for Castlevania... SOTN is indeed the best of the Castlevania games I've played so far, and probably the best platformer I've ever played. I need to play the GBA games, just haven't gotten around to getting them yet.

One poster above mentioned one game that sucked on the SNES, that's Castlevania: Dracula X. It's a very poor port of the original TurboGrafx game (called Rondo of Blood). The people will rejoice the day Konami decides to release the true game in America (we are hoping it'd be in a new Castlevania Chronicles installment).

GFLPraxis

Jul 21, 2006, 10:33 PM

Is Dr. Willy still in the games? Or did I dream him up even... He sounds like he was in Megaman.

Dr. Wily is the mad crazy scientist from the old MegaMan series.

The original MegaMan series were very cartoonish and had weird characters (like PlantMan, ClownMan, etc). The MegaMan X series was more serious. And Wily is no longer around in MegaMan X, Zero, or ZX (or he'd be hundreds of years old).

However, I have personally speculated that Dr. Weil from the MegaMan Zero series is actually Dr. Wily. Weil claims to be the creator of reploids, which IIRC was Wily. Wily also created Zero, and Weil seemed very connected to Zero. Finally, Weil was hundreds of years old and lived in a cyborg body which would never age because he'd be long dead otherwise.

But that's just me.

GFLPraxis

Jul 21, 2006, 10:37 PM

Dr. Wily. Is he still around? You'll have to find out yourself... :)

I've beaten MegaMan 1-8, and MegaMan X1-5. I need to get my hands on X6 and play that. I'm not bothering with X7 and X8 - they were 3Dified and I heard they sucked. I'll get around to playing MegaMan Zero, but I'll wait until they get cheap. :D

I've heard of MegaMan XZ, but what's the storyline? Can anyone tell/link me?

Highlight for MegaMan Zero 3 & 4 spoilers:
X dies in MMZ3, and Zero dies in MMZ4.

It occurs hundreds of years after MegaMan Zero, and the character you play discovers these 'Live Metals', containing the memories of MegaMan X and Zero. I don't know the full plot, who the villains are, etc, but the character gets the ability to merge with X (or Zero or Harpuia or Fefnir or any of the other Live Metals) and take on his form for butt-kicking. By the time you reach the end of the game you can switch between any of the character's forms at any time. :)