Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Locked thread
Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔

MMI MMII MMIII MMIV

The final entry in the Game Boy series is determined to go out with the biggest bang possible, and I think it does an absolutely fantastic job at that. Presentation-wise, it is with no doubt in my mind the most impressive 8-bit title, small screen notwithstanding. Graphics, soundtrack, everything is new and shiny and makes the ancient Mega Man sprite look seriously outdated in comparison. Though our protagonist still got a few significant upgrades - hyped up by the box art itself, even, and you can see it well in the title screen for the introduction video. As you are going to see, I am not entirely fond of every level design decision, but these are mostly minor complaints. Overall, MMV is more than a worthy goodbye to Minakuchi's efforts in the development department: it is one of the very few games in the Mega Man series that stand up on their own as truly great games, not just "more of the same but a little more polished maybe".


FIST

As this game is one of the first to get Super Game Boy support, I can finally let the game colour itself! Though I will still dabble into gaudifying stuff a little and make the title cards have the Stardroids' official colours. It's gonna be fabulous.


Videos












































Music

Big thanks to Bean once more for uploading all the tracks! Everything here is new, so enjoy it to the fullest - some of these are seriously good.

Prologue, Part 1 - Peace Again
Terra's Theme
Prologue, Part 2 - Crisis of the Stardroids
Title Theme
Dr. Light's Lab 1 - Instructions
Stage Select
Boss Battle

Neptune
Venus
Mars
Mercury

Pluto
Jupiter
Uranus
Saturn

Take Flight
Space Rush Stage

Wily Star
Sunstar Battle
Ending

Simply Simon fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Sep 25, 2014

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔
Reserved for later, and until I use it, proof that Neptune really has these colours:



FAB

SamuraiFoochs
Jan 16, 2007




Grimey Drawer
Yay! A new Simon thread! I'll be curious to see how this one stacks up to IV.

That Fucking Sned
Oct 28, 2010

I'm glad to finally see this game being done. Isn't it considered extremely rare? It's a shame since it does quite a lot to change or improve the gameplay.

C-Euro
Mar 20, 2010

:science:
Soiled Meat
Finally, the best Mega Man game. Though I might just be saying that because I'm 99% sure it was my first (and I still have my original cart somewhere)

Skunkrocker
Jan 14, 2012

Your favorite furry wrestler.
Goddamn YES! I'm so loving excited. Let us know if you need anything at all for the thread!

FYI, I cannot wait for you to get to Pluto.

jivjov
Sep 13, 2007

But how does it taste? Yummy!
Dinosaur Gum
In on the ground floor for this one. I had this game as a kid and was super glad I didn't have one of the "recycled" older games in the gameboy line (Simon, thanks for shedding some light on the oft-unappreciated previous games)

Bobbin Threadbare
Jan 2, 2009

I'm looking for a flock of urbanmechs.

I'd say it's nice to see someone other than Wily be the bad guy, but as the last Megaman NES games showed, there's no way to be sure he isn't until the end.

Choco1980
Feb 22, 2013

I fell in love with a Video Nasty
Yay, Simon's doing V! This is the Mega Man game I know the very least about of all the games that actually use the original Blue Bomber. (Seriously, I think I know more about the Dos games than I do this one). I'm excited to find out more!

FeyerbrandX
Oct 9, 2012

Is it just me or is your commentary unusually low volume in both videos? I have to strain to hear you over the music.

Choco1980
Feb 22, 2013

I fell in love with a Video Nasty

FeyerbrandX posted:

Is it just me or is your commentary unusually low volume in both videos? I have to strain to hear you over the music.

Yeah I noticed that too. It didn't help that for once Simon sounds really rushed to get everything in in time. That's totally not like you, dude.

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔
Can't really help the rush easily (maybe I'll watch out for it in future videos), though it might just be that I had more scripted for the intro than usual (that is, more than the very first overview, as there are more cutscenes in Quintum).

About the loudness, I switched to a new laptop for Quintum so it might well be that there are a few issues.

How's this?

Intro louder
Neptune louder

Petiso
Apr 30, 2012



Great, we finally get to wrap up the Gameboy series. Eagerly awaiting for more videos.

Although that Neptune title card hurts my eyes :cripes:

Classtoise
Feb 11, 2008

THINKS CON-AIR WAS A GOOD MOVIE

Petiso posted:

Great, we finally get to wrap up the Gameboy series. Eagerly awaiting for more videos.

Although that Neptune title card hurts my eyes :cripes:

Super Gameboy is not without its' limits.

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔

Classtoise posted:

Super Gameboy is not without its' limits.
Actually, that was kinda my fault, if you compare the title card to how it actually looks in the video. Unless you mean the two-colour limit ;).






Music

Venus

Boss Battle



Oh, and thinking about it, Venus' bubble theme could well be coming from the goddess' origin: being born from the foam of Uranus' member falling into the sea. Though that still makes the gender an issue, but we're not judging here, eh?

Torrannor
Apr 27, 2013

---FAGNER---
TEAM-MATE
Maybe the Japanese namesake for the planet Venus is male?

Are there any female robot masters?

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔

Torrannor posted:

Maybe the Japanese namesake for the planet Venus is male?

Are there any female robot masters?
Splash Woman in MM9 was the first and kind of a big deal was made out of that.

Monprr
Jan 28, 2009
I don't know if this was mentioned, but salt water can be aimed somewhat. Holding up, down, or forward will change the arc a little bit. Still not too useful, though.

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔

Monprr posted:

I don't know if this was mentioned, but salt water can be aimed somewhat. Holding up, down, or forward will change the arc a little bit. Still not too useful, though.
A Youtube comment alerted me to this, but you're the first on SA. I didn't actually know before and have recorded everything up to and including the intermission so far, but I will immediately explain that Salt Water is a lot better than I thought in the next video and demonstrate a few more uses (did that today, in fact). Thanks for the heads-up in any case!

SamuraiFoochs
Jan 16, 2007




Grimey Drawer
I'm sorry Simon, but every time you pronounced Venus's name, I laughed.

Classtoise
Feb 11, 2008

THINKS CON-AIR WAS A GOOD MOVIE

Simply Simon posted:

Splash Woman in MM9 was the first and kind of a big deal was made out of that.

Isn't Centaur Man supposedly intended to be female? Or is that one of those fan rumors that just gets repeated over and over?

Dabir
Nov 10, 2012

That was a Bob and George thing, wasn't it? Centaur Man was mtf transgender... somehow.

Edit: Yep.

(image is a link)

Edit2: Centaur Man was revealed to be female, and Knight Man's lover, in the Rockman 6 manga, but in the game canon he's male. Has a male voice in Power Fighters, so I think that proves it conclusively.

Dabir fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Mar 9, 2014

Who What Now
Sep 10, 2006

by Azathoth
Glad to see you rounding off the GB series, Simon!

Who What Now fucked around with this message at 01:02 on Mar 9, 2014

Choco1980
Feb 22, 2013

I fell in love with a Video Nasty

SamuraiFoochs posted:

I'm sorry Simon, but every time you pronounced Venus's name, I laughed.

Glad I'm not the only one. Simon's German accent turning it into "Weenus" makes me giggle because I never matured past age 12.

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔

Choco1980 posted:

Glad I'm not the only one. Simon's German accent turning it into "Weenus" makes me giggle because I never matured past age 12.
A lil' preview...

C-Euro
Mar 20, 2010

:science:
Soiled Meat
Simon I know you normally Buster-duel bosses in these LPs, but is the order you're going through them the same as the weakness rock-paper-scissors order?

I...I actually never learned what the boss weaknesses were in this game :negative:

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔
Salt Water is Mars' weakness, and Mars' weapon kills Venus.

We can't get the other two guy's weaknesses! Crazy, isn't it?

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔



Music

Mars

Petiso
Apr 30, 2012



Oh wow, you could counter Mars' machinegun by rapid firing? Didn't know that, looks snazzy.

KnT
Jul 12, 2010
This is the only Mega Man game I've ever owned, so I'm having a blast watching you play through it (and showing my younger self just how to actually play this game).

Torrannor
Apr 27, 2013

---FAGNER---
TEAM-MATE
Some enemies have entirely too much health in Quintum.

Dabir
Nov 10, 2012

Oh man, did I see the Bubble Bomb roll along the ceiling like an upside-down Bubble Lead? Fantastic.

Psion
Dec 13, 2002

eVeN I KnOw wHaT CoRnEr gAs iS
I remember getting this for my GB. It was the only GB Megaman I ever owned and I think, after playing the older ones later, I lucked into the right decision.

heytallman
Aug 30, 2013

Is not actually tall.
Loved the use of Mars from the Planets Suite at the end of the video. Hopefully maybe we'll get some more of it in future levels, though we've already done Neptune's stage, and that's one of my favorite movements of the suite.

Torrannor
Apr 27, 2013

---FAGNER---
TEAM-MATE

Psion posted:

I remember getting this for my GB. It was the only GB Megaman I ever owned and I think, after playing the older ones later, I lucked into the right decision.

Quartum is still a bit better than Quintum.

Psion
Dec 13, 2002

eVeN I KnOw wHaT CoRnEr gAs iS

Torrannor posted:

Quartum is still a bit better than Quintum.

In your opinion, sure.

Red_October_7000
Jun 22, 2009
I had this and Megaman II for the Gameboy. I do think that this is the best game of the series, but I understand the complaints about artificial padding of the game's length. In my own opinion the original designs for the robot masters really sells it. Funny thing is, though, I don't remember there being a weapon in this game that I used the way I used Metal Blade from II, though. Once I got around to playing with the weapons, I changed my order to get that one first. Like a lot of people, I think, I horded weapon energy in case it was a boss's weakness.

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔

Petiso posted:

Oh wow, you could counter Mars' machinegun by rapid firing? Didn't know that, looks snazzy.
Yeah, kind of forgot to mention that in the video - they really like that tactic, much like against the final boss of MMIV. It's not something you see much in Capcom-made games, surprisingly enough!

Torrannor posted:

Some enemies have entirely too much health in Quintum.
Agreed. There are reasons for it, as I mentioned - Tango from the start is a strong argument, a certain buster upgrade, and they seem to be strongly pushing for special weapons usage (another great upgrade much later will indicate that). It's still really annoying before you get Photon Missiles to double-fire at 4-health enemies, Bubble Bomb to immediately destroy most at once, the expensive buster upgrade etc.

Dabir posted:

Oh man, did I see the Bubble Bomb roll along the ceiling like an upside-down Bubble Lead? Fantastic.
Yup! Bubble Bomb is just great all-around. I also think it's fantastically balanced for a "goes upward" weapon. Hard to use, but very, very rewarding.

heytallman posted:

Loved the use of Mars from the Planets Suite at the end of the video. Hopefully maybe we'll get some more of it in future levels, though we've already done Neptune's stage, and that's one of my favorite movements of the suite.
One more so far! Would be two if there were an Earth movement :(.

D_W
Nov 12, 2013

I watched through you other GB Mega Man LPs because I noticed this thread. Love that you analyze the level design. Missed IV though. Shame it's not on the archive yet.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔



Music

Mercury

  • Locked thread