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Thread: Megaman X5

  1. Megaman Megaman X5

    After leaving the Megaman X series on a four year hiatus, Capcom pleasantly surprised fans with a new 2D adventure in Megaman X5 for the Playstation in 2001. With the series easily showing it's age in a Halo and Grand Theft Auto dominated action genre, it's relevancy to the casual gamer is apparent. The better question is the one asked by those still addicted to refined 2D action, how does the game compare to it's predecessors?

    Megaman X5 plays just like all the others. Shoot and slash though the stage of choice, search for secrets along the way, defeat boss, take bosses ability, repeat. The back of the case reads "Time-based gameplay. The Earth is on a collision course! Your every move counts." Despite what Capcom would like you to believe, Majora's Mask this is not. The "time-based gameplay" functions as little more than a plot device during the cut scenes to add urgency to the series' dark story. Your menu-based choices will branch out into different scenarios, but the meat of the game remains unchanged. Another new element is the ability to collect items from fallen bosses and assemble additional character upgrades over the course of the game.

    The Megaman franchise is as popular today as ever, the Network Transmission series on Gameboy Advance currently being one of the more successful Pokemon clones. With the traditional platformers being popular primarily with long-time, hardcore fans, Capcom made a strange move by practically neutering the bosses. Noticeably slow and docile compared to past games, I rarely had to make multiple attempts or rely on life tanks to defeat them. While replaying the game with Zero (sporting new special attacks), I frequently destroyed bosses within 15 seconds. The stages additionally have a limited, claustrophobic scope compared to earlier games. X1 in particular sported huge open, levels allowing exploration in many directions. In X5, you constantly seem confined by a wall or roof. Along with having my hand held throughout the stages with numerous mandatory text scenes offering tips, the gameplay is definitely easier this time around. My other gripe is that Capcom attempted to integrate more supporting characters than the game's limited time or scope could work with. X and Zero have four comrades at their base doing the work of one or two, and as a result no particular ally is memorable. Dynamo is introduced as your arch rival, doing evil deeds on behalf of Sigma, but fails to establish himself as particularly intriguing and functions as little more than a mid-stage boss.

    If you have played Megaman X4, you'll know what to expect with the graphics in this game, which appears to use the same graphical engine. Like X4, your characters travel to a variety of locations including space stations, forests, and lava pits. Same settings, yet completely reinterpreted by the artists. Slowdown is only an issue during a portion of the outer space level. The soundtrack is the usual techno-rock blend the series has come to know. By no means bland, the stages of Axle The Red, Izzy Glow, Duff McWhalen and the final stages sport very well done, catchy tunes. I do have to question the choice in boss music, a fruity techno-dance theme that does little to inspire a sense of danger. Sound effects are once again standard Megaman fare.

    While by no means a bad game, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the lowered difficulty, confined worlds and disappointing attempts at innovation. Rather than raising the bar of their most enduring series, Capcom has left me wanting to revisit the blue bomber's earlier adventures.
    Last edited by Mikazuki; 26 Jun 2005 at 10:40 PM.

  2. REVIEW OF EVERY MEGA MAN GAME, EVER:

    "Exactly the same as the one before it".

  3. #3
    I was mainly disappointed with the lack of animated cinema scenes, the weird "robot parts" system of powering up after beating a boss, the mixed jumble of Zero/X play (as opposed to the 2 differing paths found in X4), the crappy translation that decided to name the robots after Guns N Roses band members (and I fucking love GNR), the randomness in either shooting the giant gun or launching the ship, etc.

    In short, the game was confusing, overly complicated, and utter crap when compared to X4.
    HA! HA! I AM USING THE INTERNET!!1
    My Backloggery

  4. Quote Originally Posted by diffusionx
    REVIEW OF EVERY MEGA MAN GAME, EVER:

    "Exactly the same as the one before it".
    If this is true, then why does the series vary wildly in quality from one game to the next?

    Oh, and I'm the only person who prefers X5 to X4. I found X4 way too bland, presentation aside.

  5. Megaman X5 plays just like all the others.
    BUT NOW YOU CAN DUCK

  6. Quote Originally Posted by sethsez
    If this is true, then why does the series vary wildly in quality from one game to the next?
    No it doesnt.

  7. Yeah it does. X4 is widely regarded as one of the best games in the series, but by X6 it was so unbalanced that some levels were literally impossible to complete (due to the moronic randomization feature). Mega Man II is a classic, but nobody gives a shit about VI.

    It all comes back to level design. The mechanics are the same in all the games, but some have fantastic, well balanced levels, and some have absolutely dull (or impossibly difficult) levels. Kind of like the Sonic games, really.

  8. Nope.

    I miss sethsez though
    Donk

  9. By X5, how dumb were the mavericks?

    Magma Capybara?
    Quick zephyrs blow, vexing daft Jim.

  10. Purpledrank Alligator
    Quote Originally Posted by Razor Ramon View Post
    I don't even the rage I mean )#@($@IU_+FJ$(U#()IRFK)_#
    Quote Originally Posted by Some Stupid Japanese Name View Post
    I'm sure whatever Yeller wrote is fascinating!

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