Megaman's 25th Anniversary + Game review: SFxMM

2012 was not kind to Arm Cannon users...

So, here we are 25 years later. Megaman is officially 25 years old and I just want to take a moment to talk about my favorite video game hero and what he has gone through. But first, let's take a quick look at his legacy.

That video is five years old. Obviously. That video showcased the main line Megaman games, the "important" games for every Megaman series. Forget that Battle Network, Zero, ZX, and all the rest of the Megaman series are SPIN OFFS of the ORIGINAL MEGAMAN SERIES. Megaman today is practically just a name now, sort of like how there are MANY "The Legend of Zelda" games. It's a Legacy. Megaman here, Megaman there. Tron here, Tron there. The name passes down, and that's all that matters. Right? [But I'll get back to this sometime in the future.]

Let me tell you Capcom and Megaman. Since that time, 5 years ago, the times have been very harsh for my favorite hero. It's depressing. Since then there have been 3 major Megaman games cancelled, including an MMO and the highly anticipated and longly awaited sequel: Megaman Legends 3. Not to mention, that in addition to the cancellation of major Megaman projects, X was not even allowed to rest in peace or be put down with a shred of his remaining dignity!

It seems like all we can do is just ask the same questions: "Capcom, what the heck is going on? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Megaman's 25th Anniversary officially began on December 17th, and I know I'm a little late to the party... well, actually, I'm not, because there was no party! But anyways, before 2013 officially kicks off, I'm going to take some time to talk about Megaman and his "25th Anniversary". Which brings me to my game review of Megaman versus-, I mean, STREET FIGHTER X MEGAMAN!!!

Street Fighter x Megaman is a fangame created by Seow Zong Hui, a Singaporean fan of Megaman. It was officially released as a free download through Capcom via the Capcom Unity website on December 17th. The game pits Megaman against 8 Street Fighter characters, each with their own levels and enemies inspired by their own themes. Defeating each fighter grants Megaman a new weapon just as traditional Megaman games have allowed Megaman to copy the Robot Master's powers in the past. All of the animations are solid and the boss fights are actually quite impressive presenting a fresh unique look when it comes down to it. Music uses tunes from classic Megaman titles combined with the theme songs of their respective fighters.

There probably isn't much that I can say about this game alone, other than "it's good". Honestly, it is a good game and is very well crafted for a fan work. It's simple, fun, and appealing and it does a great job of drawing influences from both the Megaman and the Street Fighter franchise. References are thrown throughout the game, gameplay emulates a real Megaman quite accurately, and every Boss has their own "SUPER" meter that fills up when they are hit so that they can attack using their Super Attacks.

One glitch I encountered. I-It's not like I needed that E-Tank!

Of course, it's not the most amazing thing ever made. SFxMM might have some glitches, one of which causes dropped items like extra lives to drop within a wall rendering it unreachable. The game might also play slowly; however, I actually attribute the terrible slowdown and ear butchering sound blending to my own computer, since just about everyone else I've seen seems to be able to play it smoothly on their computer.

If you want to play the game you can download it from here: http://www.capcom-unity.com/mega_man

You can also watch Two Best Friends Play Street Fighter x Megaman as they share in their keen insight. Although, it will spoil most of the surprises as they do clear most of the levels.

As good as it is, Street Fighter x Megaman is far from the greatest thing to happen to Megaman, much less, a fulfilling way to celebrate his 25th Anniversary. But, that's just it. It's not the game's fault, it's the context of the situation. Capcom as of late has really been disappointing many people and it seems like they are just toying with the hearts of Megaman fans as they nickle and dime the Street Fighter Audience with their Street Figher x Tekken DLC, that was already on the disk. An 8Bit crossover game that they didn't even create does not make up for a cancelled sequel people have waited over a decade for! But I do congratulate the guys who made SFxMM and I'm happy that their hard work gained recognition. It's sad to see Capcom continue on like this because when I was younger I admired that company for producing high quality games. But now, most people believe that they've lived long enough to become a villain. I hope that they will eventually change back to how they used to be. As Matt and Pat said, this game is just a roller coaster of emotions for Megaman fans, and I don't think the ride is going to end.

I saw this image many months ago. Tragic.

When I first saw this I thought this was some bad fan art. To my horror, it's official artwork.

I guess 2012 just wasn't a good year for Arm Cannon users. I doubt Samus had any luck receiving a Happy Birthday. There is a lot more I'd like to talk about, but I will have to save those topics for another day. In the future I will review some other Megaman games and talk more about Megaman, but in the mean time here is some of the 25th Anniversary Music made to commemorate Megaman. [At least the music is good.]

Until next time, I'll try to enjoy the remainder of Megaman's 25th Anniversary. Happy New Years Everyone...

It's... It's X-OVER!!!

GAME(S): Merry Gear Solid/Merry Gear Solid 2

It's been quite a while since I have played one of my favorite seasonal games. It's the MERRY GEAR SOLID SERIES! That's right, this holiday season, it's about MERRY GEAR. Not that incredibly lethal bipedal nuclear missile launching tank, METAL GEAR!

METAL GEAR SOLID is one of my favorite games and every time when Christmas is nearing I like to open up a parody game called MERRY GEAR SOLID. Created by Arthur Lee and Duncan Roberts, Merry Gear Solid is an obvious parody of the original Playstation game but modeled with an entire Christmas themed story around it. There are two games in this series: the first is titled Secret Santa, and the second is titled The Ghosts of Christmas Past. Both games capture a sense of the original stealth game requiring the player to sneak through the building unnoticed, but they also make many references to the real video game series and even break the fourth wall intentionally [with a couple of C4 Explosives.]

Merry Gear Solid: Secret Santa:
The first game uses the basic sneak-by "guards" and knock on walls mechanics with an overhead view of the map. It also uses a similar Item/Inventory system that the original MGS uses. Items hidden throughout the building allow the player to sneak past the children in order to reach the Christmas Tree and deliver the presents undetected. You will play as Santa Claus himself in this title.

Merry Gear Solid 2: Ghosts of Christmas Past:
The second game is actually made better. It is more fleshed out, is slightly more complicated, has more features than the first game, and plays almost as a full-length game of its own. MSG2:GoCP uses the basic sneak-by "guards" and knock on walls mechanics with an overhead view of the map, with a similar Item/Inventory system as the original MGS game, but this time it also features the Radar Map in the corner of the screen that shows you the enemies' field of vision. MGS2:GoCP also features even more items than the first game, Boss Encounters, and plenty of references to the actual Metal Gear Series and some of Hideo Kojima's other works. In this game you will play as snake, dressed up like Santa Claus.

I found out about these games years ago and since then I've played them during the Christmas Season. I downloaded played through the second game first and eventually I downloaded and played through the second one. Although I played the second game before the first, I was still able to enjoy the story. Even though MGS:Secret Santa is short, details from that game are crucial to the story of MGS: Ghost of Christmas Past, so I highly recommend playing the games in order. Although, I also highly recommend playing the REAL METAL GEAR SOLID GAMES first to get a greater laugh out of all of the jokes they throw at you. Unless you follow Kojima's works closely, most of the allusions will fly over your head. Regardless, I trust that you may still find the game enjoyable whether or not you've played the Metal Gear games.

Snake? Snake?! SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!!

Both games, as well as some other games, can be downloaded for free from this website: http://www.superfundungeonrun.com/?page_id=256

Old Spice Saved the World

4 1/2 Weeks later we are still here, and the world is saved thanks to the power of Old Spice Deodorant Sticks and Friendship.

The Marketing department for Old Spice Deodorant products have done a great job in the past in making some clever advertisements to catch consumers' attention, and this year when it was said that the world was going to end they did not hold back. Instead, Old Spice gave the people hope for the dawn of a new day in the form of a 16-bit flash game. It was a mission against the clock to carve more time into the Mayan calendar.

Instead of a traditional commercial, Old Spice made a flash game starring the retired basketball player Dikembe Mutombo with the responsibility of saving the world. Released in the middle of November of 2012, Dikembe Mutombo's 4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World provided players with a new level to play each week. Each level had its own game play and story providing as a social commentary on current trends in popular culture and despite the obvious pop culture references, Dikembe Mutombo's 4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World is actually a quite enjoyable video game. Although this game isn't highly polished or crafted like a major title, it is funny, the sprites are detailed beautifully, and the music is enjoyable.

The final level is designed like a level of the shooter game Raiden.

Every level is a separate game that makes remarks about trends that are popular right now; a Korean dance song is keeping citizens of the U.S. distracted from voting, the influx of vampire romance fiction in the entertainment industry is too high, and internet memes are rampaging out of control. In the end, we are saved, we are still alive, and all of the characters from the game come together to sing in one last song: a parody of We are the World.

This is basically what the game is about.

But there are also some positives...

If the game was played before December 21st of 2012, the total score a player earned every time they completed a level was added to a pool of points that every player earned collectively as the clock was ticking. These points were used to "carve additional time into the Mayan Calendar" to postpone the destruction of the world. December 21st already past and the game seemed to do its job at keeping us alive. Unfortunately, it only added 15 Months into the calendar. [If only we had played more and added more time.] The game can still be played but the scores are no longer being tracked and written down.

Isn't this around the time you'll have to start paying for the Mass Effect 3 Ending?

If only I could be so grossly incandescent.

And let us not forget one of the most heartfelt sacrifices ever made. May we continue to play and enjoy this game in memory of one of our fallen friends.

R.I.P. in Peace ;_;