Two days ago, Castlevania: Requiem, a collection of two of Castlevania's best games (Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood) was released. Or, re-released rather.
"Requiem" is a befitting title for Castlevania. Ever since the lukewarm reception to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (which I played through and liked, despite some questionable game design choices) back in 2014, Castlevania has, in many ways, died, with currently no signs of resurrecting. There has been no new game carrying the Castlevania title released since then. Konami, the owner of the Castlevania intellectual property, doesn't care about making video games anymore. It's all about pachinko machines and gambling for them now. Before I proceed into a diatribe of Konami's corruption and unethical practices (another time), I will simply say that Castlevania and Metal Gear Solid deserve far better than the treatment Konami has given their flagship franchises as of late.
Will Konami ever make another Castlevania game? Who knows. They've already made too many, resulting in product devaluation and oversaturation of games, problems that plagued Mega Man and, more recently, Telltale Games. Though, I suppose I shouldn't give up all hope. Mega Man has made a comeback of sorts recently, just in time for his 30th anniversary, and I once thought he was completely dead and done for, before Nintendo brought him back for Smash Bros. The recent re-releases of Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood, as well as the highly regarded Castlevania Netflix series (go watch it!) that, coincidentally, also released its second season two days ago, have helped Castlevania remain relevant for the time being. Furthermore, the inclusion of Simon and Richter Belmont in Smash Bros. Ultimate helps ensure that Castlevania will maintain representation in today's modern gaming climate. Like with Mega Man, Nintendo appears to be showing more love for Castlevania than Konami/Capcom has in recent years. All of these signs and recent releases could be sparks of a renewed flame, perhaps. Or, more likely, a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Castlevania's place in video game history.
But, in reality, Castlevania will never be forgotten. Its legacy of games is unquestionable. An entire gaming genre, "Metroidvania," resulted from the genius and tried-and-tested design elements (incorporating action/adventure, platforming, exploration, and character growth) from Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Personally, I believe that Super Metroid had a greater influence, but Symphony of the Night remains one of my favorite games. Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night - two of my favorite games that helped spawn more of my favorite games, including Cave Story, Shovel Knight, and Ori and the Blind Forest.
However, unlike Dracula, Castlevania is not immortal. Dracula's centennial resurrections have assured that the Belmonts' battle against evil always continued in every Castlevania game. This was the case, until recently, when Castlevania games ceased to be made anymore. "No one wants to play another 2D Castlevania game," some believed. Fewer wanted to play a 3D Castlevania game. There have been many battles against Dracula as a final boss (I counted 27 main Castlevania titles), and perhaps it is time for the franchise to finally be laid to rest. A true requiem, indeed.
But, this doesn't feel right. I am not lamenting Castlevania as I had in the past. Though in the past I have grieved for the deaths and disrespect given to Castlevania, Mega Man, and Metal Gear Solid by their own companies, I myself now feel... empowered... by a renewed passion and recollected remembrance...
Castlevania games will live on in remembrance. I can play them over and over again. Hell, there are still a few Castlevania games I haven't played yet. I just finished Rondo of Blood, almost a decade since I played Dracula X Chronicles on my PSP. It is time to play Symphony of the Night once again, one of the greatest and most influential games ever made. Tis' a game that revitalized the franchise and helped to establish a genre in gaming. Castlevania, in fact, was on the verge of becoming stale in the mid-90's after the Castlevania formula of fighting stiff movement and jump controls; whip-lashing skeletons, medusa heads, harpies, and other monsters; throwing crosses, axes, daggers, and holy water and feeling cool; and navigating through clock towers, ghost ships, and Dracula's castle all started to get old. Then, after three Gameboy Advance games and three more Nintendo DS games, all using the exact same Metroidvania formula as Symphony of the Night (add in some demon soul collecting and other character customization and weapons/spells options), Castlevania once again started to get old.
Old. The word my friend, also an avid gamer, used to describe Castlevania when I mentioned that Castlevania characters were joining Super Smash Bros. Old. How I feel now that I am entering the third decade of my life. Old. The fact that Dracula is almost 1000 years old in Castlevania.
Many things might seem or actually be old, but it's never too late to remember or renew one's love for something precious. To me, Castlevania is precious.
I love Gothic literature. I enjoyed reading Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Authors such as Goethe, Poe, Lord Byron, Coleridge, and Shelley helped establish the Gothic and Dark Romantic literary tradition through their riveting stories and poems. In 1986, the gothic tradition found its way into gaming in the form of Castlevania. Vampires, demons, magic, macabre, horror... Everything a person could want from a work of dark gothic art.
Castlevania may be dead, in a sense, but death is just the beginning. The death of his wife is what spurred Dracula to unleash his war on mankind, therefore providing impetus to defeat him while playing as a Belmont (or as Alucard, Dracula's alluring son). Playing old Castlevania games may be like reanimating an old corpse. Playing Castlevania games can be painful, and you will die a lot. But death is never permanent in Castlevania. Dracula cannot die, not completely, and neither will Castlevania, so long as we remember Castlevania's legacy and continue to play old Castlevania games.
Or, we can just play Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, once it comes out. Curse of the Moon was fun too. Castlevania, like Metal Gear Solid, had a good run. May they rest in peace. Go to hell, Konami.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Nintendo: Love and Hate Part 1
Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. They might seem like polar opposite emotions, but their similarities cannot be denied. They are the most powerful emotions we can experience, fueled by passion. Love and hate are not words that we should throw around lightly, yet we do.
Power. Passion. These two words sum up Nintendo. By extension, and for me personally, I regard Nintendo with much love, and, at times, much hate. I've experienced a lifetime's worth of joy, memorable moments, and grievances, all thanks to Nintendo. As of right now at least, my love still outweighs the hate, I think, otherwise I wouldn't continue to buy Nintendo products or play Nintendo games.
Of course, we cannot forget that without Nintendo, the video game industry simply would not exist. After the fallout of the video game market crash of 1983 due to poor quality control, product devaluation, and disingenuous advertising, the general public became disenchanted with gaming and saw it as merely a fad. Newly released Atari games could be found in bargain bins or a Mexican landfill. The very notion of selling a new video game console in the U.S. in 1985 seemed like financial suicide. No one wanted to buy video games anymore.
That's why Nintendo advertised the Nintendo Entertainment System as a toy - not a gaming console, but an entertainment package that includes R.O.B. the toy robot. Nintendo also dedicated itself to quality control and carefully oversaw the types of games that were released on its console. They avoided the mistakes that Atari and video game publishers had made prior. Nintendo brought video games back to life when many believed such a feat was impossible.
Many people who grew up with the NES spent hours of their lives playing Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. Thanks to Nintendo, video games did not die - they endured, continued to live on, and became our loving partners in life. In 1990, the Super Nintendo, arguably the greatest video game console ever made (other than the Playstation 2 of course), entered the world and defined my (and others') childhood. 1998 solidified my lifelong love for Nintendo when I got my hands on Pokémon Red and Blue and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I bought a GameCube solely to play Super Smash Bros. Melee, and it was worth it. Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, and Super Smash Bros. These games defined my formative years and have provided me with endless hours of joy, even to this day.
Fast forward to 2017, and we have the Nintendo Switch and Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, two of the greatest games ever made. Every year there is a new Pokemon game that I have to play. Today, it is 2018, and there is a little more than a month before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is released. Nintendo's legacy and continued staying power are unquestionable.
However, having seen multiple generations of consoles come and go, I cannot withhold my criticisms, nor my hatred, of Nintendo's less admirable decisions and practices. I have willingly parted with much of my hard-earned money to purchase Nintendo products. Too much of my money, to be honest. But this was not the case between 2007 and 2010. Besides still being in school and not making any money, I experienced the first and greatest grievance from Nintendo in 2006. I then entered a four-year period during which I refused to give Nintendo my money, save on rare occasions. All I bought was one Zelda game, a DS Lite from eBay, and a couple Pokémon games. For all the other Nintendo games I wanted to play, I simply found other means (I won't say how, but it's not hard to guess).
2006 was the year that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was released. I'd been wanting to play Twilight Princess, my most anticipated game, for so long. I wanted to play it so badly. It was set to release in November, but then, Nintendo decided to delay the GameCube version's release by a month since they wanted Twilight Princess to be a Wii launch title to help sell console units. So, I had to wait an extra month since I had no interest in buying a Wii at the time.
I had been a Nintendo fanboy filled with blind devotion to the company up until the Wii released. Then, over the years, I began to realize that even Nintendo is not immune to greed and ill-informed decision-making practices.
I hate the Wii. Don't get me wrong: I love some of its games, such as Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime Trilogy, and Xenoblade Chronicles, and several others. I don't hate motion controls as a concept (though they're more of a gimmick), but I hated Nintendo's adamant insistence that motion controls were the only, or at least the preferred, way to go. Motion controls have come and gone, and no one really cares about them anymore, not even Nintendo.
Also, how many people sought desperately to purchase a Wii in 2006-2008, only to realize that it was sold out everywhere? How many people chose to buy a Wii on eBay for unfairly marked up prices due to the console's short supply? How many people played Wii Sports for a while, only to then leave their Wii consoles and Wiimotes laying around in their garages or closets to collect dust? This is how I see the Wii: an exemplar of Hamlet's quote "quintessence of dust," and money wasted. Sure, it was one of the best-selling consoles of all time, but it forced me to wait another month to play Zelda. Twilight Princess was meant to be a GameCube game, not a Wii game (and Link is supposed to be left-handed). My love for Zelda games is unconditional, but I cannot say the same for Nintendo. Petty? Perhaps. But I have yet to discuss my other grievances.
Nintendo has a track record of under-supplying stores with its products to create the illusory perception of high demand. Sometimes this was deliberate, as was the case with the Wii, and other times this was due to Nintendo's lack of foresight and underestimation of product demand. However, the roughly three-year period when the Wii was impossible to find in stores was simply unacceptable. More recently, Nintendo released small figurines known as "Amiibo" to serve as companion products (and cash grabbers) to their well-known gaming franchises. Earlier this year I completed my collection of all the Smash Bros. amiibo. Most of them I managed to purchase for retail price, but some of them required me to spend extra money on eBay due to their short supply. In another instance, I overpaid for my NES Classic (retail $60; I paid $180) since Nintendo themselves previously stated that they would not re-release the product. They lied. I'm glad that people today can easily purchase the NES Classic and SNES Classic for retail price without having to turn to eBay, but I wish Nintendo didn't lie to me. You don't lie to your loved ones.
But, I'm fully aware that even if I love Nintendo, they don't necessarily love me. That's the reality of the situation. They want my money. Why does Mario love collecting coins so much? Because he, and Nintendo, is a gold digger. And, even at times when I want to give Nintendo my money, I can't because their products are sold out, and I instead have to pay a scalper on eBay to obtain a product I unfathomably desire.
Consumers who are not dumb and who don't love Nintendo wouldn't fall for the trap of having to purchase so many Nintendo products simply for the sake of having them. Unfortunately, I'm a dumb consumer who loves Nintendo. I hate Nintendo, but I continue to give them, or occasionally scalpers, my money. Thus is the predicament of an abusive relationship.
Power. Passion. These two words sum up Nintendo. By extension, and for me personally, I regard Nintendo with much love, and, at times, much hate. I've experienced a lifetime's worth of joy, memorable moments, and grievances, all thanks to Nintendo. As of right now at least, my love still outweighs the hate, I think, otherwise I wouldn't continue to buy Nintendo products or play Nintendo games.
Of course, we cannot forget that without Nintendo, the video game industry simply would not exist. After the fallout of the video game market crash of 1983 due to poor quality control, product devaluation, and disingenuous advertising, the general public became disenchanted with gaming and saw it as merely a fad. Newly released Atari games could be found in bargain bins or a Mexican landfill. The very notion of selling a new video game console in the U.S. in 1985 seemed like financial suicide. No one wanted to buy video games anymore.
That's why Nintendo advertised the Nintendo Entertainment System as a toy - not a gaming console, but an entertainment package that includes R.O.B. the toy robot. Nintendo also dedicated itself to quality control and carefully oversaw the types of games that were released on its console. They avoided the mistakes that Atari and video game publishers had made prior. Nintendo brought video games back to life when many believed such a feat was impossible.
Many people who grew up with the NES spent hours of their lives playing Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. Thanks to Nintendo, video games did not die - they endured, continued to live on, and became our loving partners in life. In 1990, the Super Nintendo, arguably the greatest video game console ever made (other than the Playstation 2 of course), entered the world and defined my (and others') childhood. 1998 solidified my lifelong love for Nintendo when I got my hands on Pokémon Red and Blue and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I bought a GameCube solely to play Super Smash Bros. Melee, and it was worth it. Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, and Super Smash Bros. These games defined my formative years and have provided me with endless hours of joy, even to this day.
Fast forward to 2017, and we have the Nintendo Switch and Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, two of the greatest games ever made. Every year there is a new Pokemon game that I have to play. Today, it is 2018, and there is a little more than a month before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is released. Nintendo's legacy and continued staying power are unquestionable.
However, having seen multiple generations of consoles come and go, I cannot withhold my criticisms, nor my hatred, of Nintendo's less admirable decisions and practices. I have willingly parted with much of my hard-earned money to purchase Nintendo products. Too much of my money, to be honest. But this was not the case between 2007 and 2010. Besides still being in school and not making any money, I experienced the first and greatest grievance from Nintendo in 2006. I then entered a four-year period during which I refused to give Nintendo my money, save on rare occasions. All I bought was one Zelda game, a DS Lite from eBay, and a couple Pokémon games. For all the other Nintendo games I wanted to play, I simply found other means (I won't say how, but it's not hard to guess).
2006 was the year that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was released. I'd been wanting to play Twilight Princess, my most anticipated game, for so long. I wanted to play it so badly. It was set to release in November, but then, Nintendo decided to delay the GameCube version's release by a month since they wanted Twilight Princess to be a Wii launch title to help sell console units. So, I had to wait an extra month since I had no interest in buying a Wii at the time.
I had been a Nintendo fanboy filled with blind devotion to the company up until the Wii released. Then, over the years, I began to realize that even Nintendo is not immune to greed and ill-informed decision-making practices.
I hate the Wii. Don't get me wrong: I love some of its games, such as Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime Trilogy, and Xenoblade Chronicles, and several others. I don't hate motion controls as a concept (though they're more of a gimmick), but I hated Nintendo's adamant insistence that motion controls were the only, or at least the preferred, way to go. Motion controls have come and gone, and no one really cares about them anymore, not even Nintendo.
Also, how many people sought desperately to purchase a Wii in 2006-2008, only to realize that it was sold out everywhere? How many people chose to buy a Wii on eBay for unfairly marked up prices due to the console's short supply? How many people played Wii Sports for a while, only to then leave their Wii consoles and Wiimotes laying around in their garages or closets to collect dust? This is how I see the Wii: an exemplar of Hamlet's quote "quintessence of dust," and money wasted. Sure, it was one of the best-selling consoles of all time, but it forced me to wait another month to play Zelda. Twilight Princess was meant to be a GameCube game, not a Wii game (and Link is supposed to be left-handed). My love for Zelda games is unconditional, but I cannot say the same for Nintendo. Petty? Perhaps. But I have yet to discuss my other grievances.
Nintendo has a track record of under-supplying stores with its products to create the illusory perception of high demand. Sometimes this was deliberate, as was the case with the Wii, and other times this was due to Nintendo's lack of foresight and underestimation of product demand. However, the roughly three-year period when the Wii was impossible to find in stores was simply unacceptable. More recently, Nintendo released small figurines known as "Amiibo" to serve as companion products (and cash grabbers) to their well-known gaming franchises. Earlier this year I completed my collection of all the Smash Bros. amiibo. Most of them I managed to purchase for retail price, but some of them required me to spend extra money on eBay due to their short supply. In another instance, I overpaid for my NES Classic (retail $60; I paid $180) since Nintendo themselves previously stated that they would not re-release the product. They lied. I'm glad that people today can easily purchase the NES Classic and SNES Classic for retail price without having to turn to eBay, but I wish Nintendo didn't lie to me. You don't lie to your loved ones.
But, I'm fully aware that even if I love Nintendo, they don't necessarily love me. That's the reality of the situation. They want my money. Why does Mario love collecting coins so much? Because he, and Nintendo, is a gold digger. And, even at times when I want to give Nintendo my money, I can't because their products are sold out, and I instead have to pay a scalper on eBay to obtain a product I unfathomably desire.
Consumers who are not dumb and who don't love Nintendo wouldn't fall for the trap of having to purchase so many Nintendo products simply for the sake of having them. Unfortunately, I'm a dumb consumer who loves Nintendo. I hate Nintendo, but I continue to give them, or occasionally scalpers, my money. Thus is the predicament of an abusive relationship.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Rock On, Man: Why I Love Mega/Rockman
Mega Man games are tough. So is life. There have been times when a player feels that it is impossible to beat a level or boss, that the time they spent getting to the boss's gates is negated by quick and sudden defeats, or struggling to figure out the boss's weakness (unless the player already searched it up on the internet) causes them to forfeit several lives before discovering that they have not yet beaten the other boss, the one that provides the weapon they need to have a decent chance of beating this current boss...
I imagine that many people have played Mega Man games and simply gave up when they couldn't even beat one level. The challenge typically only increases as a player reaches the final stages of Wily's castle. The difficulty can easily deter people and cause them to quit. One of the bosses is usually designed to be easily beatable enough through Mega Man's primary weapon, the Mega Buster, but trying to beat the later bosses without their weaknesses can prove daunting. I'm sure some can pull this off, but for most players using the bosses' weaknesses is the way to go. Rock, paper, scissors.
Simply reaching the bosses can be hard enough. Quick Man's stage in Mega Man 2 has multiple instant-death lasers that can be extremely difficult, especially for new players, to avoid without Flash Man's Time Stopper weapon (which, as the name suggests, freezes time). But that weapon's ammunition is best saved for when actually fighting Quick Man, unless one has the skill to defeat Quick Man with the Mega Buster. Even then, on "difficult" mode (which is "normal" for the Japanese version of Rockman 2), Time Stopper only depletes half of Quick Man's health.
Of course, difficult challenges are meant to be overcome. I used to not be able to get past the first of the four final stages in Mega Man X. I hadn't yet found all the power ups, particularly the armor that halves the damage X receives. However, with each new discovery, whether it be a new item, upgrade, weapon or strategy, and each failed attempt at beating a tough level or boss, the player improves, evolves, and adapts, which eventually culminates in the final boss's defeat and the game's completion...
Level by level, eventually the player manages to reach the final stages. After several (or many) tries, they can eventually reach the final boss. The final boss might be tough, and the player will likely see more than a few game over screens before they can finally beat the game. They might beat the final boss's first phase... only to realize that it has multiple forms...
If Shakespeare believed that "All the world's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players;" then the same lines can apply to the comparison between life and video games. Mega Man games, much like life, present players with obstacles one after the other. Every time players overcome one challenge, another tougher challenge awaits them. It can be easy to feel discouraged, but we must always remember that it is through failure, or rather, learning through our failures and mistakes, that we ultimately attain, as well as appreciate, the success we find after persevering through tough challenges. This applies to both life and video games.
This is what Mega Man teaches us: how to persevere and overcome hardships. What seems impossible at first will eventually become feasible, and then perhaps even easy. All it takes is time, practice, and effort. Such is the case with anything in life. The Chinese call this process of achievement and refinement of one's skills through hard work and effort 功夫, or gōngfu. In psychology, the concept of growth mindset is embodied through grit and determination as one treats his or her failures as opportunities to learn and improve.
Mega Man is about growth and perseverance. Mega Man is noble and adorable. Mega Man represents multiple generations of gamers who put in the time and work to get good.
Capcom might not love Mega Man that much. Mega Man should be Capcom's mascot and VIP, not Ryu, much like what Mario is to Nintendo and Sonic to Sega. Unfortunately and tragically, Capcom has devalued Mega Man by releasing too many Mega Man games within too short of a time period (with few refinements) as a means of quick cash grabs. Ironically (or logically if one applies common sense), this has resulted in the later Mega Man games not finding as much success with sales, and eight years' passing since our last Mega Man game. Six games on the NES. Eight Mega Man X games, with only three (arguably four) being games of quality. Too many Battle Network games. Not enough Legends games. I haven't played Star Force. Apparently they're not that good. The Mega Man Zero games are pretty good though.
Thank you Capcom for cancelling Mega Man Legends 3. Thank you for blaming the "lack of fan support" for its cancellation and for going out of your way to discourage and disappoint Mega Man fans. But, sarcasm aside, thank you for bringing Mega Man back to life.
I once thought that Mega Man had died, with zero lives left. His last game (Mega Man 10) released in 2010, and it was quite enjoyable. It took some time, but I eventually came to terms with Mega Man's death. There wasn't as much grieving as one might have guessed. No tears were shed, for I had found peace. Mega Man had a good run. It would have been nice if he were still alive though. Then he appeared in Smash Bros., and I saw that Nintendo gave Mega Man more love through his inclusion in Smash than Capcom had in perhaps two decades.
Then they announced Mega Man 11. I beat it the day after it released. Is there new hope for Mega Man?
I think so. Mega Man 11 was alright, not bad, pretty good perhaps. Mega Man will live on. Maybe Capcom will finish Mega Man Legends 3. Maybe I shouldn't hope for too much.
I also collect a lot of Mega Man merchandise. Check it out:
Mega Man Limited Edition Headphones (retails $44; couldn't get the price sticker off successfully...)
I imagine that many people have played Mega Man games and simply gave up when they couldn't even beat one level. The challenge typically only increases as a player reaches the final stages of Wily's castle. The difficulty can easily deter people and cause them to quit. One of the bosses is usually designed to be easily beatable enough through Mega Man's primary weapon, the Mega Buster, but trying to beat the later bosses without their weaknesses can prove daunting. I'm sure some can pull this off, but for most players using the bosses' weaknesses is the way to go. Rock, paper, scissors.
Simply reaching the bosses can be hard enough. Quick Man's stage in Mega Man 2 has multiple instant-death lasers that can be extremely difficult, especially for new players, to avoid without Flash Man's Time Stopper weapon (which, as the name suggests, freezes time). But that weapon's ammunition is best saved for when actually fighting Quick Man, unless one has the skill to defeat Quick Man with the Mega Buster. Even then, on "difficult" mode (which is "normal" for the Japanese version of Rockman 2), Time Stopper only depletes half of Quick Man's health.
Of course, difficult challenges are meant to be overcome. I used to not be able to get past the first of the four final stages in Mega Man X. I hadn't yet found all the power ups, particularly the armor that halves the damage X receives. However, with each new discovery, whether it be a new item, upgrade, weapon or strategy, and each failed attempt at beating a tough level or boss, the player improves, evolves, and adapts, which eventually culminates in the final boss's defeat and the game's completion...
Level by level, eventually the player manages to reach the final stages. After several (or many) tries, they can eventually reach the final boss. The final boss might be tough, and the player will likely see more than a few game over screens before they can finally beat the game. They might beat the final boss's first phase... only to realize that it has multiple forms...
If Shakespeare believed that "All the world's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players;" then the same lines can apply to the comparison between life and video games. Mega Man games, much like life, present players with obstacles one after the other. Every time players overcome one challenge, another tougher challenge awaits them. It can be easy to feel discouraged, but we must always remember that it is through failure, or rather, learning through our failures and mistakes, that we ultimately attain, as well as appreciate, the success we find after persevering through tough challenges. This applies to both life and video games.
This is what Mega Man teaches us: how to persevere and overcome hardships. What seems impossible at first will eventually become feasible, and then perhaps even easy. All it takes is time, practice, and effort. Such is the case with anything in life. The Chinese call this process of achievement and refinement of one's skills through hard work and effort 功夫, or gōngfu. In psychology, the concept of growth mindset is embodied through grit and determination as one treats his or her failures as opportunities to learn and improve.
Mega Man is about growth and perseverance. Mega Man is noble and adorable. Mega Man represents multiple generations of gamers who put in the time and work to get good.
Capcom might not love Mega Man that much. Mega Man should be Capcom's mascot and VIP, not Ryu, much like what Mario is to Nintendo and Sonic to Sega. Unfortunately and tragically, Capcom has devalued Mega Man by releasing too many Mega Man games within too short of a time period (with few refinements) as a means of quick cash grabs. Ironically (or logically if one applies common sense), this has resulted in the later Mega Man games not finding as much success with sales, and eight years' passing since our last Mega Man game. Six games on the NES. Eight Mega Man X games, with only three (arguably four) being games of quality. Too many Battle Network games. Not enough Legends games. I haven't played Star Force. Apparently they're not that good. The Mega Man Zero games are pretty good though.
Thank you Capcom for cancelling Mega Man Legends 3. Thank you for blaming the "lack of fan support" for its cancellation and for going out of your way to discourage and disappoint Mega Man fans. But, sarcasm aside, thank you for bringing Mega Man back to life.
I once thought that Mega Man had died, with zero lives left. His last game (Mega Man 10) released in 2010, and it was quite enjoyable. It took some time, but I eventually came to terms with Mega Man's death. There wasn't as much grieving as one might have guessed. No tears were shed, for I had found peace. Mega Man had a good run. It would have been nice if he were still alive though. Then he appeared in Smash Bros., and I saw that Nintendo gave Mega Man more love through his inclusion in Smash than Capcom had in perhaps two decades.
Then they announced Mega Man 11. I beat it the day after it released. Is there new hope for Mega Man?
I think so. Mega Man 11 was alright, not bad, pretty good perhaps. Mega Man will live on. Maybe Capcom will finish Mega Man Legends 3. Maybe I shouldn't hope for too much.
I also collect a lot of Mega Man merchandise. Check it out:
My container for Mega Man memorabilia, with some of my more recent purchases on top.
Mega Man X and Mega Man 2 30th Anniversary Classic Cartridges by iam8bit ($100 each)
I'm afraid of opening the boxes...
Mega Man 11 Collector's Edition Guide (retail $40)
Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works (retails $35, currently goes for $300 on Amazon) and Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works 25th Anniversary (retails $60)
Mega Man Limited Edition Headphones (retails $44; couldn't get the price sticker off successfully...)
Mega Man Buster Replica (retails $40; currently sold out)
Zero Figures (SH Figures $40,D-Arts Black Zero $100+ on Ebay)
I love Zero.
Mega Man and Proto Man Kotobukiya Plastic Model Kits ($30-50)
Mega Man Deluxe Statue and E Tank (retails $130)
Mega Man Legacy Collection for 3DS with Gold Mega Man Amiibo (retails $50)
Mega Man 11 Amiibo Edition (retails $60)
Mega Man Schematic T-Shirt from Hot Topic ($20)
And then of course, here are the games.
For my closing remarks, Zero is my second favorite video game character,
right after Big Boss from Metal Gear Solid. I love X too. I'll write
character analyses of both X and Zero in the future. I'm in the process of uploading my blind playthrough of Mega Man 11. The game has left me wanting more.
I love Mega Man games so much that I went out of my way to earn MMH/MEH ranks for both X and Zero in Mega Man X5, twice. I also maintained S rank throughout every Mega Man Zero game, also twice. Only a select few understand what this entails. I've played through every Mega Man game multiple times. Commitment like this is what separates true fans and gamers from filthy casuals.
Without a doubt, I love Mega Man. Rockman rocks.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Octopath Traveler and JRPGs
In September, I finally found the time to play through Octopath Traveler, a Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) recently released by Square Enix back in July. I used to play a lot of JRPGs, having played through every main entry in the Final Fantasy and Pokemon series. One of my favorite games is Xenoblade Chronicles, which was released back in 2012. That game in particular renewed my faith in the genre, which I felt became stale as I became older.
Nonetheless, traditional JRPGs still hold a near and dear place in my heart. With games like Persona 5 and Dragon Quest XI carrying on the JRPG legacy and garnering critical acclaim, perhaps it is too soon to say that JRPGs have become obsolete.
Octopath Traveler, as many have already noted, is very reminiscent of the old-school 2D JRPGs that were released on the Super Nintendo. Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger are oft remembered as the greatest games of all time (they're also a couple of my favorite games). Like many others, these games left indelible impressions on my mind when I played through them when I was younger. Clearly, Square Enix took inspiration from these classics (and many other games like them), which arguably perfected the JRPG formula.
The common elements of a JRPG are easily recognizable for anyone who has played them. Turn-based battles, random encounters (usually), experience points and a leveling system, unique characters and storylines, and a lot of grinding...
Octopath Traveler incorporates all of these elements and embraces a 2.5D aesthetic with pixelated sprites and artwork that make the game look like a gorgeous pop-up book. The special "Wayfarer's Edition," which I of course had to buy, also includes a pop-up book, which further illustrates this point. The graphics of this game instantly remind players of good ol' days of Snes JRPGs.
In truth, the gameplay in JRPGs can quickly become repetitive and monotonous. Attack, attack, heal, use magic or special skill, attack, attack, heal... Usually it's not necessarily the gameplay that draws people in: it's the stories.
Does Octopath Traveler tell an amazing story like many of its predecessors?
The story's alright.
Now, I really like the characters in Octopath Traveler. A few of them struck me as bland or generic at first, but as I witnessed their stories develop, I began taking a liking to them. Compared to other JRPGs that often include convoluted (but very interesting) stories involving evil empires, gods, and end-of-the-world scenarios, Octopath Traveler instead chooses to focus on more down-to-earth stories for each of the eight characters that explore various themes such as the dangers of pursuing knowledge (Cyrus), self-discovery through adventure (Tressa), facing one's past (Olberic), unconditional love for family (Ophelia), the consequences of revenge (Primrose), regaining the ability to trust others after betrayal (Therion), loyalty to one's mentor (H'aanit), and the difficulties of choosing between life and death (Alfyn). Of course, should the player decide to complete the post-game content, they can fight an evil god as the final boss. Beating this guy took me four tries and I think almost ten hours. Oh yeah, JRPGs can be pretty tough, and I have learned several lessons of patience from playing them throughout the years.
For the most part, in Octopath Traveler, each character's story arc is stand-alone. There are some loose ends and connections between various characters that are revealed in the optional final dungeon, but the four chapters of a character's story generally just concentrate on that particular character.
Of the eight stories in Octopath Traveler, I personally found Alfyn's to be to most memorable. Though, I also liked the conclusions to Cyrus' and Tressa's stories.
We are now treading into spoiler territory, so if the reader doesn't like spoilers, then they should stop reading until after they've finished the game.
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I need to provide some commentary on Alfyn's story in particular. Initially, I thought that he was the most bland character of the eight. Then, I soon found his story to be the most compelling.
As an apothecary (the equivalent to a traveling doctor in Octopath Traveler's world), Alfyn travels from town to town to see if there is anyone suffering from illness or in need of treatment.
In chapter 2, Alfyn comes across another apothecary named Vanessa. Turns out she deliberately planted a disease in a town in order to force the citizens to have to buy her medicine for exorbitant amounts of money. Also, she doesn't treat a poor young girl simply because her mother doesn't have enough money (and this apothecary is the reason the young girl became sick in the first place). Ironically, the girl's mother chastises Alfyn at first because she assumes that Vanessa is a better apothecary, then Vanessa refuses to save the daughter's life because the mother cannot afford the medicine. Desperate, the mother begins to lose hope, thinking that her daughter will die because of their poverty. It's almost like the U.S. healthcare system, except doctors aren't making their patients sick on purpose. Thankfully, Alfyn saves the day and confronts this unethical, greedy apothecary, bringing an end to her schemes and procuring the medicine for the mother's daughter. Postconventional morality at its finest.
Chapters 3 and 4 are when things get heavy, for Alfyn's story can be pretty dark at times. A man named Miguel, whose life Alfyn saves, ends up lying to Alfyn and taking advantage of his kindness. After being told that Miguel was a life "not worth saving" by Ogen, another and far more experienced apothecary, Alfyn still chooses to save Miguel's life, hoping to inspire him to start over and leave behind his life as a murderer and thief. Then Miguel kidnaps a young boy and threatens to kill him.
Great.
Now, I found this story fascinating because it addresses a moral dilemma that I find incredibly complex. How does one go about deciding who should live and who should die? Should anyone have this authority? If given a choice of whether to save the life of an immoral human being, should we save them or let them die? According to Ogen, some lives are simply not worth saving. The logic is that if one saves the life of a murderer, this will lead to the deaths and suffering of others. As Ogen suggests, we have to ask ourselves "what it truly means to save a man's life." Is every life worth saving? How do we determine whether someone is beyond saving?
Like Alfyn, I originally felt that Ogen was incredibly cold when he told Alfyn that Miguel's life was not worth saving. Yet, Miguel also made up a story about having to resort to thievery in order to support his family. We find out later that Miguel lied; he doesn't have a family. Of course, how could Alfyn have known? Is he simply too kind and gullible for his own good? Perhaps, but so am I.
After beating Miguel, Alfyn ultimately decides to not treat him a second time. Alfyn's entire ethos of treating others no matter what the circumstances begins to crumble, as he doubts himself and questions whether he can live up to his ideals and moral standards as an apothecary.
In chapter 4, Alfyn finds out that Ogen is dying due to disease. Ogen does not want to be treated and instead chooses to embrace his own death. In the past, Ogen's wife was murdered by a criminal whose life Ogen chose to save, much like how Alfyn chose to save Miguel's life. After coming home to the scene of his dead wife's body in a pool of blood, Ogen sought out the murderer and ended his life. Even though he killed Ogen's wife, this man had a family, and now this family was without a father. As such, Ogen concludes that his own life is one that is not worth saving, for he blames himself for his wife's death and regrets allowing his vengeance to consume him.
Which leads Alfyn to ask himself
Indeed, how does one go about fixing a busted soul? When one has experienced such tragedy, is death the better option? This is one of Shakespeare's favorite questions.
Instead of letting Ogen die, Alfyn chooses to save Ogen's life. This involves defeating a giant bird for an ingredient needed to make an elixir that can cure Ogen's malady. Despite constantly berating Alfyn to let him be, Ogen is eventually touched by Alfyn's selflessness and willingness to go so far to save a life, one that Ogen himself deemed "not worth saving."
Alfyn is correct. We aren't gods; we're simply human. My takeaway from Alfyn's story is that we need to keep on living and never give up on one another. Sure, there are plenty of terrible people in the world, but screw them.
Besides Alfyn's story, I also liked the lesson in Cyrus' story about how pursuing knowledge can be dangerous. Cyrus' story reminds of Frankenstein: Like Victor Frankenstein (and myself in some ways), Cyrus has an insatiable thirst for knowledge. However, unlike Victor, Cyrus truly understands the need for responsibility and caution when one has so much power/knowledge. He also knows what it means to be a good teacher.
To every bad teacher out there in the world, listen to Cyrus. Learn to teach better.
Anyways, I really enjoyed playing Octopath Traveler. I invested 80 hours into completing not only the main story, but all the side quests in addition to defeating the secret final boss. This game reminded me of why I fell in love with JRPGs in the first place so many years ago, and it gave me hope that traditional JRPGs still have a place in today's gaming world. Sure, they can be a bit boring and repetitive at times, but their stories are certainly worth the time. They're also very pretty.
Now here's my gallery of each character's ending artwork.
After four attempts and nearly ten hours, I finally managed to beat the final boss. Here's my proof:
Octopath Traveler is a lovely game. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the game serves as a reminder of how and why JRPGs have been so great throughout the years.
Nonetheless, traditional JRPGs still hold a near and dear place in my heart. With games like Persona 5 and Dragon Quest XI carrying on the JRPG legacy and garnering critical acclaim, perhaps it is too soon to say that JRPGs have become obsolete.
Octopath Traveler, as many have already noted, is very reminiscent of the old-school 2D JRPGs that were released on the Super Nintendo. Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger are oft remembered as the greatest games of all time (they're also a couple of my favorite games). Like many others, these games left indelible impressions on my mind when I played through them when I was younger. Clearly, Square Enix took inspiration from these classics (and many other games like them), which arguably perfected the JRPG formula.
The common elements of a JRPG are easily recognizable for anyone who has played them. Turn-based battles, random encounters (usually), experience points and a leveling system, unique characters and storylines, and a lot of grinding...
Octopath Traveler incorporates all of these elements and embraces a 2.5D aesthetic with pixelated sprites and artwork that make the game look like a gorgeous pop-up book. The special "Wayfarer's Edition," which I of course had to buy, also includes a pop-up book, which further illustrates this point. The graphics of this game instantly remind players of good ol' days of Snes JRPGs.
In truth, the gameplay in JRPGs can quickly become repetitive and monotonous. Attack, attack, heal, use magic or special skill, attack, attack, heal... Usually it's not necessarily the gameplay that draws people in: it's the stories.
Does Octopath Traveler tell an amazing story like many of its predecessors?
The story's alright.
Now, I really like the characters in Octopath Traveler. A few of them struck me as bland or generic at first, but as I witnessed their stories develop, I began taking a liking to them. Compared to other JRPGs that often include convoluted (but very interesting) stories involving evil empires, gods, and end-of-the-world scenarios, Octopath Traveler instead chooses to focus on more down-to-earth stories for each of the eight characters that explore various themes such as the dangers of pursuing knowledge (Cyrus), self-discovery through adventure (Tressa), facing one's past (Olberic), unconditional love for family (Ophelia), the consequences of revenge (Primrose), regaining the ability to trust others after betrayal (Therion), loyalty to one's mentor (H'aanit), and the difficulties of choosing between life and death (Alfyn). Of course, should the player decide to complete the post-game content, they can fight an evil god as the final boss. Beating this guy took me four tries and I think almost ten hours. Oh yeah, JRPGs can be pretty tough, and I have learned several lessons of patience from playing them throughout the years.
For the most part, in Octopath Traveler, each character's story arc is stand-alone. There are some loose ends and connections between various characters that are revealed in the optional final dungeon, but the four chapters of a character's story generally just concentrate on that particular character.
Of the eight stories in Octopath Traveler, I personally found Alfyn's to be to most memorable. Though, I also liked the conclusions to Cyrus' and Tressa's stories.
We are now treading into spoiler territory, so if the reader doesn't like spoilers, then they should stop reading until after they've finished the game.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I need to provide some commentary on Alfyn's story in particular. Initially, I thought that he was the most bland character of the eight. Then, I soon found his story to be the most compelling.
As an apothecary (the equivalent to a traveling doctor in Octopath Traveler's world), Alfyn travels from town to town to see if there is anyone suffering from illness or in need of treatment.
In chapter 2, Alfyn comes across another apothecary named Vanessa. Turns out she deliberately planted a disease in a town in order to force the citizens to have to buy her medicine for exorbitant amounts of money. Also, she doesn't treat a poor young girl simply because her mother doesn't have enough money (and this apothecary is the reason the young girl became sick in the first place). Ironically, the girl's mother chastises Alfyn at first because she assumes that Vanessa is a better apothecary, then Vanessa refuses to save the daughter's life because the mother cannot afford the medicine. Desperate, the mother begins to lose hope, thinking that her daughter will die because of their poverty. It's almost like the U.S. healthcare system, except doctors aren't making their patients sick on purpose. Thankfully, Alfyn saves the day and confronts this unethical, greedy apothecary, bringing an end to her schemes and procuring the medicine for the mother's daughter. Postconventional morality at its finest.
Chapters 3 and 4 are when things get heavy, for Alfyn's story can be pretty dark at times. A man named Miguel, whose life Alfyn saves, ends up lying to Alfyn and taking advantage of his kindness. After being told that Miguel was a life "not worth saving" by Ogen, another and far more experienced apothecary, Alfyn still chooses to save Miguel's life, hoping to inspire him to start over and leave behind his life as a murderer and thief. Then Miguel kidnaps a young boy and threatens to kill him.
Great.
Now, I found this story fascinating because it addresses a moral dilemma that I find incredibly complex. How does one go about deciding who should live and who should die? Should anyone have this authority? If given a choice of whether to save the life of an immoral human being, should we save them or let them die? According to Ogen, some lives are simply not worth saving. The logic is that if one saves the life of a murderer, this will lead to the deaths and suffering of others. As Ogen suggests, we have to ask ourselves "what it truly means to save a man's life." Is every life worth saving? How do we determine whether someone is beyond saving?
Like Alfyn, I originally felt that Ogen was incredibly cold when he told Alfyn that Miguel's life was not worth saving. Yet, Miguel also made up a story about having to resort to thievery in order to support his family. We find out later that Miguel lied; he doesn't have a family. Of course, how could Alfyn have known? Is he simply too kind and gullible for his own good? Perhaps, but so am I.
After beating Miguel, Alfyn ultimately decides to not treat him a second time. Alfyn's entire ethos of treating others no matter what the circumstances begins to crumble, as he doubts himself and questions whether he can live up to his ideals and moral standards as an apothecary.
In chapter 4, Alfyn finds out that Ogen is dying due to disease. Ogen does not want to be treated and instead chooses to embrace his own death. In the past, Ogen's wife was murdered by a criminal whose life Ogen chose to save, much like how Alfyn chose to save Miguel's life. After coming home to the scene of his dead wife's body in a pool of blood, Ogen sought out the murderer and ended his life. Even though he killed Ogen's wife, this man had a family, and now this family was without a father. As such, Ogen concludes that his own life is one that is not worth saving, for he blames himself for his wife's death and regrets allowing his vengeance to consume him.
Which leads Alfyn to ask himself
Indeed, how does one go about fixing a busted soul? When one has experienced such tragedy, is death the better option? This is one of Shakespeare's favorite questions.
Instead of letting Ogen die, Alfyn chooses to save Ogen's life. This involves defeating a giant bird for an ingredient needed to make an elixir that can cure Ogen's malady. Despite constantly berating Alfyn to let him be, Ogen is eventually touched by Alfyn's selflessness and willingness to go so far to save a life, one that Ogen himself deemed "not worth saving."
Alfyn is correct. We aren't gods; we're simply human. My takeaway from Alfyn's story is that we need to keep on living and never give up on one another. Sure, there are plenty of terrible people in the world, but screw them.
Besides Alfyn's story, I also liked the lesson in Cyrus' story about how pursuing knowledge can be dangerous. Cyrus' story reminds of Frankenstein: Like Victor Frankenstein (and myself in some ways), Cyrus has an insatiable thirst for knowledge. However, unlike Victor, Cyrus truly understands the need for responsibility and caution when one has so much power/knowledge. He also knows what it means to be a good teacher.
To every bad teacher out there in the world, listen to Cyrus. Learn to teach better.
Anyways, I really enjoyed playing Octopath Traveler. I invested 80 hours into completing not only the main story, but all the side quests in addition to defeating the secret final boss. This game reminded me of why I fell in love with JRPGs in the first place so many years ago, and it gave me hope that traditional JRPGs still have a place in today's gaming world. Sure, they can be a bit boring and repetitive at times, but their stories are certainly worth the time. They're also very pretty.
Now here's my gallery of each character's ending artwork.
After four attempts and nearly ten hours, I finally managed to beat the final boss. Here's my proof:
Octopath Traveler is a lovely game. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the game serves as a reminder of how and why JRPGs have been so great throughout the years.
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