Carter's Quest

Bless me readers, for I have sinned. It's been 3000 three ??years a while since my last Carter's Quest, as I took on new responsibilities and lost the ability to trek through entire franchises in my spare ti??me.

But with recent milestones like the release of Dark Souls Remastered and the shutting down of Demon's Souls' servers, I just had to go back.

Why Souls?

The stars sort of aligned for this series this past month. With my wife on maternity leave I figured now is the time to introduce her to this madness that people have found solace in for so many years, and what better opportunity than the newly minted Dark Souls Remastered -- which allowed me to play every game outside of Demon's Souls on PS4.

I also used this as a journey to engross myself in some aspects of Souls that I typically miss out on with my first few runs. I play sword + board (shield) as often as possible, because that's my thing with the obvious exception of the anti-shield Bloodborne. I also go in completely blind and solo, with no online help of any kind (guides or co-op), and I'm counting "I? haven't played this for years and forgot where the Cling Ring was" moments.

Although I have played each entry with these restrictions lifted after my first few goes,? the thing is I've done this so often that this time, for this Quest, I let myself off the hook to do whatever and it allowed me to see a few of the games in a whole new light. Before I begin, here's one quick note: the order the gam??es are listed below is the exact order I completed them in.

Dark Souls - PC, PS3, PS4 [played, Remastered edition], Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One

There's very little to complain about with Dark Souls from a pure aesthetic standpoint. From Software took the formula they established with Demon's, and over the course of several years, crafted a masterpiece. It's probably the most revered entry in the series, and designers will be?? espousing the greatness of Firelink Shrine and how its entire level structure funnels into it for years to come.

There's a reason why you see the term "Dark Souls of," instead of "Demon's Souls of" frequently penned in various thinkpieces -- it ushered in a new audience, took From Software out of the niche hole it had created, and threw them into the limelight of an eon of "Praise the Sun" and various bonfire memes. Souls was a bonafide hit, something that everyone had to get a taste of, and Dark Souls deserves that win.

Replaying it in Remastered form was treat, naturally. Although most of my thoughts are already encapsulated in my review, going through Dark Souls again, despite its spot in my top 10 most replayed games ever list, was never a chore. My wife, however (we were playing with two copies side by side on two PS4s/TVs), made it to the Gargoyle boss and decided to call it quits. Instead, she gravitated toward the gothic setting of Bloodborne, which has captivated so many over the high fantasy theme of dungeons and dragons?.

Different strokes! Ever since the Remaster I've been hearing lots of people talk about how dated the first Dark Souls is, even in this new form, which has spawned all sorts of interesting conversations. A lot of people couldn't go back to the clunkier combat after getting a taste of the Hunter's Dream, and I can completely understand that. But for me it's less about the combat and more about the world and my connection to it. Between its soundtrack and tone, Dark Souls ;manages ??to nail that subtly unsettling feeling that keeps me going minute by minute.

Dark Souls II - PC, PS3, PS4 [played, Scholar edition], Xbox 360, Xbox One

I??'ll put my flame shields up no?w: this very reviled entry still checks out as one of my favorites.

I get the complaints, even discounting that some of them were fixed in the updated Scholar of the First Sin edition. Without father of Souls Hidetaka Miyazaki at the helm the project seemed rudderless, but I actually love that the team was able to work with the new co-directors and cobble something together that's so weird that it ended up becoming a Souls experiment, much like Demon's was in the first place. Because it?'s so strange and because Miyazaki wasn't leading the charge, it prevented the series from getting into a rut.

"No-Man's Wharf," which even has a silly moniker to boot, makes me smile every time I zone into it. I mean, a pirate cave? Sure why not.  It's just so out there, and the more traditional zones are some of the most impressive work From Software has ever done. Dragon Aerie, with its majestic creatures fluttering about, is still a sight to behold and puts many of the other Souls games to shame. Even Majula, the game??'s hub and one of the only traditional "towns" in the entire series is breathtaking, and I've gazed over into the distance many times when returning to it to level up.

Oh, starting the trend of allowing players to choose when they start their New Game+ runs rather than force them into it after the final boss? And all of the advancements made to co-op and PVP? Magnificent! Dark Souls II is rough, but so is most of the series. It doesn't get nearly enough respect, and I hope at least one person is inspired to give it another shot with the impressive DLC worlds?? in tow.

Bloodborne - PS4

Bloodborne might be the purest form of Souls. I'm tempted to give that crown to Demon's, though there are a lot of wacky concepts (by director Miyazaki's own admission) that are present to Dark Souls 1 and 2, complete with several "maybe it'll stick" wild card locales/boss concepts. But with Bloodborne you know what you're getting.

There's no massive underground volcano zone or "how is this a thing that only weird people could love" pirate cove. It's mostly the same uniform?? gothic wonderland, which, for a lot of people, grounds it and works in its favor (I find it a bit exhausting at times and yearn for a respite of unhinged insanity that only dragons can provide). With pared down stats and faster dodging there's a greater emphasis on moment to moment combat decisions rather than playing with numbers.

I'll be the first to admit my penchant for high fantasy skews Souls proper to the top of my list, but Bloodborne is undeniably a step forward for the series in many ways. Like Souls there ?was never a dull moment, as the pacing is almost mathema?tically perfected.

Again, my wife, who wasn't super keen on the other Souls games, also loved this the most: so there's that! For this adventure I had the ability to play as much co-op as I wanted, and used that opportunity to get weird with outfits and weapon types I never rocked before to differentiate myself. Thank goodness for all of the co-op advancements of recent games, which reached a new turning point after Dark Souls II.

Oh and one more thing -- Bloodborne has gotten heaps better due to post-launch patches. Co-op is? more stable, glitches have been addressed, and most important, load times have been dras??tically reduced.

Dark Souls III - PC, PS4 [played], Xbox One

This is something I didn't realize until this Quest's very playthrough (six), but Dark Souls III is probably my favorite game aesthetically. It's the newest, which helps, but the lightning effects really pop, and it's the only game where I truly feel like my character is mine rather than an avat??ar meandering through the world. There's an insane amount of customization options and gear variety, and several game-breaking items have been balanced or brought in line after being so dominate for so long.

The return to an MP-based magic system from Demon's also opens up more diverse builds -- allowing Dark Souls III to breathe and become the most theorycraft-able Souls. To a numbers guy like me that spends so much time in menus (and missed doing it in Bloodborne, which a lot of you likely loved about it), i?t's a ??blessing.

Yet, after all this time there are a few minuscule issues that I picked up on having played every Souls so close together. Take something as small as Mimic (fake treasure chest) placement. Dark Souls II does a wonderful job of instilling paranoia with Mimics, even though there are only a scant few in the entire adventure. Dark Souls III overd??oes it, to the point where nearly every zone has at least one (if not two) of them. Things like that.

Part of it is because I had been immersing myself in Souls for so long and started to notice all of the little nitpicks more, but every so often Dark Souls III would have me cocking my head to the side and pondering the meaning of a few of its small choices (as a whole, it might have the weakest set of bosses -- and the Anor Londo return wasn't nearly as impressive after just visiting it several days prior). You can really tell that this was sort of the culmination of Dark Souls&?nbsp;prope??r, and that after this, they needed a hiatus to try something new.

All that said, it kind of just flew by. This is a sleek well paced adventure, and From Software proved here that if it co?mes down to it, they can almost effortlessly bang out another winner.

Demon's Souls - PS3

Kept you waiting for this one, huh? I saved its playthrough for last on purpose just to juxtapose it to all of the other entries with their more modern bells and whistles, and I'm glad I did. The past blasted me in the face the moment I lugged my "Slim" PS3 from its hibernation shelf. Man do I miss that XMB UI! And all the flashy colors! And the weird sensation in my nervous system when I grip the PS3 controller! Okay maybe not that last bit, even if I did beat the entire game on one charge.

Another shock, even though I covered it on this very site in detail -- Demon''s Souls' online play is dead. Yep, it's the only g??ame in the series that you can't play online in right now. It was kept on life support for many years but eventually, Atlus decided to pull the plug.

Although I was going for a "mostly online" set of runs this time, I was happy to make an exception for what is still my favorite Souls game. I know, with Dark Souls and Bloodborne stealing the crown in many people's hearts and minds, to the point where you hardly ever hear Demon's mentioned in the conversation, it's not necessarily a cool school yard pick. But it holds up, and is arguably still the bravest, riskiest, and wildest take on From Software's fully realized vision of a modern King's Field -- which is what Miyazaki and his crew were goin??g for.

Though it might look old in stills it's amazing how, unlike the original releases of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Demon's keeps its 30FPS framerate consistently without drops. It also started many trends that would be continued to be peppered in throughout the years. Not being able to level-up before you take down the first boss (Bloodborne), using items to heal instead of flasks (Dark Souls II), the giant circular-based hub where you basically do everything (Dark Souls III) -- it all came from Demon's.

I see the allure of the whole "huge open connected world" thing, but I honestly prefer the level-based system of Demon's Souls. Level "3" is probably the best example -- you start off in a dungeon, have to fight your way out and take down demonic jailers and kill a false God, then ascend the spiraled monoliths, defeat its guardians, and conquer the Tower of Latria. I started to notice and appreciate the little lore tidbits in the level warp screen -- s?omething From would never do again.

The individual worlds themselves are also a whole lot untamed, thanks to a generous physics system. Rolls are more floating ninja flips than anything, and you can vault (RIP) over small gaps. There's jank, to be sure, especially with some wonky boss AI that allows for mo???re cheese than any other game in the series, but it's all part of the charm.

Demon's Souls is wild and unpredictable -- it's peak Souls.

It was a blast playing through all of these c???reations again, especially the few I haven't fried into my photographic memory yet. This is probably one of the most uneven franchises in gaming history, and while some would call that a fault, I see it as its biggest strength. There are so many diverse opinions on which game is the "best," and some of the most heated conversations in the entire gaming community have been born out of those arguments.

The real takeaway? Eac??h entry has something that will speak to someone, but all of them manage to get under our skin and fire that indom??itable "won't quit" fire in all of us. Even after the 1000th "You Died" screen.

The post 100% Series Retrospective: Souls/Dark Souls appeared first on Destructoid.

Carter's Quest

As I mentioned in my last update??, it's been tough to commit to my Carter's Quest series ever since I took over the role of Reviews Director, as directing reviews takes up nearly all of my time. But ??every so often, a franchise grabs hold of me for better or for worse, and I feel the inherent need to talk about it as a whole.

One of my recent projects has been the Arkham series, and you may have caught my efforts to 100% Arkham Knight. Now that I'm finally victorious, I feel like I have a grasp on where Knight falls on the Arkham spectrum.

Why Batman?

It's not the game series that means so much to me, but Batman as a whole. It was one of the first films I saw with my family as a young adult (the original Keaton flick), after watching re-runs of the old Adam West show on TV. Seeing Batman Begins was one of the first dates I had with my wife, and we tend to watch every Batman film together since, including the animated ones. Although Bruce Wayne himself has some great arcs (The Dark Knight Returns), it's the villains I truly love, and the Batman franchise has my ?favorite collective of rogues? in history.

While it's easy to point out the nuances of characters like Mr. Freeze, who transcend the stereotypical "villain" role, it's important to note that most of the characters, even a lot of the menial ones, are just so damn entertaining to watch, particularly when it comes to the The Animated Series. There's a lot of villains in other shows where you'd probably groan at the sight of them -- my wife hates Steelbeak episodes in Darkwing Duck for example -- but nearly everyone in TAS  (and by proxy, Batman lore in general) has their own, jus???tified sense of purpose.

As a side note, for the purposes of this quest, in addition to the four "core "games I added in Blackgate since the events are directly tied to Origins, as well as Arkham City Lockdown as it is technic?ally a prequel to the second game. I also played through all available DLC for each entry.

Batman: Arkham Asylum - PC [owned], PS3, Xbox 360 [owned]

Although Asylum isn't my favorite game in the series (more on that in a second), if you made the argument that it was the best entry, I wouldn't put up much of a fight. It does practically everything it sets out to do, and doesn't go overboard in any respect, even with the Riddler trophy challenges scattered about the asylum. This is a streamlined, personal tale of Batman, with a collective of some of his most popular villains in tow, all of who are presented in a unique way that establishes a true "Arkham" lore.

With both stealth and combat gameplay working in tandem it strikes the perfect balance, appealing to just about every possible action genre fan. The predator sections in particular are some of my favorite stealth sequences in all of gaming, as they truly are presented as a puzzle of sorts, allowing any number of combinations of gadgets and tactics as the solution. My only big holdups are a few bits in the middle which is where the sto??ry drags a little, and the conclusion, which f?eatures a very goofy and completely uncharacteristic Joker fight.

Still, the reunion between Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in video game form was a sight to behold, and they still have chemistry in spades. From the very start of the game when you're escorting Joker into the asylum, you can feel that connection. Having said all that, it is a little too cramped for my personal tastes, and even the outdoor ar?eas, as small as they are, are heavily segmented. I get that they were going for the claustrophobic effect, but I would have heavily preferred a full open environment I could freely float around in -- good thing Rocksteady made another one.

The DLC for the Game of the Year Edition is basically throwaway challenge maps, which is actually a nice little unintended bonus of sorts -- the entire core game feels "complet?e" without having to resort to any ??other premium add-ons.

Batman: Arkham City - PC [owned], PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360 [owned]

Arkham City took everything I liked about Asylum, and doubled it. While some people out there consider that a negative trait, I really liked the ability to scour an entire town and find all of the hidden little Easter eggs within. The story is a bit less focused this time around, but it also lets a whole new cast shine, and personally, I enjoyed the little callouts to charac??ters like Hush and Azrael, and the bigger plotlines involving some of my favorites, like Mr. Freeze.

The Catwoman mechanic was also a big risk, but ended up paying off, as it allowed City to have it's own distinct personality. It gets a bit hokey at the end, but no more hokey than a lot of other Batman storylines -- and not in a way that completely ruins the thrill ride up until that point. I feel like nearly every Arkham game has issues with the ending, as the writing crew (in the case of the first two games, primarily Paul Dini) seem to have some sort of obligation to the pr??operty to wrap things up in a certain way.

I also completed the "Harley Quinn's Revenge" DLC, which ended up being a complete waste of time. The entire? conceit is "Harley is mad because Joker!" and it doesn't really go anywhere. Funnily enough the only cool part is being able to control Robin with new gadgets in tow, but he's only playable for roughly ??30 minutes.

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown - Android, iOS [owned]

The fact that this game is mobile-only will probably cue you in that Lockdown isn't anything special, and in this case, you'd be right. While it technically serves as a prequel to City, it doesn't do anything meaningful outside of "so??me people are locked up, and ??some people break out." It's just too much of the same "Batman can't keep people in jail" conceit, which was borderline already overdone with the first two games.

As a mobile spinoff it wasn't really destined for an award-winning future, but developer NetherRealm Studios and publisher Warner Bros. could have taken it in a more interesting direction with a more personal and concise tale rather than try to cram everyone possible into it. In terms of gameplay, it's basically Infinity Blade with Batman, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it lacks a real identity??.

It's also still inexplicably $5.99 for some reason, and was only released on Android two years after City's debut.

Batman: Arkham Origins - PC [owned], PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360 [owned]

Origins is content with blowing all of its tricks in the first hour or so of the game. Marketed as an epic struggle with Black Mask with flashes of cool confrontations with villains such as Deathstroke, the story quickly devolves into yet another Joker-fest, but without any real new revelations or concepts. We don't really get to see any meaningful "origins" per se outside of the rivalry between Bats and Joker, but even that doesn't feel as organic as nearly every other tale that's been told for decades on end. I'm especially salty after just watching Under the Red Hood, Mask of the Phantasm, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker again this?? past week, all of which do a much better Joker arc.

The main problem with Origins is that the city feels barren and lifeless. WB also had a huge issue with game-breaking glitches, and refused to fix them in favor of creating and marketing premium DLC. Despite all of those issues and WB Montreal's best efforts, it still feels like a Batman game, and still plays better than a lot of other open? world titles on the market. All they had to do ??is mostly copy and paste Rocksteady's groundwork, which for the most part worked out for them. Predator sections are thrilling and tactical, and the freeflow combat is satisfying.

In terms of DLC, the Initiation pack is one of the poorest showings (if not the poorest) in the entire Arkham series, but thankfully Cold, Cold Heart manages to justify its existence.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate - 3DS, PC, PS3, PS Vita [owned], Wii U, Xbox 360 [owned]

I have to give developer Armature Studio credit -- on the surface, Blackgate maintains the feel of the proper Arkham series, but with a 2.5D flair. Sadly, it falls fla??t in nearly ever??y regard.

I actually like the setup -- three wings of Blackgate Penitentiary have been taken over by the Penguin, Black Mask, and Joker, and it's up to Batman to maintain control yet again. In the end though, the core narrative is boring and straight-forward, even by portable spinof??f standards. For starters, beyond a small twist at the end, nothing really happens. Additionally, the entire prison itself is dull outside of the Joker's modestly decorated section.

Batman not being able to jump is also a big issue for me. There's no real sense of adventure in Blackgate -- you just run from side to side and mash R until you can grapple up somewhere. Touching the screen to initiate detective mode is ?clever, but you never really get to use it outside of scripted ??portions. Hits also don't have any real impact in combat, and Batman's animations are stunted.

It's so uninspired, it makes Arkham City Lockdown look better by comparison.

Batman: Arkham Knight - PC [owned], PS4 [owned], Xbox One

I am so torn on Arkham Knight. On one hand I actually really liked the campaign, as well as John Noble's turn as Scarecrow, but on the other, Rocksteady didn't pu?t a lot of work into most of the sidequests, and there's just too much Batmobile. If there's any sort of "puzzle" in the game -- you can bet the Batmobile is the answer. Also, fighting the same army of drones 50 times over in the exact same manner isn't very imaginative or fun, and grappling around Goth??am is still a thousand times more entertaining than driving a car around in it.

Unlike a lot of people out there, I actually enjoyed the main story. Yes it's predictable, but it had a lot of great nods to the source material, and the main cast was pretty solid (though I didn't really dig Jonathan Banks as Gor??don this time around). It's crazy how detailed the world is, and I can see why the project was delayed multiple times -- it really does feel like a "current-gen" game. By that same token, sections like the mine vehicle battle exist, and it boggles the mind how some of this got through even one approval process. When all was said and done and I had completed the game 100% though, I would say I en?joyed it overall.

You can see what I think of the Harley Quinn, Red Hood, and Batgirl DLC packs as well with the preceding links. In short, I'm not impressed by the bite-sized "episodic" content that Rocksteady and WB Montreal are going for. It would be fine if they were short and had substance, but sadly, they ?have no real tales to tell.

Final thoughts:

The Arkham series has its ups and downs, and Warner Bros. has tried to milk it for?? all its worth over the years, but for the most part, Rocksteady really did "get" how to develop a game that allowed you to "be the Bat." Even in their darkest moments, it's a blast to glide around and pick off unsuspecting thugs off ??the street, or get into an all-out brawl and take down 50 people at once.

They created a template that will likely be used for years to come for similar open world games, and I'm really intere?sted in seeing what they do next. Or, more importantly, I wonder if WB will greenlight similar projects for Superman, and other Justice League heroes that will be front and center next year when DC starts their big film push. As long as they're shown the?? proper amount of care, I'm willing to give them a shot.

However they turn out and regardless of who is in control, Rocksteady ?has already made its mark on the genre and series.

The post 100% Series Retrospective: Batman: Arkham appeared first on Destructoid.

Carter's Quest

Things have been crazy at Destructoid since I became the Reviews Director. On my first week, I had to tackle a new Ratchet & Clank, Super Mario 3D World, and three other games. It hasn't let up after that, and as a result, I haven't had as much time to focus on my Carter's Quest series.

Thankfully though I am often able to incorporate assignments into other works, and since playing a ton of Reaper of Souls on PS4 last month I decided to tackle its predecessors yet again. The Diablo series is among my most-played franchises,?? so it was an e?asy adventure to take.

Why Diablo?

Diablo has a special place in my heart for numerous reasons.?? It was one of the first co-op games I ever played with my pal Joey, who would end up being one of my go-to friends for gaming to this day, nearly two decades later. It was the first game I played over a [dial-up] internet connection. It was also one of the first games I really started theorycrafting for -- or for those who aren't aware of the term, basically obsessing over item?? values and statlines.

Diablo II came at a specific time in my life when I was going through some major family troubles. It also "clicked" with my group like wildfire. Slowly but surely Joey and I recruited tons of people into a massive collective, where we'd share secrets and tips, as well as loot farm together. I saw people go from "I don't know what Diablo even is" to playing it for entire weekends.

You know that feeling when you're playing a cool game none of your friends are in on? This was the antithesis of that. I'll never forget a hilarious quote from a newlywed couple that was twice our age and started gaming with us when they said "dying in Hardcore Mode (where your character is deleted instantly after death) is like dying in real life." Diablo II was one of the biggest group experiences I've ever had outside of the original StarCraft and the first Halo. I'll never forget it.

Diablo III wasn't nearly as life-changing as the first two, but it allowed my wife to get into the series, and we've enjoyed many hours of co-op together. However you slice it, Diablo?? has gotten me throug??h a lot of tough times and created lasting memories.

Diablo - Mac, PC [owned], PlayStation [owned]

Although I had played a lot of dungeon crawlers as a kid, there was nothing quite like Diablo. I still remember the day I unassumingly booted it up for the first time, in the early afternoon, asking my pa??rents to play it late into the night. My first character was a Rogue, the agility-inspired female character that was playable alongside the male Warrior and Sorcerer.

I recall the first time I became hooked, very early into the game. The town of Tristram was sprawling, with a decent amount of secrets and a lot of character. The really cool thing about Diablo is that it takes place in one zone, with one giant dungeon at yo??ur disposal that you slowly progress through. The first major quest deals with killing The Butcher, who was an immensely satisfying kill after hearing those level-up sounds and seeing all the rewards that came with it. This was essentially Positive Reinforcement: The Game.

Diablo was an open-ended dungeon crawler in that it didn't prescribe to a heavy-duty build limitation system. Although it was "best" to min-max, you could freely distribute your stats upon leveling up, and everyone could earn from generally the same pool of spells a?nd abilities.

If you played online outside of a circle of? friends, mods, trainers, and hacks were rampant, unfortunately. I avoided them wholesale, but one day my friend showed me a hacked item called "The Hair of Coolio," an elaborate mace-like weapon, and I tolerated them after that just due to the sheer comedic value of the items. Plus it extended my playtime for a few months.

Since the PC version is so difficult to run on modern hardware I opted for the PlayStation version of the game for this Quest, which runs just fine, even if it's quite dated. I know you're probably wondering about Hellfire, the official-but-kind-of-not-official? expansion, which was only available on PC. I wasn't able to play it here, but I distinctly remember i??t.

It was a strange game that wasn't quite up to par with most other PC expansions at the time. Hellfire was actually developed by a company called Synergistic Softw??are, and published by Sierra On-Line. It was authorized by Blizzard but wasn't playable on Battle.net or offered in the physical Battle Chest package. It featured a new class, the Monk, as well as a few new floors of the game's dungeon, and a few extras like traps.

While it was an odd duck, it augmented the game in a modest way. I stil????l found it enjoyable.

Diablo II - Mac, PC [owned]

If Diablo was elementary, Diablo II was university. Here's a small picture of how hardcore some people treated the game. I had a friend who created a Paladin, and wanted to invest into a selection of skills that crafted a "Hammerdin" build. In Diablo II, you couldn't re-invest points at launch (re-spec), and he was off by just a few points, having made a mistake after reaching max level. He deleted the character and re-rolled a new one a few days later. It's sounds crazy, but he loved every second of it. This is DII.

It was insane how many elements of the Diablo series were expanded. P??eople created PVP characters, maxed out with specific skillsets and gear just to participate in unofficial PVP matches and ganking online. I had friends who had "chatroom garb," which showed off particularly cool cosmetic gear when you were in Battle.??net's chatrooms. It garnered a crazy level of dedication, and there are few games like it today -- even in the MMO space.

Speaking of Battle.net, the service was completely overhauled into the powerhouse we know and play on currently. Blizzard cracked down on (but didn't completely solve) hacks, and "closed" Battle.net was generally a safe place where you could play with friends or strangers. I spent endless nights at LAN parties with friends on Battle.net, staying over at their houses sometimes for the entire weekend. It's one of my most-played games of all time -- no other Diablo game even comes close.

Personally, I stuck with the Necromancer through and through -- I was known for it within my group of friends, and luckily I had the class on lockdown. As for how it plays today, Diablo II absolutely holds up. The visuals are a bit dated of course, but the updates Blizzard provided over the years streamlined a few aspects while keeping the hardcore spirit intact. If you've never played it, get a few friends together and take the plunge. You can even use a number of popular mods to change the game to your liking -- I know people who still play Diablo II, and every few years or s??o I still get that itch.

Diablo II: Lord of Destruction - Mac, PC [owned]

Lords of Destruction was everything an expansion shou??ld be and more. The major additions to the base game included an entirely new act to farm, new mechanics like runes, a?nd two incredibly deep classes -- the Assassin and Druid.

Like all of the other classes in the game, the aforementioned two newcomers had a multitude of build options available. At this p?oint in the game's lifespan almost no two creations were the same. Some peo??ple preferred an elemental Druid, some preferred a Bear build or a wolf build, and others did a mix.

This level of customization is nearly impossible today with the amount of streamlining in games. All too often you'll see people resorting to "cookie-cutter builds" or specific types of gear so that everyone looks the same, but in Diablo II, I don't thin?k I ever saw two characters that were e?xactly alike.

Now that Act V was in the picture, our group had a brand new act to farm, new bosses to fight, and new items to look for. It expanded the game's lifespan for a number of years, and Blizzard had a long-term plan that it hasn't replicated outside of World of Warcraft.

Diablo II is a near-perfect example of how t??o build and support a game.

Diablo III - Mac, PC [owned], PS3 [owned], Xbox 360

Ah, Diablo III. A sore spot for many, a source of rekindled addiction for me for a number of months after its launch. Look, Diablo III had pro?blems -- the auction house in general, the always-on DRM, the lack of loot, the limited builds. They were all very real issues.

But that didn't stop me from leveling up every class in the game to 30 in the first few weeks. It was fun on a different level, because let's face it, I don't think Blizzard will ever make a game like Diablo II again. Diablo III was stre?amlined, easy to pick up, and still thoroughly addicting if you view? it as more of an action romp than an in-depth RPG.

I remember getting to Act III in Inferno Mode before it was nerfed, and it was one of the most exciting experiences I've ever had with the franchise. Some people thought it was too punishing, but before all the fixes and updates, Diablo III was one of the most d?ifficult games in that space.

Diablo III didn't have the longevity of Diablo II at launch, but Blizzard eventually got wise and started supporting the game with what fans wanted, not what it thought they wanted. The result was the Loot 2.0 patch and Reaper of Souls, which was almost universally liked.

Playing Diablo III again recently was still enjoyable, even if I found myself wanting to play Reaper of Souls right after one playthrough. I us?ed the PS3 version of the game for this writeup, since it wasn't fully updated with the newest patch and could be played offline.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Mac, PC [owned], PS3, PS4 [owned], Xbox 360, Xbox One

Reaper of Souls was the fix that Diablo III sorely needed. It brought disenfranchised fans back into the fold, and ushered in an entirely new audience. The level cap was raised, a new character was added (which was a great mix of old and new Diablo sensibilities), portals added a newly minted random eleme?nt to the game, and quality-of-life updates like the item-modifying Mystic were all good design choices.

You also don't have to beat the game three times to get to the "good stuff," as players can instantly switch on harder difficulties from the start. Even better, the conso??le versions had no always-on DRM and could be played by four people offline. It also takes place in an era without the taint o?f an auction house.

While it wasn't nearly as groundbreaking as Lords of Destruction, which offered the depth of nearly three Reaper of Souls expansions, it demonstrate?d that Blizzard isn't entirely reliant on Activision's?? business practices, and still has a heart of its own. I hope that the free updates continue to flow, and the next expansion makes things even better.

Final thoughts:

Playing through the Diablo franchise was bittersweet, because I mostly did it alone outside of the local co-op offered in the original Diablo and Diablo III's console versions. It reminded me of all the great times I had with friends, ??and also made me realize that said times wi??ll likely never happen again in the same way.

The videogame market has changed immensely, and you can see that shift through the history of Diablo. ?From humble beginnings marred by technical limitations, to the extremely deep and hardcore ??number crunching, to the streamlining we know today, this journey was an interesting way to see how the ideologies of both gamers and developers change over time.

I'm mostly just glad that Blizzard was able to salvage Diablo III. I grew up with the franchise an??d want as many people as possible ??to feel the same things I did, even if they're in different ways.

The post 100% Series Retrospective: Diablo appeared first on Destructoid.

It's dangerous to go alone...take this

[Want to read about every Zelda game in this daunting quest by Chris? Check out the first ever Carter's Quest entry. -N]

Halfway through beating Ocarina of Time 3D, I had a pretty neat thought: I decided that in honor of Zelda's 25th anniversary, it would be fun to play through every core Zelda game, including the upcoming Skyward Sword, and beat all of them before the year's end.

Here we are a mere day before the release of Skyward Sword, and my journey ??nears its final l??eg. Now is the perfect time to look back on the whole series.

Why Zelda? 

The Legend of Zelda series has had a profound impact on me ever since I layed my eyes on Zelda 1's beautiful gold NES cartridge. In fact, other than Mega Man, Devil May Cry, and Resident Evil, Zelda is probably my favorite game series. I distinctly remember being at my old friend Billy Warwick's house, fishing through his NES collection (in those spiffy long rectangular official Nintendo cases) and marveling at the coolest cartridge I had ever seen. I asked Billy what the golden game was, and he had no idea - well, we weren't sure what to expect from a game called "Zelda," but when we popped it in, we really had no idea what was in store for us. 

Zelda was open world bliss. As one of my friends put it, when the series debuted for the first time, it was like the "HDTV" of gaming - it completely blew everyone away. I mean, the first title was basically an amalgamation of both Gauntlet and Dragon Warrior, but it did it in such a way that pretty much no one could have predicted. Zelda just gave you this giant, sprawling open world, and said "have at it" in an action based setting - how can you get much better than that?! Shortly afterwards, I picked up The Adventure of Link, and the rest was history: I was addicted. 

So without further ado, here are the Zelda games t??hat I've either beate??n so far in 2011, or need to conquer! 

The Legend of Zelda - NES, GBA, GCN Collector's Disc [Owned], eShop, VC - (Completed in July 2011) 

As previously mentioned, Zelda was one of my first games and easily one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. Although we?? did beat it with the help of my friend's father, I came back in 2011 and recently tackled it myself. It was...difficult, to say the least!

There are so many hidden bomb rooms that don't have telltale cracks, and tons of abso??lutely insane secret areas, that it would take a guide to complete everything. Either way, the first game laid the groundwor??k for future Zelda titles, and helped pave the way for Action RPGs all around. 

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - NES, GBA, GCN Collector's Disc [Owned], VC - (Completed in July 2011) 

I'm currently playing through The Adventure of Link right now, and I have to say, it's easily the most underrated Zelda game of all time. There's a very robust magic system, an XP system (for the first and last time), and every single action scene takes place in a sidescrolling fashion, as opposed to the popular birds-eye view of the first game - how's that for innovation!

Zelda II is also notoriously hard, but not nearly as hard as the first game in my opinion - I mean, at least there's some clear idea of where to go. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend dropping the $5 on the first Zelda, depending on your tastes, I heartily recommend picking this one up on the Virtual Console - it's one of my favorite Zelda games that I both enjoyed at re??lease, and years afterward.&nb?sp;

A Link to the Past - SNES [Owned], GBA [Owned], VC - (Completed in July 2011) 

Ah, Link to the Past, how many times have I b?ested you? Funnily enough, this SNES cartridge was passed down to me by my cousin, who threw it into the wall in a fit of anger. I picked it up, taped the crack in the cartridge up, and asked if I could have it - thankfully, he said "yes", and I was on my way to beating Link to the Past for the first time! I'll just come right out and say it: if you haven't played LTTP yet, do it. Now.

The game is an absolute classic, and the art style still holds up to this day. One of the best things about the game is the lack of pageantry in the beginning. There's no lengthy boring cutscene like future Zelda games - you just press start, jump in, and your epic quest to rescue Zelda immediately begins.

Out of all the Zelda games, I'd say Lin??k to t??he Past is probably the most polished. ;

Link's Awakening/DX - Gameboy [Owned], Gameboy Color, eShop [Owned] - (Completed in July 2011) 

Link's Awakening is another underrated Zelda game (although it wasn't at the time). How Nintendo took LTTP's winning formula, and condensed it into a Gameboy game, I'll never know (it was witchcraft). Awakening is probably one of my top "go-to" Zelda games because it's so simple to get into, and ??once you get the Roc's feather, it's a ton of fun just jumping around like an i?diot.

Some time later, Nintendo released DX for the Gameboy Color (and eventually 3DS), which was basically t??he definitive version that added colors, and a new color-based dungeon. I played that version for this quest, and it was nice to rediscover the magic all over again.

Ocarina of Time - N64, GCN Collector's Disc [Owned], VC, 3DS [Owned] - (Completed in July 2011) 

There's not much I can say about Ocarina of Time that hasn't been said a thousand times - it completely revolutionized 3D gaming, which was an unparalleled feat at the time. Hyrule Field is one of the best overworlds yet, the soundtrack is easily my favorite, and like some of the best Zelda games, the gameplay is simple and enjoyable.

Many people knock on Ocarina for being dated - I implore those folks to check out the 3Ds remake, as it smooths out some of ??those nasty 64 graphical limitations, and offers a better overall gamepla??y experience.

Make no mistake - Ocarina of Time still holds up. 

Majora's Mask - N64, GCN Collector's Disc [Owned], VC - (Completed in August 2011) 

This is another fan favorite, but unlike all of the above other games, this is the first Zelda game I just couldn't get into at release. I made it about halfway through after picking it up on the Nintendo 64, and just gave up on it. Personally, I thought the innovative platforming elements were neat (brought about by putting on different "masks" that would transform you into a creature capable of swimming, for instance), but there were way too many sidequests that made it too easy to slip into boredom, since it ?was difficult to know what was required, and what was not.

I'm currently playing through the game now, and all it makes me want to do is play Ocarina of Time over again. Thankfully, Majora's Mask is still a really fun,?? re?ally solid game in it's own right. 

Extended Thoughts: So I beat Majora's Mask for the first time in 2011. Honestly, the only part I truly enjoyed was the final epic boss battle. I didn't really enjoy the dungeons for multiple reasons (I didn't think any of them had a solid identifiable theme, and the boss fights were pretty drab - also, what's up with re-using the Wizrobe mini-boss fight like six times?), and I felt like a lot of the game was disjointed.

Termina didn't really feel like one cohesive world so much as a bunch of different planets. Some people say that's good -- but to me, it didn't feel as magical. I could go on and on about Majora's Mask, but I think I'll leave it at this: although I had issues with it, this game has character in spades, and I wouldn't even put it close to the bottom of the Zelda pile. 

Oracle of Ages/Seasons - Gameboy Color [Owned] - (Completed in August 2011) 

These two games are another entry I didn't get into as much at release, even if I really, really enjoyed them (I had way too much to play at the time on the PS1 and PS2). I'm looking forward to getting back on this horse and beating both games via the "game-link" system on my 2011 Zelda quest.

Thes?e are probably the only Zelda games in the entire series I literally have nothing to say about - I played them, I barely remember them, and they're on my list. 

Extended Thoughts:While these two aren't my favorite Zelda games in the series, they are incredibly solid. The "Oracle" games are a good mix of the newschool, post Ocarina of Time Zelda, and the old school Zelda 1 mindset.

The game link system seemed pretty gimmicky at the time, but years later, it's actually a pretty fun way to experience both titles. As for which one is better, I'd probably say "Seasons" - the time mechanic in "Ages" has been done in just about every Zelda game, so it was fun to see something refreshing. 

Four Swords - GBA [Owned] - (Completed in August 2011) 

I loved Four Swords at release, but the weird nature of the game made it hard to play it - this was a multiplayer only affair. Fortunately, back in the day, I had the opportunity to play this with a group of Zelda-nuts, but fast forward to 2011, and m??y a?bility to play this game is seriously hindered.

Thankfully, Nintendo is planning on releasing Four Swords for th??e 3DS and DSi platforms in September - I may beat them to the punch, however, by playing it with a friend by way of a Gameboy Advance link cable. 

Extended Thoughts: Four Swords is a must play Zelda game. For one, the levels/dungeons are randomized, making it a Zelda junkie's dream. Second, the interface and mechanics are so clean, that it's incredibly hard to get bored playing it. Add in the fact that there are multiple unlocks for A Link to the Past, including a brand new dungeon, and you have yourself a winning Zelda title.

Four Swords might seem bite sized, but it's easily in my top five Zelda list. In order to play it, I bought two copies of A Link to the Past GBA, and an official Nintendo GBA Link Cable (a universal one will not work): however, Nintendo is releasing it in September 2011 on DSiware, for the DSi and 3DS handhelds. 

Wind Waker - GCN [Owned] - (Completed in August 2011) 

Wind Waker is another classic entry in the Zelda series. When Zelda needed a good shakeup from the Ocarina engine, and the same old top-down portable style, he?re comes Wind W??aker with a complete stylistic overhaul.

Although I wasn't a huge fan of Wind Wake?r at release, as time went on, I grew to appreciate the game more and more, and now it's near the top of my list. I barely remember beating this one (my friend beat it, mostly), so I'm looking forward to my full?? completion run this year. 

Extended Thoughts: Other than the lengthy tri-force shard collection-thon towards the end of the game, Wind Waker is incredible. Nintendo tried a ton of new things in terms of character/enemy design, and it really paid off. Even classic enemies like Re-Deads and Stalfos look unique, yet retain that familiar quality about them, which must have been incredibly hard to design.

In terms of the gameplay, the swordplay is probably the best in the series, and the rush you get from exploring the ocean depths is second to one. Beyond the childish looking veneer, Wind Waker is full of character, and one of the best Zelda games to date. 

Four Swords Adventures - GCN [Owned] - (Completed in August 2011) 

Thankfully, unlike Four Swords, this Gamecube iteration, entitled "Adventures" can be played solo - one player just controls all four Links, which allows you to change combat formations on the fly. This is another game that I barely played at release, due to the low availab??ility of the title, and the weird method in which you played it.

Oddly enough, if you wanted to play multiplayer, each gamer had to have their own GBA, and system link cable. Of course, I was intrepid enough to engage in this particular activity a few times, but I never ended up beating the game. I didn't feel too bad after finding out it was the least successful Zelda game of all time, but I just picked this up for Gamecube recently via phys??ical copy, and I plan on beating it in 2011??. 

Extended Thoughts: Four Swords Adventures is...interesting...to say the least. Despite being a four player game, I think this quest is best completed alone - when you start to get into the meat of the game later on, some of the levels start to get way too convoluted to coordinate with three other players - not to mention the coordination required for setting up four Game Boy Advances on a Gamecube.

Additionally, the game is incredibly long for a level based, non-open world Zelda title (about fifteen or more hours) and at times, it feels a bit boring. Despite these shortcomings, the Tower Of Winds is one of my favorite dungeons of all time, and there are easily a ton of good things about Adventures - even if it overstays it's welcome a bit. 

Minish Cap - GBA [Owned] - (Completed in August 2011) 

If you asked most Zelda fans what the most underrated game of the series is, they would probably say Minish Cap. Sadly, Cap's release b??asically came and went at the end of the GBA's lifecycle, and like so many obscure Nintendo games before it, was forgotten.

In fact, I never fully experienced it at release, making it one of the few Zeldas I haven't beaten yet. Honestly, I have no idea why I haven't truly sat down and expe?rienced this gem, but let's just say I'm excited to pop this one in my GBA. 

Extended Thoughts: Minish Cap is now in my top five Zelda list, for a myriad of reasons - it's just that good. While Wind Waker mixed up the Zelda formula a bit with a new aesthetic, it still played like a Zelda game.

Minish Cap however, at times, felt like a completely different series - which is easily a good thing. Nintendo and Capcom did a good job mixing up the swordplay and nearly all of the items are completely new to the series. 

Twilight Princess - Wii [Owned], GCN [Owned] - (Completed in August 2011) 

At launch, I didn't really like Twilight Princess. Oddly enough, I beat it the week of release on my friend's Wii, and even completed the secret dungeon - I was drawn to it because it promised to be the next coming of Ocarina of Time, but after completion, I just didn't feel it.

Under the veneer of motion controls, which were nothing more than waving your wand back and forth every...single...time you wanted to attack, the game was drab, and not as memorable as past games. While I can pretty much recall the floor plans of each Temple after my first completion of other adventures, I am completely drawing a blank as to what Twilight Princess's dungeons even were. I'm very reluctant to beat this one in my 2011 quest, but considering it is a main series Zelda game, I think I'll do this one last. 

Extended Thoughts: I have a much more favorable view of Twilight Princess this time around from a gameplay standpoint after playing the GameCube version instead - the tactile control system is just that much better than the Wii's initial ham-fisted motion control scheme. Twilight Princess still has a ton of problems (drab looking locales, padded/filler areas, redundant items), but at least it has a solid number of classic moments.

For instance, I forgot how amazing a few of the dungeons are: the Arbiter's Grounds is one of my favorite dungeons of all time; The Stallord boss fight is one of the best in the series (if not the best), and the shoutout to Ocarina of Time's the Forest Temple is gold. Additionally, the Temple of Time is really, really fun (and introduced the "companion cube" concept a year before Portal!).

I don't think Twilight Princess is a terrible game: I just think that in some ways, it's a sub-par Zelda title. And that still makes it pretty great.

Phantom Hourglass - DS [Owned] - (Completed in September 2011) 

I liked Phantom Hourglass due to the return to the Wind Waker style (I feel like the style is more suited for portable systems), but it took me a while to get into it. T?he repetition of the main dungeon kind of got to me after a while, but thankfully, I ended up beating it.

Like pretty much all of the other titles, I'm looking forward to fishing this one out of the game pile and beating it in 2011. It's not one of my favorites, but it's not bad by any means?. 

Extended Thoughts: I honestly don't have a whole lot to say about Phantom Hourglass - even though it feels fairly unique considering it is controlled entirely with the stylus, a lot of the style is heavily borrowed from Wind Waker and it feels fairly dull at times.

Having to re-do the main dungeon multiple times also grinds on you after a while, which leads to tons of breaks in-between play sessions; a stark contrast to pretty much every other Zelda game, which makes you yearn for more every single time you get a new item, or complete a new dungeon.

Stylus support also feels completely pointless at times, and I would have loved an alternate control scheme. All in all Phantom Hourglass isn't a poor game, but I'm in no hurry to play it again compared to most of the series, mostly due to the "touch" nature of the game.

Spirit Tracks - DS [Owned] - (Completed in October 2011) 

Overall, I'm indifferent about Spirit Tracks - it felt like more Phantom Hourglass, and I didn't really dig the train gimmick. I think it was during the release of this title that I realized I was mainly a console Zelda fan - although there are a few portable gems in there (Minish Cap, Awakening), overall, the full-fledged console titles are my Zelda platform ?of choice.

I personally thought the only bad part of Spirit Tracks were the train se??ctions, but unfortunately, there are a lot of those! 

Extended Thoughts: I don't really have too much of an opinion of Spirit Tracks - like Phantom Hourglass, many sections feel like a chore (and ultimately, all of the train sections are a bore); but at the end of the day, while it may not be the best Zelda game, it is a decent portable title. 

Four Swords Anniversary - DSiWare, eShop [Owned] - (Completed in October 2011) 

Nintendo has just announced that the DSi/3DS re-release of Four Swords will contain new content, in the form of new ?levels, abilities/weapons, and an entirely new single player component.

As a resul?t, I am treating it as a separate release, and plan on tackling the solo adventure in an effort to complete the new levels. 

Extended Thoughts: The only bad part about Four Swords Anniversary is that it won't be around forever - you have until February 2012 to pick this one up for free - after that, it will probably be gone for a long time, until Nintendo decides to re-release it again.

Simply put, Four Swords Anniversary is one of the best Zelda games in the entire series - it takes an already incredible game and adds a much needed single player element, as well as a ton of extra content. After playing this remade masterpiece, I'd easily place it in my top five Zelda games of all time. 

Skyward Sword - Wii/Motion Plus [Owned] - (Completed in December 2011)

Hopefully, come Winter 2011, I'll be able to make the claim that Skyward Sword is the "Ocarina of Time" of this generation. Unlike Twilight Princess, this game looks like it has a ton of heart, which is exemplified by the extremely colorful new villain, the beautiful Sky World, and the stunn??ing art style.

Motion Control also doesn't seem like a gimmick this time around, forcing you to actually think before you strike with motion plus, as opposed to waving your wand around like an idiot in Twilight Princess. The more and more I see of Skyward Sword, the more I think it will be the best title o??f 2011. Considering it was the catalyst for this entire adventure, it's pretty obvious that I can't wait!

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Overall I thought it was an average, flawed game. In my mind I had it at least making it into my top five of Zelda list based on what I had seen, but after completion, I'm sure that it doesn't come close.

While it's by no means at the bottom, there are certain issues that I couldn't really get past. Motion control wise, combat was great, but everything else I could have dealt without. My bird flight controls constantly deadzoned, as well as my free-flight/skydiving sections, and swimming.

I had more than a little trouble with the bomb rolling controls, and the stabbing/thrust moves - this was with the brand new gold wii-mote, that worked great with other games. Gameplay wise, I felt like there was way too much repetition and way too many fetch quests, and re-using the exact same environments over and over again was extremely grating.

But when the game worked - it worked. For the most part I loved the dungeons, and I'd be keen to play it on Hero Mode in the near future.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD - Wii U [owned], Wii U eShop [owned] - (Completed in September 2013) 

As soon as I booted up Wind Waker HD, I knew I was in for a treat. There's something about the game's locales that really jump out at me, and seeing Outset island in glorious HD was a thing of beauty. For those of you who were wondering -- yes, Wind Waker still holds up, which is a testament to the?? brilliant design o??f the original.

But even though it is ne?arly the exact same game you know and love, it com??es with a few welcome mechanical enhancements. For those of you who found slowly sailing across the world for objectives boring -- there's the Swift Sail item that makes traveling faster. If you found the Triforce collection quest to be too tedious (I happen to be one of those people), it's been shortened and streamlined.

GamePad support is also something I now can't live without, as you can not only instantly re-assign items during dungeons (which you'll need to do on more than one occasion) just like Ocarina of Time 3D, but you can also consult the GamePad as a map when sailing. Unlike the Wii Zelda games where I felt like it was a regression due to the unnecessary waggle, Wind Waker HD actually manages to transcend the original due to the core mec??hani?cs of the Wii U.

And you know the best part? The GamePad functionality is completely optional, and you can just cruise along with a Pro Controller without having to bother with the pad at all. This is a huge deal for me given the fact that so many recent Zelda games have ?had forced control schemes without options.

If you haven't played Wind Waker, I'd definitely recommend picking it up on Wii U, as it's one of the greatest action-adventure games of all time. It manages to capture that feeling of pure adventure that the Zelda series is known for, while maintaining relevance in an HD era with its?? gorgeous, timeless art style.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 3DS, 3DS eShop [owned] - (Completed in November 2013)

A Link Between Worlds is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, it has a lot of [positive] streamlining that really puts the emphasis on adventuring, and having fun. On the other, it's a very dry, unimaginative quest that doesn't really have a compelling world or cast of characters. Throughout most of the game, I felt like I was just going through the motions. The magic really wasn't there, even if it was te?chnically sound, and played great.

I have to give a special shoutout to the ice dungeon, as it presented a perspective never before seen in the Zelda series, period. Set to the tune of a giant skyscraper-like layout, you're constantly falling down and making pinpoint drops, almost like it was a platformer without a jump button. The 3D effect only makes this dungeon (and the entire game, really) sing even more. But the rest of the game really didn't live up to that high ?standard.

If you're really itching for a Zelda game though, A Link Between Worlds isn't bad by any means. It should deliver the basic experience to fans, and if you've never played a Zelda before, this is a great start due to the fact that it's so straightforward and easy to ??play. Although I hope a lot of the concepts are used in future iterations, I similarly hope a bit more heart and personality is injected as well.

Thanks for stopping by, and joining me on my quest to rescue Zelda approximately fifteen sixteen times.

So what's your favorite Zelda? What's your least favorite? Is Majora's Mask better than Ocarina of Time? Feel free to leave a comment below!

The post 100% Series Retrospective: The Legend of Zelda appeared first on Destructoid.

Carter's Quest

[Read on for a description of every main series Mega Man X game ever released in the US, and my completion of them all in 2013. Header image credit - Cepillo16.]

2013 is going to be an exciting year. Now that I know you guys enjoy reading my Quests, I??'m going to make an effort to do even more of them from here on out.

I hope that you have learned a bit about the franchises I've covered so far, as my plan is to inspire others to share their thoughts and feelings with the series of their choice as well (which many of?? you have done!).

Why Mega Man X?

Because I'm also doing Mega Man Classic.

No, but seriously, Mega Man is my favorite franchise, ever, and I want to honor him by playing every US Mega Man game in 2013 -- that includes the X series, and spinoffs (coming later in 2013). I also think that Mega Man X, from a ?technical standpoin?t, is one of the best platformers ever made.

I'm including the Zero and ZX series in this Quest as well, as they directly tie into, and take place after the X games.

If you haven't joined me on my Quests before, the way they work is p??retty simple. It's kind of like a retrospective, but rather than just give you an overview of a franchise, I'll generally let you know what I thought of the game w?hen it was released, and what I think of it now.

If I didn't provide a complete vision of what the game is like before I replay it, I'll provide an "extended thoughts" section below each applicable entry. I'll update my progress in real time through my?? blog, and after I finish the entire Quest, I'll share it with you guys on the front page.

Mega Man X - SNES, PC, iOS, PlayStation 2 (Mega Man X Collection) [Owned], Wii Virtual Console

COMPLETED

Mega Man X is one of the best platformers ever mad??e. Period.

I've probably beaten it a few hundred times, due to the many "no death" and speedruns I've done over the years with fellow Mega Man fanatics. From the first to the fortieth playthrough, the game retains a unique charm that almost can't be bested. I'd probably liken it to A Link to the Past, and t??he ??best way I really can explain it is a "clean" experience, devoid of frustration and bad design.

It's simple, yet complex should you decide to go for the shortest run with the most amount of equipment. The concepts of the game (charging your buster, wall climbing, and dashing) are all explained with such simplicity, that anyone could pick it up and play without issue (unlike pretty much every other Mega Man game ever).

Armor upgrades are also well-explained, and the mere existence ??of "upgrading" your character into a progressively cooler looking ava??tar was fairly unique at the time.

The boss designs are also interesting, as are the amazingly them?ed levels. Who could forget Storm Eagle's awesome airship that explodes as yo?u're raiding it? Or the whimsical feeling of Launch Octopus's completely underwater stage?

If you haven't played Mega Man X yet, it's one of *the* marquee games in the franchise, and y?ou need to experienc??e it.

Mega Man X2 - SNES, PlayStation 2 (Mega Man X Collection) [Owned], Wii Virtual Console

COMPLETED

While I didn't play X2 nearly as much as X, it was still a staple in my Mega Man replay list, that I heartily enjoy to this day.

Although speedruns are a bit less fun trying ?to get every single upgrade possible due to the increased complexity, the upgrades themselves are incredibly fun, and the levels in which you find them in are very well done.

Weapon-wise, X2 was also one of the more unique games, and the upgrade system was vastly improved upon ??from the first game.

Some variety was also introduced, like the c?hance to pilot vehicles (which was rarely done in the old games -- think Wave Man), and t??he ability to fight optional bosses (the X-Hunter) to reconstruct Zero.

It also featured a number of graphical upgrades due to the Cx4 chip, which help?ed create the wire-frame and rotation de??tails present in a number of enemies. It was just enough of an upgrade that it didn't takeaway from the original charm.

Mega Man X3 - SNES, PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 (Mega Man X Collection) [Owned], Sega Saturn

COMPLETED

X3 was yet another example of the consistency of the X franchise. Although the formula was showing some wear and tear, X3 was still an incredibly well-made game that overal??l felt very clean. A playable Zero, which would become a staple of the franchise in the future (all the way into his very own gam??e series), mixed up gameplay quite a bit.

X wasn't a slouch?? either, as his new upgrades took things to a brand new?? level. In addition to his normal armor routine, you could augment *one* of his parts (head, legs, body, and buster) more than the others, through a special "upgrade chip" that could only be applied to a single part at a time. My personal chip of choice was the helmet augmentation, that allowed X to heal and refill his Sub-Tanks by standing still.

I'll be playing the X Collection version of X3, which is based on the PlayStation version.

Mega Man X4 - PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 (Mega Man X Collection) [Owned], Sega Saturn

COMPLETED

It took me a long time to get acclimated to X4. For one, the visuals are? a little rough around the edges sometimes, due to the large graphical leap from the SNES to the PlayStation. Another thing that took some getting used to is the Ro?bot Masters, and the overall feel of the game's physics.

Although the X series was on a new console, it fe??lt very similar to the old games -- even when you compare Mega Man and X's movement side by side ?on the NES and SNES, they feel the same.

But X4 changed the game significantly, and it took some time to really "feel it." Thankfully, after a number of speedruns, I changed my tune, as X4 is a fine addition to the X series. There are a nu?m??ber of homages to other Capcom franchises (Magma Dragoon), and quirks that make the game unique in its own right.

Who can forget the biggest quirk of all -- the game's poorly voiced animated cutscenes -- that rivaled even Mega Man 8 in terms of laziness. STOP THE COUP NOW!

Mega Man X5 - PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 (Mega Man X Collection) [Owned]

COMPLETED

Unlike X4, I really enjoyed X5 right off the bat. I don't know if it's because of the more colorful graphics, or the more interesting robot masters, or the amazing soundtrack. But for whatever reason, I couldn't get enough of it, and it's one of my favorite games in the X series.

The level design is all pretty sound, while the boss fights themselves are interesting and challenging. It also features my favorite Sigma levels in the series, and one of my favorite "final set" of stages in general (including Wily). Did I mention how amazing the soundtrack is?

This is also the one with the infamous "Guns N' Roses" Robot Master name translation, brought upon by Alyson Court, to pay homage to her then-husband's favorite band. It was also meant to be the last game in the X series, if Inafune ?had his way. Unfort??unately, Capcom had other plans.

Mega Man X6 - PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 (Mega Man X Collection) [Owned]

COMPLETED

X6 was where I started to feel the wear and tear of the series. For years Mega Man had given me qua?lity titles, and for the most part, I neve??r really started to become jaded in the slightest.

Given the fact that Inafune didn't intend on there ever *being* an X6, ??you can see where the problems started -- it wasn't a labor of love, like p?ast games had been.

Still, it was a fairly standard X game, and while I wouldn't put it near the top of the pile, it was extremely serviceable. It had a great soundtrack, decent level design, and fun boss fights. It's not a very good Mega Man game, but it's a solid platformer.

Mega Man X7 - PC, PlayStation 2 [Owned]

COMPLETED

I was a bit jaded by X6, so it took me a while to buy and try X7. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy it that much, mostly due to the fact that I couldn't get ??into the new art style, and nothing about it really felt unique??.

While X6 had a ton of problems, ultimately it still felt like an X game. X7 really didn't. Specifically, X, the main character of t??he series, was *not* playable from the start, in favor of the newcomer Axl. This right here turned me off almost immediately, as Axl was not fun to play.

Capcom really should have stopped making X games after X5, ??until they had a chance to get their bearings together with Inafune on board.

Mega Man X8 - PC, PlayStation 2 [Owned]

COMPLETED

X8 was a huge improvement over X7, even if it didn't truly win me over like the past X games did. You can mix and match armor, as well as play as X at the start (what a novel concept), alongside of Zero ?and Axl.

Although the levels and characters weren't really "classic" in any sense of the word, X8 fixed a lot of annoying elements of X7, and made it a more traditional experience.

I never really got used to the new art style of the series though -- it doesn't look crisp, and really takes me out of the game. Here's hoping one day they provide a true HD look, similar to Hard Corps: Uprising.

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X - PSP [Owned], PSP (Powered ??Up and Maverick Hunter X Double Pack) [Owned]

COMPLETED

What an amazing remake for old school and new Mega Man fan??s alike. I love how Capcom tried to forge a new canon for the series, and even included a really cool OVA to help drive that point home.

This remake paid homage to the original, but it also *felt* original -- something remakes rarely accomplish. Like Powered Up, this wasn't simply a cash grab -- it was a worthy addition to the serie?s in its own right.

I had remixed areas, a different way to approach hidden items, and some pretty great gameplay to b??oot. This is a perfect e?xample of how to do a remake right.

Mega Man X: Command Mission - GameCube [Owned], PlayStation 2

COMPLETED

Command Mission was a bit weird...to say the least.

It's not a classic Mega Man game, in the sense that it's actually a turned-based RPG rather than an action platformer. Inafune actually insisted that the Mega Man series not be? turned into an RPG, which made it a troubled prospect right out of the gate. Overall, the game wasn't really well received by either fans or newcomers.

The GameCube and PS2 versions of the game are slightly different, in that the GameCube uses GBA functionality, and the PS2 version has a Mega Man X8 demo. For the purposes of this Quest, I'll be playing the GameCube version, as it? a??lso features a better frame rate and faster loading times.

Mega Man Xtreme - Game Boy Color [Owned]

COMPLETED

There were a lot of problems with Xtreme. Unlike the Game Boy ga??mes, the art style really didn't match the original source material. There were also a number of translation problems ??(kwehehehe), and a whole host of glitches.

But still, this was Mega Man X on the go, and it was the only way you could get it at the time. Xtreme and Xtreme 2 are pretty cut and dry honestly -- they're flawed, but decent portable compilations of a handful of the X series. Capcom tri??ed to incorporate them into the main storyline, but the "??Shadow Hunter" nonsense narrative didn't really make any sense, and didn't really stick.

Mega Man Xtreme 2 - Game Boy Color [Owned]

COMPLETED

A lot of the same problems plagued Xtreme 2. You could play as Zero, which?? is a huge plus, but the game ultimately feels ??very cheap, and outsourced (even though it wasn't).

One cool new aspect of the series was the addition of unlockables, which allowed you to play the game on a harder difficulty, and eventually unlock a boss rush mode. This simple bonus would have no doubt added a lot of replay value to past Mega Man games, and it's welcome in Xtreme 2.

I wouldn't recommend the Xtreme series anyone but the hardiest of Mega Man X fans -- if you ca??n overlook some major issues, you'll have a good time.

Mega Man Zero - Game Boy Advance, DS (Mega Man Zero Col??lection) [Owned]

COMPLETED

The Zero series takes place 100 years after the X series.

Zero was a worthy addition to the Mega Man franchise for many reasons. For one thing, it has an actual end. It also had a cool ranking system that made boss fights more difficult the better you were doing, and a neat ability system that felt more like an RPG than in the past (there's no power absorbing in this one). It was also open-world. Wait, what? An open-world Mega Man game? Yep, that happened.

Inafune put his heart and soul into this series, and it really shows. It tries to do new things, it has a new wonderful art style, and it continues the storyline found in the X series.

In short, it's a great way to cater to both old and new fans alike, and it really succeeded in taking off with three full sequels and two spiritual successors. The addition of a New Game+ and a Har??d Mode also don't hurt.

Mega Man Zero 2 - Game?? Boy Advance, DS (Mega ??Man Zero Collection) [Owned]

COMPLETED

I'll be honest -- I didn't really get into the Zero series as much as I would have hoped when I was younger. As a result, I barely remember beating Zero 2-4, ??but of course I'll rectify that mistake with this Quest.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

It took some getting used to since Zero 2 is not as? open as its predecessor, but it's still a fine game in its own right. There's also the new "Form" mechanic, which basically allow you to change Zero's abilities to suit your needs, sometimes at the cost of attack power or special attacks.

I also really enjoyed the ability to unlock new EX Skills by beating levels with a high rank, as it rewards you for your skill level. I would consider Zero 2 one of the more difficult entries in the Mega Man franchise, which felt extremely rewarding.

Mega Man Zero 3 - Game Boy Advance, DS (Mega Man Zero Collection) [Owned??]

COMPLETED

Same deal as Zero 2 -- I can't wait to crack this one open.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Although the game didn't wow me -- it's more of the same from the first two games -- the ever entertaining Zero series fails to disappoint. Functionally, the game is basically the same as the second one, with some minor differences in regards to how you equip bonuses and items. Zero 3 has a new concept called "Cyberspace," that feels fairly uninspired visually.

Zero 3 also has tons of mini-games and unlockables, should you decide to beat the game multiple times to get everything. Content-wise, it's possibly the most complete package in the Zero series.

Mega Man Zero 4 - Game Boy Advance, DS (Mega Man Zero Collec??tion) [Owned]

COMPLETED

Although I remember the scarring ending fairly ?well, I'm exc??ited to truly recall some exciting gameplay experiences as well.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

For the first time, Zero 4 includes an Easy Mode, which makes it significantly more accessible than the other games in the series. The "weather system" also allows players to change the parameters of a level -- think Mega Man X, where beating stages in a certain order would make others easier -- to potentially tweak the difficulty even more ??if you opt not to play on Easy (since Easy removes weather controls, and thus, removes the ability to collect everything.

There's a word for a game like this in today's vernacular: streamlined. It's not always a bad thing for sure, but for some reason, Zero 4 felt a bit less special than the other games in the series, outside of the fairly impactful ending that I won't spoil here. Part of the charm of the Zero series was that it felt so different compared to regular Mega Man games, but with Zero 4, it felt like developer Inti Creates was trying too hard to revert back to the? original formula.

Still, it isn't a bad game by any means, and is worth playing, if anything just to experience the conclusion of the fran?chise.

Mega Man ZX - DS [Owned]

COMPLETED

ZX takes place 200 years after the Zero series.

For the first time, you could choose between a male or female character (Vent or Aile) in a Mega Man game. But that wasn't the only thing ZX did differently -- it was also an open-world title like the first Mega Man Zero game, with other elements from the X and Zero series.

The game also used a complex ranking system, where you actually scored less points by hitting a boss in its weak spot. Overall, it was a fairly confusing and difficult iteration of the series, which turned a lot of people off, unfortunately. Specifically, the map was very difficult to read and resulted in ??a lot of lost time trying to figure out where you were.

For the longest time, I always got ZX and its sequel, ZX Advent, confused. They essentially felt the same, as I picked them both up on the same day. That's probably part of the reason why people passed them over, and the ZX series stopped after a mere two games.

Even so, ZX had a lot of cool ideas, like the ability to play as d??ifferent "models," that resembled X, Zero, and a lot more at will.

Mega Man ZX Advent - DS [Owned]

COMPLETED

Advent was even more complicated than ZX, but it brought over a number of improvements. For one, it had about twice as many playable forms, and the world is even bigger and more complex. While this may seem like a bad thing, the more varied gameplay helped make Advent the more fun of the two, and the m??ap system was vastly improved to kee?p track of the sprawling world.

One major bonus (and possibly a selling point all on its own) is the addition of the bonus mini-game "Model (a, or ancient)," which functions as a very well made playable old school Mega Man?? game.

It also has a secret ending, in-game achievements (medals), and a quiz game. If you can deal with the game's open world setting and extreme difficulty, you may get a lot out of the ZX series -- specifically with the superior Advent.

Collection Photo:

Hi-Res

Final thoughts:

Personally, I prefer the Mega Man Classic series to the X games. They're simple, easy to get into games that are consistently solid in quality -- plus I prefer many of the "Man" Robot Master designs over the Mavericks in X -- and character design is a major reason why I love the Classic ga??mes.

Still, from an objective standpoint, I would probably be comfortable in claiming that Mega Man X is the best platforming series of all time. The original Mega Man X is pure gaming bliss, and is comprised of some of the most brilliant design?? in the entire industry, even to date.

Musically, the X series also steps up its game, and collectively contains one of the strongest soundtracks in all of gaming, period. They've also held up a lot better than their Classic counterparts, to the point where I can recommend most of the X series to just about any gamer ?who enjoys platformers.

If you haven't taken the dive yet, Mega Man X is a great place to start -- whether it's Maverick Hunter X on your shiny new Vita, or otherwise.

The post 100% Series Retrospective: Mega Man X appeared first on Destructoid.

Carter's Quest

[Read on for a description of every God of War game ever released in the US, and my completion of them all in 2013.]

2013 is an exciting year. Now that I know you guys enjoy reading my Quests, I'm g?oing to make an effort to do even more of them from here on out.

I hope that you? have learned a bit about the franchises I??'ve covered so far, as my plan is to inspire others to share their thoughts and feelings with the series of their choice as well (which many of you have done!).

In addition to Metroid, Mega Man Classic, the Mega Man spinoffs, Mega Man X, Splinter Cell, The Elder Scrolls, and Devil May Cry, I also have another one ready to go for 2013: God of War.

Why God of War?

I've always been a fan of Greek mythology. I almost took up an additional major of Ancient History in college, as a matter of fact. While I played many Roman-themed action games like Rygar (both of them) growing up, God of War was the first game to truly re-create the insanely violent mythos.

Game after game, I would be excited to see who Sony would incorporate next. Icarus? Hephaestus? As loose as these adaptations were, it was still interesti?ng to see how characters would be incorporated, and if possible, how they would meet their end.

The fantastic set-pieces were also a major factor in the God of War series' appeal. Riding on top of titan's back that comprised an entire level was one of the greatest moments in gaming, among many oth??er ja??w-dropping moments in the franchise.

I don't think any of the games are that deep from a pure combat perspective. Outside of the occasional parry (which you don't really need) and pinpoint dodge, you can basically use a ??few select combos and still best the vast majority of confrontations. But that doesn't mean that they aren't extremely fun, and don't offer some of the most entertaining fights and bosses in the entire genre.

If you haven't joined me on my Quests before, the way they work is pre?tty simple. It's kind of like a retrospective, but rather than just give you an overview of a franchise, I'll generally let you know what I thought of the gam??e when it was released, and what I think of it now.

If I?? didn't provide a complete vision of what the game is like before I replay it, I'll provide an "extended thoughts" section below each applicable entry. I'll update my progress in real time through my blog, and after I finish the entire Q??uest, I'll share it with you guys on the front page.

For this particular Quest, I actually finished everything in rapid successi?on over the course of a few days??????????????????????????, so I skipped the c-blog portion and got right into it.

God of War - PlayStation 2 [Owned], PlayStation 3 (HD Collection) [Owned]

COMPLETED

God of War kind of came out of nowhere. I had just wrapped up my Master Ninja playthrough of Ninja Gaiden (Xbox), and the Dante Must Die difficulty in Devil May Cry 3, when Kratos came along. Can you believe Devil May Cry 3 and God of War came out in the same month?

The game mesmerized me with its amazing set-pieces, breathtaking graphics (at the time), and interesting characters. While it wasn't the deepest story in the world, Kratos' tale of revenge was a good enough motivator to keep me going?? and tear through fight after fight until I came to the conclusion -- then I played it again, and again.

The Hydra fight was one of the biggest "holy shit" moments in all of gaming, and developer Santa Monica managed to stuff a whole lot more into the pa?ckage that kept you entertained and wanting more.

I distinctly remember spending an entire evening in college beating the game on the God M??ode difficulty just so I could get the final secret -- an actual phone number to a hotline where you could call Kratos.

Th??at's pretty much a clear-cut finalist for the "best extra ever" award.

Today?, the game doesn't hold up nearly as well as some of the others in the series. But at the same time, it's still worth playing?, especially with the HD version on the PlayStation 3.

God of War II - PlayStation 2 [Owned], PlayStation 3 (HD Collection) [Owned]

COMPLETED

To date, God of War II is my absolute favorite in the franchise, and one of my favorite action games of all time. Somehow, it contains one of the most well-paced campaigns in the history of the genre, in the sense that it constantly keeps you interested at every waking moment. In fact, if God of War II had half of the boss fights it does, it would still be in the running for some of the best single comba?t experiences of ??all time.

One of the crazy things about the release of God of War II is that it actually came out a few months after the release of the PlayStation 3. It was one of the be?tter swan songs in recent memory for? a console, and really helped send off the PlayStation 2 in an amazing way.

I generally dislike the claim that a sequel "is better than the original in every way," but that really is the case here. It has a more compelling story, better bosses, better combat, and more unique abilities. I've played this game so many times that many of the locales and fights a??re burnt into my memory.

Tiny nuances like being able to slide d??own walls quicker, and a much b??etter learning curve helped cement the game as one of the best starter action games for new fans who wanted to learn the ropes without getting too frustrated.

The only major flaw of God of War II is that it doesn't truly innovate -- it just does everything better. In that sense, people who absolutely hated the first game probably won't find solace here. But at the same time, if you truly dislike God of War II, I'd have a hard time ??finding you a more accessible action game.

God of War III - PlayStation 3 [Owned]

COMPLETED

Plain and simple, God of War III is the only weak spot of the entire series for me. Something about it just didn't sit right, even if, mechanically, it's very similar to the ??quality of the first two games.

Part of the reason is because Kratos has progressed from a sympathetic, somewhat justified tragic figure, to a complete asshole. After the strides that Chains of Olympus to humanize Kratos, God of War III pretty much throws all of that out of the window, and then absolutely crumbles at the end with one of the weakes??t endings in all o?f gaming.

From a pure action standpoint though, III is pretty much one of the most insane games ever made. In an almost senseless effort to top itself an?d its predecessors at every waking moment, you basically end up fighting everything left on Mount Olympus, and then some. The graphical upgrades are nice, but the set-pieces just don't really measure up to the f?irst two games.

But because of how high it aims, the final confrontation is a complete letdown, and the cliffhanging ending that still hasn't been addressed was a terrible way to treat the franchise. If you must see how Kratos predictably gets his final (?) vengeance with cutting-edge graphics, you should still probably play God of War III.

God of War: Chains of Olympus - PSP, PlayStation 3 (HD Collection) [Owned]

COMPLETED

Chains of Olympus is a quaint little side story that blew peopl??e away (at the time), considering the sheer fact that it was one of the first portabl?e games to recreate a faithful home console experience.

Taking place before the original God of War, Chains of Olympus deals with Persephone, the reluctant Queen of the Underworld, and Atlas, a titan who appears in other God of War games.

The plot is a little by the numbers, but make no mistake: this is still very much a solid God of War game that entertains from st??art to? finish, with no real glaring faults.

Playing it on the Vita with?? a remapped second analog stick or on the PS3 with the DualShock is the best way to experience it, but th??e original PSP controls are by no means poor.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta - PSP, PlayStation 3 (HD Collection) [Owned]

COMPLETED

Ghost of Sparta is one of the better games in the series. From the get-go, things get fairly personal for Kratos, and this adventure actually has a justification, rather than Chains of Olympus, which was mainly a fluff piece.

The gist of Ghost is that Kratos finds out what happened to his brother, who is part of the reaso?n why he is who he is during the course of the games, and the person who inspired his trademark red markings on his face.

It gives a bit more meaning to the character before he's ruined in III, and the set-pieces are worthy of the franchise, starting things off with a bang in Atlantis. You finally get to deal with Kratos' family, and see him at his ??most vulnerable since the brief cutscene where he murders his wife and daughter in a fit of rage.

It's also a bit more fleshed out than Chains of Olympus gameplay-wise, featuring new w?eapons and powers, which puts it on par with the console games in terms of? a fully featured experience.

If you're looking for a good starting point for the series, playing this in between God of War 1 and 2 is a great idea.

God of War: Ascension - PlayStation 3 [Owned]

COMPLETED

Ascension is an interesting game, to say the least. It fluctuates from insanely easy?? ?to fairly difficult on a whim, and offers up a hefty balance of backtracking and brand new beautiful set pieces.

It doesn't really offer anything new story-wise, and honestly, outside of the experience, it's fairly inconsequential to the franchise as a whole. Ok, so we sort of understand how far Kratos is willing to go to beat the odds -- but we get that in spades in God of War III, so it's not really unexpected, after all.

If you aren't a God of War fan, this won't do anything to sway you. Still, Ascension is a fairly solid action game through and through, with decent pac??ing, and some neat weapon mechanics that let you switch elements on a whim (but not ??mid-combo, sadly).

On the higher difficulty levels, the game is occasionally one of the more challengin?g entri?es, which made me extremely happy. Whenever the press at large is addressing its concerns over having trouble beating the game, you know it's going to be good! 

Oh, and that part t??hat people had a lot of trouble with? Also known as the Trial of Archimedes? I completed it on my third try. I'll have a guide out soon to help out people who aren't able to do it. It wasn't that bad, so don't think the game is impossible or broken or anything -- just power up your blades first and foremost to maximum and you should be good to go, as always.

As a general rule, I'm ok with an added multiplayer component if it doesn't interfere with the single-player experience. Thankfully, it doesn't, and online play offers a fairly enjoyable Power Stone-esque experience.

While it doesn't blow me away enough to get me addicted like some recent games, I can see myself jumping back in occasionally to beat up some fellow gladiators. I joined the cult of Hades, which allows me to use some of Ascension's trickier abilities and spells, and had a great time.

Ascension needed to do something drastically different, as the formula is starting to wear a bit thin. At its core, the game is a prequel to a prequel (Chains of Olympus), which sounds pretty absurd on paper. Sony Santa Monica has tapped this well fairly dry, but apparently, it was still full of just enough spring water by the time they got to Ascension.

Collection Photo:

Final thoughts:

God of War is one of the most consistent franchises I've ever played. Although it doesn't innovate nearly as much as other action series tend to do, you really can't say there's an outright "bad" game in the series, despite my general disappointment in III.

Pretty much all of the games hold up, especially considering that Sony has made the entire franchise available on the PlayStation 3 through ?HD remakes.

If Sony treated most of their franchises half as well as God of War, you'd see a lot less failed Sony IPs and closed studios today. They take great care of the franchise??, and for good reason -- they're still system sellers, even to this day.

The post 100% Series Retrospective: God of War appeared first on Destructoid.

Carter's Quest

[Read on for a description of every Mega Man classic game ever released in the US, and my completion of them all in 2013.] 

2013 is going to be an exciting year. Now that I know you?? guys enjoy reading ;my Quests, I'm going to make an effort to do even more of them fro??m here ??on out. 

I hope that you have learned a bit about the franchises I've covered so far, as my plan is to inspire others to share their thoughts and feelings ?with the series of their choice as well (which many of you have done!). 

In addition to Metroid, I also have another one ready to go for 2013: Mega Man Classic. 

Why Mega Man? 

Mega Man is my favorite franchise in gaming. Period. Although I'm not a giant fan of every single sub-franchise (Star Force comes to mind), I can't think of a bigger Mega Man fan on the web outside of Destructoid's own Tony Ponce. Specifically, my forte is what I refer to as the "Classic" series, consisting of the properly named Mega Man games, like 1-10, and Rockman & Forte. 

My Mega Man fandom isn't something recent, however. I still remember to this day the very first time I played Mega Man on the NES. Funnily enough, I was almost turned off by the goofy cover, but I'm glad I braved it anyways, as ??I would rent every single game in the series a?fter that day. 

But the fandom also doesn't stop there. When I was in seventh grade, I learned HTML, and started a Mega Man fansite with a friend of mine. He did most of the coding, and I provided the content. I wrote boss strategies for every robot master and Wily stage, for every Mega Man game that was currently released. 

Every year for many years, my friend and I would beat Mega Man 1-8 in marathon form. When that friend and I grew apart, I met someone else who indulged my Mega Man fanaticism. We would constantly play Mega Man X speedruns (with two TVs and two SNES units) -- both full upgrade and non-upgrade runs. One day we even ran Mega Man 1 all the way through X5, which was greatly assisted by the Mega Man Anniversary Collections. 

Mega Man often emphasize music through and through, and it's not just because of the meticulously created soundtracks in each game: the entir??e series is roote?d in music. Rock Man, Mega Man's original and Japanese moniker, is literally a play on Rock and Roll (which is his sister's name). 

There are characters named Blues (Proto Man in the US), Gospel (Treble), Forte (Bass), Tango, Enker (named after a? style of Japanese music), Beat, and many more facets of music.?? Series father Keiji Inafune really put a lot of heart into the series, which shows. 

I'm also a huge Bass (known in Japan as Forte) fan. As in, he's one of my top five favorite characters of all time. If you're ever looking for a gift for me, I'd accept anything Bass related (hint hint).?? 

Since there are many more Mega Man games out there to play, I will be doing a separate Quest for the X series, including Command Mission, the Zero series, and the ZX series. 

Everything else will most likely be lumped into a third quest, including Legends, Battle Network, and Star Force. At the end of this, there will be three Quests, and I will own every Mega Man game ever released in the US. 

Also, the Game Boy games are in a weird state of kinda sorta remakes, but they're still technically co?nsidered in the Classic era, so I'm including them here. 

If you haven't joined me on my Quests before, th??e way they work is pretty simple. It's kind of like a retrospective, but rather than just give you an overview of a franchise, I'll generally let you know what I thought of the game when it was released, and what I think of it now. 

If I didn't provide a complete vision of what the game is like before I replay it, I'll provide an "extended thoughts" section below each applicable ent?ry. I'll update my progress in real time through my blog, and aft??er I finish the entire Quest, I'll share it with you guys on the front page. 

Mega Man - NES, Wii Virtual Console [Owned], GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PSN (PsOne Classics Import) [Owned], PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

I've had an affinity towards platformers ever since I played the original Mario Bros., but it wasn't until Mega Man that said affinity really came alive. The non-linear nature? of the game (that allowed you to select which stage you wanted to do in order), which was pretty much unheard of at the time, took my little brain quite a while to wrap around. 

The concept of earning new abilities (essentially RPG elements inside of a platformer) blew my mind, and having to "figure out"?? the correct order of bosses to exploit their weaknesses was like a mini puzzle game. 

I also think it's one of the hardest games in the whole franchise -- entirely due to the difficulty of the Wily levels. While it's not always my first choice for constant replays, the impact the original Mega Man had on the industry is well kn??own even today.&nb?sp;

Mega Man 2 - NES, Wii Virtual Console [Owned], GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PSN (PsOne Classics Import) [Owned], PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

The second entry in the franchise is often regarded as the best in the series by most fans. If you ask people what their favorite Mega Man game is, nine times out of ten they'll probably say "2." 

Having played it many, many times, I can see where they're coming from, even if it wouldn't be my own personal choice. It hosts one of the best soundtracks of all time, the le??vel design is top notch, and the robot masters included in the game are wholly ?more interesting than the first time around. 

I really can't say much about Mega Man 2 that hasn't been sa??id a ?million times already. It's platforming gold. You need to play it. 

Mega Man 3 - NES, Wii Virtual Console [Owned], GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PSN (PsOne Classics Import) [Owned], PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

Mega Man 3 is my favorite of the NES series. I know, it's not a popular opinion to enjoy it over 2, but screw it. I think the robot masters are more interesting, the levels are more varied, and the introduction of Rush helps add more character that would really let Mega Man come into its own as a series. 

Also, for the first time ever, Mega Man could slide, which added a lot of depth to core gameplay. It was at this moment that I became a fan -- not just someone who played Mega Man casually -- but a?? hard??core fan who couldn't get enough of it. 

Mega Man 4 - NES, Wii Virtual Console [Owned], GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PSN (PsOne Classics Import) [Owned], PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

Ah, Mega Man 4. Although it wasn't really remarkable in that it didn't do a whole lot to change the face of platformers forever??, I still enjoyed it, and it's a solid entry in ?the franchise that still holds up today. 

Pharaoh Man is my favor??ite robot master ever, and the level design is fairly top notch. Although I wouldn't mark it as a "must play" entry, any platforming fan owes it to themselves to at least try it ??out. 

To add on top of his fancy slide move from 3, Mega Man could now use his charge buster, which allowed him to store up energy and unleash a more powerful blast. The adorable Eddie was also introduced. 

Mega Man 5 - NES, Wii Virtual Console [Owned], GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

I never really had that deep of a connection to Mega Man 5. I don't know what it is -- the lack of robot master characterizat??ion, or the lack of innovation in general, but I kind of just slept-??walk through it a number of times. 

Even still, Star Man, Wave Man and Gravity Man are three of my favorite robot masters to date, and the inclusion of Beat added a lot of enjoyment to Mega Man 5. 

Although I've played it a ton, I'm do?uble checking my memory banks here with an extended section after I've completed it. 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS 

Mega Man 5 has some swarthy Robot Masters (Star Man is one of my all-time favorites), but there's literally no "wow" factor involved. It enhances the "locating secrets" mechanic in the form of finding the letters "MEGAMAN V" to unlock Beat, but that mechanic isn't truly fleshed out until 6. 

As a result, it feels a bit bare-bones, and almost forced in. On top of that, it has the slide from 3 and the charged shot from 4 -- as a result, nothing is really unique to 5. It isn't a bad game by any means, but it's not really special, like most other Mega Man games are. 

Mega Man 6 - NES, Wii Virtual Console [Owned], GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

I've always had a love/hate relationship with Mega Man 6. The music was rad, the level design was great in that it added more secret exits, and the suit-switch mech??anic was pretty fun. 

Still, the s??election of robot masters was fairly dull, and although it was a solid platformer, it kind of just lacked heart -- even after playing it close to fifty times. 

I know Tony will kill me, but that's ok. Stay tuned for a closer, fresher look at what I think of Mega Man 6. 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS 

I never realized how great 6 really was until I beat it twice for this Quest. It just feels so...clean. I don't really know how else to describe it aside from the fact that it's a blast to play from start to finish, and it doesn't really drag like some other games ?do. 

Once you unlock the Rush Jet and Power adapters, you can basically play the game the way you want to play it. As a more versatile yet weaker Mega Man (Jet), a stronger but bulkier Mega Man (Pow?er), or a balanced ve??rsion. 

Changing your boss order to net these powers even earlier makes it even more fun, and the addition of the very welcome Energy Balancer item (which automaticall??y refills weapon energy even if you don't have a weapon equipped) is something that would be carried into nearly every game following it. 

It also expands upon the "secret l??ocation" mechanic in 5, and adds full-fledged additional paths and exits, rather than a mere few secret rooms. These secret exits truly make the game feel less linear, on top of the fact that you already have the non-linear choice of your order of the stages. 

Neato. 

Mega Man 7 - SNES, GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

Fan reaction was not good when Mega Man 7 was released. Graphically it wasn't that big of an upgrade, and mechanically, it felt a bit sloppy. Sound wise, although the music wasn't bad at all, the sound effects felt tinny and a bit cheap. Although it was a solid effort, the damage had been done, as many people (even myself at one point) swore off of Mega Man 7. 

It took me a few years to really gain respect for it. The introduction of Bass was a highlight fo?r me, as adding a new "main"? character helped increase the fresh factor a bit (it was tiring to keep staring at Mega Man, Proto Man, and Wily), but the secrets are what really got me eventually. 

Even though there were only a few real meaty extras in the game, they were fairly mighty. An entire 1v1 fighting game was part of the package, as was the ability to earn the flying rush module from Mega Man 6, and Proto Man's shield. 

It may not be one of the best Mega Man games to date, but?? I can still play it to this day and get some enjoyment out of it. 

Mega Man 8 - Sega Saturn, PlayStation [Owned], GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

8 is entirely underrated. Yeah I said it! If you haven't played 8 yet, you absolutely need to: ignore everything else you've heard about this game (as long as you skip the "Dr. Wiwy" terribad dub). 

Animation wise, it's superb. Although the actual gameplay doesn't stray too far from classic entries, the new anime style in-game graphics all help forge a brand new experience that feels more like a Treasure game than a Mega Man game -- and I can dig that. 

The Mega Ball trick is something I figured out fairly quickly (probably on my third playthrough or so), which increases the enjoyment of the game tenfold as you search for hard to find bolts and secrets.  This was also the first Mega Man to break levels into mu?ltiple sections, ??complete with their own loading screens.

It also adds a new character named Duo. While he isn't the most interesting character in the franchise, his addition isn't really offensive, and he's pretty fun to play in the Arcade fighting game, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. 

Rockman and Forte (Mega Man & Bass) - Game Boy Advanced [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

This is my favorite Mega Man game, plain and simple. No, it's not just because I can finally play as Bass -- it's because of the solid level design, the insane amoun??t of collectibles??, and the amazing replay value you get with both Mega Man and Bass in tandem. 

While the storyline isn't award-winning material, there's enough here to trump pretty much any other Mega Man game before it. Graphically everything was clean, and the compromise of old and new ended up with a much better visual presentation than Mega Man 7. 

The sad part is, not many people have played it. It was a Japanese-only SNES release, so the Game Boy Advance version is the only way to play it in America (as a side note, the Wonderswan had an exclusive sequel: Megaman & Bass: Challenger from the Future). If you can swing it, I highly recommend picking up the GBA version -- this is an unsung hero of the Mega Man franchise.

For years, fans thought the unofficial title for the game was "Mega Man 9," and that it bridged the gap into Mega Man X [10]. That is, until Mega Man 9 actually came along and ?turned that theor??y inside-out. 

Mega Man 9 - PSN [Owned], XBLA, WiiWare [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

Mega Man returned to his roots in Mega Man 9 -- and boy was it a comeback. Featuring some of the best level design in the entire series, MM9 was near platforming perfection. ??I can't tell you how many times I replayed level after level in the game's time trial mode just to top my previous score by a few seconds. 

Every time I made a new attempt, I learned something new about the level I never knew before: that's staying power. When you add in the "endless mode" DLC, the possibilities in MM9 are literally endless, and allow for more con??stant play than any game in the entire franchise. 

Everything worked out fairly well for Capcom. It was on nearly every platform, it sold really well, critics adored it, a?nd they could sell DLC for it without too many people complaining. So far so good right? Why not ma??ke another one and keep these good times going? 

About that... 

Mega Man 10 - PSN [Owned], XBLA, WiiWare [Owned]

COMPLETED

Things didn't work out so well for our blue friend this time. Capcom pretty much forgot everything that made Mega Man 9 magical, and "10" didn't do very well at all commer?cially or critically. 

As a result, we haven't had any announcement of a possible continuation -- instead, we're left with fan games to fill the void. 

Since I've only beaten Mega Man 10 twice, I'll provide some extra thoughts bel??ow to help you in your potential purchasing decision somewhere down the line. I can pretty much say with certainty though that this is a "miss." 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS: 

Mega Man 10 presents a whole lot of ancillary ideas, like a playable Bass (DLC),? and awesome challenge levels that pay homage to the Game Boy games (DLC), but the core package is wholly uninteresting. 

The Robot Masters feel dull, levels lack the spark that made Mega Man 9 so well designed, ?and after it's all said and done, you don't really feel compelled to ??play it again. 

Unlike Street Fighter X Tekken, which would be the next "official" classic release, 10 doesn'??t really set out to shake the franchise up, and I think that's why so many people kind of wrote this one off. 

Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge - Game Boy, 3DS eShop Virtual Console [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

The Game Boy Mega Man series would introduc?e a lot of elements that would either be incorporated, or paid homage to in later games.&nbs?p;

The characters of Enker (Mega Man I), Punk (Mega Man III), and Ballade (Mega Man IV) would later appear in DLC for Mega Man 10. Elements of the Game Boy games would make their way into the NES titles, like the concept of a shop, for instance, which would become a heavy part of the series from 7 onward. 

Despite the fact that some of them were outsourced projects, most of them were decent titles that augmented the Mega Man Classic series -- even if the first three didn't fundamentally ??change the formula in the slightest. 

This one uses elements from Mega Man 1 and 2 on the NES, including an improved Item-1, called "Carry." It also uses passwords, which Mega Man 1 didn't utilize.

Sadly, after the cancellation of Mega Man Mania ?(which would have collected all five games on one GBA cart), it's pretty tough to find these outside of the 3DS eShop.

Mega Man II - Game Boy [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

Mega Man II was sort of a disaster, and a dark highlight of the Game Boy games. Unlike the first game, which had a project leader that Inafune referred to as a "huge Mega Man fan," this one was outsourc??ed to Biox, which did an all-around terrible job. 

In fact, I'd probably outright make the claim that this is the only "bad" game in the Mega Man Clas?sic franchise. Let's see if it's as bad as I remember?? it. 

Mega Man II uses elements from Mega Man 2 and 3 on the NES, including Rush Jet, Rush Coil, and Rush Marine (like MM3). 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS: 

Yep, this is one of the worst games in the entire franchise. Not only is the level design sub-par, but the game rea?lly doesn't try to do *anything* different on top of some weird design choices. 

It also features Quint, one of the?? worst original characters in the ser??ies, and probably one of the worst in all of videogames. How did Quint come about you ask? 

Wily goes forward in the future and capture??s a peaceful Mega Man, only to reprogram him for war. The kicker? He gives him a pogo stick as a weapon.&??nbsp;

Yep, this is a real thing that happened. I'm glad Quint only made a cameo in Mega Man V, and was eras??ed from franchis??e canon forever. 

Mega Man III - Game Boy [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

Everything past Mega Man II on Game Boy is kind of a haze. I remember playing them, but they were so hard to find (even back then), that I didn't know anyone else who really liked them. 

As such, it was hard to get into them. Despite my hazy memory, I do remember Punk being pretty cool. Expect some e??xtra thoughts after I ta??????????????????????????ckle it. 

In terms of recycling, this one uses elements of Mega Man 3 and 4 on the NES, including Rush Je?t and Rush Co??il. 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS: 

Mega Man III is the definition of "alright." Like Mega Man I, it's not a bad game per se, it just doesn't really do anything different. Back in the day as a kid, having Mega Man on the go for family roa??d trips was one of the coolest things ever. 

Today, I don't see much of a reason for playing the first three Game Boy games. Mega Man IV and V on the other hand... 

Mega Man IV - Game Boy [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

See my experience for Mega Man III. 

I'm at a loss for this one, although I'm aware of Ballade's impact on the franchise, as well as the in-game shop, which was included for the first time in a Mega Man game. 

You'll find parts of Mega Man 4 on 5 on the NES in IV, including Rush Coil, Rush Jet, Beat, and more, in addition to the Energy Balancer found in 6. Half of 5 and all of 6's Robot Masters (NES) would never be incorporated into a Game Boy game, as the last GB title, V, had a wholly original cast. 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS: 

As previously stated, Mega Man IV makes little tweaks that fundamentally change the feel of the series, even if it reuses assets and bosses. It has a new stage-select screen, a shop, new items like Mini Energy Tanks, a new kickback mechanic for the Mega Buster, and the ability to pick up P-Chips for the shop (P-Chips would later become screw??s). 

Mega Man V - Game Boy [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

On?e major reason why I love this Quest series so much is because I'm able to rediscover some of my favorite franchises all over again. 

Beating Mega Man V for what I think is the first time is no exception. As far as new elements go, this one added Tango, and it was Super ?Game Boy compatible (remember that?). 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS: 

Despite how great Mega Man IV was, V really shook things up, because it had a completely original story, ?and completely original Robot Masters. 

In fact, V kind of exposes the fact that Capcom had been reusing assets and bosses, because of how original it is. Ro?bot Masters (called Stardroids) are named after planets, such as Mercury and Mars, and their levels are all new. 

You also fight Enker, Quint, Punk and Ballade at the end, and it's one of the only games in the entire fra?nchise where Wily is *not* the final boss (!). 

It's a wonderful game that highlights how much of a shame it is that Capcom stopped producing classic style portable games outside of Rockman & Forte. This ?was outright one of my favorite games of the Quest.&nb??sp;

Mega Man Soccer - SNES [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

I'm not a huge fan of soccer. But what about a soccer game that lets you turn balls into giant death traps? Or fireballs? Yep, long before Mario Strikers came along, there was Mega Man Soccer. 

I'll tell you outright: I would not recommend "Soccer" to pretty much anyone out there but the most dire of Mega Man fans. All in all, the controls get in the way too much for it to lend itself to a quick pic??kup and play?? affair. 

?Often times you'll be fighting the controls to get them to do what you want, and after a while, a lot of the robot masters tend to blend together in their play-styles?. 

If you like soccer in general, you'll get more out of it, beca?use you can strategize each position by cho??osing certain Robot Masters for the job (such as the quick Gemini Man as a Forward, or the hefty Wood Man as an OP Goalkeeper). 

In fact, I actually brushed up on my soccer knowledge just to play this game again, which was a pretty cool unintended experience.&nbs?p;

Mega Man Battle & Chase - PlayStation, PS2 (Mega Man X Anniversary Collection) [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

Capcom really took some chances with the franchise -- with a sports game??, a racing game, and two fighting games, Mega Man really tried to spread his wings, to mixed success. 

I've only played Battle & Chase a scant f?ew times, making it one of the only games in the franchise I don't have a vivid recollection of. Still, it does take place in the classic universe, so I opted to include it in this Quest. 

The reason being, it was only released in Japan and in the PAL region until Capcom opted to randomly include it in the Mega Man X Anniversary Collection. Although the X games aren't included in this particular quest, I also happen to own that very same collection, so Battle & Chase is good to go! 

Stick around for extended thoughts below. 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS 

There's not a whole lot I can say other than the fact that it's a serviceable, yet ultimately "meh" kart racer. If you can pick up the X Collection still, it's a worthy free addition to the set that is basically a cherry on top of the already stellar X series. 

Graphically, it isn't terrible looking for a PS1 game, and it's a nice little "what if" side distraction for fans of the series. A remake on a system like the 3DS would be a great way to reintroduce people to the Mega Man franchise. 

Mega Man: The Power Battle - Arcade, GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

A Mega Man fighting game? Yep, it happened. It was also really, really fun. It wasn't a fighting game in the sense that Mega Man, Proto Man and Bass kicked and punched their way to success -- you still use your trusty blaster abilities -- but it worke??d surprisingly well. 

But yeah, it had Bass in it, which means I had to get my hands on it at some point. I love the Power Battle/Fighters series, and it's even more enjoyable with a ?friend. 

Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters - Arcade, GameCube (Mega Man Anniversary Collection), PS2 (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) [Owned], Xbox (Mega Man Anniversary Collection) 

COMPLETED 

Power Fighters is pretty much the same as the last game -- just with different robot masters and bosses. It adds Duo from Mega Man 8 to the mix, and attempts to vaguely explain the connection between the Classic series and the X series, with a special ending involving Wily's plans to create Zero. ??;

Like the first game, it's also really enjoyable, and a nice way to spend a quaint afternoon. If you can find a way to acquire the Anniversary Collection, pick it up, if onl??y just for these two games. 

Mega Man Powered Up - PSP [Owned], PSP (Powered Up and Maverick Hunter X Double Pack) [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

I can't say enough good things about Powered Up. It's everything that's right about the Mega Man franchise, distilled into a contemp??orary portable. 

Naturally, Capcom had to kill it. Although many fans would be content to eat up Mega Man Powered Up 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, there are currently no plans to develop the Powered Up series further. Low sales in America?? contributed to this decision, despite the extremely solid receptio??n it received. 

It's a shame, because a lot of love went into creating this Mega Man game that not only fit the current market, but also had elements of tradition, and tons of content to boot. 

Not only can you select from an Easy, Normal, or Hard mode like Mega Man 10, but you can also play as robot masters, create and share brand new levels (two years before LittleBigPlanet), tackle 100 challenges, and play bo??th the "New" and "Old" style versions of the game. 

Time Man and Oil Man would be added to make the original game's six Robot Masters a full cast of eight. Bot??h had serviceable levels that felt like they would have fit into a classic style game. 

Street Fighter X Mega Man - PC [Owned] 

COMPLETED 

Due to my obligations to cover contemporary games as much as possible, I couldn't wait the two required weeks to play this game -- so I beat it -- twice. 

While I do have mixed feelings about it (no save or password system, a few hiccups, and a few uninspired levels), overall, I think this is a really solid release with some quality boss fights. Expect mor??e thoughts as I beat it in 2013. 

EXTENDED THOUGHTS 

I really enjoyed this very well made fan game. The bosses are challenging, their animations are? stellar, and although a few s??ections could use some work, the fact that this was made by basically one person is amazing. 

With a few twe??aks and an XBLA/PSN/eShop release, this could be a classic entry into the serie??s. 

Collection Photo: 

Hi-Res 

Final thoughts: 

This is probably my most enjoyable Quest so far, because it allowed me to rediscover my favorite franchise all over again. I was able to experience a new game (SFxMM), play a few games I missed in the process (Mega Man IV and V), and learn to appreciate a few ones I didn't like as much before (4 and 6). I even went back and beat a few of them again (namely 4 and 6), directly after I completed them. It was a pretty enlightening experience to say the leas?t.

What was really interesting is seeing the evolution of tiny nuanced mechanics throughout the franchise. Like how the Rush Jet changes its functionality from broken (MM3) to useful (MM4) to balanced (MM6). 

Or how the brief invincibility frame from hitting enemies or bullets doesn't spare you from insta-kill spikes in the first game, but works in subsequent titles. Obvious changes include things like the introduction of the slide in 3, and the charge shot in 4 -- having to cope with that and constantly up your game as you play each title is really fun, and something that's fairly unique to the Mega Man franchise 

Overall, I feel like my knowledge of Mega Man is much stronger, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds. Now, my near future holds Mega Man X and Mega Man Spinoff Quests, but outside of that, perhaps there will be a new Capcom game in the ca??rds!

The post 100% Series Retrospective: Mega Man Classic appeared first on Destructoid.

Carter's Quest

_{[Read on for a description of every Resident Evil game ever released in the US, and my completion of them all in 2012.]}

Why Resident Evil?

This year, Capcom is pushing out three entirely new Resident Evil games -- it's also the 15th Anniversary of Resident Evil: Director's Cut, which is the first RE game I fully completed. ??So why am I playing the series ??in the first place?

Honestly, Resident Evil 1 was one of the first times, outside of Metal Gear Solid and Tenchu, where I was completely immersed in the game and its world. I remember plotting out where I'd gone in the mansion in a?? custom map at 10 years old (no guides), and wanting nothing else than seeing "what's next."

I couldn't get enough of the unique scenarios the game offered, like dogs crashi?ng through a window, or a terrifying snake appearing out of no??where. It wasn't necessarily the claustrophobia and the slow-moving zombies that made me love the series -- it was the sheer amount of variety the game offered up.

If you haven't joined me on my Quests before, the way they work is pretty simple. It's kind of like a retrospective, but rather than just give you an overview of a franchise, I'll generally let you know what I thought of the game when it was released, and what I think of it now. If I didn't provide a complete vision of what the game is like before I replay it, I'll? provide an "extended thoughts" section below each applicable entry. I'll update my progre??ss in real time through my blog, and after I finish the entire Quest, I'll ?share it with you guys on the front page. 

Resident Evil - PlayStation [Owned], PC, Saturn, PSN [Owned]

COMPLETED

Resident Evil is where it all started. Gaming legend Shinji Mikami created a game that was not only an homage to Sweet Home, but also a great survival horror companion to Alone in the Dark.

Unlike most games at the time, you simply didn't know what to expect next -- literally anything could jump out and try and bite your head off. Moments like the first time you experienced zombie dogs jumping through a window, or the famous first-person Hunter scene are burned into my memory. Despite the low-budget voice acting (which only added a campy, enjoyable Evil Dead feel to it), Resident Evil is a pure classic, even today. 

Resident Evil 2 - PlayStation, PC, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, GameCube, PSN [Owned]

COMPLETED

Resident Evil 2 took the first iteration's mansion setting, and turned it to 11. It wasn't just "The Mansion" anymore -- your playground was an entire city. Somehow, someway, Resident Evil 2 filled this city with secrets, stor??y, and tons of character.

Costume changes and hidden modes became more of a big deal, and started shaping up Resident Evil's trademark of packing in tons of content.? The unique "two-disc" approach, in which the game was basically two games, was also rarely done at the time, and was a testament to the sheer undertaking that this year-and-nine-month project really was.

The dynamic "Zapping System" mechanic that changed your story was pretty much unheard of at the time, and still is today. While I don't think Resident Evil 2 was as fun as the original, one thing?'s for sure: it's one of the most technically impressive games of all time. 

Resident Evil 3 - PlayStation, PC, Dreamcast, GameCube, PSN [Owned]

COMPLETED

"3" was unique in t?hat it had a big bad boss enemy stal?k you the entire game -- basically right from the very beginning. It also introduced a mechanic that I was extremely grateful for, and rarely re-used: dodging.

After the main game was completed, you could access the first true Mercenaries mode, entitled "Operation: Mad Jackal." RE3's v??ariation was much more fleshed out than the prior installments' "Surviv??or" or "Battle Game" gametypes.

Quite honestly, Mad Jackal set me up for my rabid love of the Mercenaries gametype. In fact, for a few titles, I would play Mercenaries for considerably longer than the actual core game -- Resident Evil 3 was one such example. 

Resident Evil Survivor - PlayStation [Owned], PC

COMPLETED

My recollection of Survivor is vague at best: I remember renting it with my little brother, and beating it i??n an afterno?on.

The only specific thing I really remember about it is that it's basically Doom in Resident Evil form, and you literally cannot s?ave the game, ever. While you're able to keep any weapons and items after death, you have to restart from the beginning if you die: considering is is around 1-3 hours, that might suck.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Survivor is what it is. It's not a terrible "lightgun game," but it isn't great, either. One of the biggest punches in the face is the fact that it feels like a straight arcade port (even though it's not) given the fact that there are no continue points. It's hard to recommend for that reason alone, but if you're a Resident Evil fanatic, you may as ????well track this one down. 

Resident Evil Code: Veronica - Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 [Owned], GameCube, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [Owned]

COMPLETED

Code Veronica was formerly my favorite game in the series, before REmake and RE5 came along. It was the first game to offer semi-fixed angles for the camera, instead of pre-rendered backgrounds, which was partly due to the upgrade in hardware to the PlayStat??ion 2.

It also offered a first-person view for a few weapons, and an amalgamation of various Resident Evil games, such as the 180-degree turn, upgradeable weapons, and explosive scenery. Simply put, it was just a clean, fun Resident Evil game but doesn't hold up as well as others over time. In the PS2 version, there were a few ham-fisted action scenes involving Wesker, but they were good fun too and helped add to the game's enjoyment (for me at least, and to the chagrin of basically everyone else). In addition to the normal game (Code: Veronica X), I? completed battle mode with every character. 

Resident Evil Gaiden - Game Boy Color [Owned]

COMPLETED

Gaiden ("side-story" in Japanese), is probably the only "bad" Resident Evil game in the entire franchise. While a few others were extremely average, Gaiden is borderline unplayable. Strangely eno?ugh, it's a top down/rhythm game hybrid -- the results are disastrous, and not even Leon and Barry can save this one.

Combat is done in a turn-based game style, where contact with an enemy initiates a mini-game similar to the "field goal kick" bar from the popular Madden NFL series. To be blunt, combat just w?asn't scary, and it wa??sn't much fun either.

Resident Evil REmake - GameCube, Wii [Owned]

COMPLETED

RE1's GameCube REmake is possibly the best remake of all time, for any series. Capcom pulled out all the stops for this one, when they could have easily just re-released the game à la the RE GameCube collection.

The graphics are updated, the voice acting is improved, and the game is overhauled so much that fans will barely recognize some parts of it (among a few new areas). The REmake offers up classic RE1 gameplay with a brand new veneer -- personally, while it's n?ot my fav??orite, I think it's technically the best game in the series. 

Resident Evil Zero - GameCube [Owned], Wii [Owned]

COMPLETED

Resident Evil Zero is one of the only games I haven't completed in the series before this Quest. While I had a GameCube, I was too busy playing other stuff at the time (including the GameCube's REmake), and just missed this one.

I've heard mixed reactions -- both that it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, and that it's a solid e?ntry to the franchise. Either way, I'm excited to jump into one this year with the Wii re-release.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

I'm not a huge fan of Zero, but that's mostly due to the two title characters involved. As the main series precursor to RE, I think Zero falls short in?? many respects. I didn't really feel connected to Rebecca or Billy nearly as much as I did with ??any previous character in the series, and considering they hardly ever make a re-appearance, I can only assume many people felt the same.

I applaud Capcom for bringing us back to a classic setting and giving us a bit of insight into the mystery though, and all told, it's a pretty stellar Resident Evil game.

Resident Evil: Dead Aim - PlayStation 2 [Owned]

COMPLETED

Dead Aim is easily the best light-gun game in the series, especially for its time. Movement was shown in a third-person view like standard Resident Evil games, but it switched? to first-person for shooting purposes.

This basically created a hybrid shooting/adventure game that at least allowed you to pick your fights during most ??instances, instead of being forced to battle every single enemy on-rails.

Why Capcom didn't follow this formula further, I'll never know, as it made for a really interesting game. It also o??ffered up a few new characters that, while forgettable, show Capcom was at least trying something different instead of putting Leon and Chris into a game for the hundredth time. 

Resident Evil Outbreak - PlayStation 2 [Owned]

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Outbreak was a fan's dream: for the first time, Resident Evil was truly multiplayer! You could cooperate or betray your teammates, just like?? a real zombie ??apocalypse.

There were plenty of "How could you leave me behind!" and "It was both of us or one of us!" moments, and this made for a unique experience that hasn't really been matched yet, even with Left 4 Dead.

Outbreak served up classic hopeless Resident Evil tension with heated multiplayer gameplay, and it's a shame so many people missed out on it ??(mostly due to the haphazard marketing of the PS2's HDD and Internet accessory). 

Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 - PlayStation 2 [Owned]

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Strangely enough, Outbreak 2 was the first Resident Evil game to allow people to move and shoot. Since it wasn't as popular in America, however, no one really talks about it. Part of the reason for the lack of popularity was the fact that it was basically a carbon-copy of Outbreak 1, with a few different scenarios.

The game added an extra communication system that allowed people to talk to one another despite the region, and a few other small additions, but it wasn't really enough to show up on most people's radars. Personally, I wasn't upset with more of the same, as I enjoyed the original Outbreak. 

Resident Evil 4 - GameCube, PlayStation 2 [Owned], PC, Wii [Owned]*, iPhone [Owned], iPad, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [Owned]

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Many fans are upset at Resident Evil 4 for spearheading the series into an action-oriented direction. Personally, I see it as a natural evolutio??n of the series. The behind-the-back camera and aiming mechanics are a much better alternative than anything previously offered, and the enemy variety lends itself well t?o the new direction.

For whatever reason, people never seem to fault Resident Evil 4 for a more action-centric focus, instead choosing Resident Evil 5 as the sacrificial lamb. Personally, I never saw it: I was already ready for action ever since Code Veronica X.

The Mercenaries mode also takes a further step forward, and offers up even more additional content than ever before -- most notably the ability to select multiple stages, and the inability to actually complete it. Resident Evil 4 was also insanely popular, and hel?ped revitalize the series. 

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence - DS [Owned]

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Deadly Silence. DS. Get it?!

One of the cool things about this version of Resident Evil is that the top screen of the DS is used as a map, and a health indicator at all times. Additionally, th?e game is pretty much a spot-on port of the PS1 game, voice acting and all, which is pretty impressive given the DS' general lack of horse?power. It also has a multiplayer mode; it's kind of weak, given that you and your friends never actually see each other in different parts of the mansion, but it's a free addition nonetheless.

To differentiate this playthrough from my original RE run, I'm pla?ying the "REbirth mode," which adds a ton of unique first-person action scenes, and DS-centric additions/re-arrangements. Even though the game is basically a port, touch screen-specific puzzles and changes are enough to justify another playthro?ugh here.

All in all, Deadly Silence is about what you'd expect out of an above average portable port, and a solid addition to any RE fan's collection. 

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - Wii [Owned], PlayStation 3

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Umbrella Chronicles is an on-rails shooter for the Wii. That's about all I can say about it, ?honestly, before I head into this one. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort or time to complete it, and cooperative gameplay is kind of shoe-horned ??in.

Thankfully, it has a decent amount of unlockable content. While I have played Umbrella Chronicles, I haven't tackled it as much as Darkside Chronicles, so I'll be sure and post extended thoughts bel??ow.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

If you like light-gun games, be sure and check this one out. It offers pretty standard, enjoyable light-gun arcade-y fun over the backdrop of a few past Resident Evil titles. Umbrella Chronicles is a good way to get a refresher for Resident Evil Zero, Resident Evil 1, and Resident Evil 3.

Although, despite how fun it can be, I'd highly recommend playing it with a partner, as it enhances? the enjoyment tenfold.

Resident Evil 5 - Xbox 360 [Owned], PlayStation 3 [Owned], PC

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I make it no secret that Resident Evil 5 is my favorite game of all time (emphasis on personal favorite). The day I got it at midnight, I took off work the next day, and beat it sometime in the morning. The next day, my wife and I started a co??-op campaign that would last about a week -- after that, I grinded through another playthrough to get some cash for extra weapons; I ?just couldn't get enough.

To put it simply, I think RE5 is the most fun game in the entire series. There's a hefty campaign, tons of extra content, co-op, and for the first time, there's co-op Mercenaries -- what more could you want? I literally played RE5 for months on end, and ate up all the DLC possible. I can't say enough good things about?? this game. For my 2012 playthrough, I'm either going to tackle the PlayStation Move version of the game, or replay it with my wife.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles - Wii [Owned], PlayStation 3

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Darkside Chronicles is a considerable improvement upon Umbrella Chronicles. There's a new evade move and it offers a dynamic difficulty setting, along with an improved?? co-op mode.

Like the other light-gun titles in the series, Darkside Chronicles is basically a love-it-or-hate-it kind of game. It doesn't really offer a whole lot more than most other on-rail shooters. If you're a Resident Evil fan, however, you may want to put up with ?it just for the extra story bits.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Out of the two light-gun Wii titles, Darkside Chronicles is th?e better game; especially for two players. The developers make a much better effort to accommodate co-op play, and the new mechanics make gameplay s??moother.

You also get crucial backstory on Leon and Krauser, which helps make Resident Evil 4's Krauser encounters that much more enjoyable. If you have to choose one of the two Wii light-gun games, make it Darkside -- but getting both isn't a bad idea. 

Resident Evil: Deck Building Game - [Owned]

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If you haven't played a deck-building game before, the concept is pretty simple. There are a bunch of stacks of static cards in the center of the play area. You have one giant deck, of which you draw fiv?e cards at a time from. With those five cards, you can perform a number of actions depending on what you randomly drew -- you can buy cards from the middle or perform actions to either draw more cards or modify your deck.

Resident Evil's deck-building variant adds another new concept: fighting infected. On any given turn, you're allowed one buy, one action, and one "exploration" that allows you to take a door card and ex?plore the Spencer Mansion. In the mansion you can find items or battle infected for trophies -- depending on the gametype, the player with the most trophies (kills) wins.

I've played a number of deck-building games before such as Dominion, but Resident Evil is one of my favorites. Each player gets assigned a unique character that changes your abilities, which helps add to the characterization and uniqu??eness of the game. Also, it's a delight to take down the Nemesis with a bunch of knife cards as Krauser.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D - 3DS [Owned]

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Mercenaries 3D is a very niche title. If you love the Mercenaries mini-games from other titles, you may like Mercs 3D. If you loathe them -- well, that's? kind of the entire game here.

Mercs 3D made waves in the gaming community at release due to the inability to delete saves, and its incredibly short length (it can be beaten in a few? hours).

It also had a few other problems like the short draw distance, among other graphical glitches. Personally, I thought the game was acceptable, and played it for quite a while before putting it down. While it may seem like a cash g??rab at first, there are a decent amount of scenarios included, and Mercs fanatics will be sure to come back to it occasionally. 

Resident Evil: Revelations - 3DS [Owned]

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Did the mysteriously abandoned Resident Evil PSP game end up as Revelations? Does it really matter at this point? Early previews are calling this "one of the best Resident Evils in a long time, and possibly the best Resident Evil ever."

The demo is great, the visuals are great, and there's really no reason to doubt this entry, despite the fact that it's on a portable. I plan on g??etting this game da??y one and ripping through it in a few days. I'll be sure and post my thoughts after completion.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

After playing the final release, I felt like the demo was a bait and switch of sorts. The fact of the matter is, without going into spoiler territory, at least half of the game is not the tight-knit claustrophobi?c experience the demo ??made it out to be.

A lot of Revelations is spent with an AI partner clunking around, or in open areas fighting non-stop enemies in a full-out actionfest -- the switch between the Cruise Ship? sections and everywhere else is jarring, and the ?story isn't the greatest to boot.

Thankfully, the game looked great, controlled great, and Raid Mode is pretty fun solo or with a friend. I hope that Capcom puts this new engine to good use, and expands upon a lot of concepts with Revelations. It's not one of my favorite Resident Evil games for sure, but it's not bad, either. 

Resident Evil Game Boy Color - Game Boy Color ROM [Owned]

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This previously unreleased title has finally been given to the public by an anonymous source.

While it evidently isn't possible to beat the game in its current state, I'll still attempt to complete as much as possib??le.? Up until 2012, no one has had a chance to play this missing piece of history, so I'm pretty excited to see what we've been missing all these years.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Considering Resident Evil GBC is only available as a free ROM, you aren't really risking anything financially to try it. There isn't a whole lot to say about this one that can't ??really be said by lo?oking at the screenshot above.

It's a very simplistic version of Resident Evil, distilled into a tiny cartridge-size package. The ROM isn't complete, but at least you can get a taste of this lost game. While it isn't ideal, I would have salivated at the prospect of a portable Resident Evil game for car trips as a child. 

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - Xbox 360 [Owned], PlayStation 3, PC

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I honestly have no idea what to expect from Raccoon City. I'm not the biggest fan of Slant Six, and I'm not too keen on the possible idea of shooting down Resident Evil's heroes and heroines. Addit??ionally, based on rumors, the game may not have a split-screen mode, which would hinder my ability to play with my wife.

Regardless, I'll be picking up Raccoon City this year on my? 360, and I'm eager to see what? it can offer to the series.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Raccoon City is a disappointment. While fun, the game has a heap of issues, from online stability, to numerous gamebreaking glitches. Players have been known to fall through the floor, turn into ghosts, and all sorts of other mishaps. It's a shame, because for Resident Evil fans, the game is a fun little romp through the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3.

You get to see pretty much every major monster from the series (Nemesis included!), and some familiar faces like Birkin, Leon, and Hunk. If done correctly -??- and possibly as canon -- this cou??ld have been a really worthwhile entry into the franchise. As it stands, it's a hard recommendation 

Resident Evil 6 - Xbox 360 [Owned], PlayStation 3, PC

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I could not be more excited for Resident Evil 6. From the rumors offered so far, it looks to have a full Mercenaries mode with multiplayer, story mode co-op, and a single-player campaign without an AI partner. In short, it apparently offers more content than RE5.

I'm excited for the new setting, and hopefully the story will be interesting this time around without Wesker (presumably, provided he isn't cloned). Although the series is decidedly more action-oriented, there are also rumors of more claustrophobic areas and slower-moving zombies having a part in RE6 -- if they can do it right, I say bring it on.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Despite my initial excitement, over time, I came into Resident Evil 6 expecting to be disappointed. I had heard so many bad things from my friends and colleagues who have played it at various events like E3 and TGS. I had personally bought Dragon's Dogma primarily for early access to the Resident Evil 6 demo, and came away fairly unimpressed. I played the Resident Evil 5 demo for hours on end (over twenty hours in fact) -- with the Resident Evil 6 demo, I literally played it once and deleted it.

So with all this in mind, I came into Resident Evil 6 very skeptical, and left mostly impresse??d. Mostly.

Spreading apart all three (four, if you count Ada) stories was a ballsy move. With Resident Evil 5, it was enjoyable to play as Chris and Sheva the entire game, as the story wasn't all over the place, and you were gro?unded in both characters, which made it easy to learn their nuances and melee abilities.

With Resident Evil 6, you're jumping all over the place at times, and it can be jarring. Not only does every character handle differently, but everyone has a different UI to boot. Given the mostly fast-paced action the game spews at you constantly, design choices like the inability to?? pause the game in co-op just feel weird, as do QTEs that only involve one player, wrapped up in such unexciting things as starting a car.

Still, I found myself enjoying the game the more I played it. ??(I'm talk??ing ten hours of learning the nuances of combat). I'll fully admit, Mercenaries -- which you all know I'm a giant fan of -- really helped me grasp said nuances much quicker than the campaign, and bolstered my enjoyment tenfold.

As you can see in this video, combat is more than meets the eye in Resident Evil 6. There's sliding, counters, quick-shotting, and contextual melee moves. It's like a complex fighting game in a sense, but integrated into one of my favorite franchises of all time.? Naturally, since it's done well, I'm enjoyin?g myself.

RE6 also has a ton of content provided that you're ready to embrace the action-oriented gameplay (which has been a staple since RE4). There's an Ada campaign, a handful of online modes, a meta-game involving skill XP in both the campaign and Mercenaries, tons of unlocks and some costumes for Mercs, and more. Like RE5, there's enough here to keep?? you playing well into 2013.

While it isn't one of my favorite games in the franchise by far, I think it's a fairly solid action game (what immediately comes to mind is my opinion of Skyward Sword: great action-RPG, alright Zelda game). Just like RE5, your mileage will vary depending on how fun your co-op partner is -- just know, however, that the co-op AI is not nearly as frustrating as Sheva was.

Collection Photo: 

Final thoughts:

The Resident Evil series has certainly had its ups and d?owns. From its horror roots to a metamorphosis of action to the chagrin of many fans, everyone has to admit that the fra?nchise is interesting, if nothing else.

As a whole, I found myself not enjoying this Quest nearly as much as the other ones, and I can't really put my finger on why, as I still like the series overall. While I was truly eager to rip into Tony Hawk, Kingdom Hearts, and Zelda almost immediately, I? took a long break in between some of the games here, as I found it fairly tough to continue on.

Perhaps it's because of the slow-moving nature of many of the earlier games, and when played in rapid succession, it can get a bit grating? I don't know for sure. Thankfully, the multiplayer iterations kept me going, as it was a blast to, well, blast away the undead with my wife or with a friend.
   

The post 100% Series Retrospective: Resident Evil appeared first on Destructoid.

Carter's Quest

_{[Read on for a description of every Kingdom Hearts game ever released in the US, and my completion of all of them in 2012.]}

So I kind of realized that I was powering through both the Resident Evil and Tony Hawk quests, and decided by popular demand to start Kingdom Hearts -- after all, ??I still have four more months to go this year!

I'??ll try not to give away too many plot points until the very last section -- essentially, I'll stick to mentioning what happens towards the beginning of each game at a maximum, as well as a general critique of the story itself.

Because this is a US endeavor, there will be no "Final Mixes" (re-releases with extra content) included, because they?? were not released here.

If you haven't joined me on my Quests before, the way they work is pretty simple. It's kind of like a retrospective, but rather than just give you an overview of a franchise, I'll generally let you know what I thought of the game when it was released, and what I think of it now. If I didn't provide a complete vision of what the game is like before I replay it, I'll provide an "extended thoughts" section below each applicable entry. I'll update my progress in real time through my blog??, and after I finish the entire Quest, I'll share it with you guy??s on the front page.

Why Kingdom Hearts?

I make it no secret that I'm a huge classic Disney film fan. From the underrated Hunchback of Notre Dame, to the highly lauded Aladdin, I used to watch these films over and over, and when I couldn't watch them, I'd sing or listen to their soundtracks. I used to know every line to Aladdin and The Goofy Movie, as I've seen both of them probably around 100 times each (for The Goofy Movie this isn't an exaggeration, as I watched it for two? months straight, every night, one summer).

When I found out that Haley Joel Osme??nt (who I wasn't a fan of at the time) was going to voice the main character of the game, I was taken aback a bit, but I think ultimately he di??d (and still does) an amazing job, and the character design of Sora fits the Disney universe quite well. All in all, I was mesmerized by the series, and it still gives me that itch to watch Disney films every now and then, which speaks volumes as to the power of the franchise itself.

Kingdom Hearts - PlayStation 2 [Owned]

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The original Kingdom Hearts was one of my most anticipated games of all time. I still remember seeing previews for it, and rewatching all of the Disney movies that were reportedly featured in it as they were revealed. When I saw that most of the original actors were reprising their roles, particularly James Woods as Hades for Disney's Hercules, I flipped out -- the Final Fantasy characters were just an added bonus for me.

When it actually came out, Kingdom Hearts delivered. It was action packed, it had RPG elements, and it had great, great bosses and a very easy to follow st?oryline (until the very end). In fact, you could pretty much say this is the only game in the series that has an easy-to-follow narrative. The Gummi Ship system was also incre?dibly fun, as it allowed you to build your own ship to traverse across the game's various worlds -- I built Optimus Prime, of course.

It also contained some of the best superbosses in any game ever, and started the superboss tradition that would carry on into most of the games (especially Final Mix). Superbosses are basically very difficult bosses (like Final Fantasy VII'?s Emerald Weapon) that are completely optional to the player.

My only reservation is that in the original title, you can't skip cutscenes until you beat the game. Since I've played the game numerous times, there are going to be a number of long scenes that I'll want to skip, and unless I can find my old PS2 memory card with my original file, I'm in for what is probably going to be the longest game outside of Birth By Sleep.

Chain of Memories - Game Boy Advance [Owned]

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I only beat Chain of Memories once, because it was so jarring given how different it was compared to the original game. Who would have thought that after the rip-roaring success of Kingdom Hearts, with nearly six million copies sold, that Square would resort to a portable, sprite-based card battle gam??e? It was madness!

I know a lot of people who outright skipped this one, or didn't even know it existed. That seems to be a recurring theme for card-based games, as the same thing happened when Phantasy Star Online made a similar sequel move.

Still, CoM was not a bad game, it was just different.?? My memory will be refreshed du??ring this Quest as to how good it actually was.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Considering I have a penchant for card games from time to time, I actually was fine with replaying this. It's one of the only games in the series to take place on a Final Fantasy Tactics-esque isometric viewing plane, and the card mechanics add a ton of extra strategy that bolster button-mash??ing action.

Story-wise, however, everything is kind of a cop-out. The entire game takes place within a realm/location called "Castle Oblivion," ??which allows for all sorts of deus ex machina to happen. The gi??mmick is that in Castle Oblivion, "nothing is real -- everything is an illusion!"

Just like?? how it's a tad grating to hear "Did you unlock the darkness and empower your heart?!" in many of the? other games, it's a little more annoying to see that Sora and his crew are constantly forgetting that people they meet in Castle Oblivion are not real. You'll read, "How do you know my name?!" more times than you can count.

The story of Castle Oblivion itself, and your main enemies (the cloaked dudes and dudettes) are not revealed until later games, so unless you've played future iterations of th?e series, you're still left with more questions than answers by the end.

Outside of one major plot point -- which is revealed towards the beginning of Kingdom Hearts II, anyway -- most of the game is ancillary to the overarching story. What you'll mainly get out of Chain is some accented relationships b??etween Sora and the people he met in t?he first game.

Kingdom Hearts II - PlayStation 2 [Owned]

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The second main entry in the series is decidedly darker, and more confusing than the original, but I love it for that. To this day, it is my favorite entry in the series, as it has some of the best worlds on offer, and it really makes an effort to draw you into them. Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, the original Tron: some?? of the best worlds are on offer here,?? and they feel truly alive.

For instance, in Timeless River, a Steamboat Willie world, your characters are redrawn to look like they're cartoons from the '20s. In The Lion King, your party is anthropomorphized into various animals. Darker worlds like Pirates of the Caribbean also helped make the game a bi?t more dire in tone, as did the introduction of Organization XIII (the dudes in the black cloaks), who were revealed (at the time) to be the main villains be??hind everything.

While Organization XIII contributed to (what some may say) the confusion of the series, KH II was easy enough to follow, especially if you had played Chain of Memories. Gameplay wise, the "Drive Gauge" basically allowed you to go into Sup?er Saiyan mode and wield two keyblades, which made combat feel like a step up from the original game.

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories - PlayStation 2 [Owned]

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Re:Chain is essentially a beefed up version of Chain of Memories, sporting 3D graphical upgrades, voice acting, and a more fle??shed-out soundtrack.

It still features card battles just like the game i?ts based on, albeit with a few?? mechanical changes, but it also adds on a few extra battles and cutscenes.

As is the case with Chain of Memories, I only beat it once. Even though it's still te??chnically th??e same game as the original, I'm going to beat both for this Quest.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Re:Chain is a hybrid version of Chain of Memories and the rest of the series' 3D action. If you watch someone play it without paying attention, you'd think that they're playing a regular old Kingdom Hearts game, a?s combat looks relatively the same at first glance.

The only catch is that, yep, cards are involved! In order to use skills, very much like the skill wheel found in most of the Kingdom Hearts games, you have to expend cards, and you can switch between them at will. Once you run out, you have to? charge up to get more just like the GBA version, but it feels a lot more seamless this time.

Honestly, I have no preferred version, as both games have their pros and cons. The original is portable and it looks very unique -- the Re:Chain has new content, and a more action-based combat system. As ??for the "Chain" games themselves -- they're not bad. They are mostly ancillary to the story, but ultimately, they're not poor entries in the franchise.

Of course, if you detest card games, you'll probably still want to steer clear regardless, as you're going to be doing a lot of micromanaging that would otherwise be left out of the rest of the franchise. To get a feel for how both games operate, watch the original tutorial here, and the remake tutorial here.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days - Nintendo DS [Owned]

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"T??hree Five Eight Days Over Two." That's how you say the title -- and we're not even on the?? confusing parts yet. The game features Organization XIII in its entirety, which can either be good or bad depending on your hatred for them in the series.

While I thought it was incredibly fun being able to finally play as a few of my favorites like Axel and Xigbar, I can see a lot of people being turned off by it, as the characters are decidedly non-Disney, and the game is more of a side-quest. In short, this is probably the most polarizing game in the series, and cont?ains some of the most trite and useless dialogue ever found in a videogame: "Is your heart really in darkness? Or is it in the light?"

It was also a bit disappointing that all of the worlds were reused, but being able to see "The World that Never Was" up close, and play as b?adass characters like Xemnas was totally worth it. In es??sence, this game is very much give and take, and your mileage may vary depending on how much of a fan you are.

Local multiplayer was also really fun, if you could find a partner. All in all, 358 isn't my favorite Kingdom Hearts game by any stretch, but if you're a fan of KH II, it's worth playing. If you're not, I would consider it one of the more "skippable" entries in the series, right up there with Re: coded.

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep - PSP [Owned]

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Birth By Sleep is a prequel to the whole shebang that is Kingdom Hearts, taking place ten years before Sora comes to the forefront. It tells the story of how Xehanort (known as his original form, Master Xehanort) came to be. Through the eyes of the trio Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, you'll coast through new Disney worlds, and learn more about the meta of the Kingdom Hearts universe.

Combat was vastly improved. Like Dream Drop Distance would later do, and 358/2 did before it, the game is seen through multiple sets of eyes, rather than just Sora's. Terra is a damage dealer, Ventus focuses on speed, and Aqua is a magic specialist, which means that each section feels ??a bit different.

My only issue with the game is that given that it's a prequel, and takes a long time to set up, it's very, very hard to get into. In fact, I made it about halfway through the game before I stopped playing, even though it was actually a very solid entry in the series. As one of my Twitter friends once said, "playing Dream Drop Distance actually makes me feel bad for ditching Birth By Sleep." I completely agree, a??nd I can't wait to finish the game for this Quest.

If you're looking to join in on the fun, sadly, Birth By Sleep was never released on the PSN storefront, w??hich by proxy means it will never come to the PlayStation Vita. It's a shame that this game wi??ll essentially be lost in time, only to be found or played by people who hunt down the UMD.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Birth By Sleep is kind of a sticky wicket. Although it's initially really hard to get into, given that the three main characters have never been playable (or hardly referenced) before, it doesn't even feel like a Kingdom Hearts game initially.

All of that passes howev??er, as you delve more into the game, and learn that it actually tackles the themes of friendship and the hero's journey better than most of the other games. For the most part, you actually care about Terra, Ventus, and Aqua -- or at least, you care about them as a whole.

Square Enix famously states that you should tackle the game in the order of Terra, Vent??us, and Aqua, but personally, I enjoyed Ventus, Terra, and Aqua more. Terra's whole theme is that he may or may not be doing dastardly things with his dark side as he roams the cosmos and visits all of the same worlds as the other t?wo characters.

By playing Ventus first, you hear about his explo???its second-hand, and question whether or not Terra actually fell into the darkness -- the entire time you're just left wondering, and it isn't resolved until you play Terra's story. If you just play Terra first, all of that is ruined.

Terra also explicitly ruins a major plot-poin?t of Ventus that's only revealed near the end of Ventus' campaign, and makes it that much more poignant. Whatever order you end up choosing though, Aqua last is probably a good bet, as she ruins both stories and feels more like an ancillary additi?on to the game anyways -- making her a good "wrap-up" character.

Each campaign runs around 10-20 hours each, making it easily the most lengthy Kingdom Hearts game to date, depending on how much you explore. As previously stated, I really feel bad for not completing Birth By Sleep at release: I really, really enjoyed it.

Kingdom Hearts Re: coded - Nintendo DS [Owned]

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Do you see a pattern here, with the "re:[make]" moniker? Well, Re: coded is a fully functional DS remake of the original "coded" games, which were initially an episodic mobile phone series. Huh? Kingdom Hearts on mobile phones? Yep, ??that happened, but only in Japan.

Thankfully, not content with only having a small portion of the world experience this series, Square Enix had developer h.a.n.d. (who previously worked on 358/2) compile all of these episodes into one game: Re: coded for the Nintendo DS.

Re: coded plays like a mix of Birth By Sleep and 358/2, but apparently some concessions were made to make it appeal to more casual gamers, after some people stated that the previous games were too ??complicated. While I didn't have an issue really with that train of thought, I did have a hard time getting into the game.

Basically, Re: coded doesn't really do anything new. It borrows many elements from previous games, and doesn't have any new worlds to visit. In short, it seems like an abridged version of the first game, especially considering the entire setup is that you're actually traversing "virtual worlds" (hence the "coded", like computer code) that are set in the same exact order as the first game. The game ends with a setup for Dream Drop Distance, which honestly, was?? the most exciting part of it.

EXTENDED THOUGHTS:

Re: coded is a very strange game indeed. In short, I think it's the only Kingdom Hearts entry that you can absolutely skip and not feel bad about. While it's probably one of the biggest games in the series (you could easily waste over one hundred hour?s here), there's not a lot of substance to it.

In fact, it feels like a poor portable remake of the first game, just with a few different mechanics added here and there. The exact reason it feels like that is because you're playing as Sora again (and not new characters with new stories like 358/2), going through the? exact same areas found in the firs?t game.

The one cool thing about Re: coded is that it has more platforming elements than any entry in the entire series. If you enjoy jumping about like a madman and discovering secret nooks and crannies, you'll love Re: coded. If not, you can honestly pass on it, as the entire story can be summed up in one sentence, which is revealed at the very start of Kingdom Hearts 3D.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance - Nintendo 3DS [Owned]

COMPLETED

Dream Drop Distance is the only Kingdom Hearts game I've beaten in 2012 so far, and it emblazoned me to do this entire Quest to re-beat every title in the series. After finishing it, I decided that it may be my favorite game in the entire franchise, but I'd have to play my original favorite again to fully decide (KH II).

Dream Drop Distance features completely new worlds, and a decent story set to the backdrop of friendship. Finally, we're able to play a full game as Riku and Sora together. Although much of the horrid dialogue returns, such as "Did you unlock your heart?", the story itself is fairly ????easy to follow.

Probably the biggest addition to the series is the "Drop system," which has drawn much ire from fans. Essentially, like Birth By Sleep??, the game features both Riku and Sora traversing the same worlds, but having different adventures.

Square Enix decided that in order to "remind you" that either one exists from time to time, that it would force you to "drop" to the other character after a certain amount of time had passed. It doesn't sound so bad does it? Well, when you realize that it could actually drop you from a boss ?fight, forcing you to lose all progress from said fight, you may get a little st?eamed.

But the thing is, it's super easy to counter. There are items called "drop-me-nots" that you can use to prolong the timer, and you?? can also drop on cue of your own accord, making it super easy to just drop before a boss fight, come back, and have a full drop meter to take him on with. Also, if you die in a boss fight, you can just retry it, or simply "exit" the fight and go back to the room right before i?t.

Speaking of boss fights, KH:3D offers some of the best not only in franchise history, but some of the best fights in action game history. Simply put, these bosses are extremely challenging, and a few even reminded me of?? superbosses in pas??t games.

Bosses hit hard, are generally very large, and don't let up no matter what. It's absolutel?y refreshing to have a challenging action game to play in this era of ease, especially when it's surprisingly coming from a series featuring Mickey Mouse. It also features my absolute favorite world of all -- Fantasia's "Symphony of Sorcery."

Collection Photo:

Final thoughts: If you're a hardcore Kingdom Hearts fan, you know exactly what you want. Pretty? much every game in the series has something to offer fans in some fashion. If you're a casual fan, however, you probably want recommendations, right?

Well, what I would suggest is playing Birth By Sleep, Kingdom Hearts, Re:Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, and Dream Drop Distance.

That's the chronological order, but just like the conundrum what order to watch the original and new Star Wars trilogies in, you can obviously play them in release order if you prefer. The other games are either filled with lots of fluff or fan s??ervice, or aren't very welcoming mechanically.

Another thing I wanted to do here is explain the story of Kingdom Hearts as quickly as possible, so if you wanted, you could jump into the next game and not be lost. A lot of people seem to be confused by the flowery dialogue, but at its core,? the story isn't that complex.

--SERIES SPOILERS--

Master Xehanort is an evil teacher of the?? keyblade arts that wants all of the power in the universe (aptly called Kingdom Hearts) for himself. In order to harness it, he wants to start another keyblade war -- an epic confrontation that nearly destroyed the world many years ago.

He fails due to the efforts of three of his pupils, named Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, and his body is destroyed -- because of his strong will to live, he now exists as four people -- Young Xehanort, Heartless Xe?hanort, Xemnas, and Terra-Xehanort.

Two ??young keyblade masters named Sora and Riku succeed ten years later in stopping most of Xehanort's forms, but unfortunately, his original "Master" form comes back to life due to a d?ark plan hatched by his other split personalities.

The next Kingdom Hearts game, which may or may not be Kingdom Hearts 3, will deal with stopping him.

Honestly? That's about i??t. The third paragraph sums up over half of the games in the entire series! If you've ever found yourself confused by the franchise, just remember to bookmar?k this page.

I hope you enjoyed this Quest, and as always, feel free to share your thoughts on the franchise, or recommend my next series?!

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