Mega Man X4/X5 Playthroughs

To go along with my X1-X3 playthroughs. X4 and X5 are both fully uploaded. And that's it, because the post-X5 games are kinda ugh. At least for now.

Super Return of the Jedi (Super NES, 1994)

Luke Skywalker is back, and his lightsaber seems to have doubled in size and changed colors, possibly due to his close proximity to Leia.

...Eww.

Super Empire Strikes Back (Super NES, 1993)

This game is even better than the first. Much like the movie.

Remastered post, now with Nintendo Power scans and added awesomeness.

Super Star Wars (Super NES, 1992)

This game is excellent.

Remastered post, now with Nintendo Power scans and added awesomeness.

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (Nintendo 64, 1996)

The third major N64 game is a fun trip. It's got issues, sure, but it manages to succeed as a game on the strength of the flight levels and a bit of charm. This is a side-story that takes place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Shovel Knight (Everything, 2014)

It's time for A Shovel Knight Thanksgiving: A trio of posts for the weekend. This is a game I've been wanting to cover on here for a while. It's an indy sensation from 2014 that I was a bit late to the party on; didn't get around to it until mid-2016. It has taken me 15 months to get around to doing posts on the game, but one thing is for sure: This is absolutely the kind of game I like covering on here. Let's get to it.

Mega Man X8 (Playstation 2, 2004)

 

This is it, the culmination of the X series. Isn't 8 a weird number to end on?

Mega Man X7 (Playstation 2, 2003)

This is debatably the worst game in the X series. I think Mega Man X6 is more of a chore to play, but it's close. My question is...who is that weird robed hologram in the background of the title screen? It doesn't resemble any of the characters in the game.

Mega Man X6 (Playstation, 2001)

 Hoo boy. Finally got to this one.

Mega Man X5 (Playstation, 2001)

Mega Man X5 is a game that I once considered to be the best game of the X series. ...it isn't. It's far from it. It's also far from the worst, but a number of bone-headed mistakes keep it out of the top tier. Join me as I play the final game in this vaunted seri... what's that? Capcom went behind the series creator's back and made three more after this? Huh. Well, at least they finally wrapped up the storyline with Wily and all that. What? They didn't, and the last two games completely drop the storyline in question? FUUUUUU-
 

Donkey Kong Country 3 Playthrough

Join me for a video speed(ish) run of Donkey Kong Country 3, one of the last major Super NES platformers.

Mega Man X4 (Playstation, 1997)

For the first time ever, I cover the X series debut on the original Playstation. This was RAD when it first dropped. Does it stand the test of time? Either way, it's more fun than Mighty No. 9.

Mighty No. 9 (Everything, 2016)

Well, it's better than nothing.

How far can I get without dying in the Ninja Gaiden trilogy?

The answer? Not very far, as it turns out. Videos within.

Mega Man Zero 4 (Game Boy Advance, 2005)

Time for the shocking conclusion of the entire Mega Man classic/X/Z series. Unlike the first three, this game is kind enough to offer the player an easy mode. This is a series that was in dire need of an easy mode just to provide accessibility to non-hardcore players. There's a time and a place for easy mode, and this was the time and place. That said, I think some games have gone overboard in the modern era by giving us easy modes where it's literally impossible to die (Final Fantasy XV, Mass Effect Andromeda). That's a story for another day.

Mega Man Zero 3 (Game Boy Advance, 2004)

I once said that Mega Man Zero 2 was possibly the hardest Mega Man game. I was wrong, because this one is harder. Yep, each Zero game seems to be even more difficult than the one before it.

Mega Man Zero 2 (Game Boy Advance, 2003)

This is Mega Man Zero 2. Probably the most hardcore Mega Man game of all time. It'd make the original Mega Man on the NES weep. It'd make Mega Man X6 cry. It'd make the first Mega Man Zero run for its life. Mega Man 9 might be about on the same level as this one, but even that very difficult game gives the player more breaks. Enough about the difficulty though. With a fairly emphatic end to Neo Arcadia in the first game, where can the story go from here? Let's find out.

Mega Man Zero (Game Boy Advance, 2002)

It's been a while since I did an entirely new post, but we're back with a bang. This is a fantastic Mega Man offshoot from 2002 that the Game Boy Advance got (and later a DS compilation came out, so we've got no excuse for not checking it out even now). This is, in a way, the "true" sequel to Mega Man X5, taking place after a time jump in a world where X as we knew him is no more and Zero...looks completely different for some odd reason. Originally, this was intended to continue the story of Mega Man X5's apocalyptic satellite ending, with society barely rebuilding. Once the other branch of Capcom went and made Mega Man X6, they had to revise this story a bit to accommodate it. As a result, the other three MMZ titles all kinda veer off in another direction. Let's get to it.

Mega Man X3 (Super NES, 1995)

The end of the Super NES trilogy arrives with a bang. This is by far my least favorite of the three as it fixes a lot of what wasn't broken to begin with (while breaking the boss AI). Join me as I slog through it for your amusement.

Mega Man X2 (Super NES, 1994)

A year after the previous game, we got this one. Since I didn't play Mega Man X until about eleven months after it was released, this meant I got to basically go right from the first game to the next. As a result I had the benefit of directly comparing the two, and I'd go so far as to say this is the better of the two. Mega Man X is more appealing in a lot of its designs, and the fortress levels are definitely better, but other than that I prefer Mega Man X2's gameplay and music by a slight edge. They're still essentially tied at the top of the X series for me. This is a game that I can essentially replay at any time and have fun.