SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - GreatNES Awaits Edition

I'm feeling retro this week, and guess what-- so is SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs! I'm taking you guys and gals old school with a special NES edition of the Favorite VGMs. We've got everything from Super Mario Bros. 2 to Disney delights like Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers and Duck Tales 2. You can't have an NES special edition without some Contra, so I'm throwing that in as well. How about some Batman to finish this edition off? Okay! You got it!

For past VGM volumes featured in previous editions of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs, look no further than the VGM Database!

v1146. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - Character Select

We start this special NES edition with a jaunty little ditty from Super Mario Bros. 2. No, not The Lost Levels, as it's known on the side of the Pacific. I'm referring to the Doki Doki Panic version of Super Mario Bros. 2, complete with playable Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad. Choose your character wisely, as each has their own unique play style to put you ahead of or behind the proverbial 8-ball!

v1147. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (NES) - Zone A

Ch-ch-ch-Chip 'n Dale! Rescue Rangers! Back in the late 80's and early 90's, Capcom and Disney paired together for some absolutely incredible 2D platformers and games. Two of these on the NES featured the dynamic duo of Chip and Dale. This favorite VGM of mine comes from the very first level of the first game. It makes me want to hook up my NES and enjoy the box-chucking mayhem of the game.

v1148. Duck Tales 2 (NES) - Niagara Falls

With sadness I share this VGM volume. Alan Young of Mister Ed and more recently Scrooge McDuck voice actor fame passed away last week. He was a great performer, and he even reprised his role as Scrooge McDuck for Capcom's Duck Tales remake several years ago. Duck Tales 2 followed the same structure of the original, allowing players to choose their destination and explore nonlinear levels.

v1149. Contra (NES) - Jungle

Are you one of the skilled gamers that can beat the original Contra without the famous Konami code? Not me! That's for sure! As a kid, I was lucky to get passed the first level, this action-packed jungle. I must have played that level so many times that every note of this jungle theme is etched in my memory. It's still good to this day!

v1150. Batman (NES) - Stage 1

My favorite actor who played Batman is none other than Michael Keaton. He played the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman with tremendous ability, showing a slightly unhinged man overall. The game that features his likeliness, modeled after the movie, released on the NES, and it's one of the better old school Batman games. Its soundtrack is classic retro goodness, really pushing that NES sound card to great use.

Mega Man 3 (NES, Wii U VC, 3DS VC) Retro Review

There's actually going to be two more reviews for the month of August. The second will be here this evening. For now, the first is a retro review of Mega Man 3. I previously tackled Mega Man 2 and gave it a 9.5. Will Mega Man 3 surpass that score? Find out with this review.

Refined Mega Man Refined

The battle that has raged on for decades... No, I'm not talking about Mega Man versus Dr. Wily, I'm referring to which Mega Man is the best-- Mega Man 2 or Mega Man 3. No doubt Mega Man 2 refined the formula and set the foundation for future games, introducing many concepts that successors of the series would implement. However, I'm of the opinion that Mega Man 3 just edges past Mega Man 2 and is the truly excellent Mega Man game.

This is no shot of The Brady Bunch,
that's certainly for sure!

If you're familiar with Mega Man, then you know the score. Dr. Wily's doing something sinister, and it's up to Mega Man to stop him. The beauty of the Mega Man series is that you start off on a menu of eight Robot Masters, and you get total freedom of choice on which one's level you want to play first. The Robot Master stages are generally longer excursions than what was found in Mega Man 2, but the amount of checkpoints makes it so death doesn't mean repeating a long stretch of level all over again. Most levels rarely follow a trope. There is seldom the token water level, forest level, and so forth. Instead, you get levels like Snake Man's that is some atypical area full of platforms, walls, ceilings and floors that have the texture of snakeskin.

In a moment, this mechanical
menace will be hiss-tory.

When you do reach the Robot Master's quarters, things work just like every other Mega Man game. For the easiest time against the boss (and since their patterns are more complicated, these battles are anything but "easy"), Mega Man needs to use the special weapon that that Robot Master is weak against. As a Robot Master is defeated, Mega Man absorbs their signature weapon, able to use it freely in levels and in boss battles, as long as he has the available energy. If you want a real challenge, you can perform tasks like facing each Robot Master out of their intended order, or battle them with only Mega Man's arm cannon.

Mega Man goes all ninja on Spark Man.

After the initial eight Robot Master stages are completed, one would think that the way to Dr. Wily's castle would be open. That isn't the case. Instead, you get a choice of four levels based off four of the previously defeated Robot Masters in remodeled levels based off of them. Each level has two boss encounters, both being old haunts from Mega Man 2 in a new body. This plus the original eight Robot Master levels and Wily's castle levels make for a lengthy adventure that doesn't outwear its welcome.

You spin me right 'round!

Mega Man 3 included some new additions to the franchise that lived on through subsequent sequels. The most prominent are two new characters, Mega Man's canine counterpart Rush and Mega Man's brother Proto Man. Rush can help Mega Man with three transformations: the Rush Coil, the Rush Jet, and the Rush Marine. The latter is only used one time or so for underwater exploration. Meanwhile, the Rush Coil propels Mega Man into the air, allowing him to reach higher platforms and locations. Lastly, the Rush Jet grants Mega the ability to ride on Rush, safely letting him cross large expanses. However, just like the special weapons, each Rush ability will only work as long as Mega Man has weapon energy.

Thanks for the lift, Rush!

Speaking of weapons, in Mega Man 2 the Metal Blades were seriously overpowered. You could march through the game, taking out enemies with them without breaking much of a sweat. In Mega Man 3 the weapon balance is much improved. No one weapon really is superior than the next. They all serve their purpose for each situation that Mega Man finds himself involved in. That level of balancing continues with the difficult of the game. In Mega Man 2 (are you sick of me comparing that game to this one yet?) there were two choices of difficulty. One was too easy and the other was too hard. There was no middle ground. Mega Man 3 fixes that with one difficulty that has just the right amount of challenge to it to make it a fun, tough, and engaging play.

Mega Man doesn't hate to burst
anyone's bubbles.

There are some quips I have with Mega Man 3, though. Much like with the original NES version of Mega Man 2, in Mega Man 3 there are points in the game where more action than the game can handle happens. In these cases, not only does the Mega Man sprite flicker, but the game can even slow down quite noticeably. This can make the time to dodge a foe's attack all the more aggravating.

So much for showing some brotherly love.

Mega Man 3 is a tremendous entry in the Mega Man franchise. It might not have had the same level of impact that Mega Man 2 had, but as a game it definitely rivals its predecessor in many aspects and comes up short in others. Mega Man 3 possesses better weapon balancing, great additions like the slide ability, Rush and Proto Man, and it has a difficulty that is more even. Despite the technical issues that bring the game down a little bit, Mega Man 3 is still a title that should be recommended playing for any gamer serious about their hobby.

[SPC Says: 9.5/10]

Mega Man 2 (NES, Wii U VC, 3DS VC) Retro Review

We've already looked at the 16-bit era of gaming earlier today, so why not take a glance at the 8-bit era as well. Here is a review of the retro variety, celebrating all things awesome with Mega Man 2. Here is our review.

Mega Man Refined

Mega Man is a franchise that Capcom would rather forget, it seems. To put it in perspective, Nintendo appears to be doing more with the series by including Mega Man in the next Super Smash Bros. games than Capcom is currently doing. Fortunately, Capcom isn't entirely turning its collective back on the Blue Bomber, as they are releasing his classic games on the Wii U's Virtual Console service. One of the most celebrated titles of all Mega Man's multiple series and spin-offs is Mega Man 2. Come see why it certainly deserves its due credit.

It takes some fancy footwork
to stay on that rotating gear!

For those who have no idea what the Mega Man series is all about (have you been living under a rock[man] for the past two decades?), each classic Mega Man game (save for the first) pits the Blue Bomber against eight Robot Masters. You, the player, are allowed to choose which order you wish to take their levels and concluding boss fights on. This was a huge innovation way back when, but the innovation actually doesn't end there either.

Defeat Metal Man...

Each Robot Master (boss of each level) has a weakness to another Robot Master's special primary weapon. As Mega Man defeats a given Robot Master, he copies their ability, allowing him to use that weapon in and out of boss battles, including the severely overpowered Metal Blade. For instance, Heat Man is weak to Bubble Man's special weapon, and if Mega Man uses it on him, Heat Man will go down in a handful of hits. While there is a recommended order of levels for beginning players to follow (the best order starts off with the Robot Master that is the easiest to eliminate with Mega Man's default weapon), expert players can make the game harder by going out of order, or even taking on every Robot Master with only Mega Man's default weapon. 

...to use his Metal Blade
as Mega Man.

Each Robot Master stage has its own obstacles, enemies, hazards, setting and theme. Air Man's stage is completely above the clouds and in the sky. You must jump from cloud to cloud, mechanical monster head to mechanical monster head, all the while always being threatened with a bottomless pit under you for careless players to fall into. Meanwhile, Crash Man's level has you riding on platforms that ride along an lined path. You need to stay on it while shooting down enemies, which wish to knock you back to the ground below. Lastly, Quick Man's stage is a nightmare without Flash Man's time-stopping ability. You have to think quick (pun intended) on your two blue feet as you try to evade giant killer laser beams otherwise.  

Whatever you do--
Don't look down!

There are generally a few checkpoints per level, so death doesn't mean you have to replay the entire level over again like many games of the 8-bit era would punish you with. Don't get me wrong-- Mega Man 2 is still challenging, even with the comfort of checkpoints. Still, even if you do lose of all your lives, you can continue your game from the stage select screen. Previous Robot Masters defeated will still be gone. If the normal difficulty isn't doing it for you, you can always play on Difficult mode. Enemies deal out more damage, and the game is just even harder than usual. 

These foes will put the screws into Mega Man.

Mega Man 2 is a much improved game over its predecessor. For one, it's a longer game, featuring eight Robot Masters to defeat instead of just the six from the original Mega Man. This is a feature that future Mega Man games would have. Another aspect of Mega Man 2 that would live on are Energy Tanks. Mega Man can collect and hold onto up to four at a time. These restore his health completely when used, so they're without a doubt usually hidden well. 

Wood Man's stage occurs in this
unfriendly forest setting.

Perhaps my only beefs with Mega Man 2-- something that I know might disturb some fans of the game, as many find the game to be perfect-- are very small ones. For one, after you have finished a level and beaten the Robot Master, you can't return to that stage. I'd love to be able to replay levels without having to start the game over again. One annoyance occurs with a boss in Wily's Castle stages. It requires you to use the Crash Bomb to defeat several targets. If you mess up and run out of weapon energy, you have to grind outside the boss door for energy. Very vexing. Lastly, and this deals with the performance of the game, there is a lot of sprite flickering when there's more than a few sprites on screen at the same time. Thankfully, this is but an aesthetic issue, however, and has nothing to do with the gameplay.

Surrounded but not surrendering!

Mega Man 2 is a short experience, giving players a brief experience around 2-3 hours total. However, it's a game that you'll want to play through again and again. It's that good. My minor beefs aside with the game, Mega Man 2 delivers a challenging platforming with enough action that has kept players coming back for over two decades now. The addition of restore points in the Wii U Virtual Console version means even the worst player can get through the game with some patience and determination. Mega Man, you rock.

[SPC Says: 9.5/10]