The days are getting shorter. The nights are getting colder. The leaves are falling more, and the spirits of Halloween are creeping closer & closer. On the first of this month, I showed off the top 10 movies to watch before you die, but I didn’t want everything I published this month to crush the soul. I gotta treat you all once in a while this October, and I got something fun for today! The subject of today’s review is from a game series I got into earlier this year, and it’s one I’m glad I did. An alternate take on one of the most iconic console characters of all time, it spawned it’s own little series of games, but for today’s purposes I’m looking at the first title of this franchise. So, get yourself onto the Net, make sure you have the most up to date virus protection, and take a look at my review for MegaMan: Battle Network. Let’s begin!
Story
Taken from Wikipedia:
“Mega Man Battle Network is set in an ambiguous year in the 21st century ("20XX AD") in an alternate reality to the original Mega Man series. Within the world of Battle Network, the Net has become humanity's primary means of communication, commerce, and even crime. Users are able to "jack in" to the Net and other computerized devices and explore their various aspects using (or "operating") program avatars called "NetNavis (Network Navigators)" as if they were physical locations. The Net and the inner workings of computers are displayed as a virtual world within which users (through their NetNavis) and computer programs can interact. Users often do so by communicating through a "PET (PErsonal information Terminal)" device. The plot of Mega Man Battle Network follows one such pair, Lan Hikari and his NetNavi MegaMan.EXE. Lan is a fifth grader in the town of ACDC. His father, Dr. Yuichiro Hikari, is one of the world's top scientists and NetNavi researchers. Throughout the story, Lan and MegaMan solve various criminal cases around ACDC involving other Navis and their operators. Some of the confrontations with the various criminals involve desperate, life-threatening situations including school students being re-educated as mindless slaves, the city's waterworks freezing over, oxygen being cut off at a large party, and a bus rigged to explode. The duo continuously crosses paths with Eugene Chaud, an official "NetBattler" commissioned by the government to investigate crimes on the Net. Chaud and his NetNavi ProtoMan.EXE act as rivals to Lan and MegaMan.EXE.”
On the initial surface, Battle Network’s story comes across as rather anime cliched (Good & Bad), and as things progress a lot of said cliches stick around. However, the genius of this game’s story is that for every cliche, there’s a twist or surprise that catches you off guard! Much like when I talked about Everfrost’s 2019 release Winterider almost 5 years ago, there’s a giant degree of deception going on, but the kind of deception that works really well. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say there’s a few moments in the story that will come right out of left field......and I only knew one of them before I came into the game.
Setting
Battle Network is of two worlds: ours, and the Internet. In the real world, you got Lan’s hometown of AC/DC, and it a simple place where the player’s friends are, the school he goes to, and one of the local businesses. There’s also DenTown, a nearby city filled with commerce & frantic activity. Finally, there is the Government Complex, where some of the most important political & internet related decisions are made. There are a few other places, but they’re more for quests, and as such they don’t stick with you as much as the bigger locales. Regardless, there’s a surprising amount of detail for a game from the Game Boy Advance days. There’s a lot of color in every locale, and the more realistic places feel believable to an extent. The Internet, however.....is where the real imagination kicks in.
The Internet (and by extent, the dark & mirrored Undernet) is one of the most varied world’s I’ve ever seen in a game. Due to the fact that practically everything appliance, computer, everyday object, and more curious things have connections to the Net, there are so many micro worlds with their own personality. Since it’s a virtual world, you can have funky patters, bright colors, and paths that are designed in ways that makes sense in a computer. The parts of the Internet that are involved in main quests definitely have more room, and more detail because of their importance. That being said, sometimes things are too maze like and/or gimmicky in some locales, and you can get lost rather easily. The PowerPlant is infamous in this regard: in addition to being on a timer to get to the end, many of the pathways are invisible, and you have to know EXACTLY where they go once you’re somehow on them.
Characters
Battle Network’s cast of characters is bright & colorful, and they all have their own personalities that help them stand out. Lan, the character you play as, is bright & plucky, but perhaps a little dense at times. MegaMan is just as bright and plucky, but is incredibly more observant than his partner. Lan’s also got a bunch of friend by his side: the adorable Mayl (Who has a crush on Lan, btw) and her cute Navi, Roll. The spoiled but oddly caring Yai, and her butler Glide. You also have Dex, who starts out as kind of a bully, but ends up becoming the lovable oaf of a friend along with the equally tough Gutsman. Finally, there is Chaud. Though he’s not friends with the gang per se given his cold & distant personality, he none the less knows that sometimes going at it as a group is better than going in alone. His Navi, Protoman, pretty much thinks the same way.
However, it’s not just Lan & his friends that take center stage. There’s plenty of other characters as well! There’s Yuichiro Hikari & Haruka Hikari, who are Lan loving parents. Yuichiro isn’t home all the time, but he still cares for his son, and absolutely loves his wife. Meanwhile, Haruka is a kind housewife & mother, who has a passion for baking bread & is on a quest to make the perfect cheesecake. There is also Mr. Famous, who’s known for challenging young Netbattlers that are going down his path. Using a variety of Navis, he teaches these Netbattlers various techniques & information so that they might do well in the future. You also got the pair of Baryl & his Navi, Colonel. The two are practically inseparable, and have been together throughout numerous battles. Finally, there is the highly mysterious Bass. A Navi that is within the Internet’s depths, he’s constantly seeking out strong opponents to fight in his pursuit of more power, and has stood in the way of MegaMan on numerous occasions. There are also numerous other NPCs all over the game, each with their own quirky personalities, and they all add further personality to the world
And then we have the WWW, or World 3 as they’re known. These guys are.....conflicting for me. On the one hand, they genuinely do some awful stuff, and most of them are equally awful people. On the other hand, they seem unintentionally comical. Some of their actions kind of come across like the classic dastardly villain that ties the girl to the train tracks, and just taunts the hero to come to them. When it was revealed that Dr. Wily was the one leading the group, I was kinda surprised. Compared to his appearances in the original MegaMan games, he’s not quite as threatening. He’s still a chicken shit, but there’s a lack of menace from him this time around, despite still having a sliver of a threatening aura. Still, WWW could have been so much worse, and are more than appropriate for this first outing in the Battle Network series.
Gameplay
And here’s where we get to a conflicting area of this game for me. For an RPG, it goes through a lot of typical motions of the genre. You go around the world, doing quests, finding items, fighting enemies, and leveling up your character. It’s actually done very well, but what makes it special in Battle Network are the twists it does. For example, since you’re fighting in the cyberworld, you have to find various CHIPS that’ll give you attacks & abilities. Some you can find on the internet, while others you get from completing quests, merchants, finding in the net, and fighting the various viruses & Navi. That last part is a bit annoying sometimes, as you have to have certain circumstances met in order to get their special CHIPS. The Boss Navi in particular can be incredibly frustrating if you want their special CHIPS, as you really need to have certain conditions happening in order to get them. As for leveling up your stats (Attack, Rapid, Charge, Health), you find PowerUp.exe & HealthUp.exe items in pretty much the same manner as the CHIPS. These are perhaps more important than CHIPS at times, and are practically vital when it comes to boss encounters. Maybe not so much when it comes to the ones in the beginning, but after them you better level up your stats!
Apart from that, there’s a couple other issues I have with the gameplay at times. For starters, some of the quests involve a lot of backtracking, and that gets old real quick. Secondly, some of the fights you get into feel incredibly rigged. Maybe not so much with the average viruses, but when it comes to the boss Navi......ooooooh boy did a couple of them feel rigged. Even with my stats at a fairly high level, it still felt like they had an advantage somehow (Looking at you MagicMan). Finally, it can be really confusing when it comes to where you have to go to complete a quest. There’s a few times where you’re told where you gotta go next, but more often than not it can actually be hair-pulling, and since there isn’t a map, it’ll feel like you’re just running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off.
Graphics & Sounds
Despite being over 20 years old, the graphics for Battle Network are nostalgically delightful. Something about the pixilated looks & feel of everything is just charming. From the various NPCs & Navi, to all of the locales you wander through, there’s just something about the various settings that brings a smile to my face. Even the various attacks coming from you & your enemies look grace, as there’s a surprising amount of fluidity to them. The remaster from last year, however, looks so much better. Things are expanded from the original Game Boy Advance edition, and looks really well on bigger screens. I played it on the PC, and it looked fantastic! It wasn’t too expanded, as there is a border around the gameplay to help take up space. Still, it managed to keep the nostalgic vibes of the GBA version, while at the same time looking really fresh.
The one thing that I don’t think was changed was the sound effects, and I’m strangely thankful that they didn’t. Much like it’s graphics, the sounds & music are 20+ years old, but in this remaster it sounds nice! They sound just like they did on the GBA release, and I must say that the soundtrack tickles the nostalgia bone for me, even though this year marked the first time I played this.
Overall & Rating
Battle Network No. 1 is just a charming little game. Small dents not withstanding, it is a fun time in this tactical RPG that slathered in virtual MegaMan goodness. Thanks to the release of all 6 games last year (Especially on the PC), those who missed out on them the first time will have a chance to experience them in their full glory today. I salute you Battle Network!......no. 1 that is.
Battle Network No. 1 gets a 8.5 to 9 out of 10.
And that was my review for the first MegaMan Battle Network game. A fun little title from a colorful series of games, it wonderful that they’ve come back onto the gaming market for anyone to enjoy, regardless of the system it’s being played on. With that out of the way, it’s time to come back to my haunting retrospective on media, so join me next week when I’ll show off the top 10 albums you should listen to before you die. Until then, don’t download any weird viruses off the net!
No comments:
Post a Comment