Forums > Contributor Zone > Rob's RotW for July 22 to July 28, 2012

Ah, I was hoping to have a RotW done before the previous week's was up, but WQ didn't let that happen. So screw this, I'm out…

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Ha ha ha. That was a joke. Ha ha ha. Now to review reviews. Man, I really phoned in the ad-lib/small talk intro to this one, didn't I?

Anyway, with four contestants for this week, everyone gets some talk and one person gets a win.

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ZIPP: Mega Man (NES) by zippdementia

Of your three Mega Man reviews, this was my favorite. Perhaps because the fewer number of bosses (6, as opposed to 8) makes it a bit shorter and less cumbersome. I really liked your approach for these games, as I don't think I've ever read a review that focuses on bosses and their stages like this. Originality is a good thing when pulled off well and you did that with these reviews. Like I said, the first was the most condensed and easily readable due to fewer levels to individually go over, but I'm enjoying all of them. I love reading your opinions on the stages and you have some interesting insights that (whether I agree with you completely or not) make me want to possibly go through a couple of these games just to see how my opinion of certain things compares to yours. I mean, I doubt I will do that, since my retro love right now seems to be mainly old JRPGs (since you don't get that many good new ones…and they all tend to come out for that Nintendo handheld I don't own) and I have a huge pile of newer games on a stand for me to play through…but I'd like to, damn it!

PICKHUT: Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition (360) by pickhut

I like this. A bit of ANGRYPICK coming out with this game, using "words" like terribad and stuff like that. I think you might be the ideal person to review compilation sorts of titles and/or arcade games with lots of modes as you're really good at giving quick, condensed descriptions of a lot of things, so readers can get a good grasp of what's going on without getting bogged down by 2000 word behemoths. I know a lot about this game and I know exactly why things don't work in clear language.

PIXEL: The Amazing SpiderMan (360) by Pixel

Man, I loved Shattered Dimensions and endured Edge of Time, but after that, didn't really have much desire to play this game. I'm glad of that, now. Little star power in Spidey's opponents, a cruddy stealth battle system and tedious side quests. Yeah, it might look good, but what's the point when so many other things are subpar? A good review to highlight how average this game is.

JOE: Magmax (NES) by JoeTheDestroyer

I remember seeing this game in magazines growing up and having the same impression that your intro provides. Unlike you, I've never played the game. Lucky for me, as you paint a great description of a truly blah game that falters under its repetition and general unappealing visuals. That three-headed dragon looks cool in the screenshot, but reading about the actual confrontations with it really dispels that illusion. Good job covering a bad game.

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Overall, the winner goes to Zipp. Mega Man 1 was the first of the six reviews I read today and it was the one that stuck out most in my mind when I was done. No one needs to feel ashamed of not winning, though…all six of these reviews kicked at least a few shades of ass! I mean, the reason I did this format instead of my usual was just so I wouldn't have to figure out second and third place…figuring out first was enough work for one day!

And that's that. Until the next time.

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I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

I had similar feelings on Magmax; it was a great review! Though I had to come back to it several times, as the difference between the cover art and in game graphics broke something inside me. Like, my soul.

Mega Man gets his deserved place on the charts! You can't keep Mega Man down! I swear these games are out to get me, Rob. Starting with reviewing Mega Man 1 wasn't so bad because, like you said, there are six robots. So I figured, hey, I'll do the Wily stages as well, cause they are just as important and, heck, there aren't that many stages anyway.

Then we get into eight robots. Still, I'm thinking this isn't going to be too bad. that's only two more Robots I get to review and generally there's a couple throwaways I don't have to talk paragraphs about. Then we add the doc robot stages. And then two castles. What's next? Multiple versions of each stage and three Castles? The reviews get longer and longer...

As a side note, I've been checking out YOUR reviews on the Mega Man series, Rob, and really enjoying them, too.

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Note to gamers: when someone shoots you in the face, they aren't "gay." They are "psychopathic."

Funny thing is that I looked at those reviews after reading yours, just because it was so long ago that I'd written them that I couldn't really remember what they were like and at what point things kinda went off the cliff with me and the series.

Although it was attempting to do those MM Battle Network GBA games that completely broke me on the series. Or maybe it was the bright pastel SNES 7 or the scavenger hunt that was Rockman and Bass, also on the SNES. All I know is that the MM X games are generally considered to be great and I couldn't even muster the will to do one full stage in the first one a couple years ago.

I did just read your MM4 review and really liked it. I agree with this being where they really got into making themed levels for the bosses. It really added a certain amount of style to the game, which kept the simple formula from getting old for probably a couple games longer than it could/should have.

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I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

Thanks for liking it, OD. I honestly didn't want to write the review at this length for the game, since... it's Frogger and all. But it was something that was needed, since the game turned out to be a disaster. Appreciate the comments!

Congrats, Zipp, on the RotW win.

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I head spaceshit noises

Thanks OD!

I was hoping to include some dig on that "arcade classic" nonsense on the cover, too. Like, "Arcade classic my ass!"

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The only thing my milkshake brings to the yard is a subpoena.