Topic: This Week in Nintendo Downloads 4/18/11

[NWR_DrewMG]

The Blue Bomber's 16-bit debut has finally arrived in North America.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26091

This week in Nintendo downloads, we have five new titles, and one new demo available for download on the Wii Shop Channel and the DSi Shop.

For Virtual Console, we have Mega Man X, the Super NES debut of the classic Mega Man franchise. A spin-off of the original Mega Man titles, this game puts a new spin on a classic formula, with a shiny new coat of 16-bit paint. Mega Man X is available on the Wii Shop Channel for 800 Wii Points ($8).

Today's WiiWare update brings us one new game, and one free demo of a previously released game. The new game is My Little Baby, from dtp young entertainment. The game is a baby simulator, which allows you to take care of the baby by feeding it, changing it, bathing it, and generally making sure that it has all the attention it needs. My Little Baby is available for 600 Wii Points ($6) from the Wii Shop Channel.

Also available on the Wii Shop channel today is a demo of Bit.Trip Core, the second title in the Bit.Trip series.  The game requires you to control two axes at once instead of the single axis in Bit.Trip Beat. The demo is available for free from the Wii Shop Channel.

On DSiWare today, we have three new releases: GO Series Captain Sub, DodoGo! Robo, and Music on: Learning Piano Volume 2.

GO Series Captain Sub is available from Gamebridge, and has you controlling a yellow submarine through underwater caves. As you explore deeper into the sea, you can find keys to go even deeper and gain more treasure. The game is available for 200 Nintendo DSi Points ($2) in the DSi Shop.

DodoGo! Robo is the latest title in the DodoGo! series. In this installment, you play as the Robo Egg, and try to use various tools to solve a maze, and then watch the whole thing play out. No previous knowledge of previous DodoGo! games is required to enjoy DodoGo! Robo.  The game is available from Neko Entertainment for 200 Nintendo DSi Points ($2).

The last release this week is Music on: Learning Piano Volume 2. This title from Abylight helps you learn to read music and play keyboard with 15 different songs from various legendary composers. The game is available for 200 Nintendo DSi Points ($2) from the DSi Shop.

[Ceric]

Megaman X is a good game but I have the GC collection.

[FZeroBoyo]

Mega Man X? Wow, that was pretty quick. Pretty sure I will try it out sometime soon.

[broodwars]

I've been trying to download Mega Man X for the last 5 minutes.  But because Nintendo apparently only paid $1.50 for the servers, the download's failed 3 times now.  Keep giving me reasons to purchase games on your digital download store, Nintendo!

That said, MMX is a classic.  And even thought the X Collection is a better deal, only 2-3 games on that collection are actually any good IMO and the collection isn't compatible with the Classic Controller Pro, so I think I'll stick with the SNES Mega Man Xs on the VC.

EDIT:  Finally...after 4 attempts the damn file completed the download.

[Ceric]

The whole Wii Store experience is super clunky.  It is easily the worst of the digital stores I've used.  Its slow and hard to navigate and its sooo darn slow for what it provides.

[NWR_insanolord]

The whole Wii Store experience is super clunky.  It is easily the worst of the digital stores I've used.

You obviously don't own a DSi.

[Ceric]

The whole Wii Store experience is super clunky.  It is easily the worst of the digital stores I've used.

You obviously don't own a DSi.

I do not.

[broodwars]

Playing through this game again, I still don't understand how so many people think this game is "so difficult".  It's probably the most fair of all the Mega Man games, what with all the suit enhancements; heart tanks; and the automatically-refilling subtanks.  Plus, there's an extremely easy stage to farm health on (even once you enter Sigma's Castle) if you need it later on and the advanced version of one weapon is impenetrable by most enemies.  There are a few tricky spots, but nothing un-manageable (especially since you can climb walls and dash now).

[Ceric]

I personally think the later Megaman games and the rest of the X series is harder.

[Mop it up]

I didn't like Mega Man X because the music was bland and the weapons weren't interesting.

[broodwars]

I didn't like Mega Man X because the music was bland and the weapons weren't interesting.

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, having just replayed (and finished) the game just now.  Granted, the electric guitar soundtrack is extremely 90s, but I find it pretty catchy.  As for the weapons, I liked them (especially since each has an advanced form, some being extremely useful like the Chameleon Sting's and Rolling Shield's).  I especially like how many of the bosses have some extra animation they perform when hit with their weakness, rather than just taking extra damage.

[Mop it up]

You beat it already? I see the Mega Man series didn't get any lengthier from its move to the Super NES.

[broodwars]

You beat it already? I see the Mega Man series didn't get any lengthier from its move to the Super NES.

Bear in mind that I was beating this game probably every other day (if not just about every day) back when I owned the SNES version in my school days.  This was the game that got me to get a SNES.  My playing time is probably a little skewed, since by now I could beat this game in my sleep.  But yeah, like every Mega Man game it's only long until you figure out the boss order.

[Retro Deckades]

I'm with broodwars. At which point did people begin finding MMX to be so difficult?

Also, though the game may not be the most difficult or lengthy, I personally always enjoyed every moment of the experience, which is what always made it fun to replay.

[BeautifulShy]

I think the games of the 16 bit era was only really difficult at the time. Most of us I would say were young and found it challenging with a few exceptions. If you try to get everything then yeah it is going to be pretty easy. The main difficulty in megaman games is the difficulty in the level design and figuring out what order to go in when fighting bosses.

Broodwars did you get all the suit upgrades and E-tanks and Heart tanks?

[broodwars]

Broodwars did you get all the suit upgrades and E-tanks and Heart tanks?

Yep, including the secret X-Buster and Hadouken upgrades.  Aside from those two (one of which is hard to reach because you have to do a really hard dash-jump to reach it, and the other is hidden so you'd only get it if you knew the right steps), nothing is particularly well-hidden in X-1.  Unfortunately, X-2 and X-3 really go nuts on the hidden items.

[Ian Sane]

MMX is not that hard.  No harder than the typical 16-bit action game at the time.  MMX2 and 3 though are pretty damn hard.

Mop is the only person I've ever encountered who doesn't like MMX's music.  It's usually regarded as a classic SNES soundtrack.  Storm Eagle's theme is my favourite.

To me this is Mega Man perfected.  Mega Man 2 and 3 were the best of the NES games but they still had some extra bullshit that pissed me off like the disappearing platforms.  X is considerably more balanced and fair, like most 16-bit sequels to 8-bit classics.  The game also adds a pseudo-Metroid design with all the secrets.  It isn't just about beating all the levels but also building up Mega Man to have the maximum abilities.  It's adds an exploration element that I really enjoy.

A common problem with Mega Man sequels is getting the right balance of weapons and having appropriate weaknesses for the bosses.  The earliest MM games did it a lot better because they honestly started running out of ideas for robot masters so you're left with inane concepts like Skull Man or Pharaoh Man where there is no logical strength or weakness to the item.  By going with animals for the X series they got a chance to reboot and use weapons that are a little more logical.  Chill Penguin is obviously weak to Flame Mammoth's weapon for example.  They got a chance to use obvious choices like fire and ice again.  By X2 they're already getting kind of stale (Flame Stag when the previous game had Flame Mammoth?  Couldn't you at least call him Fire Stag or Heat Stag?) but this was a good reboot for Mega Man - a concept which honestly doesn't have much legs, thus the cookie-cutter nature of it.

One element that is so great that I've never seen again is the wall climb.  Mega Man jumps at the wall and pushes off and if you guide him in midair to the same wall you can keep pushing off it and scale any wall.  This is such a cool dynamic and yet no one seemed to copy it.  Nintendo has to think about new abilities for Samus and yet they never thought of ripping this off.  Vertical scaling is rare in platformers.  One of the only other games that really makes a lot of use it is Strider, which fittingly enough is also a Capcom title.

[Ceric]

MMX is not that hard.  No harder than the typical 16-bit action game at the time.  MMX2 and 3 though are pretty damn hard.

Mop is the only person I've ever encountered who doesn't like MMX's music.  It's usually regarded as a classic SNES soundtrack.  Storm Eagle's theme is my favourite.

To me this is Mega Man perfected.  Mega Man 2 and 3 were the best of the NES games but they still had some extra bullshit that pissed me off like the disappearing platforms.  X is considerably more balanced and fair, like most 16-bit sequels to 8-bit classics.  The game also adds a pseudo-Metroid design with all the secrets.  It isn't just about beating all the levels but also building up Mega Man to have the maximum abilities.  It's adds an exploration element that I really enjoy.

A common problem with Mega Man sequels is getting the right balance of weapons and having appropriate weaknesses for the bosses.  The earliest MM games did it a lot better because they honestly started running out of ideas for robot masters so you're left with inane concepts like Skull Man or Pharaoh Man where there is no logical strength or weakness to the item.  By going with animals for the X series they got a chance to reboot and use weapons that are a little more logical.  Chill Penguin is obviously weak to Flame Mammoth's weapon for example.  They got a chance to use obvious choices like fire and ice again.  By X2 they're already getting kind of stale (Flame Stag when the previous game had Flame Mammoth?  Couldn't you at least call him Fire Stag or Heat Stag?) but this was a good reboot for Mega Man - a concept which honestly doesn't have much legs, thus the cookie-cutter nature of it.

One element that is so great that I've never seen again is the wall climb.  Mega Man jumps at the wall and pushes off and if you guide him in midair to the same wall you can keep pushing off it and scale any wall.  This is such a cool dynamic and yet no one seemed to copy it.  Nintendo has to think about new abilities for Samus and yet they never thought of ripping this off.  Vertical scaling is rare in platformers.  One of the only other games that really makes a lot of use it is Strider, which fittingly enough is also a Capcom title.

I wouldn't mind Strider making a good comeback.  Strider 2 wasn't that great.

[Mop it up]

Mop it up is the only person I've ever encountered who doesn't like MMX's music.

I guess it depends on who you ask. Most of the Mega Man fans I've talked with say that the music in Mega Man X and beyond is nothing compared to the soundtracks of the NES games. It's kind of interesting, it would seem that as the sound quality of gaming systems increased, the compositions became less melodic and more generic.

[KDR_11k]

MMX is a fun game, still have the SNES and the cart for it. Maybe I need to try beating Sigma again some day, I never managed that as a child.

My only comparison at the time was Mega Man on the Game Boy and that was way, WAY harder. The low jump height makes dodging bosses almost impossible and the two Wily stages had endless disappearing block sequences.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

I've actually enjoyed playing Mega Man X for the most part. It has some classic Mega Man cynical moments (e.g., spikes underwater at a mini-boss), but I've found the weapons and sub-tanks make the game far more forgiving (in a good way) than other Mega Man games I've played.