LadyHawke

I watched this fantasy movie from 1985, expecting somewhat a movie like Krull or something like that, with the exception of it being more romanced themed. I almost cut of when the intro rolled out. What sort of music was that? By Alan Parsons no less. Don't get me wrong, I like synth music from the 80's, but for a fantasy romance movie? Sounded more like a pop song. It got better though, in the action scenes and such the music is rather good and works. 80's fantasy and synth music goes well in hand according to me, all that's missing was some laser light show representing the use of magic. Not a movie I will go out of my way to watch again, but it was competent. The sets and costumes worked fine and the actors weren't bad... maybe with exception of the lead Matthew Broderick that can't stop talking. 

The concept of the story was also very interesting. A man and woman is cursed to be in the form of an animal, the man a wolf by night and the woman a hawk by day meaning that they are separated for eternity. The curse was set upon them by the Bishop and the man seeks revenge and uses the thief Broderick to enter the town since he's the only one that has escaped from the dungeons. A pity the Bishops connection to the devil wasn't explored more. Really, had the focus been more fantasy we would have a magic battle between the bishop and the father repenting for his betrayal years ago. Perfect place for a laser light show with a strong synth tune.

Star Wars Episode IV-VI

So watched the last/first movies this weekend. Sadly it was the latest edition with some changes. Really, the edition from 1997 is mostly no problem, that one I even watched when they showed them in the cinemas in the 90's. Here we have when R2-D2 hides in a cave from the sand people and they have digitally put in rocks before the opening making you question how he was able to get in there from the beginning. The other scene is the infamous "Han Shot first" where they digitally moved Hans head to make it plausible that Greedo shot first, which wasn't the case. Overall it's a good movie, but when I look at it... it's kinda boring. For some reason even though things happen and moves the plot along it feels slow. All I wait for is the lightsaber duels and the space battles. And then we have the character of Luke Skywalker, who my father don't like at all. No patience, stubborn and not listening to others and so on. Which we both agreed on seemed to be a family trait. Although, in his defence I had to bring up that Luke at least did all those decisions in order to save and help everyone else, compared to Anakin Skywalker who mostly did it to further himself and so on. The whole trilogy actually has better character motivations and arcs. Just look at Han Solo is set out to be greedy and only thinking of himself, but he actually redeems himself by his actions and in the end do the right thing. The music is also something that is still really good.

The second movie and according to some the best movie in the series. Personally I don't know, yet again it feels so slow at times. Besides the Battle of Hoth and the Lightsaber duel at the end it's just slowly building up the end. Maybe it's the dialog that is rather simple even though it gets it message out. Also, looking at it the music overall feels rather subdued, like it only plays at certain key moments in the scenes and otherwise feel rather silent. Other things that feel rather strange is the AT-AT (the giant snow walking imperial machines) that seems to be rather worthless in battle since they just walk straight forward with the least of mobility.

To me this was the best Star Wars movie as a kid. It had the best space battle and lightsaber duel, it has a good ending and the music is at its best. The characters as well end with strong arcs that redeems their fault in earlier movies. Solo takes the lead of a strike team as he has been humbled, Calrissian proves his worth both in freeing Solo in the beginning and leading the attack on the Second Death Star while Luke battles his own inner demons while fighting Vader and the Emperor. Only thing that bothers me is that it feels like an unfinished story when he is able to turn his father to the good side again. Why? I get it was seeing his son being destroyed by the Emperor, but this is Darth Vader who we have seen kill people without thought in two movies past. He even more or less killed his wife if we take the Revenge of the Sith into account so why was it impossible to let Luke die? Was it some back-story I missed? Another problem with the final scenes is that the final moment before Vader turns on the Emperor has lost some of its impact when they added a monologue shouting No! No! taking away the inner conflict. Really sad to butcher it. Then we have the Ewoks. I was never bothered by them. I even remembering the animated series about them and I have seen parts of one of the Ewoks movies. But they show a problem with the series that gets to me. Different languishes. The Ewoks, Wookies, the Huts and so on speak there own languish, that they don't always translate or use subtitles for meaning I don't get what they say. Realistic probably, but the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies knew to subtitle all Tolkiens languishes (with exception of the dwarven I believe). The only reason it has it making C-3PO useful for the audience.

Star Wars Episode I-III

 

Channel 3 have a Star Wars weekend showing all the Star Wars movies and this weekend it was the chronological first three movies and I just had to watch them since it was a long time ago and I'm a bit hyped by the new Star Wars movie next year. The first movie I actually watched in the cinema back in 1999 and I liked it at the time, I was 12-13 years old so it might have been it tailored for kids like me. Today it is seen as either the most boring Star Wars movie or the second worst movie after Episode II. It's not that bad. Yes, Jar Jar is annoying, the whole Pod race scene is just boring and hardly gives anything to the story and just drag. Sadly it was the extended movies so there is some extra time especially around the pod race showcasing even more of the different racers... and I don't even care. And also, the dialogue is kinda stilted at places, especially with Anakin and Padmé (meaning the characters overall). Also I don't quite get how Naboos political system work when they choose a monarch (in this case an 18 old) for a couple of years and then replace them... why queens when it sounds better with a prime minister or president? A monarch can be chosen (we had that before the 16th century), but they sat for life. The better parts on the other hand is actually what many complained about and that is the political aspects of the senate. That is the interesting part. How Senator Palpatine outmaneuvers the current chancellor in the Naboo crisis, which he himself started. Really, the prequels is a much better series from his perspective compared to the rise of Darth Vader.

Episode II then, and again, the political maneuvers are the most interesting thing with the movie. How Palpatine are given extended powers and a republic army to fight the separatist. Much of it is probably due to the actor who really sells the role of this chancellor who reluctantly agrees to stop this threat (although we know he is the one behinds it). Sadly it's what is the main focus of the movie that drags the movie down, the Anakin and Padmé love story or relationship. Due to Anakin Skywalker being one of the most unlikable characters in the series. He is so blinded by his own ambitions, faults and feelings that you just hate him. He complains that he is being held back, doesn't get his credit or that no one acknowledge him. Everything is about this guy and it goes on my nerves. I might just say this due to being a political scientist, but the political stuff is so much interesting cause you don't have him around and the actors in those scenes are good, even Jar Jar Binks have a good plot point that is logical in the story (which gives Palpatine the power he wants, but it is logical) and he play the part good enough. Really, this plot is basically taken directly from ancient Rome when senators grabbed the dictatorship mantle and wouldn't give it back. Also, I didn't watch this movie in the theaters, neither episode III.

Interestingly, I don't find it as good. It lacks the political machinations of the earlier movies, since for some reason the subtleness of Palpatine is gone. He is a cartoon villain. The little political drama that exist is that the Jedi sees themselves forced to take control over the senate in order to stop this power hungry dictator. That is an interesting idea which backfires at them as it gives Palpatine the excuse he wants to eradicate the Jedi. Of course that only works as Anakin betrays them. I see why, he wants to save Padmé I get it, but since he was so unlikable in the last movie and he isn't redeemed here, he makes it worse. When Palpatine wants him inside the Jedi Council he gets upset when the Jedi gives him a place, but not the title of master and dares complain that it is unfair. What a prick! The Jedi overall seems to be pricks using the force as they choose, but still. Doesn't help that he has shown dictatorial tendencies from the second movie. I do not know how to fix this, maybe better dialogue, but you need to change the character of Anakin Skywalker. He can't be this self-entitled ass. It's not worthy of the Darth Vader of the original trilogy who was cruel, calculating and emotional in check. Another unrelated thing... why does the clone army fighters look like X-wings that the rebels used? Shouldn't they be more like Tie-fighters (which interesting enough the Jedi ships looks closer too)?

Overall, fun to watch, but I definitely look forward to the original trilogy this weekend. Also, as a side note, I don't know if Episode II and III had some extended scenes since those movies I've watched the least so I can't tell the difference.

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

Watched this movie yesterday and as someone said afterwards, what am I now going to look forward to? Well, beyond the extended edition next September/October... maybe Star Wars, but anyway. I enjoyed and it was a good ending for the series. Certain scenes was unexpected, but fun to watch like Gandalf escaping Dol Guldor. Other things was the small touches connecting to the books, for example that the orcs actually had some kind of vampire bats on their side or that when Bilbo used the ring in the presence of elves they shine of light in this shadow world (although one could argue that the effect only would have been around really special elves like Glorfindel which is the only one that was mentioned having that effect in the Lord of the Rings).

Was it something that I didn't like? It felt unfinished, and by that I mean that there was many things left hanging and this section is gonna be filled with spoilers so be warned. For example when the white council rescues Gandalf Saruman tells the others to leave Sauron to him. If you have seen/read Lord of the Rings you know Saruman is a traitor, but have he turned or is it a possible future confrontation with the dark lord that makes him turn (or it could have been a post-credit scene that we walked out of)? Then, what happened to Alfrid, the Grima Wormtounge of the series? Did he survive the battle? What happened to the people of Laketown, the dwarven kingdom of Erebor and what did the Mirkwood elves do? I know since I read the books and materials around it, but the movies left me hanging. I expect at least an hour extended material detailing Dains coronation, the funerals of the dead dwarves, the rebuilding of Dale and a reunion scene between Balin and Bilbo... that might be asking for to much, but it would be nice.

Pier Solar and the Great Architects

I've been playing this JRPG Pier Solar and the Great Architects on the Wii U. A game made for the Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis for you Americans) released for the first time in 2010. You read that right, 2010. This was the HD remake for modern consoles (and apparently the Sega Dreamcast) and it's a fun game with around 40 hours for one playthrough. The game is beautiful and you can switch between 16-bit graphics or HD or HD+ (what HD+ does I can't actually say since I don't see it) and also between original Mega Drive sound or CD quality. Really good music. It plays as the old JRPG with a lot of random encounters which I have a problem with today, but it works, although at some times traversing a dungeon is just a chore with the same creatures attacking again and again. That is a minus, it's not much variation of enemies, and I can't distinguish between different versions of the same monster.

Story then, the most important thing in a RPG. It's interesting and works good enough. It begin with main character Hoston looking for some herbs for his sick father together with his friends Alina and Edessot. Searching in a forbidden area they stumble upon a garden left by the Architects for the Goamen (which I presume is short for Goat men). That is the setup and now comes the spoilers for you all. The Architects are something between gods and scientists who created the Pier Solar, a machine that makes it possible to... do anything I guess. It's rather diffuse on what it actually is or does. It can create dimensions, change outcomes, travel in time, erase people, make people immortal and other things. As you see, omnipotent power. Of course this corrupted the Architects and they had a fallout which caused a war over the fate of mankinds free will. The rouge Architect was killed and all traces of the Pier Solar and this golden age was erased to save all life. And of course it's your job to ensure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

A good RPG that especially the Wii U really need. What misses is some voice acting, maybe deeper knowledge of the main characters and antagonist. But the most irritating thing is a glitch that seems to plague the game. When playing for a while the game seems to freeze, especially around entering different areas or initiating an encounter. I can't even finish the end credits without it freezing when going to the main screen (I presume since it's just black). I haven't seen anyone else complain about it so it might just be my console or download, still annoying though. But really, Nintendo need to fix a real JRPG cause I need to still my grand fantasy adventure craving. I know they have Dragon Quest X in Japan, but it's a online multiplayer game, I need my 50-100 hour single player experience.

Re-Election Time

So Sweden is in the unusual situation of kick-starting a re-election campaign just 2,5 months after the latest regular election. I say let bring it. I may be partial, but I hope the Alliance stomps the red-greens into the ground (unfortunately I don't have much faith in that we can stop or even outmaneuver the Sweden Democrats). As it looks right now we have a good position for it. The Red-Green government is seen as one of the most incompetent governments we ever have had. Only 2 % seems to like this combination, their policies have angered a lot of people across the country and the greenhorns in the Green Party have not been able to show some statesmanship worthy of a governmental party. Doesn't help that they are going to campaign separately, but on the same budget together that was co-written by the Left Party. All this have also cast it shadow on the Social Democratic party that is seen by many as THE Government party. It's a joke now. After some research I see that this will be the fourth extra election Sweden has ever had, the others was in 1887, 1914 and 1958. The only time the liberals came in top was 1887 when the free trade block won, the other times the liberals lost 6-8 %, hope it equals out. 

So why would we come out on top? The disdain for the current government. Also polls shows that a majority blames the government and the Social Democratic leader for this mess (with the Sweden Democrats on the second place) and if that view sets, the red-greens will loose. It doesn't help that when he speaks about responsibility and that he have reached out to the other parties it sounds more and more hollow when the last election campaign had its goals to push out the Center party from the parliament and this election opens up with a hope that the Christian democrats falls out. In government they go away from the deals made in the school area, they alone puts the green party in Pension group without asking the other members who all have veto and just expect them to agree with it since they are part of the government. They say they reach out their hand, but all I can see is a finger of Mordor's black frames and claws (this was a weak try to quote Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Chapter 10 The Voice of Saruman, but since I don't know where my English copy is I had to translate the Swedish one into English and we already know how weird the Swedish translation isso I don't know if its even close to the original, also don't take it to seriously, I just thought about this quote with all the reaching out).

Of course that might not be enough to topple the current government that they are worse than the alternative, to win you also need a vision to go with that people agree on. The Alliance must muster the strength to attack all other parties with political visions and solutions that resonate with the voters. The current economic crisis we will probably win on since we have the strongest economic policies according to the last election, but we need policies on housing, integration,the defence, law and order. If we manage that we might even stop the growth of the Sweden Democrats. And I know that the red-greens will attack us on that we make it worse for the unemployed and seniors, but counter it. Point out that even if the unemployment benefits grows it will not help the youth since they haven't worked enough, counter with a more matching working unemployment institute (either make it completely administrators and private alternatives focus on that or fix the current, less administrative). The seniors, just steal the Sweden Democrats talk from the budget hearings, if the economy goes down the pension lowers as well (which the red-greens budget even admitted). They must do this, otherwise we will loose, also dare be controversial. Attack the unions, they don't shy away from it so why should we? Even a poll yesterday showed that the union members of the largest one, LO, less than half is voting for the social democrats, but still they give money to the social democratic. The same poll showed that the Alliance parties have grown. Now is the time. Now or Never!. The Super-Election Year Goes Overtime!

(If you wonder about the flower its taken from Wikipedia on the Swedish Liberal Party, since I couldn't find a good picture on anything with the liberals concerning an extra election and the cornflower is the party symbol for the liberal party)

Bayonetta 2

Played through the second game as well at it was pretty much the same as the first game. Still fun and quirky. Some improvements is that even though if you play on the easiest difficulty you still have control over the combos compared to the first one were it was automatic. How else are you gonna learn if the games does it for you? Other than that there isn't really much to say. Same characters plus some new ones, same voice actors and eerily similar story events. Takes place a couple of months after the first game and it's Christmas... which really has no impact since we are taken to some place in northern China with a holy mountain... but all the characters name is based on Norse mythology, like Aesir and Loki. Ok, so it doesn't make much sense, but it gets weirder. And this is gonna be *SPOILERS*... for both games I think.

So the basic is that the god of Chaos gave the humans free will, but in turn was divided into a good and a evil half who fights for control of the Eyes of the World. The Left Eye is currently with Bayonetta and the Right Eye was... I guess destroyed when we killed Balder in the last game (Balder being Bayonetta's father and a Lumen Sage). This caused Aesir to wake up and start his plan so you get that. Really, Bayonetta just gets wrapped up in this since her original goal was to find Jeanne in Hell since her soul was taken their after taking a blow for Bayonetta. So then the ending. Aesir deceived a time traveling Balder to get revenge for Bayonetta's mother, but are talked into helping Bayonetta. In order to defeat Aesir Balder traps Aesir soul within him and are brought back to his own time... where he start the path that lead him down to the end of Bayonetta 1? Which caused the events of Bayonetta 2? Damn time travel paradoxes, it doesn't make any sense. Or is it setting up a third game? Well, I've seen that it didn't do that well, but it didn't flop.

Forgot to mention last time another reason I bought this game was due to it being produced by the same company behind The Wonderful 101, which I loved. And I gotta say, they have much in common with layout of stages and how they shift the gameplay chapter after chapter. You fly a jet in one chapter and ride a exoskeleton suit in another between the normal enemy bashing chapters.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS

I wasn't gonna write about this game until I got all the characters and their trophies in the single player modes, but after a while I realized I would have to play a lot more than I can stomach. Really, I've felt burnt out by the series since Brawl. Could be that I more or less played through Brawl twice, once at my family version and then on my own (had I copied over the save I might not have this feeling). Really, Melee was probably more fun to play with since it actually was me and my three sisters playing it and therefore we weren't burned out getting characters as Ganondorf and such who needed several hundreds of melee battles. Cause really, there is nothing wrong with the game. It's fun and works mostly the same and have the same modes and even some new ones that have my interest... but I don't feel like play it that much and when I do, maybe 30 minutes at the most. Maybe the small screen tires me out.

And really, this is an appetizer for the Wii U version that comes out at the end of November. Hopefully the data I accumulate here can be transferred to the Wii U and unlock things so I don't have to put another 40 hours into basically the same game to gain the same characters. If it isn't I get the feeling that this series will loose me. Another reason I might not like playing it that much is all the talk about playing to hard might break the control stick, which at the moment I don't have the spare cash to replace... or at least wait until the New 3DS comes to Europe. And thirdly... so many other games that doesn't feel like a chore to play through.

Bayonetta

Another game I wasn't gonna buy. I'm not much for action button masher combos... since I'm so bad at them. But for some reason I decided to download the demo for the second game and test it out... and I didn't hate it, find the visuals interesting and since I got a notion that these games were gonna be the hardest to find physical copies for so I  bought them. And boy what a ride for the first game. The story, that everyone else seems to have problems with, I found rather interesting. I wanted to know more. Yes, it was incoherent, but if you have a 500+ year old witch who lost her memory, was trapped in a casket under a lake and only awakened 20 years ago, there's gonna be holes to fill. Of course time travel really messes with time perspective, but it made sense in the end... mostly. Why she becomes the left eye as she took the little girl back to her time I don't quite get. Maybe I was so distracted by.... uh... the fan-service. Well... I mean, who doesn't like women with glasses, long, dark hair and dressed in a skin-tight suit... made out of her hair... which goes away while fighting... No I should probably stop here before I dig my grave all to deep.

Really, it's just something fun about it being released on a Nintendo console with the amount of swearing, gore and sexual... well, it's not subtle. Hell, first scene is someone urinating on a tombstone with the directors name on it, Bayonetta dressed as a nun... and losing her clothes as well. Glad for the the off-TV play so no one else sees me play it.

Shovel Knight

 

I wasn't gonna buy this game when I first heard of it. Looked fine, but I'm not that good at platforms so I shoved it aside. That was until the reviews came from America. It intrigued me, the music enchanted me and suddenly I craved it so I awaited the release... and waited... and waited... 3-4 months later we finally got it in Europe. About time. And I had fun while playing it. The music was pumping, the levels challenging in a fair way... most of the time, the damn airship level can crash and burn for all I care. The story then. You are Shovel Knight, adventure extraordinaire who lost your best friend Shield Knight years ago and constantly have nightmares as she plunges toward the earth and you desperately try to catch her. You fight the Order of No Quarters to reach the Tower of Fate and confront the Enchantress who *SPOILERS* is Shield Knight, really as soon I saw the intro I knew she was it *END SPOILERS*. Awesome final battle and an emotional roller coaster for the good. 

The only bad thing I can think of is it's to short. Apparently they are gonna prolong it in the future with DLC. Hopefully we don't have to wait 3-4 months after America. Fun thing is that after playing the classic Mega Man Games I constantly tried to save state, but at the last second I remember that there ain't no such function here. I really am caught in the save state sickness, but I will not give that up due to be still quite bad at such games. What makes me not care that much in this game is the save mechanic with save points that you can destroy for easy money if you are good enough, but are forced to the beginning if you die. Also unlimited lives. In Mega man tough luck if your ammo goes out cause then the only way is to restart the level by dying all spare lives. Also, nearly no cheap deaths which make it, as I stated, more fair and therefore less frustrating.

Face To Face

So I finally got the season 2 of Mysterious Cities of Gold on DVD, English that is so I have to get used to the new voices again. I only watched the last DVD so I throw myself right into it and the only voice that is problematic for me is Esteban's, as someone put it, sounds more like a women than a boy. Well, did I miss anything by watching it in French? First of that the people in the Himalayan village is of on a pilgrimage, the kids are afraid of Ambrosius since red hair is the sign of a demon (FORESHADOWING), the Olmecian map showed the location of three cities of gold pointing us to Japan, the monks prophecy told us about someone betraying the kids at the mountain, the holograms was of the elders of Mu and Atlantis and awakening all cities of gold would restore all of them... somehow and finally the reason Mendoza stole the Pyramid of Mu was so that Esteban's father could find a cure for his radioactive poisoning from the solar reactor. Small details I missed the first time was that Ambrosius seemed to have swallowed some Orichalcum when escaping the city of gold explaining his coughing and such.

So the final episode? The kids reunite with Ambrosius at the village together with the monk and dog while Mendoza and his companions are walking the outskirts. Mendoza pulls Esteban out from the crowds and tell him about his father and how he have arranged a meeting. Ambrosius overhears and heads for his balloon while the monk follows him, distrusting him since he tried to kill him. They have a fight while Ambrosius is in his exoskeleton and the monk has the upper hand until Ambrosius flings a cocktail of sleep gas or such at him and then throws him out, flying of to spring his evil plan. The others reunite over a waterfall as Esteban's father appear on the Olmecian flying machine that he repaired himself. Tearful reunion ensues, although some of the dialog didn't make any sense. Esteban's father ask if it's true that he can summon the sun? Well, yes, you asked him to do the very same thing to activate the first city of gold? What is this, some bad translation? Anyway, Zares/Ambrosius appears, crash the party, kidnaps Esteban's father and forces our heroes to go to Japan. Said and done, the next day the team together with Ambrosius fly away with the monk stumbling around the forest seeing them, saying that he has done what he can (really? You are just gonna leave them to this maniac?) and then we flash towards Ambrosius airship and his secret compartment where Esteban's father is trapped in some healing chamber (since he is sick), banging on the glass while end credits follow. Cliffhanger... YAY!!!

Overall... decent. It at least capture some parts of the original and the story isn't that bad. The decision to introduce a season spanning villain as Zares is rather good, compared to the first season when it mixes between Spaniards, different native American tribes and then finishing with the Olmecs who becomes enemy mine for most time. He's also rather evil as well and ruthless. He was probably made to match the magnificent bastard that is Mendoza. Animation is better than the original, but I still think it looks wonky at times. The music isn't any surprise was better and more prominent in the original, but when they at least try it comes close to the feel of the original. Now I have to wait until next season comes out... 2015 or 2016 I believe. Will they find out about the treacherous Ambrosius? Actually, everything points towards him, but they still don't get it so they seemed a bit more stupid this time around. Betrayal near the mountain, he even confesses he threw the light that blew the monk down the mountain and they still don't get it, but will he be the final antagonist of the series? At the moment all he does is working for Charles the fifth so no. He's just a more competent Gomez from season 1 (or is he a more prominent Pizaro?). He need some devious goals to pull that of, otherwise I might suspect a resurrection of the Olmecs since they were hinted here and they might have tried finding the other cities. Also, with the revelation of all cities connected, what would awakening all of them mean? Being inspired by Japanese anime I would suspect that either the seventh city is either in space or launching all seven will call down an eight city from space that either will trigger the destruction of earth or that Ambrosius or the Olmecs will cause it to react that way. It's an animated cartoon after all. We just have to wait and see.

Mega Man Classic

 

So I've been playing the original mega man games on my Wii U and 3DS and maybe you want my thoughts on them. First off, I'm not good at these kind of games so I'm using the save state a lot... and I mean A LOT! Secondly, I've only played Mega Man 3 as a kid so there is hardly any nostalgia over this, so my favorites are not gonna be everyone's favorites. First game, many say it's the hardest. I would agree if I wasn't able to pull of the select button glitch (meaning pausing the game while firing the electric weapon causing much more damage than thought out, works well against the Yellow Devil). 

 

The second game, by many seen as the best of them all. Good music. Really, it's not much else to say about them. Same story, Dr Wily causing trouble so Dr Light (Right) sends out Mega Man to stop him. Really, I wouldn't say it is the best, mostly due to Quick Man's stage that feels like cheating with the insta-death beams.

 The third game, and to me the best of the bunch. Awesome intro and stage music and Rush. I don't know if it's due to me playing a lot more than the others, but it also feels like the easiest of the games and more enjoyable. Story is that Dr Wily has reformed so he and Dr Light creates Gamma to keep the peace, but they need some ores from different planets and the mining robots goes hay-wire so Mega Man is sent out to get the ore. Of course Dr Wily is behind it and you have to fight Gamma to get him.

Forth game. Some Dr Cossack attacks the world and Mega Man must stop him. Turns out he was black mailed by Dr Wily who kidnapped his daughter. First time playing I found it boring and hard. Maybe due to being fed up on Mega Man, but a second play through made it rather fun. Decent game that is.

Fifth game. Hardest game, damn robots have punishing patterns that makes it nearly impossible to avoid damage. Most hated are gravity and charge man. Story is that Proto Man has turned evil and caused havoc on the world and only Mega Man can stop him... turns out Dr Wiley used a fake Proto Man. Gotta say that the cut scenes are pretty nice.

Sixth game and never originally released in Europe. Some Mr X is having a tournament for robots and the eight winners starts attacking people so Mega Man must stop them. Turns out Mr X really was Dr Wily. Who knew. Some music tracks are really nice and the rush suits (or adapters) are really fun actually. Also introduced the thing that evenly spreads the energy to your weapons without having to change weapon all the time. Best mechanic ever.

Overall they are fun short distractions with often good music. Favorite one 3 due probably to nostalgia, but probably also due being the one that feels most thought out of the old ones. You have three different forms of Rush, you have the slide and the best stage music in Top, Spark, Snake and Hard Man. Magnet and Shadow Man are OK, but nothing special. After that it would be 4, 2, 6 and 1/5 sharing last place. Why 4 over 2? Slide and charge shot. Really, I'm so used to the slide it's aggravating playing the first two games.