Megaman Battle Networks 1

[Dracos]

Okay, fresh from completing this game I must say it was a refreshing surprise.  The game plays like a cross between Megaman and Robotrek.  It's obviously aimed at little kids, both the storyline and writing quality indicate this, but that shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying this game.  It's made for the Gameboy advance by Capcom as might be expected.

First off, the bad:
The sound quality isn't anything special.  In fact it can get darn annoying at times.  You are better off playing your own music than listening to the soundtrack for this game.  The also noticiably cut protoman's theme song from the sound effects of this game.  Points against keeping the tradition.

The graphics are nice for the system, but for those used to the powerful graphics of more modern systems this won't win any points.

The story is noticably geared towards little kids, at best middle schoolers.  It's a classic little kid and megaman save the world type storyline.

Okay, that's quite a bit of bad when you think about it... but what saves the game is the battle system.  Managing to be both innovative and fun, it's reminiscent of what Robotrek hinted at.  You and your opponents are on 9 square battlefields in which you move about in realtime and try and kill each other using megaman's blaster and a variety of battlechips.  It's not only fun but keeps battle remaining interesting even through the end of the game.  Unlike many rpgs unless you really work at it you won't find battles being able to be one by just hitting the attack key.

The game takes anywhere from 10-25 hours to play through, depending on how thorough you are in collecting chips.  It's a light play and good fun all around.

Fearless Leader

[Lufio]

The game takes anywhere from 10-25 hours to play through, depending on how thorough you are in collecting chips.  It's a light play and good fun all around.

Ya, ya!  Za game, fun it is!  Like many other RPGs, I spend most of my time fighting random battles, since that's what I like.  ^_^  Heck, I've spent so much time fighting random battles that I've hardly moved the storyline along.  ^_^;  I've had this game for 3-4 months now, and I've yet to get around to solving the water crisis in Dentown.  I've been fighting Gutsman over and over again for the last month whenever I get around to playing.  Heh.  

This is almost as bad as Final Fantasy Tactics, where my characters were in the 80s and 90s in level, and I hadn't left Chapter 1 yet...  ^_^;  I do so love fighting the random battles.  *chuckle*

[nemesis_zero]

argh... you are like my eternal opposite, lufio.  I HATE having to dredge through random battles to get the story to progress.  It's allright in levels so long as the encounter rate isn't every freakin' step or so, but any game in which I have to stop and build up really annoys me, even in my favorites, the old-school FF's 4 and 6.

This is one of the biggest reasons that Chrono Trigger and xenogears will always be on my all-time best lists.