Catching Up: It Begins

This was originally intended to be a vidcast, but I really don't think that it's necessary. Rated PG for one bad word and off-screen cursing.

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I was born in the early 90's. As I was growing up, the Super Nintendo was winding down to make room for the 3D era.

My first MegaMan game was a demo of MegaMan Legends, played on my cousin's PS1. I hated the gameplay (primarily because I was [and still am] terrible at it), so it really turned me off MegaMan games.

Flash-forward a few years. I saw the coverage for EXE1 in my latest Nintendo Power and since there hadn't been a Kirby game in ages (I've always been a huge Kirby fan), I picked it up.

So began my introduction to the series that I would invest hundreds of dollars and countless hours in.

Flash-forward another few years. I've played all the EXE games that are out (1-5) and I need my fix. Not realizing what I'm doing, in the exact opposite of what I'm sure so many others did when EXE1 came out... I picked up MMXC, thinking it'll be just like EXE. (XD) To say the least, I was surprised. This put me off the older MegaMan games for even longer.

Flash-forward another two years. I had nothing to do in a room full of computers (long story), and, with the entire archive of Bob and George fresh in my mind, I searched for a web-based NES emulator. I found vNES (virtualnes.com) and browsed the catalog. I saw Mega Man 1-6.

MM's Mind: Mega Man. Mega Man X. Mega Man = Mega Man X. Mega Man X = hard. Therefore, Mega Man = hard.

I'll spare you the expletive-filled account of my brush with MM1.

MM's Mind: Mega Man hard. Try next one.

Mega Man 2 was, by far, the best game I'd ever played. (Of course, Brawl's taken that spot since then.)

That's not to say, however, that I was good at it. Or, for that matter, that the game's entirely fair.

Take, for example, Air Man. Let me ASCII something to show you what I mean.

I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I__M______________A__I
M=MegaMan
A=Air Man

This is your hit radius.

I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
IXXMXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI

This is Air Man's Tornado-Rape radius.

IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI
IXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXAXXI

This is your hit radius on Metal Blade.

I--X--------X--------I
I--X-------X---------I
I--X------X----------I
I--X-----X-----------I
I--X----X------------I
I--X---X-------------I
I--X--X--------------I
IX-X-X---------------I
I-XXX----------------I
IXXMXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXI

This is your hit radius on Time Stopper.

I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I--------------------I
I__M_________________I

And this is your brain on drugs.

I can't beat Solid Snake!

(Parody lyrics of I Can't Beat Air Man, easily viewable on YouTube)

I come to realize
I find myself just standing at the start
Then I always fade away at the very same end

With belief in my heart
I try my best to use B-Up attack but
Can't help myself from falling down to death

If I only had the item named Smash Ball
It'd knock him off the stage short and easy

I fight him many times
Many, many times, but

Solid Snake just cannot be defeated, why?
No matter how I try, 'Nade Launcher is blocking my way
Go for a chance from in front, trap him next to wall
But sooner or later I'll be blown away

Went for the endless push, however forever
With his grenades there's NO WAY

To win the next fight, the next final one
So, Smash Ball is the last thing I'll hold on to

I can't beat Solid Snake!!

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What prompted this? Having to fight Snake four freaking times before I managed to beat him and unlock him. I did actually beat him, but not before writing this.

ARG Watch: The Lost Ring

thelostring.com

I found this rabbit hole through the video-montage-thing at the bottom of my MSN Messenger window, actually. XD

I have no idea what this is. It looks like an ARG, it sounds like an ARG, but it doesn't quite taste like an ARG. I dunno. Explore it for yourself, but make sure you have Babelfish open behind it. You're going to need it.

Get Equipped with ARG Watch!

Warning! New challen- er, I mean, section!

In ARG Watch, I'll point out possible trailheads for Alternate Reality Games. Go wiki this stuff if you don't understand it or check out the guide at UnFiction.

What's behind this, you ask?

ARG Alert: Channel 51, Part 2?

Channel 51 was an ARG about, oh... four years ago or so. It was Nintendo's counter to ilovebees and it promoted Metroid Prime 2. It centered around a company called Orbis Labs creating Metroid-syle weaponry and using astronauts from a company called Athena Aeronautics (or Astronautics or something... it's been four freakin' years, gimme a break) to create Samus-esque bounty hunters. This was all reported through channel51.org, the website of one Samantha Manus (which is TOTALLY not Samus with an "antha Man" in the middle). Her contact was a character by the name of YX455, which later changed to KA054 when the YX455 AIM account was compromised.

The remarkable thing about Channel 51 was that even after Nintendo ended the game via some job postings on Monster.com, the players, including one who had gotten not only the YX455 AIM account but also the blog yx455.blogspot.com, actually extended the life of the game, the player assuming YX455's identity and keeping the game going for another few weeks.

I was always a big fan of Channel 51. Look at my profile, click on my interests and see who shares them. I use YX455 as my Brawl name. You can understand my surprise, then, when I saw that a user under the name of YX455 had posted in a Bungie.net topic.

You: HOLD IT! Couldn't this just be another fan of Channel 51?

*headshakes, tapping index finger on forehead* That's what I thought initially, but explain this. Later that day, the Wikipedia article for Metroid Prime 2 had a link added to the body of the page. It said only "it begins again" and linked to a Gamertag... that of YX455!

You: OBJECTION! This is just some lonely fan of Channel 51 trying to meet other fans or something!

*headshakes yet again* No. His profile links to http://echoesofthetruth.blogspot.com/ where it appears that he's posting in character as YX455. It also appears that he's traded Metroid for Halo. I mean, the posting on Bungie.net, "my fight to finish"...

Judge: Mr. SP, unless you can stay on topic, I'm going to have to penalize you.

No! Not the gavel of doom! Noooo! *loses 1/8 of HP bar* Why must this hurt with pain?!

*ahem* Back on topic, I've also been told that someone is trying to buy the channel51.org domain name. Also, this new person is not the original YX455. The original has an email address of yx455.truth A7 gmail DAW7 com, while this one uses yx455.echo at the same domain... which is also a valid MSN Messenger account.

Whatever's happening, something's happening. I've contacted him via email, and this is what convinced me something in the ARG alley is up.


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I know not this game of which you speak, but I rarely have time for games any more. The truth does not wait.

I am glad to hear that not all of the Seekers [Seekers of the Light, a Channel 51 community named after a recurring line from YX455 -MM] have given up hope. When the time comes, I will expect you to be ready to join us once more.

Awaken more of them from their slumber.

Our hour is at hand.

Seekers and Templars [users of Luminoth Temple, a now-closed forum revealed at the official end of the game -MM] will join together once more.

It is your duty to ensure that.

Seek the light.

--YX455.echo

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A rather heavy duty, yes, but something rather interesting nonetheless. Wonder what YX would say about this. Probably something roundabout and unhelpful, as always.

Well, that's all I know. More info as it comes in.

Until next time, remember, the Metal Blade can fire in eight directions.

MegaMatt SP, signing off.

SSBB

Brawl. Amazing.

2664-1790-8173.

Must. Play. More.

Wright On