Part 9: BurnerMan somewhat resembles a cupcake.

This jerk. Yoooouuu. I had so, so much trouble with this guy as a kid.



Until this point in the series, every single fire-element Navi (Save BombMan, but who the hell remembers him?) was operated by Mr. Match. MMBN5 is the only game in the whole series, spinoffs included I believe, where he doesn't make an appearance.



"Hey, Mr. Match! Long time no see! Aw, that stuff about tricking me into nearly killing my father and letting the WWW release Alpha, which led to the almost-death of my brother, let alone the collapse of civilization? That's fine, you silly goose, of course I've forgiven you!"

Fuckup Tally: 102

Seriously, it's never mentioned ever again. MMBN3 did make a throwaway line in the ending how the WWW operators were being treated at a hospital for the brainwave mind-rape we gave them courtesy of the Pulse Transmission system, so his survival period is handwaved. Why he isn't on his ass in a prison cell is a mystery. In-universe anyway, we all know the real reason.

Bonus: In Red Sun, he and FireMan are are a version-exclusive fight, so you get a soul from them! At least Lan is a little bit cautious in that scenario, but well, you'll see it 4 playthroughs from now or so.



Mr. Match isn't Burn(er)Man's operator, surprisingly, though.



He's around because he's annoyed at someone horning in on his business. Fire Navis are his thing, and his thing alone! Nevermind that it's one of the primary elements in the series, but fine, it's as good a reason for him to show up as any.



Atsuki is an annoying jackass brat, but unlike the other characters who've had those traits up to now, we aren't supposed to like him anyway. Paradoxically, this makes me appreciate the guy. My contempt is intended and justified, what do you know!



Atsuki is given a custom sprite, mugshot, and Navi. MMBN4 is bizarrely inconsistent about that. Tetsu and Flave both had custom sprites/mugshots, but generic Navis. Obviously, programming a custom boss is harder than drawing up a mugshot and walking sprites, but it makes me wonder if Flave and Tetsu were originally intended to have unique Navis.



Did I mention he's a brat?



Mr. Match is pretty pissed off at this point.



He calls Atsuki too cold to use a fire Navi, and Atsuki's retort is that he drives the Fire Float during the Festival of Flames.



Much like Tetsu being an infamous gang leader, we're supposed to be impressed by how a character is related to something we've never heard about before and will never once be mentioned ever again.



Throughout the scenario, Mr. Match and Atsuki both insist on referring to themselves as hot, hotter, hottest, etc. It sort of gets uncomfortable. Anyway, Mr. Match and Atsuki decide to fight each other in their own fire duel, and set off to start duking things out.



For once, a scenario that doesn't really involve us, because this is just between the two of them.



I realize that my "Obvious lie about the hopeful outcome followed by screenshot refute" gag is getting overused, but goddammit the games do it themselves!



As usual, the solution to a computer-related problem is anything but "Disconnect the power". Even if the computer got so hot the power cable started melting, shorting out, and sparking, there's always the circuit breaker...

Not calling this a fuckup though because it's just how things work in MMBN-land.



This is a perhaps unintentional throwback to MMBN1. The very first scenario, involving Mr. Match, required Lan to grab a WaterGun from his toy cabinet and put out the fires blowing out of the oven to save MegaMan from fires in Cyberworld. Yes, yes, I know, just move fucking on...



I was honestly surprised to see that they'd bothered to both sprite smoke coming out of the computer. And a message when you check it too!

And yeah, computer's are always referred to as PCs. Suck it, Mac users, the future has no need for you!

Don't fucking derail the thread with Mac vs. PC bullshit, it's a joke, move on!



Anybody having flashbacks? Told you it was like the FlameMan scenario. And for once, a screen effect that isn't flicker-based, this red tint is present as long as fires are in the area.



MegaMan used WATER GUN!



It's not very effective....



MegaMan decides to do what he can with the useless program for the time being.



Meanwhile, we need to find someone who can help us! If only we knew somebody who specialized in water, or could somehow deal with fires on a large scale! Everything is on fire. It's just too bad there's no way to just dump a ton of water into the Cyberworld, that'd obviously cause problems! You'd need some kind of way to get rid of all of it, what kind of Navi could do THAT?

Fuckup Tally: 103

FFFUUUUUCCCCKK!



Fuckup Tally: 105

Ooh, two for the price of one.

As I mentioned before, the NPCs do not give a shit about whatever's going on in the specific tournament round. There could be a giant magic flying whale frying houses with disintegration beams, and people would just remark "Oh, wow, you're doing well in the tournament!" The most Capcom ever actually does is remove the NPCs period, such as when the Cyberworld flooded. I think that guard NPC Navi is the most effort they ever put into the generic NPC dialogue between tournament rounds.



Obviously, Mr. Higsby is our go-to guy for fires in Cyberworld! AquaMan could solve this entire problem in 30 seconds tops, but no. Then again, Shuko is probably off sobbing about how she burned her toast this morning or something.



Fuckup Tally: 106

I have no idea how you know, Lan.



Minigame Gimmick item GET.



The FireBuster is not a buster that shoots fire. It is a buster that busts fires by shooting water.



To use it, press A in front of a cluster of fires to start the pressure bar going. It'll move up and down, faster and faster throughout the scenario, and the higher it is, the more fires you can put out at once.



Failing to put them all out in one go, or intentionally mashing A before the bar appeared to guarantee failure like me, will result in the fires damaging MegaMan with an amusing "OH GOD I'M BUUURRNNIIING" animation. It only does around 15 points of damage (probably higher on subsequent playthroughs), and even if you mess up, you can just shoot again and any fires you already put out will stay out. Easy.



Fortunately, the fires are all along the main pathway, so you don't have to hunt them down. It's a little time-consuming, but very, very easy.



Fuckup Tally: 107

Probably. MegaMan notes that the tournament match (hehehe) is about to begin, so Atsuki probably called things off for another time.



As if! That round of fires was just the warm-up!



You didn't expect Atsuki to keep a cool head, did you?



Time to run to the back of ParkArea3 again! And due to accidentally pressing R, I discovered that if we leave, the fires already extinguished will return.

The situation will flare back up, in other words.



It's a lot harder to deal with, as well, more fires means that even getting the gauge nearly full will sometimes not be enough. MegaMan is under a lot of pressure!

(Why doesn't Something Awful have a Horatio Caine emoticon?!)



(That'll do for now.)



From the end of Park Area2 on, you basically need to get the bar completely full, due to how massive the fire clusters are. Worth noting that the random encounter viruses are altered to consist of Spikeys and VolGears, and from here on out, half of the stage is usually covered in lava panels.

Unlike previous games, however, lava panels will fade away after a few turns.

Even still, the situation's heating up.



MegaMan hot on their trail, FireMan and BurnerMan are of course right in the back. Holy crap is that a lot of fire.



The two hotheaded Navis bicker back and forth, Mr. Match and his Navi making a scorching comment.



The argument makes more flames erupt, presumably out of sheer burning spirit.



Atsuki isn't going to just back down, and fires right back.



MegaMan is forced to intervene, as this situation is only going to smolder if left alone.



Lan decides to take matters into his own hands, as the others are just ignoring MegaMan, even when the match is brought up. Time to provoke them and add some fuel to the fire.



Ooh, BURN!



Inflaming the situation and provoking BurnerMan and Atsuki isn't enough, Mr. Match deserves some good teasing as well.



I'll have you know I pride myself in my smoking good looks. Atsuki and BurnerMan decide that beating MegaMan, who beat FireMan before, is proof in itself that they're stronger, so they head off to the match.



Mr. Match fumes about what we said. Match, you should be glad Lan hasn't physically attacked you in hate, he's just retardant enough to forgive and forget. Probably more of the latter.



Atsuki has the nerve to be impatient and call us out on being late. That just burns me up. Commentary is my job!



I put AquaMan's NaviChip in my folder, but guess what, the emulator seems to hate it and freezes up when I do. In hindsight, I could have used it for Soul Unison, but it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

Whatever, time to kick his ass.

(Special Note: YouTube is being an absolute asshole with this video. Even after compressing it and saving with lower quality than normal videos, YouTube keeps fucking the upload up. The other video in this update caused no such problems. A link will be provided when YouTube decides to behave, rather than delay the update.)

He wasn't nearly as awful as I remember. I seem to recall his obstacles actually being immune to breaking chips, oddly. Perhaps they only get that effect later on. My burning hatred of this fight seems completely unwarranted!



Mr. Match heckles Atsuki from the stands following our victory, insisting on reigniting the feud.



Temper(ature)s flare, as you'd expect. Atsuki doesn't take defeat and mockery well.



Being a sore loser, he instructs BurnerMan to start attacking! You'd think there would be tournament security staff to inc-arson-ate him.



Atsuki sets his ass on fire in the process, and I run out of fire puns. Maybe I could squeeze a few more out, but inc-arson-ate is just terrible.



ME. No more fucking Hawk Tournament! No more hauling ass over to ParkArea3 mindlessly again and again!

For this playthrough, anyway.



That isn't just the same sprite, it's actually the same guy, surprisingly. He got a promotion, so we get our second trophy!



And once the credits roll, expect mass amnesia to ensue.



Aaah, the adoration and respect I deserve! Yes! Yes! Shower me with praise and accolades! Beg for my autograph on increasingly disgusting personal objects/body parts! Shriek at ear-splittingly high pitches! ....Have more annoying NPCs stalk me...



Perhaps fame is overrated. And considering who we just fought and met, yeah, okay, pride goeth before a fall.



Gah! Already, psychotic, murderous fans!



Wait, no, it's the leader of Nebula!



The DarkChip's been destroyed, way fucking later than it should have been mind you, but it's destroyed all the same!

He doesn't mean the DarkChip.



I highly doubt that, but then again knowing this series, the support structures of the castle are controlled by computers.



Jacking-In, the leader of Nebula hasn't actually showed up yet. He wants to make a big, dramatic showy entrance, probably hiding in some discreet file practicing his evil laugh.



Yup. Hey, the effort pays off, that's a pretty cool entry portal.



For a very cool enemy.



Meet LaserMan.Exe.



His personality is as bland as Sean's was back in his Gargamel/Gospel Leader disguise, but...that design, man! He has Tron lines! And a giant magnet which I guess has to do with particle accelerators or nuclear fusion, or something else laser-related.



Go read the ToyRobo update if you want hate.



LaserMan's speech is as flimsy and full of crap as you'd expect from this game.



His entire argument is that evil is good, good is evil, and the world needs to be destroyed to make it evil. This is 'just and honorable'.



Generic Villain Monologue..."I'm trying to return the world to its natural state".



Fuckup Tally: 108

Has the game actually ever used the singular "virus"? Why do they keep making this exact same grammatical mistake!?

Back to LaserMan, you could make a fucking Villain Bingo game like this. "You're just like me, I'm the villain! That makes you evil!"



Okay, I will not debate bloodlust one bit at all.

The thrill of the battle! The savage joy of unloading chip after chip on my opponent! An even match, a fight where I get pinned into a corner, only to take a risk and execute one of my combinations or strategies! What could possibly compare to this euphoria!? The speed! The danger! The lightning-fast decision-making and decisive techniques!



Give me an opponent! Give me an enemy to battle, to savor the delight of combat! A DarkSoul! Yes, the manifested evil within, a reflection of my prowess! Set me against a foe at last worthy of my skills!



NOT FUCKING YOU!



AquaMan! Go the fuck away, I'm indulging in unnecessarily melodramatic ranting and battle-hunger! In Red Sun, this is even worse because GutsMan shows up in that case!



More importantly, why didn't you fucking show up 10 minutes ago when the Cyberworld was an inferno!? You've apparently been paying attention and not fucking around somewhere else doing who-cares-what.



Deus Ex Aqua. The writers' way of saying "Shut the fuck up and keep throwing money at us even though we do horribly at our jobs."

Seriously, the LP Archives are pretty popular...somewhere, somehow, if a Capcom of America employee reads this, because the chances of Capcom of Japan ever doing so are all but zero, I want them to know. Even if you are but an intern, I fucking hate you.

The only exception would be the janitors. If a Capcom of America janitor ever reads this, you have my sympathies. I only have to deal with the shit they get paid to make.



LaserMan, I made fun of you before, but between your design and what you're about to do, I forgive you for terrible writing. If only you'd appeared in a less terrible game.



Yes! YES! I have been looking forward to this the entire LP! This is only a teaser, but at last, at LAST, a worthy foe!



Laziest overworld sprite ever....Jesus, you could do that in MS Paint in 3 seconds by converting to monochrome. But anyway! My DarkSoul. All of the hate for this game given form by the DarkChip.



It proceeds to possess AquaMan rather than fight us directly.

Now, we BATTLE!

Vs. AquaManDS

What makes fighting the DarkSoul so fantastic? Throughout the game, a running tally of which chips you use and how often you use them is taken. The game may also track which portion of the field you use the chips from, I'm not certain.

These statistics are then used to generate weights for the DarkSoul's attacks. In other words, the chips I use the most are the ones the DarkSoul will use the most, and it may very well be able to understand combos by measuring which chips are most frequently used in sequence with each other. Remember how I mentioned using the GunSolEX chip so early on would bite me in the ass? If you've read this before watching the video itself, go watch it to see how it nearly kills me with it by using an AreaGrab beforehand.

The DarkSoul is an AI attempt to duplicate the player, and that is fucking amazing. I love it. The random movements and attacks are the only advantage you have. The DarkSoul can whip out P.A.s, MegaChips, GigaChips, you name it, at any time it wants to. I've never abused DarkChips heavily, myself, however. Could someone playing the game along with the LP and abusing DarkChips confirm whether or not the DarkSoul will use those?

The only thing it can't do is strategize, but depending on how often you rely on something, it can sure as hell imitate it.

FUCK. YES. So much goddamned fun. This returns in MMBN5, and 6 as well in an altered form. And those are the best fights of the game. My actual MMBN5 cartridge/MMBN5:DTDS cartridge are both still saved right before the strongest DarkSoul fight in the game so I could replay it at will. Pity multiple save slots didn't exist...but now I have an emulator for that.



Thank god for UnderSht, huh? MegaMan, you might want to worry about how you're near dead and the leader of Nebula is standing right there.



We beat AquaMan up, the DarkSoul itself is just fine, returning to its host now that we pulverized AquaMan.



Evil hides within, and it makes the most fun opponent ever.



LaserMan takes his leave, wanting the DarkSoul to overcome MegaMan entirely so that he can use it as a member of Nebula. End tournament 2.

Let me see, 3 playthroughs for the Blue Moon stuff, 3 for the Red Sun...

2 down, 16 to go!