Part 26: It's Finally Over

Last update I tried to do you all a favor and shotgun through the postgame as fast as possible. In hindsight this was a bad idea since there's a lot I could have said about how terrible the entire experience is, but seeing how I turned off Hard mode for this and then went and turned off encounters too I don't really have a leg to stand on with regards to whining.

Just one note: the boss rematches are fucking lazy. Yes, boss rushes are a big thing in Mega Man. But you know what? Most boss rushes either throw them all at you at once or give you something interesting to do in between each match, like a platforming segment or some kind of puzzle. SF2 has me slog through eight recycled maps and then a hallway full of locked gates.



Now let's start the final update. I did some more trading and completed my Standard and Mega libraries,



and in the process discovered an odd glitch. If I try and pulse out of the Trans Dimension,



I end up here, not the real world. This only happens in the Trans Dimension, and only if the Alternate Messie Cove's windmill was the last EMS I pulsed into. How odd.



With two of my libraries complete, I can spend my recently acquired fortune entirely on this dealer. 95,000 Z just for one card and 60 HP.



The last two Giga cards can only be acquired after defeating Apollo Flame, so for all intents and purposes I've finished my entire library.



And speaking of finishing things, time for the last two sidequests.

You certainly keep up on current events. Right now we're low on materials for them...

I can find them for you.

That'd be great! However what we need isn't a thing per se. It's...

It's...?



Geo is confused.

People's hearts are like portable terminals that respond to thoughts. That's the kind of thing I want to make!

And in order to find this...



Aaron gives Geo a quiz. Somehow this is Geo exposing his heart.



And then this mess. This line is a massive translation error; Aaron isn't giving Geo a Recover 150, he's asking for one.

Now your Star Carrier's complete!

Um, thanks.

The next few lines don't help make things any more clear.



The only indication I get that something is wrong (besides not actually getting a Recover 150) is that the card above Aaron's head is still red.



Talking to him again triggers another terribly translated line.

...If I were to turn your desire to protect the world into a number... Ok... You can now have the "Recover 150"...

...!



Pictured: the translator.

I messed up! Gyah...!

That's too bad...

...! No, hold on! I can make something else. Give me a minute.

Aaron hands over a HP Memory 20.



Thanks for your help! I wanna give you this!



As well as the final Blank Card. This one is nowhere near as useful as the one he gave me at the beginning of the game, but the symmetry is nice.



Finally, Hope.

Let's see what we have. ...Hey! I found a cooking diary!

Yeah, Mom loves to cook.

Date XXXX: I made carrot burgers today and Geo left half of it uneaten. How can I get him to eat it all?

You should really try to eat it all for your mom, kid.

I'll try...

Wait, there's more...



There was one dish I used to make that he really loved... What was it...?

Geo and Mega agree to see if they can help. I think this is the only sidequest in the game where neither have any reservations about lending a hand.



Hope compliments Geo's memory, and reminisces how Kelvin used to rush home whenever Hope was preparing his favorite meal.

Do you remember how to make that dish?

Sorry, not anymore. It's been too long.



Hope is cracking a joke here,



but she's right. This Hertz (who's in charge of making the remote change the channel) remembers.

Haven't made that one in awhile... Alright then! Tonight we're having carrot gratin!

Just hearing the name somehow makes Hope remember everything. Too bad "tonight" is never coming since this quest doesn't open up until postgame.



The reward is a Holy Panel, a card that affects the tile MegaMan's standing on. As long as he stands on that panel, he'll take half damage. It's actually really good, but in my offense-oriented deck it's useless.



With everything done, I head back to the Trans Dimension. All of the bosses have respawned,



but they're thankfully optional now.



Here we go.



Come out here already!

The screen rumbles,



and with a flash of light the last new punching bag shows up.

...! These EM waves are off the chart!

...My flame is... My flame is reacting... To the OOPArt...?

Oh hey, it did come up again. Good job Hollow IF, your break from the generic IF dialogue actually meant something!

You have the power to defeat my underlings it would seem...

Of course with the OOPArt comes the implication that MegaMan's drawing all of his power from it and that he'd be helpless on his own. Not like Geo doesn't have the thing anymore after all.



It is too late... I have returned to my full power. Your world is as good as finished!

Why!? Why are you doing this!?

Why? There is no reason.



Basically it was all Vega's fault. Maybe? It's never explained how she went from resurrecting Le Mu to creating her own EM body. Or why Hollow would serve under Apollo Flame after he presumably killed Vega. Or why every EM Being in the world suddenly pledged allegiance to Apollo Flame.

A lot of things about this don't make sense is what I'm getting at.

Okay! We gotta put the kibosh on this guy!

If you want to save your world... Try and stop me!



Apollo Flame's so special he gets another overworld sprite.

Come on, kid!

Last Battle! Ride On!!

Jeez Geo, you're supposed to say that to the final boss.


Watch the fight!

------



Apollo Flame doesn't live up to the hype.



His main gimmick is his defenses; those rings of fire surrounding him protect him from all damage, and will eventually regenerate once destroyed.



Unfortunately Apollo has an attack where he stands still to charge up an attack, so even if I don't abuse Tribe King's charge shot I can easily strip off the fire.

(240, Breaking)

Speaking of attacks, Apollo only has three. Quite a disappointment compared to the other postgame bosses in the series.

(200, Breaking)

And all three are "heavy damage, but easy to avoid", so he's pretty boring to fight. Either I dodge or I lose huge chunks of HP... much like every IF boss actually.

(400, Breaking)

Though this move (which he normally can't use in his base form) might trip players up; to dodge it I have to interrupt him with an attack. This is not very hard with a paralysis folder.

Apollo Flame is all about the big numbers. His base form has 2400 HP and 200+ damage attacks, and those will only grow larger as he upgrades. Unfortunately this is all there is to him, making him perhaps the most boring boss in the game. It doesn't help that at higher levels the speed of his attacks becomes so ridiculous that dodging becomes nigh-impossible.

Since I don't want it to be the end of this update, I'll just throw Apollo Flame's concept art here.


Like Auriga, he used to look a lot simpler. Also fun fact: the black marks scattered over the final design's body are supposed to be sun spots.

------



Ah... Link Power... That's what the pathetic humans who once lived here possessed.

Much like the actual game, SF2's postgame shoehorns in its plot at the very end.

You control the OOPart with your Link Power. I see...

You're finished!

...Very well then.



You will have to contend with despair... and my henchmen...

And with that, Apollo Flame finishes blowing up.



And replacing him is a Saurian ghost out of nowhere.

...a future of destruction. But should Link Power be lost, your world will crumble.

An oddly lucid one at that. Man this really is SF2's endgame again.



I understand! I'll do whatever it takes to preserve Link Power!



The ghost transforms and is then immediately forgotten.

I can see a small star in the light...

Is this the "badge" Apollo mentioned?

It doesn't matter. We're taking it!





"Somewhere" being the title screen.

Alright! Now let's find these other "badges"!

Geo reminds Mega that if they do, they'll have to "contend with despair". Mega laughs that that's what he wants; the two of them can take on anything.

We sure will!



And that's it. This ridiculous waste of time is over at last.



Not! Midway through Trans Dimension 2 is a gate that only opens after every single postgame boss has been defeated. You know, the task I am railroaded into doing.



Behind it is the fourth Giga card.



And Legendary Master Shin sends me the fifth immediately after pulsing out. 100% library completion!



He's also surprised that I've collected "the six proofs". Presumably he's not talking about the Indie Proofs since I don't need them to get this message,



but he can't be talking about the title screen marks either because I only have five.

Having five does unlock something though, and that something's back in Mu.



So one long commute later and



(this guy is still here)



I'm back at the final boss.



Le Mu has powered up into Le Mu Xa. Ever since Battle Network 3, it's been a tradition in the BN/SF series to have a super form of the final boss available to those who 100% the game. Le Mu Xa is by far the most bullshit one though, what with its ridiculous health and insane attacks. Hard mode only makes it worse,



so I turn it off and proceed to immediately chump it with Tribe King.



A ton of skipped cutscenes later, I'm back at the credits. As I mentioned before they are unskippable, which really makes this final secret a pain in the ass.



I can't skip this bit either, so the game won't even just let me leave it until it ends either.



With that done, I unlock the final title screen badge.



And with it one last e-mail.



Look who's finally accepted he has a bond with Geo.

Bring the Link Power of your 4 dearest friends up to their highest levels, and defeat the all-powerful Le Mu... I will crush your beloved bonds into dust!

Well I already did the former, so now I just have to


Watch the fight!

beat Le Mu Xa again. This time I do it on Hard too.



Cue more cutscene skipping,



and yet another credits roll.



And then I was in Whazzap. Because of course Rogue is the real final boss of the game, isn't he just so cool?

Where are...?

Like in the normal ending, Geo gets up and asks if Solo carried him out of Mu.

Music: Melody of Isolation

Don't think this makes us friends. You and I, no, I mean... Your Link Power and I still have a score to settle. That's all.

Someone's in denial.

...! You're still...? The fight's over! There aren't anymore scores to settle!

Hell Geo just beat Mu's god. If that's not proof he's right, I don't know what is.

......



But unfortunately Solo is still a stupid character.

Hope you're ready!



And then Solo politely waits for Geo to talk to him, allowing me to readjust my folder. Sadly no Wave Commands can be inputted at this point.




Guess what?


Watch the fight!

It's me.

If I somehow lost here, it's a Game Over. Presumably Solo straight up kills Geo, forcing me to reload from my last save, refight Le Mu Xa, and watch the credits one more time.



Geo is not nearly as cartoonishly evil, and spares Solo.

......Enough already! I don't want to fight you anymore! There is no point in us fighting!

...Grr! Whatever... There's a point in it for me!



So much for this being the (second) final fight to decide everything.



Geo is just as annoyed as me.

Link Power is worthless! I'll never accept it!

We're too strong for you now. The outcome of this fight has already been determined.

......

So if Solo agrees with this and leaves, he's also implicitly agreeing that Link Power is stronger than him.





You can count on that!

Solo vanishes. Mega asks if Geo will chase him,

No... I'm done fighting. I won.

but Geo doesn't see the point.

So we're back to that way of thinking now... If you don't do something now, he could be trouble later on.

Even Mega's annoyed with how Geo's character didn't change in this game.

It doesn't matter... Solo may not like Link Power... But I believe in it. It's very important!

That is the final line in this game: Geo shilling Link Power, something he just said was completely worthless without friendship backing it.

Star Force 2, guys.



And with that, I've showed off everything there is to this trainwreck of a game. Wasted potential, pointless plot, unbalanced mechanics, stupid bullshit, just plain laziness... this game is filled to the brim with flaws, so it's really no surprise it killed the Star Force series. I guess it just goes to show how important having a solid sequel can be when you're trying to make a series.

And now for the acknowledgements:

First off, thanks to SSNeoman and Astro Nut for inspiring me to LP SF2.

Second, thanks to SSNeoman (again), Sillyman, Lynkericious, Senerio, Magnus Ragnar, dereku, Minus Green, and SonicRulez for volunteering to BrotherBand with me. You guys made breaking this game even easier.

Third, thanks to all of you readers (which technically means I'm thanking SSNeoman again ). I don't know how I could have forced myself through this game again if I wasn't trying to show the world how god damn stupid it is.

And finally, while I should thank Capcom for making this game, I really can't. Fuck you guys for making this, it was horrible.

------

Here's the final results of the thread poll:



The majority of readers agree that this game was stupid. Also that dinosaurs are cool.