Part 20: Chump'd

Update #19: Chump'd



When we last left off, our hero didn't watch his backside and got punished for it.

Never expose yourself without being ready for it, everyone.




But in a quick swoop, ProtoMan saves the day. That's what happens when you insist on shouting your attack names. You get wrecked.

LifeMaaack! sounds like a neat attack, let's be fair. I'd shout it out too if I were a weird magician-shaped robot AI.




So, since Battle Network was developed whilst we were still comfortably rocking Windows 98, we have to stick with batch files instead of pendrives. Batch files are the future.

20XX, baby. All the latest tech.



Dad calls, and Mayl will forever keep her hands pressed to her mouth in this entire scene.

And it's a long one...





So we're at the part of the Hero's Journey where the hero achieves somewhat of a ressurrection. And that comes hand-in-hand with a power-up. But this is BN, so we need to backload our backstories and exposition towards the middle and end. Many ahead!

Time to start a trend and give all the important backstory to everything, all in the last five minutes before the final boss.



: A kind of Navi that could truly befriend its operator. But a program is only a program. Though I could make a Navi follow its operator's orders, I couldn't make one think and act on its own. So I started thinking... Maybe if you had some connection with your Navi... The Navi could respond to your emotions... And thereby create its own emotions... So I tried. Looking at human DNA I came to a conclusion. If I made a Navi with DNA just like its operator's its basic values and emotions would be the same. Operator and Navi would become a single entity! Making an ultimate Navi! But, it was tough making a program with DNA... I could make about 95% of the program, but no more... I just couldn't figure out that last five percent! My research came to a sudden stop...

So, the concept of trying to make a human-machine is at least a big part of Science Fiction. It's also fits in with the whole kids-audience thing. "If a machine can feel your humanity, it will reciprocate." Nothing too out of the ordinary. MegaMan is supposed to be the ultimate Navi, specifically because he has his humanity...and DNA.

I'm still not sure how he made a program with DNA. Like, was the different ATCG connections supposed to be binary? I know it's a densely packed information structure, but c'mon.



: A cute baby boy... We named him "Hub". But our happiness didn't last long... He had heart trouble and became too weak to live... So I thought... Somehow, I will keep his memory alive. Lan, Hub was your twin brother. You were born from the same egg...Your DNA is identical. I could use Hub's DNA to make a Navi for you... Suddenly, I had the DNA solution I had been searching for! The Navi I made...was MegaMan.EXE! And the results proved that I was right! MegaMan.exe is a new generation of Navi. As close to you as a brother... But there was a danger... If I made the DNA 100% the same... The Navi's internal and external state might sync with you{a period can't fit in the textbox here, so it's not here}So damage to the Navi would damage you,too! So I changed MegaMan.EXE's DNA by 0.001%. If you use Hub.bat, that 0.001% will disappear...

Almost 40 textboxes in total

And this is where it goes off the deep end. While this was forshadowed, the mere fact that installing Hub.bat causing damage to Lan almost makes them conjoined twins. Only they aren't joined physically, but at the heart. Ugh. This is...ridiculous. Even by this series standards. Worth noting that the supplementary media doesn't use this plot point. MegaMan is just a really strong Navi and Lan is a really good Net Operator. I can't really add anything more to what's already been said about this. In Battle Network 6, Yuichiro mentions he used ExaMem to fit the DNA component inside of MegaMan's code. ExaMem was meant to be a huge memory add-on meant for helping giant servers hold exponentially more data.

I can't believe MegaMan was the missing piece of Captain Planet. And also that apparently having being an identical twin (which isn't necessarily true, since twins still have different fingerprints) means that you're psychically connected with your twin.

On a final note, notice how Yuichiro goes "The results proved I was right!" Ends justify the means. Careful there, Yuichiro. That kind of thinking can lead a scientist to the dark side. Don't forget that what he did will cause massive social consequences. The most sensible outcome was that this was kept a secret and Chaud forgoes his Official protocol to report Dr. Hikari's actions.

History will not always exonerate you, Dr. Hikari.



"born again". Way to explicitly make it a ressurrection, Lan. I presume Hub.bat was taken out after this, because that would open up a lot of issues.

Closer to say that Hub would be reborn as MegaMan, but still accurate. (I wonder what Geo and Mega are thinking about all of this.)



: I asked Hub to keep it a secret. If you knew the truth, you'd be too scared to use him. And a Navi that you can't use isn't a good Navi...

This proves my personal notion that Navis are a product meant to be used by people. They aren't people. Change my mind. I'll debate this all day.

A good AI can be human enough to fool everyone, but it's still an AI in the end.





: by whatever affects your Navi. And the reverse is true,too!

Fucking WHAT!? If Lan scrapes his knee, MegaMan takes HP damage, too? If MegaMan had 1 HP, that would kill him. Fucking what.

No no no, you see, they're linked, so when Lan is healthy MegaMan is healthy, and -





I mean, it's either this, or you let your brother die. Again.

I can't believe Hub will die twice.






MagicMan should have gone for the head.

Really, so everyone can hear everything? How are they not reacting to any of this?






Shouldn't Lan feel like he's powering up, too? What affects MegaMan affects Lan. I told you they wouldn't stick with it.

But they're not linked yet, Giver. MegaMan is still 0.000001% different from Lan.













This is nice and heartwarming. Again, the games should just stick to stuff like this.

They don't do 'plot' very well, but this is nice.





You aren't forced to jack out. So let's check out the NPCs.

Let's see what the bit players have to say about this two-person drama going down!





And Yeti says that I'm a

ProtoMan being a huge dick doesn't mean you're any less of one.



Thank you for the commentary fourth-wall Prog.

He's doing his best.



Onward to glory! We received the Hero's Sword and now we'll slay the dragon!






Man, Wily comes across like a big baby here. Geez.

They still hadn't gotten the hang of writing villains yet, huh? Well, at least they did a pretty okay job by the time they got to 3. And then forgot what they were doing for all of 4 and 5.





MegaMan Battle Network: EndGame

Tactical Chip Action




Oh look, we found a typo! Just like the last one, it didn't fit in the textbox.

It's... so close to being gramatically correct that I can almost convince myself they're right if I turn my head and squint. Anyway, more ahead.

: ...Me,and your grandfather, Dr. Hikari! I made robots,and Hikari specialized in networks. We were both lost in our research. Then,one day... In order to win an international competition, our country had to pick one of our projects to fund. After long debate... They canceled my robot research! I couldn't believe it! My research was vital! Vital! I had no place to turn to,and so I left the lab. That's why I'm mad! If it wasn't for Hikari...! So I made the WWW to get back at him! He made this world what it is,and now I'll destroy it!

So Wily didn't get his research funded. Um. To create the WWW, a base of operations, pay for hackers, you would need a lot of resources. This is an entire island for fuck's sake. How much funding do you think is needed for this? The dude could have used this to create prototype robots. I mean, there is no reason we couldn't have both, assuming the public would buy said robots.

But the internet was the way of the future. Why would he make robots when the Internet was going to be here soon.

Wily also could have sought funding from other sources. It would be hilarious if Wily used gofundme in the BN world to create robots. But I suppose he's just so salty that he'd rather destroy everything than build himself back up.






"But Mom! It was my turn to play on the Xbox! MOM!" That's the equivalent for little kids.

And then Mom comes in and turns off the Xbox and now they're BOTH upset.




Wily has his finger comically in the air. As per what he said, he just needs to push the button.

...So push it. No, he'll stay like this, giving us a fair shot at destroying his LifeVirus. Sigh.

This is in anime time now, Giver. Also, do you really think this old man can do anything without the accompanying wild cackle?



The effects of Hub.bat do give the player a nice boost. Your buster's base attack power is at 6, making fully charged shots do 48/96 damage as MegaMan.exe. Given that Hub.bat is specifically for MegaMan.exe, it logically doesn't affect Ge- Hahahahahah, yeah right. Geo, too, is affected by Hub.bat.

Geo's base attack power goes to 6, as well. His fully charged shots deal a puny 36 damage. You know, people have cited this as another reason the game is bad. And it's honestly indicative of the kind of effort the devs put in, if nothing else.

It's really just proof that Geo and Mega are Lan's descendents, because the powerup effect ripples through time and Lan got stronger because Hub was reborn, and







We do have some viruses in here. Notice the slight focus on Wood-type. Back in development, apparently the team wanted to have a Wood-centric scenario for the WoodProgram. This might be the remnants of that.

A scrapped scenario would also explain how Wily got ahold of the WoodProgram off-screen, at least. Maybe between Water and Elec?



In the original BN1, you could perform a little trick and skip the final boss, if you paused on the right frame or somesuch. I have no reason to believe this glitch was fixed.

But if we skipped the final boss with a frame-perfect glitch, that wouldn't be fun! So full steam ahead.







Final operation, set!

Execute!



LifeVirus is still a chump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YWghRBIEZU

I did use the Bass chip to show off something new that EPM didn't even use. Even if you have half the chips I do in terms of library, the LifeVirus isn't hard at all. LifeVirus drops his Aura before he attacks, meaning you don't need to actually fight it. Just wait him out and time your attacks. I guess they didn't want it to be too hard for the kids, but as is, you barely need to fight his gimmick.

Quake3 is your friend, like always. Destroys the Scuttlist, his Aura and can deal 15% of his HP at once. BigCloud can deal focused damage and take care of the Aura. Star Force MegaMan breaks this fight. I show off merely standing in one place and just blocking all the hits.

It's like the LifeVirus, a boss designed for original MegaMan Battle Network 1, was not equipped to handle the increase in power this remake gave you. Shame.





Should have pushed the button you idiot.

Crap, you should have sprung for the warranty, Wily.




The LifeVirus leaked and activated Wily's protocol. Alright, look, I can vaguely justify this. If you think the cops are on your door, it's better to go down with the ship than go to jail for a long time. Especially at that age.

This is probably the single self-destruct sequence I can accept. Wily is a spiteful bastard and I have no problem believing he'd blow himself up just to take one or two people down with him.




I think Wily's just in shock, is all. No way the virus would create a function for the base to self-destruct that didn't exist. Especially not that fast.

...Or would it?

Given that self-destruct functions need to have some sort of explosives nearby, I doubt it.



We have a small reunion, with Chaud asking if the LifeVirus was destroyed. It's funny to me how there is a conversation taking place while miniature explosions are going off in the room.

They're fiiiiiine.




Wily somehow survives this.

Ding!



I find this to be a weird textbox for a supposed narrator.

Look, he skipped out on the Transition lecture, that's all.



WHY!? It's supposed to be a secret! No-one else had to know!

"Dad, please, you're leaking highly sensitive and possibly ethically compromising information to my frieeeeeends! Stop embarrassing me!"






O no.

Oh no.






Yeti, the parents are getting lovey-dovey. I am only 10. THIS IS ICKY.

I can't watch, it's so icky.





GOOD LORD

That was Giver reacting, up there. GOOD LORD.

(that was me.)




MegaMan is best wingman. And also he scolds Lan for being an idiot around girls.

He is trying his hardest.





Lan's 10. He can't process his emotions correctly yet. Girls grow up faster than boys. What do you people want?

Emotional maturity from a 10-year-old, duh.





When they get married, Mayl is going to be pushy as hell. "Lan, we're going on our date NOW! You will take off from work this instant, mister!"




: Damn, Hikari. You is shit at this. I need to teach you some lessons about baggin' girls. We gon' start tomorrow.

I'm glad GangstaDex has Lan's back on this thing. A true friend.



N-E-T-B-A-T-T-L-I-N-G






Fuck you people. Why embarrass him after his victory like this. Boo.

Bah, that's what friends do.






: Fuck that Omega-Xis. I am the real OG. Original GutsMan, muthafuckas.

I am proud of Lan for thanking Dex, though.






Chaud, please. Go tell your father how much of a disappointment you are.

It's okay. Chaud's dad already knows.





Chaud's Diary: That stupid Hikari kid beat the virus and took all the glory. He didn't even do any of the investigative work! The next chance I get I'm gonna blame him for a crime.

Chaud's Diary: Besides, I bet he's guilty of something, it wouldn't even be a lie. Rare insect smuggling, maybe?







no

fuk u chaud



no. He will be by our side. Difference, Lan.





Until Bass whoops your shit.

Didn't you hear? Apparently the Bass fight is beatable. I saw it on TvTropes.






Man, what a victory celebration. Laugh at Lan for 5 minutes.



The fuck kind of alarm is that?




Come to think of it, this is the first game, and I would have liked to see the DogHouse being used earlier in the story to facilitate this plot point.






Much shorter than the other game's finales, so there's that, at least.

Short and sweet, at least. The others tend to drag on a little bit.



Alright, so if you don't see "Original MMBN Staff" then that means that page of individuals worked on the OSS version.

Three people for planning? Really? Hope that counts as marketing, too.

They really, really needed to plan how to not change anything.



Object as far as I understand means "Object sprites". That ClockMan Scenario did look pretty, and there are new mugshots.

The new mugshots are, however, not very pretty. Closer to children, but not very pretty.



Scroll? Don't have a clue.

Scrolling? Maybe this is textbox stuff? Or it could be a translation oddity.


Fancy that.



Coding in a new scenario would cause a ripple effect, so that would have to be managed. As far as not fixing a lot of the old bugs, you have to remember that BN1 wasn't too popular. Enough to make a sequel, but still. That likely meant any bugs found wouldn't get a lot of exposure.

There's enough nerds on the internet to complain and find everything, but a lot of the time they wouldn't care about corner cases that are fairly unreliable, require tight timing, or both.



Fuck you, Sound Guy. What was this, anyway? Damn interns.

You all suck.



Ready, set!




IceMan comes back, first, and the Progs were replaced with Navis.

Some guy named Toshiki Goto designed ClockMan. Likely this was just a redo of whoever submitted the winning entry.

Congrats to the winner, of course.



...Y.SON Y indeed, son?

They didn't supervise the debugging very well, did they? I mean, one of the bugs was called the LifeVirus! C'mon!



Bring back Kurosawa, pls. He wouldn't have made MegaMan act like that in ClockMan's scenario, at first.

Kurosawa did a really good job and I'm sad he's gone.




GutsMan being helpful and letting a Prog cross the road. Apparently they respond to physical force. When in doubt, smash.

Good guy, that Gutsman. Though his operator? Kinda weird how he keeps talking about being a gangsta.




No, I have no idea why Mayl was covering her mouth. At all.

She's surprised by the sudden appearance of PLOT!



GutsMan smashed the lights into existence, they break, and now he turns his back in shame. Oh, GutsMan.

Smash is not always the answer, folks. Most of the time it is, but not always.




Eyyyyy!! We get an aftermath!



Luna's eyes are closed. She was clearly worried.

It's little touches like this that make me love these games so much.




...A name that will live on in infamy.

It's fun if you shout his name while staring at the ceiling and shaking your fist.




And that's how it's done. If you didn't grab Bass and Rogue, your max Library at this point would be 167/179.



We do get a little something in OSS for completing the game that wasn't in BN1.



This image.

Everyone can hear the theme song in their head, right?



You guys know what's next.

More grinding! But more importantly: the post game!