MegaMan Starforce Part #14

Part 14: Brothers

Hmm. Well, things could be better. Maybe I could just leave.

Quick, rob all of their belongings. Then blame it on the girl! It's a foolproof plan!

Shame. Guess we actually have to take care of this.

Because bitches be crazy. Also because she's been taken over by evul alienz

: ...keeping me from pulsing in.

Like usual, the game is pretty good about restricting where you can pulse in if you need to hit certain event triggers.

Really? I just think it's pretty blatant. Strange wave my ass.

But in good news, the card shop is still open! (I pick up the last HPMem20 he sells because I had just enough zenny.)

Buy chips, Yeti. You don't need this much HP.

Since there's only one wave point left to be able to pulse into, it's... Well, the fact that we're jumping into a cutscene here should tell you what the dungeon is this time.

...The Internet!?

: Here comes Harp Note's music attack!! Touch the Buster Button at your feet to fire!

Yes, this is the requisite 'Dungeon but in the Internet' level that all of the Battle Network games had. In this case, we have to chase down Harp Note while occasionally dealing with this challenge.

It looks simple enough, but actually hitting the buttons is such a pain with the mouse! Gahh. It's not that bad on the screen because again, the stylus is way easier to use. If you miss the tap and get hit, Megaman loses 20 HP.

I just realized that Yeti bought all those HP memories because he was planning on this minigame taking up all of his reserves.

You pussy. Go at it with 1 HP.

: Let's keep on moving!!

: Hey, I think something fell off that note.

Neat. It's an okay reward for just progressing, so I'm not going to be that salty about the low numbers.

After we move up a little bit further, Harp Note is waiting for us right there. Nice! Dungeon done!

: ...Geo?

: Yeah, it's me. You shouldn't hurt people. Come on, let's go home, Sonia.

: Don't get in my way... If you continue to stand against me... I won't show any mercy to you either!

Geo, she's right there, shoot her, don't let her just walk away -

Fine. We'll try this again in the next area.

: Hey... If you end up fighting her, you can't hold back. If you do, we're toast.

I guess that in his defense, this is the first time he's actually somewhat friendly with the person that was possessed by an FM-ian, so it's not surprising he's going to try to talk it out with Sonia first.

Also, the kid doesn't have the killer instinct that someone like me would. He is only 10

: WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT??

Don't worry Mr. Hertz! I'll make sure you're safe.

Fuck him.

There are new encounters in this area, thanks to Harp Note's presence! Most importantly is the LuPelvis, a different variant of the LupiNatra we saw earlier. If it sings, the other viruses in the battle become invulnerable.

Using its card will give you a strength buff, which - actually not awful, all things considered, but it's still a use of your limited card selection. Maybe as a Favorite.

How much is the strength boost? I honestly forgot.

Of course, it's not quite as easy as just walking around. We still have another one of these minigames to do.

Now, they come from two directions at once. It seems like such a small thing, especially since it's just a slightly faster version of the samurai minigame from BN5? But the touch controls are what make it so obnoxious.

Plus, if you get hit in the second session of this, you take 30 HP damage instead of 20.

: Do it right this time, kid!!

If you get hit, you just get kicked back to try again. It's possible to pulse out and pulse back in if you need to heal, but it's really not that big a deal.

: Hey, I think something fell off that note.
MegaMan got: 700 Zennys!!

Still a shit reward objectively, but it's better than nothing (like the stupid ducks or the bull).

: I'm... I'm the same as you!

: What's the same!? You can't understand how I feel!

Apparently *heavy metal screech* translates to "Summon an EM note so I can ride on it". I wonder if she could teach us to do that?

Note: She will never do this again for the rest of the series.

Well, alright then. Don't tell us.

Geo with the relevant questions once more. I like this kid.

: If it was just me, I could make it, but with you as MegaMan, nope, no can do.

: Umm... Mr. Boreal's lab is that way!! We've got to hurry!

And an answer I can actually accept. Well done!

Hopefully this is the last time I have to do this...

Like I said though, this game's pretty good about restricting you to the areas you absolutely need to be. It's not going to let me just wander around in AMAKEN because I could see someone get very, very confused as to why Harp Note isn't there. So, instead, let's just pulse into the wavehole out here.

For me, a better answer would be seeing Harp Note above the area and Geo not wanting to go inside (since that wouldn't lead to your objective.)

There's been some changes to the enemies here too. LupiNatra and MonoSword are part of the encounter pool now, not that they're really that big a deal. Plus, 200 damage on CygnusWingSP makes most of the encounters pretty simple.

What's not simple is THIS FUCKING GAME. Three directions, not enough surface area on my mouse click, and 40 damage each time I get hit.

Cry. Moan. Suffer.

Barely acceptable. Barely.

1k is pretty good for doing the bare minimum, I'd say.

: It was only for a second, but they made my arm go numb with fear. Who was that female wave?!

I do appreciate that the NPCs still exist and comment on the fact that Harp Note is running around.

Nowhere else to run, Sonia. There aren't any more areas for you to go to!

I mean, she's a wave. She can just jump inside AMAKEN, and then we'd be screwed.

: Why do you want to stop me so badly...?

: I understand... how you feel...

: Sonia... I mean, Harp Note. You can't let his nonsense lead you astray. There is no one in the world who can truly know how another human being feels. That boy is a bad boy, trying to trick you. If you don't get rid of him now, you will only regret it later.

: ...Don't get... in my... way...

In this case, Lyra is playing on Sonia's feelings of isolation and persecution at the hands of her manager. Like all FMians, she's amplifying those feelings to control her.

: (...as ever, Lyra...)

: What are you talking about, Mega!?

: (It's been a while, Mega... Sorry, but would you mind staying out of my way? After all, the fun is just about to start. I'm going to use Sonia and the power of music to control Planet Earth.)

It's weird, but that's two FMians now that use the arts to attack people. First Cygnus, and now Lyra. I guess it makes sense if you consider that they're supposed to be radio waves and all that fun stuff.

: (I only have one goal. To have my revenge on the FM King.)

: (I see. The higher ups have their eyes on you and have been looking for you, you know.)

: (I usually don't like to beat up ladies. And since you were nice enough to tell me about the higher ups, I won't hurt you too bad.)

: (Hee hee hee. How kind of you.)

Mega, don't be that guy. That guy sucks. At least he doesn't have a fedora to tip.

Honestly? I see it as typical trash talking. Not fedora-tipping asshats. Trash talk serves a purpose: get inside their skin and potentially unnerve them.

: (I'm not going to let you get in my way.)

: Tsk, then we don't have a choice. Sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

: If you go easy on me because I'm a woman, you'll be sorry! Let's go, Harp Note!!

: It's got nothing to do with you, so stop talking! Here they come. Give them all you've got!!

Long pre-fight banter done, finally. Let's fight Harp Note!

I kinda like the guitar, all things considered. Kinda cute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fex0HtCo_Ao

Harp Note, as the third boss, starts out with 700 HP to go through. She moves pretty quickly for a first-level boss, and will hop around a few times before using her Shock Note attack twice. After that, she'll use Quick Strings or Pulse Song, alternating between the two. Sometimes her pattern shifts and she'll go straight to Pulse Song after Quick Strings.

Pictured: Shock Note. You can either avoid being in the column as one of the amps before she shoots a note, or you can destroy the amp before it fires - if you destroy the amp, it doesn't come back until the next time Harp Note uses an attack that isn't Shock Note.

Blocking the note also works. If the note connects, you lose 30 HP and wind up paralyzed. The counter timing is as she jumps in the air, but before the notes come out; it's rough to hit unless you get lucky and move to her lane immediately, then hit her with a projectile. Mega Attack is too slow to get the counter timing.

Pictured: Quick Strings. Harp Note will jump to the back row and then shoot strings down the column. If they connect with MegaMan, he's paralyzed and she'll start strumming a few notes. This can't be blocked, and you have to dodge it or interrupt Harp Note before the attack connects. It's also 30 HP, and you end up paralyzed. The counter timing is as she's sending the strings out, so make sure you use a projectile or something that doesn't need to stand right in front of her.

Pictured: Pulse Song. It hits in a T-shape from the center, so you have to block the attack. 30 HP damage, and the confusion status is applied (so left/right are reversed). The counter timing is just before she strums to send out the heart.

A lot of Harp Note's moves chain into each other, so be careful; the paralysis can chain into itself (though it's hard to get hit more than once against the regular version of this boss) and MegaMan can get locked down for 90 HP or more. Her Counter timings are pretty tight, so don't worry about missing them.

That being said, she's neutral element. Which means RadarMissile works.

It works very well.

: No... I must... protect my... music...

from the pirates?

: How long are you gonna continue saying that!? Do you think your mom would be happy to know you're hurting people with music!?

: You don't know a thing about how I feel...

: Yes, I do!!

It's an interesting touch that Geo couldn't open up to Sonia on that roof, but now that he's MegaMan, he's able to talk to her. You could say that Mega helps him come to terms with his own loss by letting him be Megaman, be someone other than Geo.

: That's why I know what it's like to lose someone you love very much, and what it's like to be forced into things... In my case, it's about going to school.

: I keep thinking; what if I found people I really liked? Maybe one day they'll disappear, just like my dad did. I became scared. That's why I didn't want to go to school. But the teachers forced me to go anyway. It got so bad that I even thought about running away and never coming back...

As touching as all of this is, it's an incredible amount of post-fight conversation. This game has a problem with that, compared to Battle Network.

At least here it makes perfect sense. Geo isn't fighting to kill, and the whole point is to talk her down.

: ...mom said to me. She said, "You don't have to go if you don't want to. When you think you're ready, then go." If my mom hadn't said that to me, maybe I would've ended up doing something I'd regret now.

: And I want to help you...

: ...You felt like that too?

: There's a lot of people waiting for your song. You don't have to sing now, but one day, when you feel like singing again, you should sing for those people who love your songs, I think...

There's a lot to be said here, but Geo being so honest about his feelings (for the first time this game, let's be real here) was able to break through Lyra's manipulation. Harp Note isn't alone. It's not her versus the world that doesn't understand or care.

: I told you. I don't like to beat up on women.

: *sniffle* Now I see... We have already lost this fight. There is only a disgraceful punishment waiting for me if I return like this.

Of course, Mega still exists. Way to break the mood, jerk.

: H-Hey, you can't be serious...?

: Of course I'm serious. I'm glad I came to this planet. And I'm glad I got to meet Sonia. Don't worry, I'm not interested in the FM-ian crowd anymore. You only get one life to live and I plan to live it and have fun.

: ... "as fickle as a woman's heart"?

: That's what I was afraid of. You know if you stay, they'll be after you too.

: Hee hee hee. That's where you come in!

: Ack! Don't volunteer me!! From now on, I'm allergic to women!

Sigh. Early 2000s writing on display. But oh well, times were different.

Yeti, please. He could say it's an allergy to anyone. Omega-Xis likes no-one besides Geo and Kelvin. Besides, why are feminine radio wave aliens called 'women'? Women is a branch of man. As in, the race of man. Human. Radio waves aren't human. How the-

Ah, fuck it.

Strictly speaking "woman" and "Man" (referring to the race) come from different etymological backgrounds so it's not impossible for the FM-ians to come up with 'women'.

: Don't I get a say in this!?

: If they get all weird in the head again, we'll get them good. You'll see, kid.

: You won't need to worry about that.

: ...cause any more trouble. And you won't see me using my beloved music for evil ever again.

: Y-Yes?

: I'm... going to give up being a singer for now.

: What!?

Why are you surprised? You told her to do that literally 30 textboxes ago, Geo. Keep up.

: I want to start over with my studies. And one day, start singing again. I want to sing for the people who will wait for me and my mama's song... But first, I have some work to do.

: Work?

The stage in Starforce 2 is actually pretty neat.

Sonia held her retirement concert at Echo Ridge's own Vista Point.

The Beatles have broke up. Nooooo.

Those are some big speakers, holy crap. (Also take a look, Luna's in the crowd too. Guess she wanted to see the concert after all.)

: This is my last song!! "Good Night, Mama".

Well... You tried, writers?

BOO. BOO. Check Chrono X for a better version of a concert.

: ...all for supporting me... I'm sorry... I cancelled my concert... so suddenly... I made you sad because I... I wasn't strong...

: But with this... I'm going to move beyond... the weak person I was yesterday... One day, when I'm stronger, I'll stand on this stage again...

: Waaaaaaaaaaah!! S-Sooniaaaaaaa!! I don't want you to quit!!

: Sonia!! We love you!!

She's 11 you fucking creeps.

Idol fans. Crazy bunch.

: (I've got so many people supporting me, and all I can think about is myself...) Everyone!! I promise I'll be back!! Thank you for everything!!

Geo's over this shit.

...the clapping kept on going. And then...

They have really quick teardown times, sheesh. Those speakers were massive.

: And for helping me move on.

: I'm sure your mom was watching too...

: Yeah... Well, it's time for me to go. I've got to try and make it by myself now.

: Wh-Why am I crying...? I told myself... I have to be strong... *sob*

: Ack! She's crying! I saw on a TV show recently that on Earth, it's a crime to make a woman cry! Hurry up and do something before we get arrested!

: Do something? She's already decided to live on her own... What can I do?? ......

I'm not gonna lie, I'd totally watch a show where it's just Mega watching TV and not understanding how humans work. Plus, Geo has no idea how to interact with anyone at all, so it's no surprise he has no idea how to Girl.

It would actually be a pretty cool Odd Couple type of thing. Now I want this. Omega-Xis is an excellent character. Every update that passes only proves me right.

: ...can be overcome with the help of a friend. Other people can make us stronger, and we can give other people strength, too. If every person on this planet were connected by BrotherBands, we'd all live in a wonderful world where we could support each other.

Thank you, ghost Kelvin.

: (...by becoming Brothers with her...?)

: Other people can make us stronger, and we can give other people strength, too.

: But... But I... What can I...?

: Be brave, Geo!

: (...Dad...)

: So... Um... Please become Brothers with me!!

Right here is probably the first sign of Geo's character growth. He made this offer on his own (despite doing it because he wanted Sonia to stop crying, but still) and that's a huge leap forward for someone who's got such severe abandonment issues.

And with that...

...we have our first Brother.

Our first Brother...is a girl!

: My Link Abilities are First Barrier and Undershirt!

There are benefits to having Brothers, actually! They give you extra HP and abilities for free. This, actually, replaces the NaviCust from the Battle Network games.

: ...in a barrier at the start of a battle. As for Undershirt, as long as you have at least 2 HPs, a hit that would normally take you down to 0 will only take you down to 1 HP instead. My Link Abilities will definitely keep you safe. See you!

Having Sonia as our Brother means we just get those abilities as passive, as well as 30 extra HP. Turns out, having Brothers? Pretty good. _{_{(I will never be Brothers with Giver.)}}

Yeti is being mean to me! He just can't handle the fact that I'm better than him in every way.

: Are you going to be OK?

: Yeah, I'll be OK. I'll be OK from now on because we're connected. Now I have something to remind me I'm not all alone in this big world. I can stop worrying about that starting today!!

She's very cheerful, for someone who went through like three separate breakdowns in a week.

: I'm sure you can find a new you, too, Geo!! Let's both work hard at it!

She's also the perfect person to push Geo out of his comfort zone. Someone who's going through the same stuff he is, and knows what it's like. Mega does a good job, but is... Mega.

: ...you can't tell anyone about my secret!

: The one about the alien living in your Transer? Well, no one would believe me even if I did!!

...Geo please tell me you didn't actually use that as your Secret for forming BrotherBands. Please.

"What? You're not supposed to post about your deepest, darkest secrets on the Internet?"