Mega Man 4 may actually be my favorite in the series; it's right up there with 3, 9, and 10 for me. (Not 2, though--that's actually one of my least favorites.) The charge shot could have been handled a bit better, but it never bothered me all that much. I actually like the way it encourages pinpoint strikes against bosses instead of a constant hail of bullets. Also, MM4 feels to me like the first entry in which Capcom had really gotten the hang of making these games. It's much more polished than the first three games, in my opinion, and is free from the gameplay oddities and general staleness of 5 and 6. (Though I will admit that 5 and 6 have better music overall.)
@Five-seveN: Well, keep in mind that it's easy to accidentally glance past spoiler warnings if they're jammed right up against the actual spoilers. I've been on some sites that recommend adding extra white space between the warnings and the spoilers themselves, and I personally think that helps a good bit. (Not that I'm saying you didn't try; it's just a suggestion...)
On Topic: This seems encouraging, I suppose, but we'll have to wait and see how sales hold up in coming months...
I have to agree that the list was predictable, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Super Mario Bros. 3 is certainly a good choice for #1, and you can't go wrong with classics like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Kirby.
On the other hand, I am rather tired of seeing Mega Man 2 hog all the glory on lists like these; it's honestly one of my least favorite Mega Man games. Perhaps it's partly because Mega Man 2 was one of the games I didn't get to play as a kid (I only had 3, 4, and 6), but when I finally got to play it on VC, I really wasn't that impressed. I'd rather take Mega Man 4 any day.
In my opinion, 2 was a major improvement over 1, but it still feels rough and unpolished to me. The regular stages in 2 were decent for the most part, though I find Heat Man's and Crash Man's stages to be pretty bland. The first couple Wily stages were fine too, but the game loses steam toward the end with the repetitive stage music, the awkward Wily 4 boss, the bland rematch stage and Wily Machine, and the utterly underwhelming final stage and boss (in terms of gameplay, at least). And it doesn't help that the game's only boss theme is not one of my favorites.
3 had its issues, certainly, but it really felt like one of the more satisfying games to finish--partly due to its length and difficulty. The stages have a good amount of variety, and the Wily stages have a more satisfying conclusion. The soundtrack was great too; Snake Man's and Shadow Man's themes are among my favorites, and the Wily stage themes really help to build tension (particularly in the last two "stages"). And although 3 did suffer from slowdown, it didn't have nearly as much flickering as 1 and 2.
I don't necessarily see DLC itself as a bad thing, but it certainly seems to leave potential for game developers to get lazy. Providing things like additional levels or a shortcut for particularly lazy players can be nice, but pushing a game out the door before it's ready and using DLC to cover up for issues like poor balancing is definitely not a good thing--especially if the gamer has to eat the "repair costs." And as far as "on-disc" DLC goes, I think the recent reactions to the idea of blocking used games makes it clear how people feel about not fully owning games they bring home with them. DLC can be a useful tool, but it has to be used well, and I'm not sure these game companies are moving in the right direction with it.
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Re: Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat Meme Creators Suing Over Appearance in Scribblenauts
What is with all these copyright lawsuits lately? This is getting ridiculous...
Re: Review: Mega Man 4 (NES)
Mega Man 4 may actually be my favorite in the series; it's right up there with 3, 9, and 10 for me. (Not 2, though--that's actually one of my least favorites.) The charge shot could have been handled a bit better, but it never bothered me all that much. I actually like the way it encourages pinpoint strikes against bosses instead of a constant hail of bullets. Also, MM4 feels to me like the first entry in which Capcom had really gotten the hang of making these games. It's much more polished than the first three games, in my opinion, and is free from the gameplay oddities and general staleness of 5 and 6. (Though I will admit that 5 and 6 have better music overall.)
Re: Developers: No Nostalgia Allowed in Creating Core of Dark Moon
Simple but effective. I wonder why more games don't use this approach...
Re: Luigi's Mansion 2 Spooks Its Way Into UK Top Ten
@Five-seveN: Well, keep in mind that it's easy to accidentally glance past spoiler warnings if they're jammed right up against the actual spoilers. I've been on some sites that recommend adding extra white space between the warnings and the spoilers themselves, and I personally think that helps a good bit. (Not that I'm saying you didn't try; it's just a suggestion...)
On Topic: This seems encouraging, I suppose, but we'll have to wait and see how sales hold up in coming months...
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life's Staff Favourites - NES
I have to agree that the list was predictable, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Super Mario Bros. 3 is certainly a good choice for #1, and you can't go wrong with classics like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Kirby.
On the other hand, I am rather tired of seeing Mega Man 2 hog all the glory on lists like these; it's honestly one of my least favorite Mega Man games. Perhaps it's partly because Mega Man 2 was one of the games I didn't get to play as a kid (I only had 3, 4, and 6), but when I finally got to play it on VC, I really wasn't that impressed. I'd rather take Mega Man 4 any day.
Re: Limited Time Luigi Sale Hits North American Club Nintendo
I took advantage of this by downloading Super Punch Out!! (though I do wonder what the normal coin costs would be).
Re: Review: Mega Man 3 (3DS eShop / NES)
In my opinion, 2 was a major improvement over 1, but it still feels rough and unpolished to me. The regular stages in 2 were decent for the most part, though I find Heat Man's and Crash Man's stages to be pretty bland. The first couple Wily stages were fine too, but the game loses steam toward the end with the repetitive stage music, the awkward Wily 4 boss, the bland rematch stage and Wily Machine, and the utterly underwhelming final stage and boss (in terms of gameplay, at least). And it doesn't help that the game's only boss theme is not one of my favorites.
3 had its issues, certainly, but it really felt like one of the more satisfying games to finish--partly due to its length and difficulty. The stages have a good amount of variety, and the Wily stages have a more satisfying conclusion. The soundtrack was great too; Snake Man's and Shadow Man's themes are among my favorites, and the Wily stage themes really help to build tension (particularly in the last two "stages"). And although 3 did suffer from slowdown, it didn't have nearly as much flickering as 1 and 2.
Re: Talking Point: The Slippery Slope of Micro-Transactions
I don't necessarily see DLC itself as a bad thing, but it certainly seems to leave potential for game developers to get lazy. Providing things like additional levels or a shortcut for particularly lazy players can be nice, but pushing a game out the door before it's ready and using DLC to cover up for issues like poor balancing is definitely not a good thing--especially if the gamer has to eat the "repair costs." And as far as "on-disc" DLC goes, I think the recent reactions to the idea of blocking used games makes it clear how people feel about not fully owning games they bring home with them. DLC can be a useful tool, but it has to be used well, and I'm not sure these game companies are moving in the right direction with it.