Mega Man ZX Advent (NDS, 2007)
Graphics-8 Sound-7.5 Control-8/6.5* Challenge-8/7** Story-4
Level Design-7 Frustration-8/7.5* Fun- Originality-5
Overall Score-7
*Some forms
**W/ e-tanks/sub-tanks (HP) and using the right forms against bosses, lower w/ certain b item chips
+
Two different playable chars (a bit more distinct than in the prequel, partially different story, sometimes different boss attacks, same level design)
Can transform into beaten non-human sized bosses here (on the fly; Buckfire=can dive kick diagonally and dash upwards to break some obstacles (can't climb ladders and wall climbing is clunkier), chronoforce=underwater swimming and dashing+time slow (also affects hazards) although the casting animation is too long (can't move on land), rospark=climb vertical background vines+temporarily stun some traps, queenbee=energy-based flight (Alex Kidd-style)+carry certain blocks, argoyle=ghost/clone that lets you reach the other side of walls at some points (more like a key)+throws bombs (pretty weak however), etc.; can also transform into/use the suits of the bosses from ZX1 later on (model h can glide jump+air dash+perform a three hit sword combo, blue ZX1 form can swim up waterfalls; some have different abilities compared to the prequel)
Good bosses overall, Decent-good mini-bosses
Teleporters and warp points (can warp to found and activated warp points but not from them, can teleport from transerver pads but not to them)
Named rooms
Transervers tend to be placed after bosses here so you don't have to backtrack to report on a mission
Some cool weapons (scan/homing weapon that can lock onto multiple enemies or boss parts - similar to Panzer Dragoon or TF5)
Pretty good FMV cutscenes (partially animé style)
Detailed moves info in the options menu
Some interesting level design (mixes in a defend the NPC cars segment, upwards air streams (tornadoes)+horizontal wind segment, chain reaction explodable blocks (Kirby SS and Bangai-O for example; not used as well here though), swimming up waterfalls in one area, objective defense side mission - brutally hard without energy upgrades though)
Some decent mini-games (firing range however it's annoying how you have to return and ask for the key to the room over and over to retry it)
Some minor puzzles related to using different forms and/or their abilities and some timing-based switch puzzles (junkyard, carrying blocks as queenbee in the biolab, weight puzzles)
Can keep charging an attack after taking a hit here
Optional side quests for upgrade items (item b chips*)
Optional refights against the bosses (achievements - beat them in certain ways for medals, no gameplay relevant rewards)
Difficulty options (beginner, normal, expert (enemies attack more and are slightly stronger, no power-ups and only 1 sub tank))
Unlockable secret ending (have to complete the game on Expert Mode and play the game in normal mode with both PC's over and over)
+/-
Partially non-linear structure after a short intro level and first mission (choose between 2 missions at a time for a few missions (then the game gets linear again for two missions), need an electricity form to access the oil field area, after the villain reveal you can choose between 4 missions and then 3 more after finishing those and meeting ZX, can do various side quests (optional) in any order however you can't do them without first triggering the quest with the relevant NPC - if you go to the location where it would happen first then nothing happens there). Separate final area
Some backtracking with new forms for optional items and a few times to progress
Only five areas connect to more than one other area (area 1 (the town/hq) is a partial hub connecting to 6 other areas). 7/16 areas are disconnected from the rest of the game world
Areas tend to be shaped like linear action levels besides some minor detours and alternate paths here and there (generally horizontal or vertical corridor-style rooms, junkyard is an exception to this)
Save points which also serve as teleporters (5 slots)
Grey gets better forms than Ashe?
Slow crouching move - pointless when you gain the dash after the intro level and it works like a crouch
Top down view map (two side view maps in layers like in Goonies 2 or Aquaria would've been better, at least gives a bit more info than the one in the previous game)
Special weapon energy/MP regen however it's very slow. Shared energy bar here
Sailor Moon-style first transformation cutscenes
Some fetch quests
Off screen enemy respawning (sometimes annoying)
Instant death pits and spikes
Can get a zoomed in view of the map but then it only shows the room you're in
No fighting alongside NPCs
Situational rospark form and very situational chronoforce form. Bitfrost is only used in like 2 rooms to destroy some blocks and for one puzzle which takes you to an new sub area within an area but none of it is important
Weird how a form can sometimes be used to get some of the way through an ability gate but not all of it (buckfire at oil field)
Having the choice of upgrading HP or MP/Energy when picking up orbs would've been more interesting and helped some forms like queenbee. You can upgrade your energy bar but most of them are found in the late-game
Can't transform while one of your shots is on screen
Would've been better if you could switch between model l's item scanner and the regular zoomed in map (same with green model's enemy analysis)
Kinda weird how you get mission briefings after entering the mission areas (and there's no preview of the boss here)
The boss that wrecks most of the ground you're standing on could've been used in a more interesting way
While there's a side quest log it doesn't actually give any information about the quests
No cyber elves (biometals sort of replace them but are only a story element here)
Detailed move tutorials for each new form however they could've not interrupted gameplay (since moves are explained in the menu they're also not really needed)
Somersault slash is kinda OP vs bosses
Boss gauntlet in the final area
Four (!) different item b chips are placed in oil field 3 - what you get here is determined by the time of year for some reason
Static difficulty curve (doesn't dynamically change depending on the mission order picked)
-
Killed mini-bosses don't stay dead+don't drop health
Uneven difficulty (very easy intro level and first mission followed by a very tough first boss, no HP refill after bosses, kind of easy Rospark boss unless he uses a charge beam from across the room, tough Siarnac fight if you're unlucky with his pattern and don't use the sub tank (game actually becomes easier after you start finding these which is after a few bosses), Thetis/model l w/o time slow and sub tanks, can skip the tank chase segment by just walking through it and following it from behind, parts of the waterfall ruins - instant death spikes, bitfrost is easy with the right weapon and/or time slow however damage seems unavoidable w/o time slow, can't refill your sub tanks if you lose a life to the final boss due to the checkpoint being placed right before it (there also aren't any save points in the final area), )
Some control/interface issues (kinda vague map - no room topology or even shape shown+can't quickly tell which door in a sub area/room leads to another area, can't see how many e-crystals you have on you when trying to activate a warp point, Buckfire form (grey) can't climb walls without a parallel one nearby because you automatically jump further away from them, can't dash with L while charging model A's or ZX's alternate weapon (homing/gun, can do it with double-tapping!), can't quickly skip repeated dialogue, switching back to model a in mid-jump while underwater makes you lose your forward momentum (but not if switching from it to another form), overly large hit boxes on NPCs when pressing up near them - automatically transform back to model A when talking to them (sometimes your default form, sometimes this happens when encountering a boss too), would've been better if firebuck's movement abilities were mapped to R and didn't require charging up - breaks flow a bit, can't place map markers, rospark form's movement when not climbing vines is too limited and it's just too clunky to use for bosses even when you're meant to, if you use the model a homing shot too quickly then every other hit does no damage vs bosses due to weirdly long invincibility times (only the sword combos can override this), can't unmap double tapping to dash - sometimes you'll do it by accident, overly loose upward scrolling when climbing poles/vines, sudden lack of invincibility time when combo'd by ZX during that fight, sometimes you lose your weapon charge when encountering a boss)
Some tedious aspects (movement abilities being energy-based when forms also have a shared energy bar and the regen is slow, can't warp from a warp point (only to it) and can't warp to a transerver pad (only from it) - bullshit but the large amount of warp points does help, automatic teleportation out of the first mission area - there's an item there that requires the first form so it leads to pointless backtracking+if you go back and to the end of that mission area there's no teleporter or shortcut going back to town, some grinding required to activate all warp points - if you only activate mid-mission area ones you can generally get by by doing some side quests and mini-games unless you also put money into donating to the diggers (which require a ton of money without that much of a reward, the big one just leads to a fetch quest which yields 100 EC), repeated tutorial message when gaining the first form as Grey, still sometimes have to backtrack to a save point/transerver for your mission report, annoying how bosses tend to just be immune to certain moves like firebuck's dive kick, arbitrary invincibility periods on some bosses, pointless point of no return in the rooms before bosses unless you spend money on the warp point, queenbee can only shoot diagonally downwards and flight drains energy too quickly, some pointless dead ends, something like 5 ability gates in a row that work more like keys underneath the basketball court, health drops are too rare in some rooms, keep finding consumable items that you have a full stock of - energy/MP while at max energy for example, extender item side quest)
Trial & error (the "cube" model a special attack reaches much further than it looks like+can't see when it will trigger when starting to charge it up, bombs dropped by certain enemies after death look like HP drops, some shots from off screen, some one-way doors - rough map, tower/bee level fire trap rooms, sometimes a room ends without there being a wall there so it looks like an exit, door maze part in junkyard)
Lives system (sometimes leads to grinding for health so you don't die and get a game over leading to having to replay the mission you're on from the beginning)
Usually can't get out of later mission areas after entering them without finishing them
So-so VA overall and the story itself is pretty childish and cliché (Model A is especially annoying, your avatar shouts every time you attack unless using regular shots as model A, you frequently meet rival models in team of two and they just let you go instead of killing you, takes too long to introduce a main villain and the reveal scene is kinda dumb, shows grey using both his main and homing gun at once when it's not possible in-game)
Unskippable cutscenes
Nina in the first town says you can ask her anything about getting around but then you can't
Kinda lame how the secret disks just give database (bestiary and NPC) info when there are platforming/movement challenges leading up to them
Can't shoot while crouching just to make you get a weapon/tool later on that lets you do it - lame
Some warp points are placed in a room right next to a transerver
Somewhat overly designed character outfits
Some of the new boss forms might as well have been upgrades to the more versatile forms from the prequel
No overdrive system here
Notes:
*https://megaman.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Mega_Man_ZX_Advent_items
Level Design-7 Frustration-8/7.5* Fun- Originality-5
Overall Score-7
*Some forms
**W/ e-tanks/sub-tanks (HP) and using the right forms against bosses, lower w/ certain b item chips
+
Two different playable chars (a bit more distinct than in the prequel, partially different story, sometimes different boss attacks, same level design)
Can transform into beaten non-human sized bosses here (on the fly; Buckfire=can dive kick diagonally and dash upwards to break some obstacles (can't climb ladders and wall climbing is clunkier), chronoforce=underwater swimming and dashing+time slow (also affects hazards) although the casting animation is too long (can't move on land), rospark=climb vertical background vines+temporarily stun some traps, queenbee=energy-based flight (Alex Kidd-style)+carry certain blocks, argoyle=ghost/clone that lets you reach the other side of walls at some points (more like a key)+throws bombs (pretty weak however), etc.; can also transform into/use the suits of the bosses from ZX1 later on (model h can glide jump+air dash+perform a three hit sword combo, blue ZX1 form can swim up waterfalls; some have different abilities compared to the prequel)
Good bosses overall, Decent-good mini-bosses
Teleporters and warp points (can warp to found and activated warp points but not from them, can teleport from transerver pads but not to them)
Named rooms
Transervers tend to be placed after bosses here so you don't have to backtrack to report on a mission
Some cool weapons (scan/homing weapon that can lock onto multiple enemies or boss parts - similar to Panzer Dragoon or TF5)
Pretty good FMV cutscenes (partially animé style)
Detailed moves info in the options menu
Some interesting level design (mixes in a defend the NPC cars segment, upwards air streams (tornadoes)+horizontal wind segment, chain reaction explodable blocks (Kirby SS and Bangai-O for example; not used as well here though), swimming up waterfalls in one area, objective defense side mission - brutally hard without energy upgrades though)
Some decent mini-games (firing range however it's annoying how you have to return and ask for the key to the room over and over to retry it)
Some minor puzzles related to using different forms and/or their abilities and some timing-based switch puzzles (junkyard, carrying blocks as queenbee in the biolab, weight puzzles)
Can keep charging an attack after taking a hit here
Optional side quests for upgrade items (item b chips*)
Optional refights against the bosses (achievements - beat them in certain ways for medals, no gameplay relevant rewards)
Difficulty options (beginner, normal, expert (enemies attack more and are slightly stronger, no power-ups and only 1 sub tank))
Unlockable secret ending (have to complete the game on Expert Mode and play the game in normal mode with both PC's over and over)
+/-
Partially non-linear structure after a short intro level and first mission (choose between 2 missions at a time for a few missions (then the game gets linear again for two missions), need an electricity form to access the oil field area, after the villain reveal you can choose between 4 missions and then 3 more after finishing those and meeting ZX, can do various side quests (optional) in any order however you can't do them without first triggering the quest with the relevant NPC - if you go to the location where it would happen first then nothing happens there). Separate final area
Some backtracking with new forms for optional items and a few times to progress
Only five areas connect to more than one other area (area 1 (the town/hq) is a partial hub connecting to 6 other areas). 7/16 areas are disconnected from the rest of the game world
Areas tend to be shaped like linear action levels besides some minor detours and alternate paths here and there (generally horizontal or vertical corridor-style rooms, junkyard is an exception to this)
Save points which also serve as teleporters (5 slots)
Grey gets better forms than Ashe?
Slow crouching move - pointless when you gain the dash after the intro level and it works like a crouch
Top down view map (two side view maps in layers like in Goonies 2 or Aquaria would've been better, at least gives a bit more info than the one in the previous game)
Special weapon energy/MP regen however it's very slow. Shared energy bar here
Sailor Moon-style first transformation cutscenes
Some fetch quests
Off screen enemy respawning (sometimes annoying)
Instant death pits and spikes
Can get a zoomed in view of the map but then it only shows the room you're in
No fighting alongside NPCs
Situational rospark form and very situational chronoforce form. Bitfrost is only used in like 2 rooms to destroy some blocks and for one puzzle which takes you to an new sub area within an area but none of it is important
Weird how a form can sometimes be used to get some of the way through an ability gate but not all of it (buckfire at oil field)
Having the choice of upgrading HP or MP/Energy when picking up orbs would've been more interesting and helped some forms like queenbee. You can upgrade your energy bar but most of them are found in the late-game
Can't transform while one of your shots is on screen
Would've been better if you could switch between model l's item scanner and the regular zoomed in map (same with green model's enemy analysis)
Kinda weird how you get mission briefings after entering the mission areas (and there's no preview of the boss here)
The boss that wrecks most of the ground you're standing on could've been used in a more interesting way
While there's a side quest log it doesn't actually give any information about the quests
No cyber elves (biometals sort of replace them but are only a story element here)
Detailed move tutorials for each new form however they could've not interrupted gameplay (since moves are explained in the menu they're also not really needed)
Somersault slash is kinda OP vs bosses
Boss gauntlet in the final area
Four (!) different item b chips are placed in oil field 3 - what you get here is determined by the time of year for some reason
Static difficulty curve (doesn't dynamically change depending on the mission order picked)
-
Killed mini-bosses don't stay dead+don't drop health
Uneven difficulty (very easy intro level and first mission followed by a very tough first boss, no HP refill after bosses, kind of easy Rospark boss unless he uses a charge beam from across the room, tough Siarnac fight if you're unlucky with his pattern and don't use the sub tank (game actually becomes easier after you start finding these which is after a few bosses), Thetis/model l w/o time slow and sub tanks, can skip the tank chase segment by just walking through it and following it from behind, parts of the waterfall ruins - instant death spikes, bitfrost is easy with the right weapon and/or time slow however damage seems unavoidable w/o time slow, can't refill your sub tanks if you lose a life to the final boss due to the checkpoint being placed right before it (there also aren't any save points in the final area), )
Some control/interface issues (kinda vague map - no room topology or even shape shown+can't quickly tell which door in a sub area/room leads to another area, can't see how many e-crystals you have on you when trying to activate a warp point, Buckfire form (grey) can't climb walls without a parallel one nearby because you automatically jump further away from them, can't dash with L while charging model A's or ZX's alternate weapon (homing/gun, can do it with double-tapping!), can't quickly skip repeated dialogue, switching back to model a in mid-jump while underwater makes you lose your forward momentum (but not if switching from it to another form), overly large hit boxes on NPCs when pressing up near them - automatically transform back to model A when talking to them (sometimes your default form, sometimes this happens when encountering a boss too), would've been better if firebuck's movement abilities were mapped to R and didn't require charging up - breaks flow a bit, can't place map markers, rospark form's movement when not climbing vines is too limited and it's just too clunky to use for bosses even when you're meant to, if you use the model a homing shot too quickly then every other hit does no damage vs bosses due to weirdly long invincibility times (only the sword combos can override this), can't unmap double tapping to dash - sometimes you'll do it by accident, overly loose upward scrolling when climbing poles/vines, sudden lack of invincibility time when combo'd by ZX during that fight, sometimes you lose your weapon charge when encountering a boss)
Some tedious aspects (movement abilities being energy-based when forms also have a shared energy bar and the regen is slow, can't warp from a warp point (only to it) and can't warp to a transerver pad (only from it) - bullshit but the large amount of warp points does help, automatic teleportation out of the first mission area - there's an item there that requires the first form so it leads to pointless backtracking+if you go back and to the end of that mission area there's no teleporter or shortcut going back to town, some grinding required to activate all warp points - if you only activate mid-mission area ones you can generally get by by doing some side quests and mini-games unless you also put money into donating to the diggers (which require a ton of money without that much of a reward, the big one just leads to a fetch quest which yields 100 EC), repeated tutorial message when gaining the first form as Grey, still sometimes have to backtrack to a save point/transerver for your mission report, annoying how bosses tend to just be immune to certain moves like firebuck's dive kick, arbitrary invincibility periods on some bosses, pointless point of no return in the rooms before bosses unless you spend money on the warp point, queenbee can only shoot diagonally downwards and flight drains energy too quickly, some pointless dead ends, something like 5 ability gates in a row that work more like keys underneath the basketball court, health drops are too rare in some rooms, keep finding consumable items that you have a full stock of - energy/MP while at max energy for example, extender item side quest)
Trial & error (the "cube" model a special attack reaches much further than it looks like+can't see when it will trigger when starting to charge it up, bombs dropped by certain enemies after death look like HP drops, some shots from off screen, some one-way doors - rough map, tower/bee level fire trap rooms, sometimes a room ends without there being a wall there so it looks like an exit, door maze part in junkyard)
Lives system (sometimes leads to grinding for health so you don't die and get a game over leading to having to replay the mission you're on from the beginning)
Usually can't get out of later mission areas after entering them without finishing them
So-so VA overall and the story itself is pretty childish and cliché (Model A is especially annoying, your avatar shouts every time you attack unless using regular shots as model A, you frequently meet rival models in team of two and they just let you go instead of killing you, takes too long to introduce a main villain and the reveal scene is kinda dumb, shows grey using both his main and homing gun at once when it's not possible in-game)
Unskippable cutscenes
Nina in the first town says you can ask her anything about getting around but then you can't
Kinda lame how the secret disks just give database (bestiary and NPC) info when there are platforming/movement challenges leading up to them
Can't shoot while crouching just to make you get a weapon/tool later on that lets you do it - lame
Some warp points are placed in a room right next to a transerver
Somewhat overly designed character outfits
Some of the new boss forms might as well have been upgrades to the more versatile forms from the prequel
No overdrive system here
Notes:
*https://megaman.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Mega_Man_ZX_Advent_items