Yes, as you can see from the amount this image got shrunk to format it for this blog, this stage is pretty darn long. I think it's more than twice as long as Guts Man's Stage. It also has some of the most time-consuming areas in the game, with extremely difficult platforming in many areas - definitely a poor choice for first stage for a beginning player. Graphically it has as clear a logic of place as any stage in the game; it's pretty obviously meant to be some kind of arctic research station located on top of a frozen mountain or glacier of some kind. There's slippery ice, water (presumably salt, since it's not frozen), and the largest pit hazard section in the game right in the middle of everything. If it weren't for the Magnet Beam I'd place it as the worst stage in the game just for its sheer difficulty, but the ability to skip the more offensive platforming challenges allows even beginner players to get through so long as they come prepared.
Part 1: The Second-Longest Horizontal Stretch in the Game
Map
Description
At least I think it is. I haven't actually counted screens, but a quick visual survey of every other stage in the game seems to confirm it. And due to the terrain, which though entirely linear and lacking any major obstacles still requires a fair amount of jumping and dodging, it actually takes longer to complete than the longest one (which we'll be seeing in Wily Stage 2). Let's take a look at some of the more salient features, shall we?
Breakdown
- This flat starting area introduces this stage's (unique) special enemy: the Crazy Razy, which runs towards the player and fires single shots. If the player shoots its body three times, the head detaches and begins acting similarly to a Blader; if the player jumps slightly and hits the head first, the whole thing dies in one shot instead. It's the first example of an enemy with a sweet spot in the game (and, I think, the only normal enemy in this game that has one, unless you count the enemies with shields, and those focus more on timing than aiming). The design here is pretty good; the player sees the enemy first on flat terrain before encountering it in more difficult circumstances; of course, since this is the only place the player will ever see it, and it appears only a couple more times in Section 2, this is of limited interest. The Crazy Razy's running/flying speed and size make every appearance of one a Forced Encounter Challenge by default, since running past it is very risky.
- The player encounters three more Crazy Razy enemies here, and then is done with them for the rest of the game. This section of the stage is fairly low-key and slow-paced, which might lull a player into a false sense of security - the exact opposite of the opening of Elec Man's stage. I'm honestly not sure if this is good or bad, nor could I venture to guess whether it was intentional or not on the developers' part.
- This marks the first occurrence of water in the Mega Man series, and one of only two appearances in this game; and really, since the second (also in Wily Stage 2) features the NES series' only occurrence of moving water, it might as well be the only appearance. In this game, as opposed to every other game both in the original series and in every spin-off to date, water does not make Mega Man jump higher. It slows his movement ever so slightly - not really enough to affect gameplay significantly - and that's it. While running through this tidal pool-like area, the player must deal with Spines in the lower sections between the upraised pillars while Pengs fly constantly from the left. Pengs are essentially a less challenging version of Killer Bullets; they move in a slightly slower sine-wave pattern (I think), and they do not explode when shot. The closest thing to this section in any other stage is in Part 3 of Bomb Man's stage, where the player faces Beaks and Killer Bullets; but that section is more challenging due to the pit hazards and more difficult enemies. Still, it's the most challenging bit of this Section, and a beginner player is likely to take a hit or two, which is okay, because...
- ...the developers placed a conciliatory Big Life Energy here. You know what, I think they were trying to lull the player into a false sense of security. A beginner player will likely appreciate this very easy Big Life Energy, guarded by a mere two Octopus Batteries (made only slightly more threatening by the slippery floor). If that was their plan, though, they revealed their hand pretty quickly, because the difficulty ramps up sharply after this screen, and doesn't drop again.
Part 2: Yoku Yoku Panic!
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Description
This is the first time I have found a need to break my general rule of dividing sections by horizontal and vertical scrolling; the bottom screen here is the start of a horizontal area, but it so clearly belongs with the room above that I have separated it entirely from the rest of that area. This is the second and last appearance of Appearing Blocks (also called 'Yoku Blocks', hence the reference above) in Mega Man I; it's rather strange that the developers never tried to provide any further escalation on this interesting and innovative hazard, especially considering how frequently they used it in future games. Mind you, these are very tricky sections, but the only real hazard is a spine that patrols the water at the bottom of each section - high challenge, but low pressure. I'm not sure this is a bad thing, though; it certainly takes a while to get it right and even an expert player is likely to take a hit or two, since dodging Spines is damnably hard thanks to their variations in speed, and yet few players are likely to die here, at least very often. The respawn area is in the top room of this section, as well, so a player who does succumb won't have much to redo. Of course...since the next part is possibly the hardest section in the game (the ending boss-rush excepted), almost any player is likely to have to do this more than once in a run of this stage. So, it cuts both ways.
Breakdown
The first of two screens features a simple series of seven Appearing Blocks. I mentioned in my Elec Man's stage breakdown that four was the typical number, and it is, but it's not universal. In any case, as with the Appearing Blocks in Elec Man's stage, here there are no groups of more than one block. Each block appears in order, with up to two on-screen at a time, and then the sequence repeats. What sets this apart from the set in Elec Man's stage is the relative difficulty of their placement. Notice how the 2-3 and the 4-5 transitions serve more as fake-outs than anything else; the jumps are possible (I did them in my footage), but they're quite tricky, and it's actually easier to simply skip from 1 to 3 and then either from 3 to 5 or from 4 to 6. The player is thus given a sort of Equivalent Path Choice, only played out in the sequence of Appearing Blocks instead of normal stage design. It's a remarkably clever use of what was already a fairly clever hazard, and one of the many signs that the team responsible for this game really cared about their work.
Of course, the Spine patrolling the water at the bottom is also one of the many signs that the team responsible for this game really hated the player. Though in all fairness, any player not skilled enough to reach the top without taking significant damage shouldn't be playing this stage before beating Elec Man's anyway, so there's that.
I complained earlier about the lack of escalation in the developers' use of the Appearing Blocks, but honestly, this is pretty escalated. Just look at it. Once more there are seven groups, but here the setup is more complicated by entire orders of magnitude. The first four form a more-or-less duplicated left-to-right sequence across, one on top of the other; the top set is unreachable from the bottom, however, and so what the player must do is start at the bottom set. He can, if he chooses, begin at the bottom 4, but that will place him in the path of the Spine in the water (of course, he can exploit the game's limitations to scroll the Spine out of existence too, as I do in my demo, but that's cheating and only a scoundrel would do so). Wherever he starts, after the bottom 4, he must then backtrack along 5, 6, and 7...but then comes the trickery. The top 1 is a dead-end, nothing but a fake-out. The jump from 1 to 2 is impossible across the top. Thus, the player is forced to do what before was optional, and jump just as 7 disappears onto the upper 2, and then immediately from there up to the top 3. From there it's just a simple jump across to the top 4 and onto the ledge. Quite a bit to manage for a new hazard, and most players take many, many tries to get it right.
Unless, of course, they just use the Magnet Beam to skip the whole thing. Mega Man is usually pretty good about that sort of thing - it's one of the reasons the game has such broad appeal.
Part 3: And It All Comes Tumbling Down
Map
Description
Here it is. This is why people hate this stage, and I can't really argue - it's a good reason to hate it. This is one of two areas in Mega Man I to feature the Foot Holder enemy, which is unique among Mega Man I enemies in providing a platform for Mega Man to stand on as it flies about, periodically shooting two shots directly to the left and right. The two massive pit hazards frame the action with a particularly merciless and sudden High Pressure Challenge, and the 1-Up at the end is nothing but a taunt - it is almost impossible to drop into the narrow passage where it rests.
Breakdown
This section is hard. If the player approaches it without the Magnet Beam, it is arguably the hardest bit of platforming the game has to offer - maybe the hardest bit in the entire NES series. The only place that comes even close would be the rail-platform section in Wily Stage 4, and that's much shorter, and also more predictable.
See, the thing is, Foot Holders move randomly. They fly horizontally and diagonally, changing their left-right movement at regular intervals but their horizontal movement unpredictably. Firing shots also seems to be random; or if it isn't, it's too dependent on circumstances to be predictable in practical terms. So jumping from one Foot Holder to the next becomes as much a matter of luck as of skill - will it choose to head up at the last moment, denying the player his landing, or will it suddenly fire, knocking him helplessly into the gaping pit below? Of course, sitting still and waiting for the perfect jump is equally risky, since a stray shot might come at any moment with precisely the same result. Not to mention that sitting still and waiting for the perfect jump could take literally any amount of time.
To compound matters, the relative lack of background design makes it hard at times to gauge the absolute motion of each Foot Holder; if two are moving right at the same time, it is easy to mistake them for moving left at the same time, and the difference in jumping difficulty is very severe between the two, since their movement does not augment Mega Man's.
Even with the Magnet Beam, there is a strong chance of dying here, if a shot should come at the wrong moment or the player hesitate just a quarter-second too long in lining up his next beam platform. It's much, much easier than going blind, yes, but still risky. Ice Man's stage is arguably the hardest in the game; Fire Man's probably comes close, but I would still argue that it is easier.
Because their movement is random, there's no point in having diagrams; nothing remains consistent from one run-through to another, besides the high probability of death.
Part 4: A Quick Respite
Map
Description
Hardly any is needed; this is pretty self-explanatory. If the player, upon dropping into this area, reacts quickly enough, he is able to collect some Small Weapon and Life Energy drops as an apology for the previous section. There are no hazards here; the stage is basically over.
Part 5: Another Big Eye
Map
Description
Once more, none needed. This is another regulation Big Eye ending, the fourth of four. Thank goodness, Fire Man's stage is the other one without one.
Next time, video footage and Ice Man's stage analysis! Stay tuned!
Breakdown
The first of two screens features a simple series of seven Appearing Blocks. I mentioned in my Elec Man's stage breakdown that four was the typical number, and it is, but it's not universal. In any case, as with the Appearing Blocks in Elec Man's stage, here there are no groups of more than one block. Each block appears in order, with up to two on-screen at a time, and then the sequence repeats. What sets this apart from the set in Elec Man's stage is the relative difficulty of their placement. Notice how the 2-3 and the 4-5 transitions serve more as fake-outs than anything else; the jumps are possible (I did them in my footage), but they're quite tricky, and it's actually easier to simply skip from 1 to 3 and then either from 3 to 5 or from 4 to 6. The player is thus given a sort of Equivalent Path Choice, only played out in the sequence of Appearing Blocks instead of normal stage design. It's a remarkably clever use of what was already a fairly clever hazard, and one of the many signs that the team responsible for this game really cared about their work.
Of course, the Spine patrolling the water at the bottom is also one of the many signs that the team responsible for this game really hated the player. Though in all fairness, any player not skilled enough to reach the top without taking significant damage shouldn't be playing this stage before beating Elec Man's anyway, so there's that.
I complained earlier about the lack of escalation in the developers' use of the Appearing Blocks, but honestly, this is pretty escalated. Just look at it. Once more there are seven groups, but here the setup is more complicated by entire orders of magnitude. The first four form a more-or-less duplicated left-to-right sequence across, one on top of the other; the top set is unreachable from the bottom, however, and so what the player must do is start at the bottom set. He can, if he chooses, begin at the bottom 4, but that will place him in the path of the Spine in the water (of course, he can exploit the game's limitations to scroll the Spine out of existence too, as I do in my demo, but that's cheating and only a scoundrel would do so). Wherever he starts, after the bottom 4, he must then backtrack along 5, 6, and 7...but then comes the trickery. The top 1 is a dead-end, nothing but a fake-out. The jump from 1 to 2 is impossible across the top. Thus, the player is forced to do what before was optional, and jump just as 7 disappears onto the upper 2, and then immediately from there up to the top 3. From there it's just a simple jump across to the top 4 and onto the ledge. Quite a bit to manage for a new hazard, and most players take many, many tries to get it right.
Unless, of course, they just use the Magnet Beam to skip the whole thing. Mega Man is usually pretty good about that sort of thing - it's one of the reasons the game has such broad appeal.
Part 3: And It All Comes Tumbling Down
Map
Description
Here it is. This is why people hate this stage, and I can't really argue - it's a good reason to hate it. This is one of two areas in Mega Man I to feature the Foot Holder enemy, which is unique among Mega Man I enemies in providing a platform for Mega Man to stand on as it flies about, periodically shooting two shots directly to the left and right. The two massive pit hazards frame the action with a particularly merciless and sudden High Pressure Challenge, and the 1-Up at the end is nothing but a taunt - it is almost impossible to drop into the narrow passage where it rests.
Breakdown
This section is hard. If the player approaches it without the Magnet Beam, it is arguably the hardest bit of platforming the game has to offer - maybe the hardest bit in the entire NES series. The only place that comes even close would be the rail-platform section in Wily Stage 4, and that's much shorter, and also more predictable.
See, the thing is, Foot Holders move randomly. They fly horizontally and diagonally, changing their left-right movement at regular intervals but their horizontal movement unpredictably. Firing shots also seems to be random; or if it isn't, it's too dependent on circumstances to be predictable in practical terms. So jumping from one Foot Holder to the next becomes as much a matter of luck as of skill - will it choose to head up at the last moment, denying the player his landing, or will it suddenly fire, knocking him helplessly into the gaping pit below? Of course, sitting still and waiting for the perfect jump is equally risky, since a stray shot might come at any moment with precisely the same result. Not to mention that sitting still and waiting for the perfect jump could take literally any amount of time.
Ah ha ha ha, and you thought I was kidding. No, seriously. I meant any amount
of time. It's absolutely ridiculous.
To compound matters, the relative lack of background design makes it hard at times to gauge the absolute motion of each Foot Holder; if two are moving right at the same time, it is easy to mistake them for moving left at the same time, and the difference in jumping difficulty is very severe between the two, since their movement does not augment Mega Man's.
Even with the Magnet Beam, there is a strong chance of dying here, if a shot should come at the wrong moment or the player hesitate just a quarter-second too long in lining up his next beam platform. It's much, much easier than going blind, yes, but still risky. Ice Man's stage is arguably the hardest in the game; Fire Man's probably comes close, but I would still argue that it is easier.
Because their movement is random, there's no point in having diagrams; nothing remains consistent from one run-through to another, besides the high probability of death.
Part 4: A Quick Respite
Map
Description
Hardly any is needed; this is pretty self-explanatory. If the player, upon dropping into this area, reacts quickly enough, he is able to collect some Small Weapon and Life Energy drops as an apology for the previous section. There are no hazards here; the stage is basically over.
Part 5: Another Big Eye
Map
Description
Once more, none needed. This is another regulation Big Eye ending, the fourth of four. Thank goodness, Fire Man's stage is the other one without one.
Next time, video footage and Ice Man's stage analysis! Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading,
The Undesigner
Nice work. I know a thing or two about most stages from the classic series. Search Shikaroxen at youtube and you'll see how a master do it. If you're up for it, try it yourself!
ReplyDeleteI've done a bit of power-playing of the classic games, but nothing to write home about; I believe one of my Guts Man runs in this was a no-damage run, purely by accident, but of course that's easy to do because the stage is so short. I could probably do most of the ordinary challenges (no-damage, no-miss, etc.) if I practiced for a while, but really my goal with this blog is to examine the game design as it was meant to appear to an average player, not to a master, so while I certainly get enjoyment out of watching and/or attempting power-playing, it's not my goal here.
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