Mega Man - We're Here Forever!

[Grounder]

Sorry Berkana, X pretty freaking clearly doesn't swing that way.

[Heavy Sigh]

yeah you can't beat berkana's area without the boots.

*Translation Fun Time! Featuring Berkana, flirtier than ever!*

*X AND ZERO SPLIT UP (X's VERSION)!!*

Game Script: Berkana: Hee hee hee! I’ve been waiting for you, boys. Let me show you the ultimate beauty that can only be realized by gathering DNA Souls. You will learn that I am the strongest!

Better Translation: Berkana: Uhuhu! Here come the boys. Now you will see ultimate beauty, forged from all the souls I’ve collected! I am the strongest, and you will know it by a glorious death!

(X and Zero arrive at the fortress)

Game Script: Berkana: Welcome, boys.

Better Translation: Berkana: Welcome to my home, darlings. Well? Isn't it splendid?

Game Script: X: Be quiet!

Better Translation: X: Stop screwing around! You've killed so many Reploids for no reason at all! I'll never forgive you for that!

Game Script: Berkana: You are very cute, even when you’re angry. I didn’t take Reploids’ lives for no reason. Their sacrifices helped to make us stronger.

Better Translation: Berkana: Aw, you're so CUTE when you're angry! And I DO have a reason, you know. Everyone is dying for the advancement of my power. I think they’re more useful NOW than when they were alive! Uhuhu...

Game Script: X: How dare you! That is no excuse!

Better Translation: X: Unbelievable! Are you even listening to yourself?!

Game Script: Berkana: It is pointless talking with you here. Why don’t you come to Gareth’s or my room so that we can relax and talk? My room is above here, while Gareth’s is below. The decision is up to you.

Better Translation: Berkana: *Sigh* There's no point talking here. Why don't you boys go up there to MY room? Or down there to Gareth's? That way we can all let down our hair a bit and talk? The choice is yours...

Game Script: X: Zero! It’s better for us to separate here!

Better Translation: X: Zero! Let’s split up! I’ll chase after Berkana!

Game Script: Zero: Roger that.

Better Translation: Zero: Roger. I can’t stand that woman. I’ll go after Gareth.

Game Script: X: See you later, Zero! And good luck!

Better Translation: X: I'll see you soon, Zero! Count on it!

Game Script: X: I’m coming for you, Berkana!

Better Translation: X: Just you wait, Berkana! I won’t let you get away with this!

*X VS. BERKANA*

Game Script: Berkana: Finally, we are alone.

Better Translation: Berkana: Ah, alone at last...Hello handsome. I knew you'd get here.

Game Script: X: Release the DNA Souls of the Reploids!

Better Translation: X: I'm not here for you, Berkana! I’m here to release all the good DNA Souls, and destroy all the Maverick ones!

Game Script: Berkana: I admire your speeches. But now, allow me to test the result of my experiment on you. Let me see who is the strongest Reploid! This is my final experiment.

Better Translation: Berkana: *Sigh*, you do love your soapboxing, don't you? Really, speeches like that just make me want to destroy you even more... Now for my last experiment; Who is the ultimate Reploid? Let us see the results!

*EPILOGUE (X'S STORY)*

Game Script: Narrator: After the battle, X felt the DNA Souls being released. Now the Reploids would return to normal. On his way, various memories flash through X’s mind. The most dominant ones are the memories of Zero. Zero should have finished his mission by now. X thinks that he can stand up to any difficulties with his partner and friend Zero. While he thinks like that, he can’t help but think of new challenges to face with his friend.

Better Translation: Narrator: After his fight, X felt the DNA Souls being released; with this, the Reploids who were Erased would return to normal. “Let’s head back and report to Iris”, he said, his mind churning over many things...including Zero. After all, Zero was probably finishing his mission right about now; with Zero by his side, X could face any challenge. But, as he thought this, X could not help but feel that this would not be their last battle...

[Crow]

i appreciate there being no boss refight level in this game, mostly because the bosses are all refights to begin with & because it's a bad trope that got tired real quickly anyways

[Heavy Sigh]

i appreciate there being no boss refight level in this game, mostly because the bosses are all refights to begin with & because it's a bad trope that got tired real quickly anyways

I have some bad news.

[AlchemistHohenheim]

I never really thought about this before, but it's kinda weird how the X games didn't really put much emphasis on X and Zero's relationship until X5 (though that might be down to the official English translations being kinda crap), and the progression is kinda...uneven.

X1: Zero's attitude toward X is basically "Keep at it, kid, and maybe someday you'll be big and strong like me."
X2: "Oh, I guess you brought me back to life after my heroic sacrifice in the last game (and I might have tried to kill you). Thanks. Sorry for the trouble."
X3: "Oops, I got wrecked by a robot mosquito thing. Here, X, take my sword."
X4: "Boy, those sure were some crazy mutually-exclusive events that you and/or I experienced, huh X?" (seriously did they even interact outside of X's ending cutscene?)
X5 onward: X: HEY EVERYONE, ME AND ZERO ARE BFFs FOREVER AND EVER

[Bean]

It's an interesting fight, but it goes from kind of whatever to pretty tricky the moment Berkana hits you with one of her button-sealing spells. That's the thing about Xtreme 2. There are some decent ideas, but the implementation is kind of lacking. As for the stage, it's definitely way harder and not as well-programmed as it should be. Those moving lift transfers are a thing, all right.

[Leet]

Robo Vampire is a great(?) movie.

But, um, wow, that dialogue...

[Chirei]

As Sigh mentioned, it is indeed impossible to beat Berkana's area without the Leg Parts, but not at the pre-segment you encountered, iirc.

The segment where you have to upwards-dash to the floating pillar is what makes it impossible. To make it worse, you literally only have the one cycle to realize what's going on before the incorrectly sprited water kills you. This is another example of the game being inconsistent and being poorly made, but I still like some of the strange things it does/introduces.

For the record, Zero has the air dash built into him in this game, so he has no such problems. His/Gareth's stage is arguably just as hard if not worse for some more common reasons, though.

EDIT: Finished watching the other half of the video at work.

Berkana's entire schtick is that she was turning dead people into beauty products. Gareth meanwhile literally thinks this is dark souls and uses their souls to upgrade his items. I guess Zero is against such cliche practices and chooses to stop Gareth himself.

Also it does seem that your souls carry over. If you notice, Zero got all the maverick weapon equivalents from X's side when you saved the clear data, which is very good because I think the move he gets from Launch Octopus is the best in the game, and I wouldn't mind seeing it come back in a future title.

[xnamkcor]

I never really thought about this before, but it's kinda weird how the X games didn't really put much emphasis on X and Zero's relationship until X5 (though that might be down to the official English translations being kinda crap), and the progression is kinda...uneven.

X1: Zero's attitude toward X is basically "Keep at it, kid, and maybe someday you'll be big and strong like me."
X2: "Oh, I guess you brought me back to life after my heroic sacrifice in the last game (and I might have tried to kill you). Thanks. Sorry for the trouble."
X3: "Oops, I got wrecked by a robot mosquito thing. Here, X, take my sword."
X4: "Boy, those sure were some crazy mutually-exclusive events that you and/or I experienced, huh X?" (seriously did they even interact outside of X's ending cutscene?)
X5 onward: X: HEY EVERYONE, ME AND ZERO ARE BFFs FOREVER AND EVER

[Stink Terios]

...Beauty products? For a robot? What could that be?
Metal polish? Fresh coats of paint?

[Kilgamayan]

...Beauty products? For a robot? What could that be?
Metal polish? Fresh coats of paint?

edit: speaking of robots and puberty, i would like to point out that between mega man x-treme ( which chronologically occurs before this game ) and x 4, iris somehow obtained boobs

like seriously she went from nothing there to significant robotits

i mean this is easily explained by her getting them installed but that just raises the question of why would a robot install robotits

[Negative]

...Beauty products? For a robot? What could that be?
Metal polish? Fresh coats of paint?

edit: speaking of robots and puberty, i would like to point out that between mega man x-treme ( which chronologically occurs before this game ) and x 4, iris somehow obtained boobs

like seriously she went from nothing there to significant robotits

i mean this is easily explained by her getting them installed but that just raises the question of why would a robot install robotits

It all makes perfect sense now. Bass had to gather the DNA souls to finally get the sex change she always wished for.

[Mea]

I like Berkana's huge Casshern-y head fin/horn thing, feels very non-megaman-y of a design

[Leet]

where's my game about berkana and iris bonding over body dysphoria

[Filbi]

The jokes about Bass have me wondering now, though - could a Robot Master be "upgraded" into a Reploid? Like, obviously it never happens in canon, but I don't see why it couldn't...

[Heavy Sigh]

Fish Fang is probably the best weapon Zero gets in this game, not gonna lie.

*Translation Fun Time! wherein Zero just kinda kills his way across the island and only sort of bothers to think about why*

(Zero enters the first area)

Game Script: X: Zero, what’s the situation?

Better Translation: X: Zero, how was your search?

Game Script: Zero: The Mavericks that we had destroyed before are rampaging throughout the island. What has been happening on This island? X, you check out the route below.

Better Translation: Zero: Mavericks that should be dead are rampaging all over. What is going on in this island? The path branches off here so let’s split up. I’ll leave the lower route to you, X. I’ll search around this area.

Game Script: X: Roger that. Stay alert, Zero. See you later!

Better Translation: X: Roger. Be careful, Zero. Let’s meet up again later!

(Zero enters a dark room)

Game Script: Zero: Humph! Why don’t you come out and face me?!

Better Translation: Zero: Hmph, get out here! Hah, if you still insist on hiding, then I’ll drag you out!

(Boss appears. Zero defeats it)

Game Script: Zero: Are you alright?

Better Translation: Zero: You okay, X? It looks like there are more than just old enemies here...

Game Script: X: Let’s go up for now so that we can contact Iris.

Better Translation: X: Let’s get aboveground for now and contact Iris.

Game Script: Zero: Agreed. But, I wonder what they are plotting…

Better Translation: Zero: Yeah, let’s do that. What could whoever’s behind this be scheming?

[Chirei]

It doesn't explain how to do all the moves, so here are the input for the weapons that Zero got from X:

Rising - Up+Attack on the ground. Can be cancelled just by letting go prematurely. Doesn't do a whole lot of damage in this game. No energy cost.
Fish Fang - Up+Atttack in the air. Each fish projectile inflicts separate, medium-high damage. It can very easily hit twice and make short work of large enemies. Costs energy.
Tri Thunder - Select from weapon screen. Zero actually has FOUR giga attacks in this game, but three of them are "lite". You don't have i-frames when using this, so you can be hit out of the attack. A more damaging option for things above you. Costs energy.
Fire Wave - Down+Attack on the ground. Does OK damage. Probably aren't going to be using this too much, but it does have longer reach than the saber. Costs energy.

A series first, Zero basically works off a universal MP bar. For this reason Weapon Saver is strongly recommended because Fish Fang is so busted. I'm actually not even sure what benefit Ultimate Saber confers in this game, except that it just makes Zero only able to do the final hit of his triple combo. Typically the last hit is the strongest hit, but it doesn't really feel that much stronger than just being able to spam all three in this game. This isn't the last time you'll be able to have the option to make Zero do this, and it's significantly worse of a tradeoff to the point it's considered a downside in later titles.

EDIT: To equip parts, you'll actually have to be in a level. One of the little buttons at the bottom of the start screen will take you to a parts window. They'll appear at the lower-right of the game screen if you equipped them correctly during play.

[xnamkcor]

The jokes about Bass have me wondering now, though - could a Robot Master be "upgraded" into a Reploid? Like, obviously it never happens in canon, but I don't see why it couldn't...

Robot Masters don't support a no-execute instruction space that is needed in Reploids.

[Grounder]

Could have made you fight Overdrive Ostrich in the bike, instead.

Sure, it sounds like it could be an interesting change of pace, but remember what game we're talking about here.

[Heavy Sigh]

Overdrive Ostrichs level has an amazing glitch in Extreme mode if you airdash up the ladder with X while the screen scrolls down.

*Translation Fun Time! Featuring Dr Light and his one game too late foreshadowing.*

Game Script: Dr. Light: Enter this capsule. Take this Head Crush. This Head Upgrade will allow you to crush certain blocks…

Better Translation: Dr. Light: Now, enter the capsule. I do not fully understand your systems, so I can only give you a token upgrade to your helmet. With it, you can smash certain blocks... Zero, promise me that you and X will never be enemies; That's all I ask. Do that, and I will have gone in peace...

[Chirei]

So this stage just kind of comes at you out of nowhere with the jank ride chaser segments and the fire tornado generators. It really is quite a slog to go through.

One of those vertical shafts actually did have something up there, and it was the only one you didn't check that Zero can reach. It was just a large life capsule though, which wouldn't help you from 90% of the level being instakill.

Dash - Select from pause menu. Zero does the Zero Scramble: Dash move from Xtreme 1, complete with screen-freeze. I never really understood why you'd ever use this move. I guess it's cool that he can actually use his own Scramble moves?

Also, you got the heart of the level!

[Bean]

That's the stage I was remembering as being completely awful. Glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks the controls for that bike really feel off. OHKO sand tornado generators and the bike make for a really unpleasant experience. Give the player gimmicks that chip away at your health, not instantly finish you off before you even have a chance to react. Yeesh.

[Leet]

I feel like this is a wasted opportunity to have there be a Dr. Wily Capsule and have Dr. Wily's Cyber-Elf give you upgrades.

[Grounder]

x7 looks great so far

[Chirei]

I actually kind of like Blast Hornet's remix stage? It's very air base-y and is about as much as you can possibly do with a GB-action game. Probably.

That was indeed the Heart Tank you found. There is a capsule in this level, but you need a specific boss weapon to get this one. I'd just do it all during cleanup to make sure. Another capsule in one of the stages wants Zero to have another boss weapon from those four, which means in Extreme Mode when you're able to challenge the bosses as either hunter, it is completely possible for Zero to permanently miss these two capsules if X takes the weapons. If you aren't planning to use him for the final part, then don't worry about it.

Blast Hornet's weakness is actually Rising, but as you figured out, the risk of contact damage is high, so it's not good unless you have the health remaining to just fireman him out.

Earth Gaizer - Select from pause screen. Does decent damage to everything, just like the Zero Scramble version. If there's too much nonsense on a screen, just use this. It's the closest to a traditional Giga Attack Zero gets for his four -select attacks.

That miniboss actually gets a modification on Extreme Mode. Two turrets light up instead of one each time... which makes it easier to defeat the boss since more parts are vulnerable. Go figure.