Mega Man Zero 2 Review

#megaman #megamanzero #megamanzero2
It's now time to take a look at Mega Man Zero 2! How well does this sequel expand upon the original? Well watch as we discuss all aspects of Mega Man Zero 2!
Special thanks to Nico Vliek for the new artwork!
/ whaddupnico
Follow me on Twitter! / jsreviews2

[@JsReviews]

Alright then, Type B is the best one after all.

[@isauldron4337]

You said it...

[@geistgrace6452]

Hope you discuss the special functions in Z3. Like the link with Bn4 and the E-reader. Which is a reason i prefer the zero collection!

[@dmas7749]

heh heh heh heh now you know the power of the type B scheme

[@ThatguycalledJoe]

I feel like I started this somehow.

[@dmas7749]

@@ThatguycalledJoe: remember type b is king

[@TheHomiErik]

I like to think zero fought in the desert for a year and still doesn’t have nearly enough energy crystals to get a sub tank

[@kingspike64]

So true

[@Samanosuke2727]

Excellent XD!

[@sirwolfy9372]

He was fighting a horde of enemies for a hole year... In a desert... While sandstorming... His subs got broken or dispose them... I dunno

[@JauntyVampire]

Yea but he can hide himself in repair himself, in 3 weeks

[@agreedboarart3188]

Or he just didn't get a sub tank because he didn't want his rank to tank. :(

[@frostmourne1986]

Not gonna lie, Elpizo destroying X was the first time a video game made me cursed out loud, and in public even.

[@dayton8909]

lmfao, I can imagine being in a library reading then all of a sudden you hear someone in the corner yell "FUCK" 😂

[@TheFirehands150]

it was for a good cause XD

[@Raiden3651]

I mean, X was already in ghost cyber elf form. But ay, its not the reploid's body thats important, its the DNA soul.

[@frostmourne1986]

As per Z3, the lost of his body basically limited X's time in the mortal world. So losing his body does have dire consequences.

[@Raiden3651]

@@frostmourne1986 ciel brought X and Zero back to life as power ranger morphers(biometal). They both like 50+ year naps anyway. After MMZ4, they deserved to relax in cyberspace for 200 years till ZX

[@canine8284]

Legitimately surprised you DIDN'T mention Departure, a.k.a. the best music track _in the darn game_

[@nicoloenricorimoldi7425]

"Darn! It's begun again." Jokes aside, Departure is awesome, but Awakening Will (which J used at the end of the video) is just as awesome. It takes Departure and remixes it into a melancholic credits theme.

[@Skallva]

Also, Supreme Ruler. An incredibly underrated and tense final boss theme.

[@AlphaladZXA]

Aw what about gravity and ice brain... man this ost is better than I thought

[@Skallva]

Also, no mention of Clover greatly displeases me.

[@MH_Zard]

@@AlphaladZXA Ice brain? Yeah, you got good taste. Also Cool Water and Silver Wolf Yggdrasil are pretty good.

[@nicoloenricorimoldi7425]

I disagree about type C being the best. I think B is better, as you can use both weapons at the same time.

[@StinkTerios]

This is not even a matter of opinion, B is straight up better because it gives you advantages the other control types do not have. And the game is designed around type B.

[@nicoloenricorimoldi7425]

Yeah, I was trying to say it without sounding pretentious.

[@omegazeroINFI]

type c is fun. while type b is always the best (i generally saber my way through a stage while holding a charge shot for an oh shit moment where i need to kill something in front of me), zx and advent fix the main issue with type c, so it can be justified (just using the main weapon starts storing a charge for the other weapon to release automatically on switch.)

[@ThatguycalledJoe]

As I said repeatedly, *Type B is king.* But yeah, it's questionable to me to make the default control scheme one that actively makes you weaker, and never even allude to the fact that there's a stronger one available. I wouldn't even get it if you told me Type A is supposed to be training wheels, because it's kind of more awkward than B in the first place. I mean, Type A does have one upshot that Type B doesn't. It lets you charge the Shield Boomerang without holding it out. You can charge it, then hold R just to throw it so that you can get the charge without movement becoming very awkward. Haven't gotten around to actually trying it, but I must imagine this would be very nice in Hard Mode.

[@DragonSkyNija]

I can say Type C is good when you are playing on Hard mode.

[@Khalith]

I loved Zero 2 so much. Especially that opening cutscene, Zero in his cloak. The music starts, he throws off the cloak, and you're like "oh hell yeah time to kick ass." Or that desperate mission when you have to stop the airstrike. I loved this game so much.

[@unit-0123]

I actually hate this game

[@unit-0123]

Ahmad and skeleton very true but it’s not totally fair cuz I was expecting a mega man x style game when I got it

[@SeanTheShinigami]

@@unit-0123 that's not the game's fault. just your expectation and somewhat lack of awareness.

[@KeroKaminaX]

surprised you didn't mention the phantoms of Vile, Agile, Colonel, and Bit that attack you for the Phoenix Magnion boss fight

[@Codeninja676]

I remember correctly they only appear if you let yourself get grabbed.

[@rogercruz1547]

If and when you do Zero3, Zero4, ZX and ZXA, I will be here, watching, liking, commenting and sharing. You have my word.

[@midouban628]

Although it's annoying the ”level up your weapon” design kinda makes some sense because of in the first game Zero just wake up with no memory of who he was and nearly get his body/weapons completely destroyed in the 2nd game so he needs to ”remastered” himself

[@oguzhangungor9117]

AAAAA you didn't mention Elpizo's final form. I wanted you to talk about it since it is a forshadowing for Zero 3 with how Elpizo is unable to control the power of the dark elf unlike our final boss of Zero 3 who is able to get the most out of it. Btw have you heard about the drama CDs for the Zero games? Japan loves to make these Drama CD things which auido telled stories in them and the Zero games have some too. One of them actually goes deeper into Elpizo and his past. Like how he only had a number as a name and how he took the baby elf during the outbreak in Zero 1. We learn that he was the one who brought the baby elf to the resistance in this game but that CD goes deeper into it. Also one of the stories has Zero stuck in a wall which is just hilarious.

[@isauldron4337]

Zero stuck in a wall ? Huh? I WANT TO KNOW MORE, please...?

[@oguzhangungor9117]

@@isauldron4337 The navigators talk about when they accidently teleported zero inside a wall once because one of them screwed up the coordinates I believe. İf I remember correctly it should be in the drama CD that is about alouette trying to name the baby elves. İt is very heartwarming and I recommend it.

[@Samanosuke2727]

Oh crap, I remember Alouette was asking the navigators, old Andrew aka Reliforce sailor and Zero for names. Rouge & Jaune argues over name rhymes, Andrew started rambling like a Repliforce old man as usual, and Zero who was understandingly creeped out by Baby Elves that he skipped the subject to talk about how he beat the snake, she got mad at her big bro! The next part Ciel said something about creating and praying that makes her name them both. Oh gawd, someone give her the next batch of old Elf-War era elves that's based on X & Zero??.

[@ThatguycalledJoe]

Type B is still king. I didn't state this last time,but a massive flaw of Zero 1 and Zero 2 is unskippable cutscenes. Zero 3 fixes that, then Zero 4 goes right back to it. Nobody will ever know why. Edit to above - Zero 2 is actually kind of a middle ground since a couple of stages that you're forced into immediately (The Bombardment Aircraft and Neo Arcadia Temple) start instantly because the save prompt is placed after the cutscene, and isn't in character like in Zero 4. This is also a serviceable alternative to flat out skippable cutscenes since it still means you don't have to sit through the cutscene again on restarts. Just to be perfectly clear, in the above I was referring specifically to unskippable cutscenes preceding stages. Neo Arcadia Shrine, N.A. Residential Area, Settlement Raid, The Prison, and Ragnarok Control are the offenders, here. I hate the parts where you just run music without saying anything. *TYPE B IS STILL KING.* Zero 4 On Tellybombs - "Hold my beer." "The camera is too zoomed in." Oh, honey, that's the entire Zero series. It's not worth bothering with the crystal shiner. If you pay attention, you'll know that the ground is always there when the spikes are leveled out. If the spikes change height, then there's no ground. Speaking of that shit ranking system, there's also a huge problem in the games where it expects you to kill way more enemies than is reasonable. Duel in the Desert in Zero 1 is the worst offender because given that it's a ratchet scrolling stage so there SHOULD be a good scale of how many to knock out, but for full marks you have to stop dead in your tracks and grind kills. Also, Triple Rod is very nice in the desert. It helps a great deal to be able to just stab straight up and plug those vultures as they dive, especially on the return trip. Panter (train man) is a massive asshole. I can tell from the clip you were fighting Phoenix completely wrong. Then again you're not using Type B (which is king), so you can't really fight him right. He is a pure reactionist, he won't do anything until you attack first unless you let the fight drag for about ninety seconds, in which case he goes totally ballistic and just starts spamming. Know this, and you can completely dominate the flow of the battle and turn everything (nearly everything at A/S) he does around on him, as well as letting him just sit there and watch you avoid the rising fire. And also use Type B so you can shoot an uncharged Buster shot to provoke him, then crash your saber into his face when he tries to retaliate. Bonus fact, if you hit him with an electric attack while he's doing the flame charge (not the EX attack where he turns gold), you'll knock him straight out of it. Risk reward. He's also vulnerable to other attacks during it, but those won't take him out of it. I cannot stress enough that *Type B is king* okay? You are massively more powerful when you can control and charge both your weapons at once, so by using Type C you're just making yourself significantly weaker, honestly. Try running through this game with Type B and you'll see what I mean, I guarantee it. Fuck the Ranking System. The series would be massively improved if it didn't exist. X Form is brutally powerful. It not only gives you that fourth Buster shot, it makes the Buster more powerful, including charged shots. This (and Type B, which is king) makes it very possible to do massive damage to the Beetle Bros in the refight rooms by smashing them both with charged attacks. You can do so without the X Form, but the reduced damage makes it take longer, and if you're A/S, gives them more time to do their EX attack. Also do Phoenix first because beating him removes enemies from the other three stages, and it's the easiest stage to get the X Form. Just use the shooting gallery toward the end a couple times, easy 50 Buster kills. Again, the snakes in the desert exclusively drop E-Crystals, and the factory on the overworld has two doses of a big pile of E-Crystals (one after beating Guard Orotic, one after being Phantom). Also, the little shiner jerk in the Crystal Cave takes over for the snakes in only dropping E-Crystals. > Talking about sub tanks when the clip uses a Life Recover part, which while it acts like a Sub Tank, it is not one. We have a huge difference of style, I can tell. They never fixed the biggest problem. Damn ranking system. Nobody asked for it. Nobody wanted it.

[@Luxinox16]

Um, Zero 4's cutscenes are skippable. Also, cutscenes are only skippable if you had viewed them once.

[@megabuster3940]

I cannot strees how much I hate the ranking system. It's only made worse when coupled with the form unlock requirements. *ALSO, TYPE-B IS KING*

[@nicoloenricorimoldi7425]

I disagree about the ranking system. It encourages skilled play and rewards you for being better at the game. As J said, the EX skills aren't required to beat the games, while still being useful to skilled players. The enemy counter is too high in just a few missions, it's not the problem you make it out to be. I think the tellybombs are worse in Zero 2. I don't even remember them in Zero 4 aside from the Area Zero stage. Zero 4 has some unskippable cutscenes. You can still skip most of them. Completely agree about Type B. Also, Charged Slash to Charged Chain Rod = Boss KIller.

[@megabuster3940]

@@nicoloenricorimoldi7425 No, the ranking system doesn't incentivize skilled play, it discourages experimentation and forces players to play it "safe". Especially for those who wish to unlock ultimate mode.

[@ThatguycalledJoe]

Luxinox - Ragnarok Control. Mega Buster - For what it helps you, here's my suggestions. 1 - X Form (Phoenix Magnion) Use the shooting gallery toward the end. 2 - Energy Form (Poler Kamrous) - The floating enemy that shoots three shots exclusively drops health pickups. Use the second pair to farm the pickups, the time limit is unusually generous. 3 - Power Form (Hyleg Ourobockle) - Pull the first block you find in the last part of the stage back and forth a few times. 4 - Rise Form (Panter Fauclaws) - It's harder to not get it during the "mid-boss". 5 - Active Form (N.A. Residental Area) - At the part with two Pantheons, with spikes to the left and a block to the right, dash back and forth and cut them down 'til you hit par. 6 - Erase Form (Bombardment Aircraft) - It's frankly harder to not get it while defending Ciel. 7 - Defense Form (Burble Hekelot) - At the pair of enemies which jump up from a pit, charge the Shield Boomerang then chuck it and dash forward. Jump as it's about to touch you so that it misses and continues going in a cricle. Spaced right it'll keep hitting them without you having to charge it more than once. Nicolo Enrico Rimoldi - I feel that it is wrong for games to try to force the player do as it wants. Doing well will come naturally to those who seek it. The ranking system is just demanding for its own sake, and I can't stand it because of that. When I mention the Tellybombs, I refer to the Teleporter Base, where there's an awkward segment on the bottom route where you have to mine through the ground with Tellybombs. It's tedious. And again, Ragnarok Control. The only cutscenes that can be skipped are cutscenes that do not precede a stage, while the ones it's important to be able to skip are the ones that do. Zero 3, for Sub Arcadia, this is not a problem. Hit "Talk" with Ciel, hit Start, boom you're there.

[@skyrogue1977]

When they killed X, I was like whhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

[@StinkTerios]

Control type B neuters Phoenix Magnion COMPLETELY. He's not as bad as he seems once you "get" how he works. He's also only invulnerable when he uses his EX-skill.

[@t-universegamer7609]

quem diria ein, a proposito, concordo 100%

[@AccessusK]

STINK?!? O QUE VC TA FAZENDO AQUI MENINO? VAI GRAVAR MMZ2 AGORA!

[@jinyboi]

its really just a matter of practicing. as a kid i would spend days trying to beat phoenix magnion so i was able learn all his patterns and easily dispatch him without ex skill. other bosses such as the twin beetles i fought them very infrequently and i still suck against them even to this day lol

[@an3582]

Man, you and Retropolis are some of my favorite reviewers. You guys take the time to analyze these games. It feels like a lesson more than just a review.

[@OurFoundingLiars]

Hell yeah, but type B is the way to go, next to type o negative

[@TanegiHoneydew]

The Departure theme that play when Zero take his cloak off is absoutely perfect.

[@geistgrace6452]

His cape seems VERY similar to ANOTHER B.A from another megaman series. Guesd who?

[@dino-id8yb]

@@geistgrace6452 bass

[@_SparkHere]

It's not a cloak, it's his hair

[@TanegiHoneydew]

​@@_SparkHereMy guy, at the start of MMZ2 Zero has a cloak on. (I think it's a red cloak? Been a while since I played Z2. Not the yellow thing, because yeah that's his hair.) Edited: 0:40 It's in this vid

[@_SparkHere]

@@TanegiHoneydew It's Yellow

[@TyrantRedNova]

What a timing. I just finished watching the Zero 1 video (been busy with college) and now this is out. Good news. Keep up with the good work man. The BTAS and the STAS videos were great too.

[@gabrielribeiro4020]

Am I the only one that noticed this strange "1" and "2" in Elpizo's sprite? 6:09

[@isauldron4337]

You're not alone

[@Sev_Stars]

Yep the dark elf

[@palindinX]

Zero 2 is the perfect sequel. It leaves everything bad from Zero 1, and improves upon the good from 1st game. That's exactly what every sequel *SHOULD ALWAYS DO!* It's probably why Zero 2 is my favorite one above the 3 others.

[@TheMati2214]

And what happens when you take this sequel and then make another one to perfect the formula firt two games provides? Zero 3 of course. I know everybody has their own favourite, but I think we can agree that Zero 3 handles gameplay *perfectly*

[@sarasaland4709]

What the game does not tell you is using Cyber Elves that grant a permanent upgrade like to your health effectively puts a penalty on your ranking. Which pretty much locks you out of the EX skills. That’d be like if going Super Sonic in a stage prevented you from getting S ranks in other stages.

[@Skallva]

Thanks for setting up yout schedule so that one of the vids gets uploaded on my birthday. Mega Man Zero is honestly the main reason I'm a huge Mega Man fan and it means a lot knowing it's finally getting the exposure it deserves, and at a very personal time as well.

[@EA-bv8zk]

This was my first megaman series

[@zipperman6045]

It's time boys Z2's getting shredded and we're one week closer to the goat.

[@kaizakira]

Nkosilathi Sibanda zero 3 is best in the series no doubt

[@JesusMorales-cx8vv]

@@kaizakira Maybe a little bit broken in the end for damn, that was a good game.

[@kaizakira]

@@JesusMorales-cx8vv broken in what way? Its been a min since I played it.

[@geistgrace6452]

J L And the first trap of megaman!

[@kaizakira]

YZ Nexus XA oh god don’t remind me foxtar lol

[@Ark_Strike]

You always deliver! High quality reviews with good footage and on-point criticism. Sometimes I disagree but that just makes these even better. Thank you for your hard work, you've made a fan out of me!

[@MrHatoi]

Something crucial you forgot to mention: cyber elves lower your ranking. To be clear, they don't just increase the threshold you need to get a high ranking; they directly lower it. Once you add a few cyber elves, it's not possible to get 100 points on a stage. If you get enough upgrades, it becomes literally impossible to ever get an A rank again no matter how well you play. This is pretty ridiculous, since you basically have to avoid getting upgrades at all if you want a shot at unlocking EX skills.

[@Skallva]

Phoenix Magnion is 'invulnerable for most of the fight' because he relies on counter-attacks. You attack him - he teleports and begins his own attack. If you just go in guns n' blazin', then yeah, you won't get many opportunities to attack. He's actually very easy to lock in a pattern. Shoot one Buster Shot bullet, stun him with a ch.Saber, rinse and repeat. If you're efficient enough, he won't even be able to use any of his attacks aside from the flame charge. Also, preferably destroy the generators in the backwards order so that you do not have to deal with the fire pillars, since they are coming from the metal floor and the first one doesn't have any. Makes the fight a lot easier.

[@MH_Zard]

finally, someone gets it!

[@PietroSoft]

You are correct. I used the chain rod, and charged saber attacks to destroy him easily on my Z2 Playthrough. check out kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIuwfGeBg91lgbc

[@OmegaJX]

Oh my god i thought i was the only one who did this

[@XylitoI]

You don't even necessarily need to attack him first, just stand around for a second or two and he will begin his own attack that you can then proceed to counter with a hit of your own.

[@floricel_112]

I was honestly shocked the first time I hit him with a charged saber without the electric chip (for shits and giggles) and he still flinched.

[@tylerchampion9356]

Im so glad someone FINALLY is doing a solid playthrough/review series for MMZ, the best Megaman games in the franchise if you ask me. And your videos are really well done. Thank you for the content, I can't wait for you to review my favorite game in the series, MMZ3!

[@MH_Zard]

Great Review! Love your coverage on the story portions and the improvements from Z1 especially. Also, a couple of things to comment on: -El-Pee-Zo not El-Pie-Zo. Also Weil is pronounced Vile, since it's practically a German name. -Could be some sort of misinterpretation on my end, but I feel the Guardians are borderline obsessed with destroying Zero, since they are technically rival bosses. Resistance soldiers are just cannon fodder for them, and they don't really have any opponents that actually test them to their fullest within the Resistance like Zero. Leviathan for one, comments that she doesn't care if the world dies if she can destroy Zero. Harpuia also for ignores Elpizo for a bit just so he can fight you and actually enjoys the pain when you beat him. -Phoenix Magnion is a pain in the ass for new players, but when you figure out his gimmick, he isn't really that hard and is kind of a fun active boss. Phoenix will stay still for a few good long seconds until you decide to hit him. He will ALWAYS teleport on the first attack you throw out, so shooting a buster shot or throwing a slash will bait this out. AFTER he teleports, then you can hit him before he throws out his move. Fighting him is really just a quick hit and run strat. Bait teleport, smack him once, rinse, repeat. The rising fire in his stage can be dealt with, by taking advantage of the time he simply waits for you to attack once you notice the screen shake. Stop attacking him. You can then just position yourself in between the gaps to avoid the fire. -The telly bomb portions can be understandably frustrating, but you honestly get used to them once you figure out the general angles to hit them with certain weapons. It only really takes a tiny bit of practice.

[@PietroSoft]

Nice tips man.

[@01ChaosWarrior]

Yeah, Phoenix Magnion is probably the most annoying boss in the entire Zero lineup for new players, since he doesn't fight like any other boss in the series.

[@Skallva]

Plus, Vile is Weil's Japanese name so it makes sense they'd be pronounced the same way.

[@omar5788]

ikr phoenix magnion is so fun once you get the hang of him

[@kenhuynguyen]

I believe the guardians respect Zero as in Zero 3, they sacrificed themselves for Zero to deliver the final blow to Omega

[@justinmackey9855]

Great review as usual man! Also wanted to bring up that Phoenix Magnion's stage you can hit a tellybomb into the wall with the one enemy on the inside and take another route that makes dodging the boss' fire pillar attack a lot easier. I just recently found this out and although it might take a bit more time to complete the trade off is considerable.

[@MrRaivokasMagma]

My first Zero game. I shat my pants on that Elpizo's scream.

[@Petski_]

This review video really was a great way to end another week of high school life. Very much appreciated.

[@leonstorm3847]

And i though i will stop having goosebump everytime Departure start playing when i grow up..... Let's go, This isn't fun anymore...

[@Nexuish]

...can burn to the ground.... can burn to the ground..... can BURN TO THE GROUND BURN BURN TO THE GROUND!!!

[@robertlupa8273]

5:15 "You've become the very thing you swore to destroy"

[@SQGReviewShow]

"Don't lecture me, Zero!" XD

[@megamanmarchek8293]

@@SQGReviewShow I see through the lies of the Resistance Force!

[@alesterphoenix]

@@megamanmarchek8293 "From my point of view the Resistance is evil"

[@megamanmarchek8293]

@@alesterphoenix "Well then you are lost!"

[@MrPineapple045]

You were supposed to destroy copy x not become him

[@MaxinRudy]

Hey, what about reviewing the Azure Striker series?

[@Alias_Anybody]

After ZX maybe. I DEMAND IT.

[@fireflamegamer8321]

Facts I'm still waiting on that

[@CommanderWilliams]

Another great video, Zero 2-4 really are some of the best titles in the entire Megaman series. They blow X6, 7, and 8 out of the park for sure. On an unrelated note, does anyone know exactly how many points you lose for a stage ranking per permanent cyber elf used? Is it 1 point per cyber elf or is it more complicated?

[@cybersoul2809]

When you say 7 and 8, you referring to 7 and 8, or X7 and X8? Either way, any Mega Man game is better than X7

[@CommanderWilliams]

@@cybersoul2809 Referring to the X games. I kind of like 7, but I wish it played more traditionally and didn't look so...stretched. Classic 8 is a good game right up until Willy 1 which I refuse to play because it gave me fucking PTSD as a child. X7 is terrible, but I do like X8 for the most part. Lot of good ideas, a couple of shitty ones.

[@PrinceSilvermane]

If I recall right the point reduction for Elves is based on the power of the elf itself. Like the double Lifebar elf has a higher penalty than the elf that gives you a slightly longer bar.

[@dmas7749]

@@PrinceSilvermane: It is. Interestingly, the double lifebar elf is less harsh than all the regular life upgrades combined. Personally, I prefer Putick elves, which make lava and spikes non-lethal, dealing set damage

[@ZeroX7649]

@@dmas7749 Am I the only one who did this A rank all the way through without Cyber Elves? ;)

[@jonasisahuman2756]

This should have been longer than the mega man X6 review. Don't take that seriously.

[@RockstarEddie-rk1rm]

First reply

[@vithor592]

Retropolis Zone once made a near two hour long video about a good game. It's his seventh least viewed review.

[@LoliconSamalik]

Control type C? Wut? You get more versatility out of Control type B, meaning you can release a charge attack in dual succession. You can even slash during a sheild. Do you not know how useful that is?!

[@reviewdle6173]

Hey, quick tip for ya on later playthroughs J, in Harpuia's cave stage near the end of the game, you can get through the section where you have to hit the eye that makes the platforms visible and releases enemies without hitting it at all. You can see where the real spikes are at all times by them being raised up. If the spikes are at a lower height, there's an invisible floor, and if they're higher, that's where you can get killed. Just thought it might help! It made the stage a lot less tedious, once I found that out.

[@waaaaaaah5135]

Zero 2 has some of the most memorable themes in the series imo. Also never got why they decided to change the Guardians' names to Fighting Fefnir, Fairy Leviathan, and Sage Harpuia, I thought they were dumb changes when I first played it.

[@frivolousjulius7492]

A J’s Review video always makes my day!

[@CaptainCFalcon]

I'm kinda disappointed you didn't even mention Departure when talking about the soundtrack.

[@snailgirl6]

Nice analysis!!! I haven't played this in years!!! I vaguely remember that this was my favorite, but I really need to go back to this with a new perspective. All I remember is that "easy scenario" mode made the games "more playable" and accessible. The first time I played these I was dealing with lots of stress, but now that is over, I would like to reintroduce myself with one more easy mode run, before digging in with an original playthrough.

[@MisterFanwank]

Phoenix Magnion seems hard at first because everything he does is triggered by something you do, so if you're just flailing around senselessly, like you can for most bosses, he'll kick your ass. His pattern is ridiculously easy to abuse when you understand how to manipulate his behavior. This is where control type B shines because you can fire your buster while charging your saber for an elemental strike to stun him.

[@justinmartin8438]

Really love your review style bro, would totally listen to any type of classic/current gen game reviews you would do. I don't think I'm the only one that feels that way give it a shot

[@onerandomdude4015]

Elpizo looks like if funny Valentine was reploid

[@Acecard-jl2py]

*CAN YOU SEE THE LIGHT?*

[@Ponyj0]

Loving your reviews dude! I love how you go over all the strengths and weaknesses of this game, how you leave a minute or so in of showing off the game's soundtrack and how you compare it to other titles and what works and doesn't work in gameplay or level designs.

[@naorikorowa]

22:29 : X challenge ? More like Z challenge mode amirite ?

[@MrLCGO]

Wow, great timing. I just finished MMZ2 and watched the your MMZ review yesterday

[@agenericguy1014]

Z2 and Z3 are probably my fav MM games of all times

[@Faltzerbeast90]

I liked how they showed Elpizo's reason for being bad and not in some flashback or just txt. You actually see all the carnage and death that he blames himself for.

[@Call0045]

Oh my this is even better than the review of the first Mega Man Zero game. Can't wait to watch Zero 3 review. But I do disagree with you about the flying ships section in the middle stage. This part is not bad by any means. On the very first ship Zero lands you can see that the ships get closer for a brief momment so you can jump safely to the other one. They even get on the right angle so you won't be hit by neither of the side cannons they have. I mean, if you wanna rush it, sure, it can be a section with tons of leap of faith and trial and error, but it's not the case if you're just playing normally. I agree with Harpuia and the fire bomb stages tho, while the level design are not bad for the bomb stages, they're really boring. I'm glad to see you're having a good time reviewing these games. In my personal opinion, the Zero saga is the best one and the most consistent when it comes to quality in the franchise (not couting the BN and SF cuz they're RPGs), just being behind of the first ZX. Keep going, I'm really curious to see how you felt the transition from Z3 to Z4.

[@dmas7749]

i disagree, many players, myself included, enjoy the sense of speed in the zero games. it's incredibly satisfying going from enemy to enemy and destroying them in seconds. what's *not* fun is destroying an enemy, dash-jumping, getting a facefull of bullet from a ship that just randomly decided to shoot and falling to your death.

[@Call0045]

@@dmas7749 Yeah, I agree with you, the sense of speed in the zero games are really great. But this particular section have a more methodical approach, where you need to time your jumps right so you can safely get from one ship to another. While is not the best part of the game, even arguably not even a good section, it's still consistent on how it works and it works perfectly fine. But like I said, if you wanna rush it, then sure, it can be a section with tons of leap of faith and trial and error. Though the upper path is harder to go fast, the bottom path is way easier to keep moving fast in a consistent way. Still, it's one of those "take your time" platforming sections, a really questionable choice for a fast-paced game like the Zero series.

[@dmas7749]

@@Call0045: many enemies in the MM series as a whole have enemies and platforms where you need to take a step back and time it, with the first introduction being typically in a room with no spikes or pits, then shown later with different obstacles with more challenge. the airships segment lasts for quite a while, and aside from placing X droids on it, never changes, it's just that sometimes they decide to shoot at you which always, ALWAYS knocks you into a bottomless pit, and i consider it worse than wind crowrang's stage from X7, yeah i said it, i'd rather play crowrang's stage if zero's camera wasn't so claustrophobic it wouldn't be as bad but unfortunately just what-ifs don't change the game, and as such i find it a horrendously designed part of the stage and indefensible

[@Call0045]

Huh what? It is a really quick section and all you need to do is pay attention. I mean, seriously I just replayed it when I wrote my first comment. The ships keep moving, all you need to do is pay attention to them so when they get closer you'll be able to safely jump from one to another, without even taking damage from the phanteons onboard. They won't knock you out if you wait them to get closer and you can even dash jump with the shield boomerang if you're in need to rush and is afraid of getting knocked out. The ships in wind crowanger's stage don't move at all, it's mostly the camera and the terrible depth perception that makes this section so bad. The camera could have some improvements of course, I do agree with you, and like a said before, it IS a questionable choice since the Zero series is a fast paced platformer. But indefensible horrendously design? No, it's far from it. You can blame the game for having such a harsh penalty for failing in the beginning of the stage, but it's not unfair. It is really well telegraphed how you should proceed on this particular section. The difficulty from that section compared to the rest of the stage really spikes since you need to deal with a instant death penalty here, but it's so short and so simple if you're just paying attention to the game that it's kinda hard to call it "terrible design". I can even try to record (if you don't mind a video recorded using a phone camera to record the 3DS screen) for you to show how simple this section is and how it works fine if you want to.

[@orbusg8451]

I agree that the flying stage really isn't that bad. Tired of getting sniped mid jump or right after you land? Use the shield boomerang. It's practically made for scenarios like this and it lets you keep going fast. Yes, I know the shield isn't "cool", but neither is getting sniped out of the air and then complaining about having no way to avoid the shot when you did.

[@cardboardgod]

0:41 that music gets me pumped like nothing else.

[@ab2aasd]

Fun fact, there's a bomb puzzle on Phoenix Magnion's stage that unlocks another part of the map that allows you make the boss fight a cakewalk

[@saintseiyagod]

I know my comment might not be read. But I just want to say I’ve been watching your reviews since the inception of the X review series. I have to say you are such a great reviewer. You’re truly so thorough and well thought. Especially compared to some reviews who call it a “review” but in reality just summate the plot. Please keep doing what you do, your reviews are amazing!

[@fishball3079]

Such efforts and details as always, love your reviews man really worth the wait!

[@ffiiggyy]

Just watched the first one a day ago and then this appeared... now I am absolutely subbing!

[@PaperMario]

Damn, this makes me want you to review Megaman Zero 3 right now.

[@littlemisseevee2309]

I see you rediscovered the zero series and just how good it is too, cant wait for the collection

[@OmegaJX]

This was my first GBA game, and i played the hell out of it, also. You just earned a sub, this is amazing! Keep it up man! 👍

[@gundambassexe31]

Excellent review J

[@Alias_Anybody]

I agree with all the other guys here that control type B is technically superior (especially against the beetles, and pretty much mandatory against the fire boss), but I like to play Saber+Buster and holding both buttons at the same time gives me cramps in my hands. I think ZX fixed that by charging up both weapons by holding just the primary fire button. Using both weapons at the same time also makes you very inaccurate and they'll hit you more often because you can't focus as much on dodging, something you should avoid when you are aiming for an A or S rank. Also, I use the active form whenever I can. The rolling slash makes you faster AND prevents lots of damage. For bosses, I prefer the rise form.

[@bloodclaw123]

Honestly, Zero 2's opening stage theme was on par with one of the -best- opening stage themes in history, alongside themes like Beginning/Vampire Killer, or Strike the Earth.

[@makomochi3559]

Im really happy that there's youtubers like you who actually review old games, ive been a megaman zero fan for my whole life and im sad that this series has really ended. Still, thank you. So much

[@Taiknight99]

I love Zero 2. The controls are solid, graphics are solid, the music is great. Especially Departure. I hated the process of trying to unlock everything, but after so many game overs it was totally worth for the completionist feeling. Also I was always a Type A guy.

[@LanHigari]

What's the song at the end?

[@leandronc]

I didn't know your channel, but KZbin suggested it to me knowing I watch every MMZ analysis I find. Great in-depth review! MMZ is such an under-appreciated series.

[@diarykeeper]

0:46 Departure... yesss Good story

[@SinCity2100]

You know there is sonething about Elpizo, he looks like the Anti-Underdog, he started as a failure as a leader who tries to succeed no matter what the odds, but he all the sudden turns to a maniac powerhungry freak who wants to destroy all humans in order to create a world for reploids, he went to further distance and destroyed X's body to achieve his goals.

[@Pierah]

A few extra interesting details for Z2: Like in Z1, beating missions can unlock certain benefits, increasing replayability since the order in which you tackle them matter for more than just getting the elemental chips. In Z1, for example, beating the factory stage missions would spawn 500EC for you to collect, giving you 1000 free energy per playthrough. In Z2, beating Phoenix Magnion's (fire birb) stage actually makes the other stages easier as a reward for tackling the harder stage of the 4 initial ones first without having the boss weakness, since the mission is to destroy the power plant which is feeding a mechaniloid production factory and by doing so the other stages end up having less enemies spawn, because you killed their supply. Polar Kamrous mission is to destroy the cooling system of a supercomputer, and after you beat it the entire area thaws making it easier to get goodies without dealing with the slippery floor and spikes. Etc. Sadly, Z3 lacks any such post mission interactions... There's also a few cool easter eggs in some levels. For example, this section (14:52) in the Power Plant allows you to play space invaders with the buckets as shields, rewarding you with a pretty good cyber elf for beating it. This one (15:25) in the Crystal Cave rewards you with a shower of lives if you manage to navigate the invisible block maze backwards (and hence without help from the light mechaniloid), which you can do easily since the spike height actually reveals where the platforms are. Also, unlike Z1 where all Cyber Elfs that were not in boxes were missable, tied to single missions (so if you beat that mission without getting the elf, you wouldn't be able to get it until you started a new playthrough), Z2 actually has no missable Cyber Elfs, meaning that you can 100% get all Cyber Elfs in a single playthrough without much frustration by simply revisiting the stages after the missions via the operator and exploring to your heart's content without worrying about time crunch from ranking requirements. They also changed the combo system for your attacks, meaning that unlike Z1 you can actually combo an entire 3 swing saber combo together on an enemy/boss without triggering invincibility frames, which is why bosses in Z2 feel like they get felled more easily.

[@omegazeroINFI]

im fairly sure you could triple combo before in z1 (on bosses that were actually in range i mean or do you mean without getting hit first and using invincibility to pull it off?)

[@Pierah]

@@omegazeroINFI Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. I meant that Z2 was the first to implement combo values in each of Zero's attacks. In Z1 each of your attacks triggers a certain amount of invincibility frames on enemies/bosses, with stronger attacks triggering longer periods of invincibility, but this meant that there were times where three slashes or other such combos wouldn't register properly, because the invincibility period from a previous attack would "eat" the damage of another, which actively encouraged tricks like shield cancelling your first saber slash over and over as a more effective means of dealing damage (it's actually even faster than using charged attacks with enemy weaknesses in certain situations). In Z2 onwards, each attack has a value assigned to it, and attacks ignore invincibility periods of attacks with lower values then themselves. So the normal saber combo has 1/2/3 as the values of its 3 attacks, which means they'll always land one after the other regardless if the enemy is flashing with invincibility. This even allows combo-ing different weapon attacks together.

[@JetWolfEX]

Wait really? I always go for Pheonix first... That explains why I've always had to grind enemies to get the 20pts, I always thougt it was a flaw in the game.

[@Kruppuchino]

Can we just agree that departure is the best opening stage theme alongside the first highway stage in x1

[@DeeJamari]

14:57 "Burn to the Ground!"

[@lrkcm373]

I was about 8 when I discovered MMX at a sleepover at a friend’s house who had an SNES. And since I didn’t have an SNES or a way to play the game, I went online to find whatever MMX related that I could. The rabbit hole led me to find so old animation or video using the MMZ sprites where you see the resistance soldiers getting slaughtered, and it was even more gruesome than you’d expect. Like there was robot blood and eyeballs everywhere. And little 8 year old me was terrified. I didn’t touch the computer or anything MMX related for months after that, it’s probably part of the reason why I never tried the MMZ games despite having a DS.

[@izokamax]

Great review, i love this games, it marked my life, and it makes me happy to see a fair review series about the saga like the one you are doing. Thank you very much for your work. Keep it up!

[@robertosuero3731]

J's reviews: Beating a boss and getting an A rank gives you that bosses ex skill. Also J's reviews: Shows footage of him getting an E rank, but still getting Harpuia's ex skill.

[@ayoutubesaccount9927]

Getting the EX skill is based on the rank you have while you beat the boss, not the one you get at the end of the stage. Basically, getting an A-rank on any stage means the next boss you beat gives you an EX skill.

[@XylitoI]

That's funny, I remember all those stage gimmicks you despise rather fondly. Even the floating bombs, and especially the ice physics. I never saw Elpizo's fall as having had much to do with any 'corrupting influence' from the Baby Elves... X notes that they are drawn to the Mother Elf, but Elpizo decided to abandon the Resistance and steal the Elves of his own accord, becoming a true Maverick and enemy of humanity as the term was coined during the times of the X series. Elpizo had great contempt for Neo Arcadia from the start, and I believe this side of him is even expanded in drama CDs released in Japan.

[@loispasion6839]

I think he was obsessed with the idea of being the hero, and that was his main driving point for wanting to have power. He adopted a name that means 'hope,' had wanted to become a beacon for the resistance and pushed himself to prove his worth, to the point of allowing himself to become corrupted with the promise of power.

[@mythosinfinite6736]

_El Pie-zo_

[@muder0989]

Your artist is amazing!

[@NewZen41]

Besides the shit grinding system being back, I think my two biggest flaws end up being the exact things they added to make the game feel more "MegaMan" in nature: the Form Change and EX Skill acquisition systems. Don't get me wrong, they're nice offerings when you can get stuff from them, but actively obtaining Forms and EX skills is such a massive blow the balls that it makes you not even want to try and obtain any since it actively forces you to play your best on the first try. Even still, EX Skills suffer because of the ranking system returning and still being punishing if you increase any of your basic parameters (Health, Defense, etc.) by keeping any of those points lowered for the entire playthrough if you've saved. It's a case of making the player better by immense trial and error, of which, I'm sorry, these games suffer from horribly. But even then, EX Skills are just secondary methods of attack, while the Forms... ...are arguably the biggest waste of time given how they effectively advise you to only ever bother with a few. Forcing the player to play a certain way to obtain a form is fine enough...actively telling the player to do that said playstyle (Hell, the action...) about 30 fucking times when they would have *no* idea that's what unlocks the form is incredibly asinine. What also didn't help the system were the stat gains from each one-what's calling me to use Power form when it's effectively worse than Rise? Or Erase if I have Defense? Again, it's something I'm glad Zero 3 fixed, but these are my biggest gripes with Zero 2 minus some obvious shite level design. Rant aside, great review as always, J. Looking forward to 3, what I consider the best by a long shot.

[@TripleSlash256]

Aztec Flacon is Harpuia's doge in this game

[@AsarielTnG]

Untill this day, the intro song still gives me chills... i love megaman zero 2

[@esmooth919]

14:08 funny...i didn't have that much trouble with this stage the first time I got here. Lol

[@MisterFanwank]

I much prefer control type B because you can charge both weapons at the same time, and you can fire either weapon immediately.

[@franciscor390]

Thank you for these detailed reviews, it made me finally play the other zero games in this series.

[@piro_ch]

Binge-watched your X series review and now the Zero one, which is my absolute favourite GBA game series period. Love your contents, you earned yourself a new sub.

[@pkmntrainerred4247]

20:37 Zero when he realizes he can find at least 2 sub tanks in this game without using Cyber elves: FINALLY! I don`t have to hide myself while repairing myself! Anyways, great review, as always!

[@nicoloenricorimoldi7425]

Great review. I think you really nailed how 2 improves on 1's formula and is a much better game for it. I dislike how the Zero series gets a lot of crap because many people play Zero 1, get disappointed, and never try out the sequels. I hope this review convinces them to give them a try! (And it might have already)

[@nicoloenricorimoldi7425]

@Vazazell Classic Mega Man doesn't get the same treatment because MM2 sold a lot and came out on the NES, a much more commercially successful console (for its time) than the GBA. Classic Mega Man is also the series that started it all.

[@Skallva]

@Vazazell Nah, X1 has its own 'first game syndrome' problems as well. The way the stage alteration and the parts were implemented was incredibly sloppy. The vets have to limit their boss orders if they want to do a 100% run and experience the stages' full challenge because the level design altering stages are the ones with the essential parts for item collecting. The issue in the other extreme is that if you go for Chill Penguin last, some bosses suddenly become incredibly cheap (Spark Madrill's insta-punch, anyone?), which can turn off newcomers. Really, no one is pointing this out because the game sold like crazy and pretty much everyone knows how to approach it nowadays. But either way, it's still not as polished as it could've been.

[@Singapore-Aviation72]

I agree the second one is where I started when I was a kid and beat it a ton of times with 3 and 4 following. The first one is just idk annoying to play 😂

[@lukevanamerongen5622]

Using Cyber Elves decreases your rank; cyber elves with permanent effects (i.e. the health upgrade ones) permanently affect your rank.

[@OCsigma]

5:32 I always thought that shot is awesome, alongside the background music

[@CommanderWilliams]

This game was a big part of my childhood, even if I was absolutely terrible at it for a long time. Excited to see what you think of it.

[@geistgrace6452]

"This lava stage can burn to the ground." *FLAMIN HYENARD FLASHBACKS INTENSITY*

[@MegaKazooRider]

14:59 *chuckles* nice reference to x7

[@Zerohour2k12]

Awesome Series man! keep it up!

[@JeddAhyoung]

Old video/late comment, but Phoenix Magnion isn't actually that bad. However, you need to use the control type where you can use (and charge) both weapons independently without switching. He and Aztec Falcon from the first game actually act similarly - they will attempt to dodge your attacks, and so you need to actively use both your ranged buster and a close-range weapon like the Z-Saber or the Shield Boomerang to activate (and take advantage of) his patterns. They're both hard if you only try to use one weapon (or worse, only try to use the close=ranged weapons) but once you realize how they react to your attacks, the fights become strategic and pretty fun due to using multiple weapons at once. The bosses in the game were deliberately designed this way.

[@ebboy53]

WhatupNico is a legend.

[@vince5456]

Imma let you go a bit on Phoenix Magnion though. He indeed teleports a lot. But the trick is, you have to get close for him to do something. From there you can hit him with your attacks. Its a neat boss fight once you figure how he fights.

[@abd6170]

Wow, this review is on point! And im glad you can see the masterpiece that the zero series is despite the flaws and difficulties, you nail the criticisms without taking it too far.

[@HikaruBaskerville]

>The 2nd half of the middle stage Have you tried, maybe, patience? With a Shield Boomerang? Since the ships move anyway like platforms most of the times, it really isn't THAT bad.

[@Sonic6293]

Why are you not a larger channel? These reviews are amazing.