One Step Forward, Six Steps Back - Mega Man Star Force Retrospective Review Thing

Sad Boi Geo Stelar goes on the adventure of a lifetime when a magic space radio furry slams into him, sending our depressed hero on a journey of self discovery to overcome his insecurities and become... the Mega Man Star Force Pegasus Version tm!
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Patreon - / knijohn

[@knijohn3581]

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SPAM BOTS! I've had people tell me that there are those weird contest spam bots showing up in this comments section and pretending to be me. They are not. It's some info stealing scam or something. Please feel free to block these bots and ignore them!

[@agentq123]

You have bot pretending to be now you know you have made it

[@theworthams6279]

It's time to dddddddddddddddd duel

[@ryanwilson9555]

Why would I even need to impersonate you?! It’s pretty pointless all things considered!

[@TheVexos]

Hoping nfor a starforce 2 n 3 review :)

[@TheLunarLegend]

Capcom: We simplified the battle system. You know, cause kids. Also capcom: So we added in massive depression, parental loss, child abandonment, and corporate backstabbing... you know, cause kids.

[@Mariofan10EX]

Battle network wasn't too much better with those topics

[@Fenyx_Birb]

*Child nearly dies of a terminal illness because of a lady being brainwashed in an uncomfortably realistic depiction of manipluation by evil forces.*

[@arcstar8337]

​@@Mariofan10EXyeah but battle network made it feel c9mical starforce made it real

[@Mariofan10EX]

@@arcstar8337 good point

[@SpideyfanX]

​@@arcstar8337Well comical in most of their games except Battle Network 3

[@AnAverageGoblin]

Geo; having a nice lunch after a stressful day of being depressed Aaron: "WOW HEY GEO THE WAY YOU PARTICULARLY HOLD THAT UTENSIL REMINDS ME OF YOUR DAD WHEN WE ATE OUR LUNCHES. YOU KNOW, YOUR DAD, WHO DIED MYSTERIOUSLY AND TRAGICALLY"

[@phillipk4196]

ya kniw i never noticed how much effort aaron puts in making Geo depressed in SF1, mayve thats why he had to introduce himself, Geo represses hus memories of Aaron until he was in a better mental place.

[@TheElite711]

I'm reminded of the Himsdaisy comic of Persona 4. Don't take it so hard Nanako-chan. ITS NOT LIKE YOUR MOTHER IS DEAD IS OR ANYTHING.

[@Ale-Y]

@@TheElite711 megaman sf is kinda like a fusion between megaman battle network and persona, in some ways

[@logicaloverdrive8197]

@@TheElite711 "Perk up, Geo! Your DEAD DAD would want to see you smile! I mean he can't because he's SO DEAD, but still!"

[@Nyahahameha]

@@TheElite711 For you it's a Hiimdaisy reference. For me it's a Game Grumps Endless Ocean 2 reference. "You mean Matthias? My son who died? Thanks for bringing it up."

[@GambeTama]

Wow this was RAW. Street violence, dumpster babies, celebrity idol abuse, TWO dead parents. This game truly has everything!

[@xpdev0]

SPOILER: Kelvin is still alive, he's just a bunch of matter waves, he would be revived in Star Force 3

[@GabrielExists]

Now just you wait until Starforce 3, where they (Spoilers) 𝙆 𝙄 𝙇 𝙇 𝘼 𝘾 𝙃 𝙄 𝙇 𝘿™(and somehow manage to keep their E rating).

[@rexthewolf3149]

@@GabrielExists I had to replay the game to get the child murder remark. And yeah, they really did just murder a child in an E-rated game.

[@DaiShuryoTechnus]

Wait, you mean Jack?

[@omega-xis1943]

​@@DaiShuryoTechnus Luna

[@inplane9970]

Can we take the time to appreciate Omega-Xis as a character? He went from being a total jerk to everyone and leeching off of Geo, to being Geo's extroverted friend and someone who isn't afraid to speak in his stead when necessary. Really reminds me of Venom and how they portray friendships to be troublesome and annoying, but still worth it because some friendships are priceless.

[@ovensmuggler5207]

The bond between him and Geo reminds me of Gohan and Piccolo from DragonBall

[@PGO5490]

Now that I think about it, the whole “alien that can transform you, lives inside you, and has a mind of its own and therefore can manipulate you” kind of sounds like a symbiote.

[@phillipk4196]

and crime, dont forget all the crime he encourages.

[@ClampEEGEE]

Fun fact: In the US, Star Force Dragon was a Gamestop exclusive and Pegasus was a Walmart exclusive. This is why for a long time Dragon version was the most expensive version of the game, but the other two have since caught up in price.

[@TrainerDomo]

Weird, I got Pegasus from Game Stop.

[@Megamanlanprime]

Um… Pegasus wasn’t an exclusive. It’s like saying Leo was a Target Exclusive. Only Dragon was an exclusive.

[@mrpolarthebear209]

that explains why me and my brother never got the dragon version lol

[@Xeno-The-Wanderer]

in like mid 2010's the starforce games could be gotten for 10 USD or less at gamestop, always found leo pegasus saurian and black ace around

[@xXSoulGeoXx]

that would explain why I only found the Leo Version myself ( If I remember right, I bought it when I travelled to the US for vacations )

[@agentq123]

And to just reinforce it for KNIJohn and everyone else yes MegaMan Star Force 3 is really that good

[@Maurricent]

Fax

[@heartnet40]

Genuinely a top 5 Megaman game. The only ones off the top of my head that are in the same ballpark are Megaman Zero and Battle Network 3 and maybe Megaman X. It is genuinely an incredible experience and hard to top.

[@Rodolphin]

I have to start playing SF3 again. I found a copy in Ebay with at a “reasonable” price but this was right before the BNLC so I thought I try out the BN series first because I only had BN4 so I wanted to see what I missed out on. I became addicted to BN for a month straight with 6 being my favorite. And this is coming from a guy who likes SF more than BN.

[@larrycap2946]

a shame that it flopped, genuinely is one of the best megaman games period

[@KnightManCross]

I played Mega Man Star Force 1, 2, and 3. 3 is the best one, it is a shame that there was not a fourth Star Force game.

[@LightningZerker]

I kinda feel like Twilight Sparkle, Simba, and Rayquaza were severely underused throughout the entire series. They just...vanish and you barely hear from them again.

[@JetStreamSheet540]

Well they appear in post-game in SF3 with actual new story so there's that.

[@chimuoma390]

@@JetStreamSheet540 Their GX Cards Are The Rarest In The Series,Completely Unobtainable In The USA Version Of SF3 Without Hacking!

[@drbeard4505]

It's like a lot of things in this series: they really seemed to panic at how different SF1 was story-wise and overshot the correction on 2. Geo's "Dr. Light" style mentor being a space ghost who wants to make him a better person for dubious reasons is a really cool idea and it would've been easy to tie the armor modes in later games to them and the titular star force.

[@Yinlock470]

i'm pretty sure they were just made to have 3(!!) different versions of the game

[@Eldritchbrews]

Megaman Starforce came around around the time I lost my grandfather and it'll always hold a special place in my heart for being the approachable story about loss and loneliness I needed when my most immediate caregiver passed.

[@ryugaknight]

I’m sorry for your loss. May your Grandfather Rest In Peace.

[@Felix.Fictus]

i love it when the big magic horse says "GET IN THE ROBOT, SHINJI!"

[@angeldevildx]

Star force 1 was the reality check every tween in the mid-late 2000s needed. Star force 2 was an extended beach episode. Star force 3 felt like graduation

[@MorbidlyDumb-eb3gg]

Tween 😂

[@dormyyy8779]

Can’t wait for him to do 3. (Especially because of the return of everyone’s favorite part of Battle Network 5: The Houdini of the Beach)

[@sponge1234ify]

why

[@dormyyy8779]

Because it’s a forbidden technique for changing into a bathing suit passed down from father to son that goes as follows: Remove pants, then wear your suit over your underpants, then, remove underpants from under suit. How could you not want a callback to such a great technique?!

[@GoldDragon20]

If you do it wrong… Shredding occurs

[@MrKlausbaudelaire]

And because SF2 was so horrible the quality whiplash is like cracking that bone that was aching the whole day.

[@drakke125Channel]

literally I played BN 5 and then when I played SF 3, I remembered BN 5, and I LOVED that callback. Legends still passing down from BN, its just awesome lol

[@pridefulmaster1390]

Starting off with a Star Rail joke is really funny considering that the VA of Silver Wolf (Melissa Fahn) also voiced Luna in the Star Force anime

[@shootout-shinobi6672]

Yea I found that out when I looked up her history. To me the first thing I thought was “ok I can’t be crazy the freaking rika from digimon tamers” when playing with silver wolf. She had a much larger history then I expected lol.

[@nanofate8662]

Whoever keeps bringing Fahn in to do these outrageous JRPGs girls is doing a great job casting. She did Welch(Star Ocean), Neptune(Neptunia), and Anise(Tales of the Abyss) do too.

[@MLPIceberg]

@@nanofate8662 I didn't even put it together that she voiced Rika from Digimon Tamers... the others I knew about. I know someone that's huge into Neptunia games (I dabble a little myself) and the team behind Genshin and Honkai games. From the few listed here she's got a handful of prolific role under her metaphorical belt. Damn, and I thought women like Coleen Clickenbeard, Emily Blunt and Laura Bailey were the only good female VAs... How wrong I was there.

[@nanofate8662]

@@MLPIceberg Yea and she still been going strong over two decades too. Honestly, she's my reason keeping the EN dub in Nep games tbh

[@jdvred9210]

Also, Geo’s English VA also went on to voice Silco from Arcane (talk about a 180)

[@analysissel]

I actually really like the moment between Aaron and Tom. It was cliche, but not trite, and it touched my heart.

[@AlphaOmega1237]

Same. It's one of my favorite scenes in the game. Society Swan silliness aside.

[@ruler898]

Aaron having the balls to take his helmet off and not even hesitating was pretty sincere. It's like he always felt like Tom had trust issues but was a really nice guy so he wanted to trust him

[@Sigismund697]

Society Duck brings the best and worst of the story

[@zieltik]

in fact, taking 3 years to deal with depression is not bad from a medical point of view, depression can cause adjustment problems for up to 11 years and longer if treatment is not received

[@camposde]

The point here being that they should have gone to therapy ahahahaha

[@grayrodent8232]

Yeah but he literally made all the progress in maybe a month after becoming a hermit for 3 full years. Geo was barely 9 when it happened, I'm actually surprised he's only mildly introverted rather than completely uncapable of normal human interaction at the start of the game.

[@Fenyx_Birb]

John discovers the fastest depression recovery: the movie.mp4

[@radfordra]

29:00 "I give it a pass here because Tom is clearly having a panick attack due to evil space poultry." Well now that I can't breathe from laughing that hard.

[@vinny4765]

Honestly the bit with Tom hits me harder as an adult now that I'm aware of how many people in the tech industry there are that have had their ideas stolen. Around half of the major social media sites we have today were stolen ideas.

[@MillieTheSillie616]

Man Pat is such a cool character, a good mirror to Geo with him having a tragic backstory and having trouble trusting anyone, but unlike Geo despite wanting to he still has trouble trusting anyone and due to things somewhat outside of his control ends up pushing everyone away. I can't wait to see how they develop his character in the next two games..... brb gona go cry for 3 hours

[@Ale-Y]

For real

[@emidemi7211]

felt this :(

[@sponge1234ify]

I haven't played the games to completion, is this a Sean & Mamoru moment?

[@void_tex]

He merely makes a cameo in 2 as a side boss fight

[@Ale-Y]

@@void_tex Yhea and its used as welll as all the other characters in sf2

[@thomasalvarenga2839]

Fun Fact in a magazine they said that the forms had different abilities Only Green Dragon had Side Select, Lio would have boosted fire and null attack cards by 50 points and Pegasus would have had auto lock on. Capcom later admitted the mistake, but I think it is safe to say the transformations may have supposed to been different and it was the rushed dev time that made them so similar.

[@Megamanlanprime]

Lol, I remember seeing someone mentioning those, and I had to note - “um no… Dragon’s ability was given to all of them, and I forget but I think the more advanced Lock-On when you change is in this game. If not that’s in 2. But Auto-lock on wasn’t a thing till 2 and 3 has it.

[@CardianJoker]

Star Force 1 definitely suffers from first game syndrome in terms of gameplay, but the story and characters are rich, deep, and fascinating enough that the first game alone makes the Franchise a niche fan-favorite akin to Battle Network. Star Force 2... well, gameplay is improved at least, but the story falls behind a lot. The reason why Star Force 3 is the best is that it offers a good in-between of story and gameplay for the most part.

[@fdg2208]

I really should play StarForce 3 as I have heard really good things about the game, but I have to get through StarForce 2 which is going to be annoying because of the horrifying encounter rate

[@GozetaZero]

​@@fdg2208 get the dx version of sf 2

[@fdg2208]

@@GozetaZero I didn't there was a dx version for 2, I guess I'll try to get that version then

[@GoldDragon20]

multinoise!

[@Adoochi]

@@fdg2208 It's not as in depth as DX 1, but it does reduce the encounter rate and allow you to get the event brothers after beating the game.

[@ashleylightheart126]

Fun fact, Capcom really loves Sonia even in the anime over Geo with her solo transformations almost always being full length over Geo's quick cut ones.

[@zettovii1367]

That's Magical Girls for you

[@TheFatestPat]

Give the people what they want

[@jouheikisaragi6075]

Geo is a Kamen Rider, Sonia is a Magical Girl, the Henshin speeds are different.

[@Zero_Steel]

well i mean, by the time that Sonia got Lyra and did a Wave Change. everyone probably thinks that Geo's wave changes are starting to get repetitive, and Geo is the MC so he's gonna have more Wave Changes in an episode than anyone

[@inplane9970]

Maybe a bit too much. During her transformation when her clothes constrict to fit the Harp Note outfit, you can literally see her buttocks through her shorts. As a kid, I saw nothing wrong with it. Realizing it now, it's a bit concerning.

[@BrenTenkage]

As someone with Depression and Anxiety I am impressed by the story's use of it. This is why Star Force does have a good place in my heart, flawed yes, but still pretty good. But god damn without that fan patch to fix this first game, kinda surprised I got through it when I was younger

[@AlphaOmega1237]

I'm more surprised kid me made it through the second one. The first one's combat didn't really do anything wrong as much as be too simple and easy. The second one made improvements,... but that encounter rate speaks for itself...

[@KiraSlith]

@@AlphaOmega1237 When you're asking your parents for an AR DS just to turn off encounters, you know a line was crossed. Getting jumped by upgraded bosses in 2 and 3 while doing the regular campaign being another Battle Network 3 error I wasn't expecting to see return.

[@AlphaOmega1237]

@@KiraSlith At least 3 gives you a warning... one that you're kinda helpless to outside of specific circumstances, but it's still better than nothing.

[@tomdeneen4880]

I also have both ailments. Playing these games as I kid made me really connect with Geo as I was going through a hard time of my life myself.

[@RoninCatholic]

"It's a crime to make a woman cry. Quick, do something before we get arrested!" is hilariously not too far from reality.

[@aliasv6964]

I was envious of Geo watching this. Who doesn't want a friend that breaks thru the darkness and takes you in as the extroverts introverted friend slot.

[@OwnRogers25]

38:39 Okay, the juxtaposition of going from everyone around Geo to being knocked out during game audio to "This is the best day ever" was way funnier and more in character than it had any right to be, lol. XD KNIJohn keeping it up with these retrospectives and I'm loving it.

[@OwnRogers25]

@@supersentaifanboy Thanks, always been a huge kirby fan and for some reason younger me chose stone kirby even though it's not my favorite kirby ability lol.

[@jdvred9210]

You just gonna gloss over the fact that the Dream Island dump has a section filled with ACTUAL DISCARDED P.E.T.S?

[@rwg6357]

EVERY NAVI IS JUNKMAN NOW!

[@Yinlock470]

my navi is my precious partner, until the iphone 20xx comes out then they go straight into the dumpster

[@BanTskTvaoan]

This is exactly the fate Cache mused about so long ago!

[@dearickangelonej.legaspi6686]

​@@Yinlock470Tbf, at this point the PETs are literally ancient tech and Navis woulda been transfered to the Transers by now(Though they were renamed Wizards for some reason) and are still around to an extent

[@amateraceon5202]

Since John’s presence and channel have grown so much thanks to the Battle Network reviews, and now he’s committed to doing more of the franchise, could we say he’s experiencing the Mega Man Star Force?

[@MasterSwo-MK]

Boooooooooo! Get off the stage!

[@internetstranger_]

Feels like a sledgehammer to my femur Nice

[@bentobias737]

“This song will give you PTSD by the time we’re done here.” On the contrary, my good sir! I played this game as a child multiple times! It’s already burnt into my mind and I’m shivering.

[@TheReapers520]

Alright going to get this in before hand. John I am so happy to see this video. it is legit your best video you have made to date. Additionally your detail on translation and adaptations changes were impecible. i have a few answers to your questions below but A+ by your occasional translator! Reaper Translator notes: So fun details in here real quick details. 1: Sonia's last name being changed to sky in the anime dub was done for a simple reason. Lip flaps. TLDR count the mouth movements when you compare her last name to her Japanese name Misora Hibiki and it adds up a lot for the ability to the writers to work so much more. 2:Geo's last name in Japanese is hoshikawa (kanji here 星河)which when translated is the milky way. This will be important for a scene in later games that breaks my heart and is a brilliant example of translation i will explain then. 3: Mr. Shepar is the best example of a teacher in fiction. Not a translation fact i know but need to say this as an actual teacher who constantly struggles with most of his issues especially a former boss who only cared about results. Not the seven kids thankfully. 4: A cute detail about pat is that his surname in Japanese Futaba 双葉 is most likely a pun based on futagoza 双子座 aka the Japanese name for Gemini a lovely bit of for shadowing sadly lost in translation. 5: lovely dumb detail here i know john loves. Ophiuca in the anime after possessing Luna becomes a victim of "WOMEN BE SHOPPING". Additionally it's in the anime the flesh out copy aspect Gemini and the others due. essentially after having bonded with a human an imprint of that human is left on the fmian. in the anime they imply this form less strong than taking the human over and bonding with them but game needs re fight so nope on that. 6: Luna Patz in english is voiced by Melissa Fahn aka Neptune of Neptunia Fame and the anime for Starforce is actually where she got her voice for Neptune going forward. Like legit it's borderline identical made me have a breakdown first time i herd Neptune as a teen. 7: last thing to mention here that you will have heard about in the streams. Anime pat is a freaking monster guilty of genocide. I have nothing to add just this.

[@Sigismund697]

I loved FMians in the anime, how they became used to life on earth and specially Ophiuca who's supposed to be super strong and more than capable to defeat Geo and Warrock but happened to bond with Luna of all people causing her to be unable to harm megaman due to Luna's intense feelings for him

[@MrKlausbaudelaire]

Geo: I can’t let people know of my identity. Also Geo: a wavehole! I’ll Em-wave change! NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW!!!

[@rogue1248]

this is why SF3 was better cuz it let you do it anywhere. no wave hole needed.

[@Game_Hero]

@@rogue1248 that's even worst lol, you just change in front of people

[@MrKlausbaudelaire]

@@Game_Herothankfuly in a SF2 stream, John got my Dover Boys reference xD

[@phillipk4196]

​@@Game_Heroyeah but at this point you are a) not the only one and b) you work for the cops/special forces, ... as a kid... so yeah, no one is gonna question things with Nav- sorry Wizards around.

[@dearickangelonej.legaspi6686]

Iirc he was actually even inserted in the data base for the public version of it in SF3, he was technically the FIRST user(other than the tester) so he was even coded with the first ID number snd his literal name was megaman

[@_Banjo_]

I like how the first boss is Dex/Gutsman... but also mixed with our usual torchman / fire dude tutorial boss. What a way to subvert expectations

[@ajflink]

For this whole series, for whatever reason, the English translation is excellent and localized properly. I love this game series but the splitting of versions only makes sense for the third game and somewhat justified in the second game. A warning about Zack. Having Zack around will make you wish Tab was back, John. Mark my words! If you think he is annoying now, wait until the next games, especially the third. You will be tempted to skip his dialogue.

[@inconemay1441]

He's that bad in SF3? Guess that's what I get for skipping cutscenes.

[@someclevername8167]

Zack is unremarkable, but Tab is far worse

[@kemix1006]

@@someclevername8167 Tab barely exists. Zack always seems to make shit worse when he gets involved (EG: Sonia in SF1)

[@jdvred9210]

“tHe ZaCkPeDiA”

[@ajflink]

​@@inconemay1441Yes! He essentially regurgitates in a way that can only be interpreted as deliberate exposition. He is a lot more tolerable and even funny in the anime. Although, the English dub ended way too quickly that I am still annoyed about it. He is literally the token geek/nerd of Geo's friends in the games. They attempt to address character development for Zack but is more uneventful than awaiting a Glide battle from any of the Battle Network games.

[@TheAzulmagia]

I'd say the biggest issue with Star Force is that Battle Network 6 ended with Capcom finally figuring out more or less the perfect gameplay formula for Battle Network. Balanced chips, forms, Navi Customizer, etc. Throw in the teammate mechanic from Double Team DS instead of the Link Navi System and you'd have a good starting point for a spin-off/sequel, especially since the story was largely improved from BN. So naturally, all of that was thrown away as Capcom struggled to reinvent the wheel!

[@lawrence3185]

every megaman series has a really rough beginning except x1

[@darkmatter7713]

honestly I think it’s a miracle that the international release of bn6 ended up pretty balanced for the most part

[@rogue1248]

ngl i would have loved playing as Harp Note or Rogue if they implemented playable EM Wave Beings sooner.

[@TheAzulmagia]

@@rogue1248 There's so many points where that could've worked in Star Force 3 especially.

[@MLPIceberg]

It seems to be a common trend when developing games for Nintendo systems...

[@AndrevusWhitetail]

Okay, real talk I am pretty sure most Aussies and Englishmen who would be watching you wouldn't take offense to your portrayal of Luna's parents and would instead say you didn't nearly go far ENOUGH.

[@ajflink]

During the Mall section, her parents got redeemed way too quickly that it makes me furious. Also, despite what people say, shared dreams is not a thing. Why on Earth do her parents not question they had the same "dream"?

[@sponge1234ify]

@@ajflink to be fair, off the cuff it makes more sense to think that they have shared dreams instead of "Our daughter, who CERTAINLY and MOST DEFINITELY loves us unconditionally, suddenly turning into a massive snek monster and squeezing the life out of us". No defense on the way-too-quick redemption though.

[@ajflink]

@@sponge1234ify Fair enough.

[@KingTaltia]

(Sighs) We really do have a checked past don't we?... We only brought it upon ourselves.

[@MasterSwo-MK]

Heh, guilty!

[@sdbzfan1]

I see Geo's fall and return to normal as not as bad as many make it out to be In story telling there's usually a dip where a characters morals and new found growth are questioned, while anime tends to have characters literally fall to darkness, sometimes simply relapsing into bad habits is all you need Geo's spent the game getting better but so what, all this happens within days of eachother, as fast as hope came it was also dashed, so its no wonder he goes back to his old self, only this time Omega-xis is there and he doesn't by it, he's seen this kid time and again put others before himself, he's not the weak brat he was when he first met him anymore, so he calls him out, Geo's new friends come to see him and that puts doubt into the boy whether he's as lonely and pathetic as he thought, no one would care as much about him as they do if they weren't real friends So to me its no wonder he picks himself back up as fast as he does, he's got more to think about than being sorry for himself

[@valletas]

When talking about "bro relations" like that in the series people usually think about z and zero or lan and megaman.exe but i honestly feel like the relationship with geo and omega-xis is often overlooked Its one of the best in the entire series much because omega-xis acts more like a cool uncle then a best friend or a brother

[@abcdestroyer]

Though it may just be unintentional or wishful thinking on my part, Geo immediately returning to his old shut-in ways is not at all uncharacteristic of individuals with depression. All-or-nothing thinking, catastrophizing, and relapse into problem behaviors are VERY common responses to adversity when you are stuck in a way of living like Geo. Oftentimes psychotherapy can be a process of "retraining" your body/mind to change how you think and respond to situations.

[@camposde]

As someone who grew up with depression and anxiety issues, yeah, it's pretty common. And sometimes having time to rationalize your problem within a day or two is enough time for one to realize how dumb catastrophizing was in the end. But yeah, John made a point about how it felt like a cheap way to take the Andromeda Key from Mega by shutting Geo down xD

[@Megamanlanprime]

One thing I will note about Andromeda’s second form - unlike Duo, Cards that Pierce guards (like BreakSabre and the Moai Fall cards) WILL Pierce through Andromeda’s guard. So you don’t always have to deal with attacking when the weakness lights up. Also I still feel Pegasus is the best because Magician’s Freeze is the only one of the 3 Big Bangs that gives a status effect which can be taken advantage of

[@LightningZerker]

BreakSabre my beloved.

[@KiraSlith]

6:00 Honestly, for how their archetypes play into the plot, I have to strongly disagree with your take on Platz4Prez vs Team NB. I don't dislike the Battle Network crew, but the trio in Star Force contributes to the plot for every game but the 2nd half of Star Force 3, rather than being walking plot conveniences. It's an upgrade.

[@modernkiwi6447]

I will say that the chunky battle models is the exact artstyle I’d wanna shoot for if I ever made a game. Something about it is just so charming

[@ReedBariumfox]

The fact bosses could wave change in the real world always bothered me as a kid, even moreso because later on the same game they bring out those weird wave orbs that even let Geo stay on the overworld transformed (in cutscenes only), but this is completely brushed over haha.

[@DjPrimeVideos]

Obviously it's game rules but my theory is that it's because the EM Beings grant the power to do that and since every boss is pretty.much a possessed human the FMians are the ones doing it. Mega doesn't do it because he isn't possessing Geo

[@rushalias8511]

​@@DjPrimeVideos I also thought it was a sign of Omega being an AM being. Like the others do it because they are FM. The satellite trio did say he was different than the others.

[@devEdev1100]

That's like in the battle network games when you can only jack in from a portal but other navis can jack in and land wherever they want. It's one of those things that's never explained but is total bs

[@kurtisvandermiller4507]

Then the third game says screw the rules! Everyone gets to fight on the ground/ real world and now for some reason everyone can see the wave world! Because that makes total sense! The jump between the 1st and 3rd game is so extreme. Not to mention the plot goes from 1 to 10 way to fast. Like we go to stop and an alien race in secret to stop a guy who is a literal terrorist that NUKES several places and wants to drop a literal meteor on the planet to destroy it and can turn into a freaking dragon that can launch missiles and breath atomizing attacks. Like WTF.

[@fortello7219]

Yeah I hate to join the band wagon but... Star Force 3 is really worth it.

[@armani3298]

*I grinded so hard that I got Rouge-Noise😁*

[@Zero_Steel]

​​@@armani3298ice, with no irl brothers to link with, IMO Wolf, Gemini and Rogue noise are the best tho Rogue noise has an absurd chance to get

[@Rodolphin]

I just recently finishing SF3 to get all gold stars, it really was that good. I just wish some features were streamlined like once you unlock a noise you have access it to it at any time so that you don’t have to grind for a chance to get that form again.

[@fortello7219]

@@Rodolphin I REALLY want a fan "ultimate" version with as many quality of life + access options as possible in it. The first game getting that kind of treatment gave me false hope

[@waluigisbizzareadventuresi1430]

Brother bandwagon

[@TactlessC]

KNI: Now you know there's a Goose constellation Me, a normal person, who has watched Saint Seiya: It's a fucking SWAN you barbarian!

[@xero5367]

Absolutely crazy how much the story flew over my head as a kid for both the darker and goofier parts. And I managed to own and play all the versions back then

[@jouheikisaragi6075]

39:51 something neat I noticed about Harp Note's idle animation is that she's sorta jittering and tapping her foot a lot. Cause Sonia's a guitarist(although a very young one) and she's using her foot to keep track of the rhythm and time, she likely has that habit since despite being a professional, she's still a grade schooler, so she still has room to improve. It's honestly a great use of Harp Note being the most humanoid boss design due to being the sort of, "Secondary Rider" of the story(I can't really say Harp Note is an expy of any BN character, too competent to be Roll but jobs too much to be Protoman)

[@grayrodent8232]

The main leitmotif form the Star Force series causes a pavlovian response in my monkey brain filling with such unbridled joy man. The vocal version is great too.

[@SpaceHov]

37:11 the idea of super depressed and antisocial Geo ripping Zach apart like this is hilarious All my homie hate Zach

[@mayborneflower]

1:10:10 - Fun fact about this scene, talking to Sonia right after the Jammer fight here lets you learn the exact play by play of what happened immediately before Geo got there. Basically Mega was pounced on by the FM-ians pretty much instantly, they cornered him at the dump and all charged up their strongest attacks to kill on sight only for Harp Note to jump in and take all five finishing moves at once (keep in mind that all FM-ians are all as strong as their Wave Change forms by default now, so Sonia and Lyra are a fucking unit), Mega gets his second wind and tries to guard the defeated Harp Note but it’s five against two and the two kept getting dunked on trying to protect each other. And that’s about where things are when Geo arrives on the scene.

[@mariorivera7969]

I personally can't wait to see the next installment of your take on the series. I've had both of SF3 for about 4 years now, both of SF2 and I only recently bought a DX patch fan production cart of the game. I can't wait to sink my teeth into it once I finish my current games.

[@xaviereason3137]

Zack still does more than Tab ever did. I mean, that's not a high bar... But that's a good thing for Zach, otherwise he'd never be able to reach it.

[@KiraSlith]

In retrospect, Society Goose is hilarious. But you gotta understand, we weren't having us a big old Society moment before 2012.

[@Game_Hero]

wasn'it released in 2008?

[@shiromatsunoki]

As someone who missed out on the Battle Network games growing and had their first Megaman RPG be this game, seeing your reviews on the BN series plus this really put the game's actual quality into perspective. The game definitely suffers from it being the first game, so while it does do some things better than Battle Network, there is a ton holding the first Star Force. The other two games do improve a lot on what the first game was lacking in terms of gameplay, and 3's story is honestly pretty good and much better than the story told in this first entry. I really enjoyed this video, that intro bit with Star Rail made me laugh harder than I'd like to admit. Fantastic work John, looing forward to seeing what else you put out!!

[@yourdemiseishere]

The only problem with the DX patch is if you dont care for hardmode, having only pegasus auto lockon for half the game feels kinda strange and meh for a lot of playstyles. The biggest thing with starforce is geo is IN the battle so it's about execution of the battle and dodging countering and weaving, compared to lan's overhead tactical perspective.

[@rafaeltorres3549]

Ahhhhhhh. That makes sense. Never thought of it that way. 🤔

[@EclipseMeteor]

"we can be dead parent bros" just my god, that perfectly explains this series of games 😂

[@fubu72]

>kid goes missing at school< oh no the stage play!!

[@leonorical5279]

You know, if i had a nickel for every time I've seen a blond class president whose last name is shirogane and they have a hard time expressing their love properly, I'd have two which isn't alot but weird its happened twice.

[@douglasthequilava]

Truth is that Star Force is the first MegaMan game i’ve ever played, so it holds a special place in my heart. I owned the Leo and Dragon versions as well as the Black Ace version of Star Force 3. I love the MegaMan RPGs honestly, because i’m absolutely BAD at most of the MegaMan Platformer games.

[@colinschmitt1799]

This game was my childhood. I remember first playing this and getting stuck at certain sections. I remember staying up all night playing it and getting all the cards. Returning to it as an adult now is such a surreal experience. Seeing how it's aged over time and being able to critique it has been a good experience for me. Even though the first two games were pretty stinky, they hold a good place in my heart. Thank you for this videos!

[@ryansouthwick2404]

The time and effort you put into these is the absolute greatest, i cant tell you how many times i watched and rewatched your battle network videos over and over up until this point, absolutely love this video just the same fantastic work, youre effort means the most

[@momom5429]

The laugh track at the end perfectly sums up what it feels like playing Starforce 2 after the expectations 1 setup.

[@devonwilliams5738]

26:38. I'd assume the BN Blaster should have swapped around stats, with maxed charge and attack and level 1 rapid, to denote that the Megabuster was not autofire in the Battle Network games.

[@laylaalder2251]

Plus, charge attacks were way more impactful in BN, to the point that in most games Charge is one of the better buster stats, until they finally wizened up and started scaling charge attack power with Attack in 5 and 6 instead of being set damage like in 2-4.

[@devonwilliams5738]

@@laylaalder2251 Amazed that they didn't think charge shot scaling was something they needed until BN5.

[@BrettLane256]

@@laylaalder2251 they actually did this as soon as 3, for the Normal Style. It was only for the style changes that the charge attack damage value was a separate stat, and from 4 onwards they use the same system for everything. Heck, I think it even scales with the Attack stat in 1 and 2 as well it's just scaled weirdly because of the level up system.

[@screwtokaiba]

​@@BrettLane256in 2 you need charge 2 to get cs 10 and it scales with attack yes. Normal style cs capped at 25 while Hub Style CS capped at 50. Its weird Bn4 also have very janky charge shot system where souls basically casted Battle Chip for charge shot albeit not all of them can counter with it

[@Getsugaru]

1:00:40 You're half-right. In the original Japanese of the game, the name was "Ophiuchus," which as a second declension Greek word, would be the same whether male or female. What (probably) happened is the name came out as "o-hyu-ka-su" when rendered in romaji from katakana, and whoever translated it decided not to check the source material; if they had, they'd have realized the romaji was a rendition of the constellation Ophiuchus and not changed the name by dropping the last sound in an attempt to feminize the name. ...My brother studied Ancient Greek at college and provided me with some handy translation tools for the language, which is how I knew the declension and what changes should apply. 🐍

[@toumabyakuya]

Not only that, but "Ophiucus" is also one of the many debatable zodiacal signs. Especifically, it happens at the end of November and the first week of December.

[@Getsugaru]

@@toumabyakuya the zodiac is extremely subjective in nature, since it isn't actually a science. What is a science is astronomy, and the constellation Ophiuchus is actually visible in the Northern Hemisphere sky for far longer than some of the more rigid twelve constellations used by star signs. Red from Overly Sarcastic Productions has an excellent video on Astronomy, if you're curious. 🐍

[@toumabyakuya]

@@Getsugaru Oh, I agree (I do actually say that my sign is Ophiucus), is just that it isn't one of the "popular 12" as it were.

[@shockhtoropi7143]

Doesn't it go through Latin though? In that case, "Ophiuca" is a proper feminization of Ophiuchus.

[@ordinarytree4678]

Geo being called "mopy complainer" by some people really bums me out, as someone who also struggles with depression. Life already sucks, now how we're reacting to it is annoying for all the healthy people? Hell truly is other people.

[@inplane9970]

As someone who usually doesn't vibe with mopy characters, I honestly love Geo's character development. A common issue with the superhero trope is how a character loses all flaws once they use their powers. In SF1, Geo struggled a lot with being Megaman due to his past trauma with death. Especially in contrast with Omega-Xis, who's basically a criminal willing to kill his friends if it means having an easier time. This becomes more apparent when he had to face Pat and Gemini, who's basically a reflection of Geo and Omega-Xis but with a worse upbringing. Having to beat Pat meant admitting that his current ideals of hating the world needed to change or else he would turn out equally bad.

[@fortello7219]

Ooooh, 2 minutes in and already throwing shade at SF2. This is going to be an *accurate* review.

[@pixel5646]

Man if he thinks this is bad, I’m dreading how he’ll react to Star Force 2. Course Star Force 3 is going to make it worth it all.

[@xpdev0]

At least Star Force 2 is better than Battle Network 4

[@Azure_Sandora]

I'm not sure how to feel knowing that me, my friend _and_ my Teacher, all of whom were watching this with me, were all cracking up when you mentioned how Pat's parents could have at least recycled him. Oh, and to add more fuel to the fire, Starforce 3 IS that good. It's the best one. Hands down.

[@caswellweird]

Oh, I didn’t even notice that the jammers have similar designs to gemini spark. That’s a cool attention to detail.

[@omegaXjammur]

As someone who's played BN and SF growing up (RIP my non-existent brother bands) I'm going to swear on my kernels that yes, SF3 is a bonafide banger

[@gtdfg4594]

Can I just say, I'm really loving this review. Between being a BN noob when you uploaded your first BN video to having only BN6 and SF3 left to play as of now, I've laughed out loud three times, and I really needed that. You also brought up what I didn't know that I disliked about SF1, that being the lack of gameplay features the series had brought ever since.. BN2, with Styles being permanent to your character. I still love Starforce, but I've finally understood why I don't want to replay it. Very insightful commentary on the mechanics (as with all of your other videos). Thank you for your review, sincerely! And please, do take your time as you did between BN6 and SF1 for the next videos. Fantastic content.

[@Ravemaster620]

The fact that I paused the video and groaned just before you mentioned the PTSD at 5:54 speaks volumes but also soothes me, due to not being the only one that suffered

[@DollarinoJones]

Hey, know this is probably gonna get lost in the avalanche of comments- especially because I’ve never commented on your videos before, but I just wanna say your presentation and script-writing has improved so much since those first few BN videos, hell, even since the final few. Good shit, keep being a sardonic bastard, and keep foreshadowing the content of future videos. You rule.

[@bluespinewood6304]

We really went from i have my brother in a tamagotchi to aliens fusing with humans, huh? Battle network series is sure something

[@guillermocortes4415]

39:24 That brief glimpse of a mousepad will be you doom. A KH Retrospective from you would be the best series ever.

[@hemkin_]

29:03 goose remains naturally evil , in starforce world and irl looking forward for future uploads

[@springssprangyard8278]

I've always been fond of how in this particular game most of the bosses were some conflicted guy who got corrupted, and not moustache-twirling terrorists like in BN. Nice stuff.

[@hubdub1130]

1:03:23 This made me choke on the cookies I was eating with how sudden it was, and then your goddamn reaction 😭 Banger video as always!

[@MrProfDrHoff]

Astronomy fact: Cygnus (both the constellation and the character) are meant to be swans. Admittedly there isn't much of a difference between swans and geese, and the goose jokes are definitely quality writing, but the ballet dancing from Cygnus Wing is meant to reference Swan Lake. Buuut screw all that, Society Goose is now canon.

[@emiwisp9277]

That opening joke about Star Rail has aged so nicely since I picked it up last month. So funny.

[@GameAlicornLuna]

I had to fight society. The evil space goose told me to.

[@gunvolt5246]

I personally like the reaction based combat of more than BN and after playing SF, kinda find BN a bit tedious due to the grinding needed for codes to make a good folder. You are spot on with SF1 being a huge regression in terms of gameplay after BN6. Its incredibly disappointing in that regard. I personally wouldnt say that SF3 is the only good entry (you didn't say it tho it is a sentiment I see quite a bit) but imo it does stand out the most in the trilogy and is one of the best games in the rpg side of the Megaman franchise (its my personal favorite entry.)

[@sayer4148]

Honestly, Star Force made a better first impression on me than Battle Network when I played the first game of both series. Back when I fist played Battle Network 1, the part where you had to fill the chip library to progress the main story halted my progress and considering how chip and card drops work, I found the grinding to be very tedious, so I dropped it (now I can manage it well). Star Force 1 didn't have that so my progression was smoother and ended up enjoying it more because of it.

[@bard4510]

19:25 - 6 main games, multiple spinoffs, one crossover with Starforce mega and battlenetwork mega, and we finally got a scene were instead of just talking it out and being friendly to eachother, somebody went with easiest solution. I'm so happy

[@kaimcdragonfist4803]

27:48 jokes on you, John. I already KNEW about Cygnus, and not even because of this game! …It’s because of Saint Seiya >.>

[@joseg8898]

Just wanted to drop this real quick, I absolutely love your channel man. I grew up with all of the Battle Network, Zero, Starforce games, yet none of my close friends had known about them, so I would never get the chance to talk about them. Watching your KZbin essays and breakdowns brings back so much nostalgia, despite us having occasional differing opinions. Just watched your Zero 3 video, looking forward to Zero 4 since I played it a ton back then. Also, StarForce 3 is absolutely GOATED. It's honestly the best in the series, and recommend you play it soon. The only recollection I had of SF2 was it being super tedious, but I'd be glad to see your video on that as well. Keep up the good work man! I'm sure I speak for many fans when I say we appreciate the content and don't mind whenever you go in depth into things!

[@larrychilders6599]

35:14 Omega: judging by your pheromone levels you wish to mate with the female

[@rexthewolf3149]

lol 2007

[@reaceles5636]

So, I've been binging your MMBN vids and then saw this one afterwards. Love em! You've earned yourself a sub :3 On the reviews themselves, I like how they explained why kid me pretty much failed to finish any BN game I picked up (I played 4, 5, and 6), but hey, I finished Star Force! And your vid helped me put into perspective the why. I shall now look forward to your take on SF2...which I also didn't manage to finish...and I can't even remember anything noteworthy happening. At the very least, I remember where I left off on BNs 4, 5, 6...

[@masterdarklink1]

Really sad we didnt get Starforce 4 where Geo and the latesr decendent of Lan, becoming criminal hackers on the run from the law

[@RGRDBEM]

I'm glad I stumbled onto this video because Mega Man Star Force is one of my favorite series. This gives me so much nostalgia and I've had a good time watching your video! Loved the funny bits!

[@jasongrunberg8959]

I forgot that Zak snitched for the longer time and just went with the fact the bus only has like 3 stops

[@jaydenliberty9536]

In a violently jarring thing for you to consider, 3 years since his Dad died might be a reference to, of all things, CONFUCIANISM. 3 years is the mandated mourning period for the loss of a parent. Just a thought

[@Game_Hero]

wow

[@pillarsofsnow7940]

27:40 you laugh but you do not mess with a goose

[@MrKidtendo64]

37:00 had me rolling hahaha. This was amazing! I need make time to watch your other videos because this was a joy to watch haha

[@Shamax0]

Oooh boy, here we go! Never got around to playing the star force games, since I never had a ds or 3ds...until 2 years ago when I got a 3ds! Buut still haven't gotten around to playing it, one of these days I promise!

[@naurmael]

Two work shifts of binging later and im all caught up...for now. Great work!

[@CrossTrash]

29:17 Jon. Step outside.

[@Galavantworks]

Brotherband is basically the like, comment, and subscribe economy that took over Battle Network’s eBay society

[@alagosplode]

I'm actually really surprised. The writing on display here in Star Force is leagues better than MMBN 4/5/6. This is, like, actually pretty engaging.

[@thedigimontamer]

I stumbled across your video on my homepage. I'm glad I clicked I grew up with the BN series but I also really liked Star Force when it came out. Thank you for this fantastic retrospective. I'm going to check out some of your other videos next.

[@MisunderstoodAssassin]

"Women be shopping" someone clip that please That's a masterpiece right there

[@Supersparkplug]

As someone who played and finished all 3 Starforce games, watching you move into Starforce this time was interesting... Because you made me realize how little I remember ANY of the Starforce games, especially the first one. I know I played through the entire Pegasus version and I swear I forgot like 90% of what you were talking about. I remember most of the beats of Battle Network games, but when it comes to these games I mostly draw a blank, which will at least make your videos on them quite a bit funnier. People are right though in that Starforce 3 is the only one that seems to know what it's doing with itself... And my memory of that game is also very spotty even though I played it the most by far out of that series.

[@xXSoulGeoXx]

I got my first NDS around 2006/2007 and Megaman Star Force ( to be exact the Leo Version ) was one on the first games I got alongside Spectrobes, Custom Robo ARENA and Sonic Rush ( gotta say, just amazing games to start with my NDS honestly ) I put so much hours into Star Force, and loved the story, that even to this day I have a soft spot and truly love all the way it may not have aged well, but as someone who haven't played Battle Network at the time, it was my introduction to this type of Gameplay in the series I remember always being excited when I got to read about Star Force 2 when coverage of the game was written on gaming magazines ( Club Nintendo in Latin America, it got the main cover 2 times, with SF 2 and Star Force 3 ) but funny enough, I only finished Star Force 1 and 3, was waiting to get myself a physical copy of 2 but never got the chance, and didn't know about emulation or where to get roms at the time ( also the PC i used was terrible, and DS Emulation at the time on a week PC was not an option ) got to play Star Force 3 myself with emulation because I really wanted to play it, and got tired of waiting and honest, 3 also have left a big mark on me, it made me cry at times, and the characters did get better can't say much about 2 as I haven't played it myself all these years, and I honestly need to fix that though with time, I fear that with the fandom thoughs on Star Force 2, has made me doubt if I should try to enjoy the gameplay or enjoy the story I have played games that are hated by most people myself, but honest, I do trust the Megaman fandom on this one that I should way for a patch to make the game a bit better like the DX patch did with the first