Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer wind their way through the first half of Mass Effect's plot, from character creation to Noveria. Along the way, we also discuss party member backstories, the Asteroid X57 bonus mission, and how exactly one should pronounce "Benezia."

Chris, Spencer, and Hamilton discuss the development, gameplay, and background lore of Mass Effect (2007). Come for the BioWare history, stay to find out which alien species is the biggest bunch of nerds.

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We close the book on Season 4 with a round-up of topics on Capcom's Mega Man, including: personal histories with the series, favorite entries, least favorite entries, biggest surprises, and more!

Chris and Hamilton discuss the development, gameplay, stages, and bosses of Mega Man 11 (2018).

Hamilton and Chris discuss Inti Creates' Mega Man ZX, including its origins as a potential Mega Man Zero 5 and its awkward (yet admirable) efforts to infuse the Mega Man formula with Metroidvania mechanics. Along the way, we uncover surprising connections to Shantae and Ace Attorney.

Sources

Chris and Hamilton are joined by special guest Patrick of the Boss Rush Network to discuss Inti Creates' first entry in the Mega Man series: Mega Man Zero (2002). Be sure to support Patrick's work by visiting https://bossrush.net/, following him on Twitter using the handle @Auditor415, and backing the network on Patreon.

Sources

Jeremy Parish - “Companions Through Life and Death: The Story of Inti Creates and Mega Man” (US Gamer/VG247)

Mega Man Zero: Official Complete Works

Hamilton and Chris conclude their coverage of Capcom's Mega Man Battle Network (2001) with a close look at the game's plot. Even as the level design grows tedious and the story meanders, boss fights remain a highlight.

Chris and Hamilton tackle the development, gameplay, and early hours of Mega Man Battle Network (2001). Along the way, they lavish praise on the deckbuilder format and uncover the startling commonality between Capcom's abandoned IPs.

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Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss Mega Man X4 (1997), the first Mega Man X game developed from the ground-up for 32-bit consoles. Are the updates worthwhile, or do they just over-complicate a classic formula?

Development Sources:

Chris and Spencer discuss the development, gameplay, and plot of 1997's Mega Man Legends (Nintendo loyalists may know it as Mega Man 64). If our show piques your interest, don't miss the great development team interviews available on shmuplations.