Fusion Fall Round Two
Alright, this time I'm just gonna throw out some thoughts as they come to me. So not much of a "review" this time and more of a "just my thoughts" sort of thing. I basically wanted to show off some things I discovered.
Firstly, a game related note of interest. I eventually noticed that once you reach higher levels, you don't receive Fusion Matter from lower level enemies when you defeat them. Additionally how much Fusion Matter you receive for beating an enemy seems to have less to do with what the enemy is and more to do with your level vs its level. Lower level than you, not a lot of Fusion Matter. Higher level than you, fairly nice amount of Fusion Matter for you. But ultimately, when gathering Fusion Matter to receive Nano Missions there is really no better source than taking Missions because these are the only options that can get you massive amounts of Fusion Matter all at once. You'll never score Fusion Matter like that from just defeating enemies, so get to questing if you want to progress at all through the levels. Lastly, it seems if you're high enough level, the lower level enemies, even the normally aggressive ones, will stop bothering you. You could literally stand right in front of an aggressive monster and it will just waltz around looking at you. Xp
The worst glitch presently in the game is when the Warp Gates stop working. This effectively brings all of your mission taking to a resounding halt. You are effectively screwed for as long as these things are down and I've no clue the trick for getting them running again. Sometimes logging out does the trick, sometimes it doesn't. But man is it ever a bitch.
The only other significant flaw presently in the game is a lack of communication. Neither the Chat nor the E-mail functions really work yet, so playing with a friend is pretty much impossible since there is no way to tell what your buddies are thinking or wanting to do. Which is a real bitch too because there are a couple of areas, like Endsville and Central Downtown, where you can't see to go anywhere solo without getting raped by the swarms of tough enemies that inhabit the neighborhood. If you had even a single other player to aid you through those areas then things might not be quite so tough, but going it solo, especially at the lower levels you usually enter such places at, it is nearly impossible just to go from one end of the area to the other without getting killed. Doesn't seem to matter how fast or slow you're going either, they just seem to pop out of nowhere and gang up on you. And dying 4-5 consecutive times in a matter of only five minutes is incredibly irritating.
There are a couple interesting things you'll notice during missions too if you're paying attention to dialog. Like how in one instance Billy led me directly to Fusion Eddy's Secret Lair, then HIM comments about how Billy didn't have any special powers and yet he somehow managed to lead you straight to the thing. Or another interesting moment in Fusion Bubbles Secret Lair when Professor Utonium discovers who the enemy in the Fusion Lair is and tells you to leave because he can't fight his little girl, but then when you reach the exit Father messages you and tells you to do back and defeat Fusion Bubbles, commenting on how the Professor was letting his emotions get the better of him. When I returned to the Professor he admitted that he shouldn't have let his emotions get the better of him like that, since it was obvious that it was Fusion Bubbles and not his little girl, adding that he was glad Father had been around to help us(Note that in the previous related missions, the Professor had you spying on Father because he wasn't sure if he could be trusted yet). Its cool to see how some of these characters respond to each other. X3
So, late last night, figuring I wasn't going to amass the Fusion Matter needed to reach level thirteen before things were shut down, I decided to take a little world tour and just see who I could find and where I could get to before the game ended for me. I probably wandered about for 2-3 hours, before actually going back to complete missions, reach level 13, and go back to doing missions. I only actually got off because I was sick of trying to get through the endless mobs in the city by myself(IE - kept getting raped), so I've no idea when they actually closed the service. Screenshots galore to follow... though I apologize for the quality of the JPEGs, they don't do the game justice.
First of all, take a look at this map. This thing is the most deceptive piece of shit, I've ever seen. Looking at it, you'd figure everything is more or less directly connected, but its not. In too many places, you have to find the exact spot to enter an area. You're met with mountains at every corner, blocking you from entering into the nearby zone. And don't think that just because you lucked out and found a break in the mountains that you can cross over through that you've found a short cut. No, in all likelihood you're about to jump into the middle of a deadspace and wind up trapped there floating in mid-air until a buddy gets on to rescue you with a warp or the game finally glitches and either puts you back in a safe spot or drops your ass through the effing terrain which ultimately kills you.
So here is a REAL effing map. The only place which is truly open and connected is the City. Most everyplace else, you have to circle around to find the bloody entrance to. Note that the Forest area to the northeast isn't completed because I didn't explore too far into that area and also that some other things up north were cut off due to the limited amount of the map I could fit on the screen... but I hadn't been up there anyways, so I couldn't have told you about it even if it had fit. I also place question marks down around the lower edges of the city, because I'm not sure what you'll really find there. Nothing for the moment I'm sure, but there doesn't seem to be any penalties for jumping in the water and swimming around to where ever you want to go. In fact, swimming is probably one of the safest methods of getting around that I know of.
Speaking of swimming around, at one point while the network had disconnected me and I had no enemies to worry about, I headed down to the area next to Bravo Beach and swam out to an odd spot I had noticed on the map. You can see the formation in my Mini-Map, but there doesn't seem to be anything actually there yet. Maybe it just didn't load because I was disconnected from the server, but... somehow I doubt that. I've theorized that this is area will probably be related to Evil Con Carne, but I've really no idea.
While running around the Wilds in the Camp Kidney area(which I assume is related to Camp Lazlo? I can't really confirm it simply because there don't appear to be any Camp Lazlo character actually in the camp, or else where in the game for that matter), I ran into this little fox just wandering around. There are actually a couple of them here and there. They aren't enemies or NPCs that you can speak to, they're just THERE. Which is pretty cool actually and one of the last things I was expecting to see.
Arriving in Endsville, I was actually rather surprised to find HIM standing around. This was one of the cooler villains to run across that I wasn't expecting. If I turn around from where I'm facing, Billy is standing on the other side of the street accompanied by a small "pet" Fusion Slime... This actually did not surprise me in the least. I wound up having to wonder though after I got off for the night... where the hell was Mandy?? I would have expected such a "key player" to show up somewhere, but I never saw nor heard of hide nor hair of her. I found Grim down at the ports, but I seem to have forgotten to paste that particular screenshot into Paint before I took whatever my next one was. Wonder where that little bitch is hiding...
I laughed my ass off. Another unexpected encounter, this time at Camp Kidney, with the Toiletnator. Of all the KND villains they could have included.... they picked him. XD Wow. He's fun though. Not far from him I located the missing Kanker Sister, whatsherface, but still no sign of Big Ed.
This was taken just before I began my world tour. Blossom had sent me to Townsville Hall to see the Mayor as one of her last side-quests and when I found him(he's basically just to the left of where I'm turned), I also found Bubbles standing right nearby. I was happy as hell to see her because she's my favorite and I hadn't seen her at all since the cutscene in the game's tutorial. Not far from here is a shopping mall type area where I also encountered Princess, but I don't think I cared enough to get a shot of her.
My first "Major Discovery" during the world tour. I found this little gathering to be quite amusing and rather awe inspiring. It gave me more of a sense that everyone was hard at work to solve this crisis. Numbuh One, Grandpa Max, and the freaking Scotsman planning out a strategy to defeat Fuse's Army. Our fate is in good hands. (Just noticed the Scotsman's left leg! XD Wow, I had forgotten about that little detail)
Mojo Jojo addressing his minions. I waited until he was in that pose before snapping the shot because I thought it'd be funnier that way. This is outside of Mojo's Volcano.
Effing FINALLY!! I managed to track down my Guide, Dexter, standing outside of DexLabs. Computress was standing not far to the left of him. Turning around I enter into a small shopping square, with an accessory shop that has a few very amusing high level products, and if I keep going from there then I'm only a few short steps from....
...Mandark Industries and Mandark himself standing outside the complex. I found it amusing how these two rival businesses were located literally right across from one another. But then again, I guess Dexter and Mandark's homes were sitting adjacent to each other as well, weren't they?
The fourth of the available Guides, I tracked down Ben Tennyson not too far south of Dexlabs(about 2 squares down). He actually looks pretty cool here... He'll probably be the first guide I swap to once I've done everything for Dexter or if I make a second character. On the building behind him, literally standing on top of it, is Vilgax. One of the LAST villains I would ever expect to see working alongside of the heroes to stop a bigger bad guy, but there he was. I had a screenshot of him, but again I forgot to paste it into Paint before I took another and was too lave to go back for another one. Though, true to his personality, he is the absolute rudest and threatening of the villains that I have encountered.
This one shocked me as well! I wasn't expecting to find Buttercup! But here she is! I think I see why she has been missing though. Judging by her outfit and the fact that she is hanging with Ace from the Gang Green Gang(you should see him standing just behind her), I've theorized that she must have lost her memory after her last battle with Mojo Jojo and was picked up by Ace and his gang. Hopefully I'll be able to help bring her back to normal later, but for the time being I took off because the four kids nearby wouldn't shut the fuck up about dancing and the repetitive chatter was getting annoying(they're NPCs doing it by the way).
Off on the other side of the world, I tracked down a bunch of people over on Mount Blackhead, which I'm starting to think may be related to George of the Jungle, but I can't be sure due to the lack of character from the series and my lack of knowledge of it for refusal to watch it. I found Numbuh Four first, right at the enterance. With about six other characters inside. I don't have much to say about them, so I'll just post em as I saw em.
I Found Big Ed!! W00t!
Numbuh Three. Also in the area was this huge Eggplant guy that you see on the loading screen. I have no idea who he is though, but I assume he is either from Billy and Mandy or Courage.
And lastly, here is Mac alongside of Coco, both of whom were also considered missing by other characters. And where is Mac's little hellspawn Bloo? He's back in the City actually, supposedly at an amusement park(and "being helpful"). I did find him later, but didn't care enough to snapshot him.
Lastly... from the accessory shop I mentioned earlier... I sooooo want that mask XD
Lets see, I also wanted to mention the inclusion of Charles Darwin Junior High, which I believe is the My Gym Partner's a Monkey reference. There weren't any characters from that series to be seen either though, cept for a statue of the principle in front of the school. Also, I'm disappointed that Johnny B wasn't found at Bravo Beach... you'd have figured he'd have been there. But there weren't any characters to be found there at all... eh, maybe when the game's finished...
Lastly I wanted to note that, though many other series are included, it seems that the majority of the games influence comes from Codename: Kids Next Door, the Power Puff Girls, and Dexter's Lab. I say this because these are the three series that are most prominently featured in the game. Most of the areas, characters, NPCs, weapons, and Fusion Bosses you encounter will be from one of these three series. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and Ed, Edd, and Eddy are the closest thing to runner's up, but even they aren't too prevalent despite having their own little areas. Ben 10 probably factors in there somewhere as well, if only for all the Plumber NPCs(usually shopkeepers).
Finally, some "Accomplishments"
*Highest Level reached: 13
*Nanos Obtained by defeating Fusion Bosses: Buttercup, Numbuh Two, Eddy, Edwardo, Blossom, Wilt, Numbuh Five, Dee Dee, Edd, MegasXLR, Billy, Professor Utonium, HIM
(The next Nano would have been Bloo)
*Secret Lair Fusion Bosses Defeated: Mayor, Blossom, Numbuh Two, Numbuh Five, Eddy, HIM, Fuzzy Lumpkins, Princess, Professor Plutonium, Bubbles, Wilt, Freddie
(There may have been one or two others, but I can't remember now)
*Competed Guide Mission Armors: Dodgeball Exo-Suit and Blossom Dynamo
Firstly, a game related note of interest. I eventually noticed that once you reach higher levels, you don't receive Fusion Matter from lower level enemies when you defeat them. Additionally how much Fusion Matter you receive for beating an enemy seems to have less to do with what the enemy is and more to do with your level vs its level. Lower level than you, not a lot of Fusion Matter. Higher level than you, fairly nice amount of Fusion Matter for you. But ultimately, when gathering Fusion Matter to receive Nano Missions there is really no better source than taking Missions because these are the only options that can get you massive amounts of Fusion Matter all at once. You'll never score Fusion Matter like that from just defeating enemies, so get to questing if you want to progress at all through the levels. Lastly, it seems if you're high enough level, the lower level enemies, even the normally aggressive ones, will stop bothering you. You could literally stand right in front of an aggressive monster and it will just waltz around looking at you. Xp
The worst glitch presently in the game is when the Warp Gates stop working. This effectively brings all of your mission taking to a resounding halt. You are effectively screwed for as long as these things are down and I've no clue the trick for getting them running again. Sometimes logging out does the trick, sometimes it doesn't. But man is it ever a bitch.
The only other significant flaw presently in the game is a lack of communication. Neither the Chat nor the E-mail functions really work yet, so playing with a friend is pretty much impossible since there is no way to tell what your buddies are thinking or wanting to do. Which is a real bitch too because there are a couple of areas, like Endsville and Central Downtown, where you can't see to go anywhere solo without getting raped by the swarms of tough enemies that inhabit the neighborhood. If you had even a single other player to aid you through those areas then things might not be quite so tough, but going it solo, especially at the lower levels you usually enter such places at, it is nearly impossible just to go from one end of the area to the other without getting killed. Doesn't seem to matter how fast or slow you're going either, they just seem to pop out of nowhere and gang up on you. And dying 4-5 consecutive times in a matter of only five minutes is incredibly irritating.
There are a couple interesting things you'll notice during missions too if you're paying attention to dialog. Like how in one instance Billy led me directly to Fusion Eddy's Secret Lair, then HIM comments about how Billy didn't have any special powers and yet he somehow managed to lead you straight to the thing. Or another interesting moment in Fusion Bubbles Secret Lair when Professor Utonium discovers who the enemy in the Fusion Lair is and tells you to leave because he can't fight his little girl, but then when you reach the exit Father messages you and tells you to do back and defeat Fusion Bubbles, commenting on how the Professor was letting his emotions get the better of him. When I returned to the Professor he admitted that he shouldn't have let his emotions get the better of him like that, since it was obvious that it was Fusion Bubbles and not his little girl, adding that he was glad Father had been around to help us(Note that in the previous related missions, the Professor had you spying on Father because he wasn't sure if he could be trusted yet). Its cool to see how some of these characters respond to each other. X3
So, late last night, figuring I wasn't going to amass the Fusion Matter needed to reach level thirteen before things were shut down, I decided to take a little world tour and just see who I could find and where I could get to before the game ended for me. I probably wandered about for 2-3 hours, before actually going back to complete missions, reach level 13, and go back to doing missions. I only actually got off because I was sick of trying to get through the endless mobs in the city by myself(IE - kept getting raped), so I've no idea when they actually closed the service. Screenshots galore to follow... though I apologize for the quality of the JPEGs, they don't do the game justice.
First of all, take a look at this map. This thing is the most deceptive piece of shit, I've ever seen. Looking at it, you'd figure everything is more or less directly connected, but its not. In too many places, you have to find the exact spot to enter an area. You're met with mountains at every corner, blocking you from entering into the nearby zone. And don't think that just because you lucked out and found a break in the mountains that you can cross over through that you've found a short cut. No, in all likelihood you're about to jump into the middle of a deadspace and wind up trapped there floating in mid-air until a buddy gets on to rescue you with a warp or the game finally glitches and either puts you back in a safe spot or drops your ass through the effing terrain which ultimately kills you.
So here is a REAL effing map. The only place which is truly open and connected is the City. Most everyplace else, you have to circle around to find the bloody entrance to. Note that the Forest area to the northeast isn't completed because I didn't explore too far into that area and also that some other things up north were cut off due to the limited amount of the map I could fit on the screen... but I hadn't been up there anyways, so I couldn't have told you about it even if it had fit. I also place question marks down around the lower edges of the city, because I'm not sure what you'll really find there. Nothing for the moment I'm sure, but there doesn't seem to be any penalties for jumping in the water and swimming around to where ever you want to go. In fact, swimming is probably one of the safest methods of getting around that I know of.
Speaking of swimming around, at one point while the network had disconnected me and I had no enemies to worry about, I headed down to the area next to Bravo Beach and swam out to an odd spot I had noticed on the map. You can see the formation in my Mini-Map, but there doesn't seem to be anything actually there yet. Maybe it just didn't load because I was disconnected from the server, but... somehow I doubt that. I've theorized that this is area will probably be related to Evil Con Carne, but I've really no idea.
While running around the Wilds in the Camp Kidney area(which I assume is related to Camp Lazlo? I can't really confirm it simply because there don't appear to be any Camp Lazlo character actually in the camp, or else where in the game for that matter), I ran into this little fox just wandering around. There are actually a couple of them here and there. They aren't enemies or NPCs that you can speak to, they're just THERE. Which is pretty cool actually and one of the last things I was expecting to see.
Arriving in Endsville, I was actually rather surprised to find HIM standing around. This was one of the cooler villains to run across that I wasn't expecting. If I turn around from where I'm facing, Billy is standing on the other side of the street accompanied by a small "pet" Fusion Slime... This actually did not surprise me in the least. I wound up having to wonder though after I got off for the night... where the hell was Mandy?? I would have expected such a "key player" to show up somewhere, but I never saw nor heard of hide nor hair of her. I found Grim down at the ports, but I seem to have forgotten to paste that particular screenshot into Paint before I took whatever my next one was. Wonder where that little bitch is hiding...
I laughed my ass off. Another unexpected encounter, this time at Camp Kidney, with the Toiletnator. Of all the KND villains they could have included.... they picked him. XD Wow. He's fun though. Not far from him I located the missing Kanker Sister, whatsherface, but still no sign of Big Ed.
This was taken just before I began my world tour. Blossom had sent me to Townsville Hall to see the Mayor as one of her last side-quests and when I found him(he's basically just to the left of where I'm turned), I also found Bubbles standing right nearby. I was happy as hell to see her because she's my favorite and I hadn't seen her at all since the cutscene in the game's tutorial. Not far from here is a shopping mall type area where I also encountered Princess, but I don't think I cared enough to get a shot of her.
My first "Major Discovery" during the world tour. I found this little gathering to be quite amusing and rather awe inspiring. It gave me more of a sense that everyone was hard at work to solve this crisis. Numbuh One, Grandpa Max, and the freaking Scotsman planning out a strategy to defeat Fuse's Army. Our fate is in good hands. (Just noticed the Scotsman's left leg! XD Wow, I had forgotten about that little detail)
Mojo Jojo addressing his minions. I waited until he was in that pose before snapping the shot because I thought it'd be funnier that way. This is outside of Mojo's Volcano.
Effing FINALLY!! I managed to track down my Guide, Dexter, standing outside of DexLabs. Computress was standing not far to the left of him. Turning around I enter into a small shopping square, with an accessory shop that has a few very amusing high level products, and if I keep going from there then I'm only a few short steps from....
...Mandark Industries and Mandark himself standing outside the complex. I found it amusing how these two rival businesses were located literally right across from one another. But then again, I guess Dexter and Mandark's homes were sitting adjacent to each other as well, weren't they?
The fourth of the available Guides, I tracked down Ben Tennyson not too far south of Dexlabs(about 2 squares down). He actually looks pretty cool here... He'll probably be the first guide I swap to once I've done everything for Dexter or if I make a second character. On the building behind him, literally standing on top of it, is Vilgax. One of the LAST villains I would ever expect to see working alongside of the heroes to stop a bigger bad guy, but there he was. I had a screenshot of him, but again I forgot to paste it into Paint before I took another and was too lave to go back for another one. Though, true to his personality, he is the absolute rudest and threatening of the villains that I have encountered.
This one shocked me as well! I wasn't expecting to find Buttercup! But here she is! I think I see why she has been missing though. Judging by her outfit and the fact that she is hanging with Ace from the Gang Green Gang(you should see him standing just behind her), I've theorized that she must have lost her memory after her last battle with Mojo Jojo and was picked up by Ace and his gang. Hopefully I'll be able to help bring her back to normal later, but for the time being I took off because the four kids nearby wouldn't shut the fuck up about dancing and the repetitive chatter was getting annoying(they're NPCs doing it by the way).
Off on the other side of the world, I tracked down a bunch of people over on Mount Blackhead, which I'm starting to think may be related to George of the Jungle, but I can't be sure due to the lack of character from the series and my lack of knowledge of it for refusal to watch it. I found Numbuh Four first, right at the enterance. With about six other characters inside. I don't have much to say about them, so I'll just post em as I saw em.
I Found Big Ed!! W00t!
Numbuh Three. Also in the area was this huge Eggplant guy that you see on the loading screen. I have no idea who he is though, but I assume he is either from Billy and Mandy or Courage.
And lastly, here is Mac alongside of Coco, both of whom were also considered missing by other characters. And where is Mac's little hellspawn Bloo? He's back in the City actually, supposedly at an amusement park(and "being helpful"). I did find him later, but didn't care enough to snapshot him.
Lastly... from the accessory shop I mentioned earlier... I sooooo want that mask XD
Lets see, I also wanted to mention the inclusion of Charles Darwin Junior High, which I believe is the My Gym Partner's a Monkey reference. There weren't any characters from that series to be seen either though, cept for a statue of the principle in front of the school. Also, I'm disappointed that Johnny B wasn't found at Bravo Beach... you'd have figured he'd have been there. But there weren't any characters to be found there at all... eh, maybe when the game's finished...
Lastly I wanted to note that, though many other series are included, it seems that the majority of the games influence comes from Codename: Kids Next Door, the Power Puff Girls, and Dexter's Lab. I say this because these are the three series that are most prominently featured in the game. Most of the areas, characters, NPCs, weapons, and Fusion Bosses you encounter will be from one of these three series. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and Ed, Edd, and Eddy are the closest thing to runner's up, but even they aren't too prevalent despite having their own little areas. Ben 10 probably factors in there somewhere as well, if only for all the Plumber NPCs(usually shopkeepers).
Finally, some "Accomplishments"
*Highest Level reached: 13
*Nanos Obtained by defeating Fusion Bosses: Buttercup, Numbuh Two, Eddy, Edwardo, Blossom, Wilt, Numbuh Five, Dee Dee, Edd, MegasXLR, Billy, Professor Utonium, HIM
(The next Nano would have been Bloo)
*Secret Lair Fusion Bosses Defeated: Mayor, Blossom, Numbuh Two, Numbuh Five, Eddy, HIM, Fuzzy Lumpkins, Princess, Professor Plutonium, Bubbles, Wilt, Freddie
(There may have been one or two others, but I can't remember now)
*Competed Guide Mission Armors: Dodgeball Exo-Suit and Blossom Dynamo