Lurker > Robazoid

I think the Nightcord version of Hated By Life Itself is on Spotify if you search for it, title is just in Japanese. I don't have a Spotify account to confirm but the time roughly matches up

I have played through HK using randomizers about 30+ times. It's great if you want to try out weird charm combos because you never know what you're getting. Of course, by the end I always wind up using the ones that give more health masks or increase my strength...

UF8 posted...

(the former two are predictably fan covers, but that last one is actually sort of an official remix from the original composer)

Thanks for linking these! I listened to them and the last one was the best of the three. I also liked one I listened to that was in English, but the Nightcord version is my favorite. Miku adds a lot to it imo. It's a good song with lots of nice covers though.

I deleted my grandmother's contact info when she died. I already missed her, I didn't need to be reminded of it every time I scrolled through my contacts.

I nominate Excella on he basis that this should have 31 characters for the 31 days of October.

kateee posted...

18. Nightcord at 25:00 - Hated By Life Itself this might be because its towards the end of this listenthrough but I have nothing to say other than its fine

Hopefully you change the order around on future days, then! Even without reading the subtitled lyrics (which you said you wouldn't do) I feel like this song has a great melancholic vibe just from the tone alone. Still, this is a pretty good ranking. This is an interesting project, hope you don't come to resent all of these songs by the end of it lol

lol, poor X3. It's my least favorite of the three, but not to that level! Blizzard Buffalo's stage deserves some points purely based on vibes, imo.

It's interesting that we have such different opinions on X3 yet the same first and second overall in stages. I guess Dinosaur Tank and Central Computer really do just stand out that much.

Oh this topic still exists, I figured the Kill My was based on something much older.

Venonat
Flareon
Hoothoot
Mareep
Meowth

Spheal hunting is a controversial practice

Xuxon posted...

with gholdengo not making it in.

I actually specifically looked for Gholdengo to kill it when this started so it would have been sniped early lol

Dome > Helix. Omanyte didn't even make the contest, lol

Hoopa

Homestar Runner
Bonus Stage

Wooper

Here's the final ranking. Thanks again to everyone who followed along!

MAVERICKS
MMX
2. Storm Eagle
5. Chill Penguin
7. Armored Armadillo
12. Spark Mandrill
14. Flame Mammoth
22. Launch Octopus
23. Sting Chameleon
24. Boomer Kuwanger

MMX2
1. Morph Moth
3. Magna Centipede
6. Crystal Snail
9. Flame Stag
13. Wire Sponge
16. Wheel Gator
17. Overdrive Ostrich
18. Bubble Crab

MMX3
4. Crush Crawfish
8. Toxic Seahorse
10. Blast Hornet
11. Volt Catfish
15. Blizzard Buffalo
19. Neon Tiger
20. Gravity Beetle
21. Tunnel Rhino

STAGES
MMX
3. Gallery
6. Factory
12. Snow Mountain
16. Airport
20. Power Plant
21. Forest
22. Ocean
24. Tower

MMX2
1. Dinosaur Tank
2. Central Computer
4. Robot Junkyard
9. Energen Crystal
10. Deep Sea Base
11. Weather Control
14. Volcanic Zone
15. Desert Base

MMX3
5. Frozen Town
7. Weapons Factory
8. Giant Dam
13. Power Control Center
17. Airborne Aircraft Carrier
18. Shipyard
19. Quarry
23. Safari Park

SONGS
MMX
2. Boomer Kuwanger (Tower Stage)
3. Storm Eagle (Airport Stage)
9. Flame Mammoth (Factory Stage)
10. Chill Penguin (Snow Mountain Stage)
12. Armored Armadillo (Gallery Stage)
13. Spark Mandrill (Power Plant Stage)
22. Sting Chameleon (Forest Stage)
24. Launch Octopus (Ocean Stage)

MMX2
5. Crystal Snail (Energen Crystal Stage)
6. Wheel Gator (Dinosaur Tank Stage)
7. Wire Sponge (Weather Control Center Stage)
8. Bubble Crab (Deep-Sea Base Stage)
11. Magna Centipede (Central Computer Stage)
16. Flame Stag (Volcanic Zone Stage)
18. Morph Moth (Robot Junkyard Stage)
21. Overdrive Ostrich (Desert Base Stage)

MMX3
1. Blizzard Buffalo (Frozen Town Stage)
4. Blast Hornet (Weapons Factory Stage)
14. Crush Crawfish (Shipyard Stage)
15. Volt Catfish (Power Control Center Stage)
17. Neon Tiger (Safari Park Stage)
19. Gravity Beetle (Airborne Aircraft Carrier Stage)
20. Toxic Seahorse (Giant Dam Stage)
23. Tunnel Rhino (Quarry Stage)

Aegislash

I'll join with a new song from a channel I like. It has barely over 500 views! Looking forward to my early elimination because my taste in music isn't usually popular:

Luna - Autumn's Geometry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgNOSdPQCPY

Spheal

Lucario

Gengar

Cetoddle

Free because I was going to get Combee and don't really care about the others

Slowpoke

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/22fbb372.jpg

1. Morph Moth (Mega Man X2)
BEST MEGA MAN X2 MAVERICK

This is easily the most unique boss in these games. I love the first section where he's a cocoon connected to a string. Once you know his pattern, it's pretty straightforward. He swings back and forth spewing trash, then he falls and grinds trash out of the floor, then he reconnects to the ceiling and swirls trash around the room. It's always those three phases in the same order, and you can pretty much avoid getting hit during each of them with careful dodging.

Still, if I ranked these bosses on difficulty, Sting Chameleon would be my favorite. No, I love Morph Moth because of how unique the fight is. No other maverick has two distinct phases. Sure, Flame Stag's flames turn blue halfway through and he speeds up a bit. Crystal Snail starts slowing down time. But those are still the same fundamental boss fight. Morph Moth, once you hurt him enough, rises into the ceiling and breaks free from his cocoon. Then he comes down in all his glory as the moth you can see pictured above. It's such a cool transformation.

The moth fight, like his cocoon phase, is deceptively easy. If you panic and try to jump around, he'll do big damage just flying into you. But, if you just stand still at the bottom and wait for him to stop and power up his laser, you can dodge it and attack him with impunity. Like I said, not a hard boss fight. I just love how unique he is for having a cocoon phase and a moth phase. It's also super satisfying to hit him with fire and watch the cocoon turn black and crispy. Really gives you the sense that you're hurting him. Just a fun, unique boss all around. Easily my favorite in the first three MMX games.

STAGE
1. Dinosaur Tank Stage (Mega Man X2)
BEST MEGA MAN X2 STAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQIQsD30f8I

My favorite thing about this level is the sense of urgency it gives you. Most of the mavericks are in odd, out of the way places where it feels like you can take them out whenever. Chill Penguin is just chilling on a mountain, he isn't hurting anybody. The main exceptions are Blizzard Buffalo's Frozen Town, and this stage. You warp in onto Wheel Gator's Dinosaur Tank and you immediately see the destroyed town zooming past in the background.

I love the little detail of how, if you wait long enough, it goes from day to night. Time is passing, and every second means more damage to the city. Enemies are hopping into ride armor and jumping out from the bottom to terrorize people. When you reach that area, X even takes the time to destroy the ride armor storage just to stop them as he continues to make this way through. This whole level is about stopping Wheel Gator's rampage. It's awesome.

In terms of gameplay, the level is merely fine. I like the short ride armor section, I like climbing through the bowels of the tank, and I like moving from the outside to the inside, then back outside again. Not much else to say about it, just a solid level with an awesome theme. It was tough choosing between this and Central Computer for first. Central Computer easily wins in terms of unique or challenging gameplay, but I just had to give the gold medal to Dinosaur Tank for how cool it is to see the ruined town in the background.

SONG
1. Blizzard Buffalo (Frozen Town Stage) (Mega Man X3)
BEST MEGA MAN X3 SONG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R1Mkrp-zWQ

Man, I love this song. You warp into Frozen Town and see the sheer icy devastation in the background (which I talked about in my review of the stage). But, in addition to the visuals, what sells it is just how haunting this song is. I mean, listen to it. It's so eerie. It perfectly sells the vibe of a town where everything is frozen and all hope is lost. My favorite part is around 0:29 where it briefly speeds up, but for the most part this is a slow, melancholic song. It is easily my favorite song from the first three MMX games. The song is, for lack of a better word, chilling. In addition to that, I love the tune. It evokes so much emotion, like they took the feeling of a town that's frozen over and turned it into a song.

Okay I'm back to finish the ranking. Apologies for the delay, but I had family visiting (and, let's face it, this ranking wasn't that popular to begin with)

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/6dcc602b.jpg

2. Storm Eagle (Mega Man X)
BEST MEGA MAN X MAVERICK

If you click my username, you'll notice that my avatar is Storm Eagle. I have always thought this guy was rad as hell, even as a kid. He flies into the stage and looks at you like you're beneath him (because, let's face it, you are). He throws his arm to the side and starts the battle with a cool pose. Then he... probably doesn't even damage you during the whole fight. Well, he still gets points for being awesome.

Jokes aside, I like how unique the Storm Eagle fight is. He's zero threat if you have the dash boots (and everyone always has the dash boots). You can dash against his tornadoes and out of the way when he dive-bombs. The only way you could possibly get hurt is when he vomits birds at you, which is... an odd attack. Even when playing this randomized when I don't have dash boots, Storm Eagle isn't a difficult boss.

Still, I enjoy fighting him. Partly that's because I think he looks like the coolest maverick ever. But mostly it's because, at every stage of the fight, you can get in damage if you're quick and careful. Compare Storm Eagle to, say, Wheel Gator. Wheel Gator dives underwater and you just have to wait for him to resurface. When Storm Eagle dive-bombs, you can dash, spin, and shoot him. It's little things like that which make the fight engaging. I'm always glad to battle this awesome bird.

STAGE
2. Central Computer Stage (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7VM4jp11CU

The Central Computer Stage has so many cool things in it. It starts with you sneaking through a security section. If you're careful, you can get by with minimal danger, but if you're spotted by a search light you have to contend with turrets falling from the ceiling. Then there are the big blocks falling from above and sliding around. They can can crush X in a second, and you have to ride one to a hidden upgrade.

There are two mini-bosses in this stage, starting with the holographic sword (which is fine). Then you descend into an area where a target moves around trying to scan X while building blocks fall from above, slowly filling the stage. The more times you get caught, the more abilities will be infused into the second mini-boss. The fight can range from braindead easy if you're quick and careful to genuinely difficult if you're sloppy and get scanned a bunch of times.

I mean, compare this level to other ones in these games. Flame Stag's Volcanic Zone is two small areas and two quick climbs. Bubble Crab's Deep Sea Base is one big area with a fish robot. Then there's Central Computer with so many cool, unique individual sections with stuff that isn't found in any other level. I'm always excited to replay this stage, even at the end of the game when you're heading towards Sigma. The fact that they reused it for the final boss is proof that the devs knew this was an amazing level.

SONG
2. Boomer Kuwanger (Tower Stage) (Mega Man X)
BEST MEGA MAN X SONG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qESMvA1Y7Hw

The absolute worst stage in the first three MMX games somehow has the second-best song. As I've grown older, I've become a big fan of electronic music. And, man, this song really hits those same vibes! From the start, it has a catchy electronic tune. This is also probably the MMX song that has the most going on with it, too. If you read my write-ups for a lot of these, I mention like one or two distinct sections. This one, by comparison, has too many to list! It starts minimalist, adds a catchy beat, then at 0:07 it really gets going. At 0:20, it dials down a bit but still stays great. That instrument in the background at 0:39 is just... great. I honestly have no complaints about this song. It's one of the few things that makes the Tower stage bearable.

Sprigatito

Slowpoke

MartinFF7 posted...

Auto for Slowpoke

For Combee

Meowth

I feel bad for how long it is taking me to do the last two. I really tried to finish before I had family visit but... it didn't work out. I'll finish it this week though! Probably Wednesday night. Thank you for your patience to the not-many people who followed this.

Combee

Cyndaquil

Lefou

Remy

Uku

Dash Parr

Zazu

I bought a Final Fantasy MTG booster box when it released, but I split it with my brother and I had to wait until he visited to open it. The most valuable card we got by far was me getting the Rhystic Study 'Stay With Me' art card with Tidus and Yuna on it. It's the first time I'm actually debating trading in a card somewhere because damn is this card ever worth a lot.

Totodile

For fuck's sake, Leonhart, don't pull that shit. You're as bad as the people who say video games cause murders.

"The murderer played Call of Duty!!!!"
"How did Call of Duty make him kill anyone? It was a crime of passion because his girlfriend was cheating."
"Spoken like a video game rep!!!!"

I'll get modded but I don't care, fuck off.

No I'm genuinely asking, how did the bot make him trip?

I mean... a cognitively-impaired man tripped, hit his head, and died. Definitely a tragedy, but what did the bot do? If he'd been chatting with someone who was real he still could have tripped and died. He could have been going to the store or the bank or just out for a walk.

One more for tonight, only the top two in each category remain!

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2e0fcd41.jpg

3. Magna Centipede (Mega Man X2)

Magna Centipede has the best gimmick in the entire series, and as a kid I never even knew it. The Control Computer stage was difficult for me as a young lad, so I always did it last. That meant I always went in with Silk Shot, which trivializes poor Magna Centipede. If you hit him with that, it destroys his tail. Then, no matter how much he warps around, you can just stand in the middle of the stage and aim the Silk Shot so it explodes and hurts him. I do like how the rematch makes the ceiling higher, but it doesn't really alter the course of the fight if you have Silk Shot.

However, playing MMX randomizers forced me to fight this guy for real. And, man, Magna Centipede has a lot of stuff going on. If he has his tail, he can magnetically pull you in. If you don't have the dash boot upgrade, he's going to succeed. And then Magna Centipede starts draining your powers. First, it's your ability to charge up. Then you can't dash. Soon, you can hardly even climb. You're a sickly version of yourself, stumbling around the stage just trying to keep up. And Magna Centipede is teleporting all over the place, laughing at you. I never felt desperation in a MMX game quite like weakly climbing a wall so I could shoot him while he was standing on the ceiling lobbing things at me. Every time I face this guy with only the buster, it's an adrenaline rush as I try to do as much damage as I can before he starts weakening me. God forbid you have to fight his rematch while still not having Silk Shot, suddenly the high ceiling can be a death sentence. In conclusion, I love how this fight starts normal and becomes more and more of a struggle as he weakens you.

STAGE
3. Gallery Stage (Mega Man X)
BEST MEGA MAN X STAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXHkAAlIpGQ

This level has a special place in my heart. Running back and forth at the beginning killing the bats is the best place to refill sub tanks, and as a kid I had to go and do that after every single stage. Even little details like there sometimes being a big fat bat who dropped an extra life used to make my day. The rest of the stage is great too, though! Riding the minecarts is fast-paced, and I like how they eventually fly into a pit so you have to jump off at the right time to avoid going down with them. If you time it right, you can fly really far forward from the momentum, which is a nice touch.

There are also the two... I guess you could call them minibosses. The big digging machines are great. The first one can chase you down a corridor, carving the area apart behind you as you desperately try to keep ahead. It's a shame that most players know about the upgrade behind it, so they usually hop over this thing to grab it and miss out on fleeing from it. Later on, you drop down behind another one, and you need to destroy it before it reaches a part of a wall that lets you grab another upgrade. I've never been great at mashing the shooting button, so this is always a satisfying challenge to pull it off. And who can forget shooting down the birds at the end of the level so you can get the secret Hadouken capsule? Sure, it's annoying to do over and over, but it's also unique and worthwhile when you pull it off.

SONG
3. Storm Eagle (Airport Stage) (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDcNhkVxjmM

There was a time in my life, around the age of fourteen, when an OC Remix version of this was my favorite song in the world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpBngws8K2k

It's... less impressive now, I have to admit. Maybe it's the quality of the Youtube upload. Point is, I have some good memories about Storm Eagle's theme. It rocks out hard right from the start, and a lot of the individual sections appeal to me. When the main theme kicks in at 0:05, it is just so damn catchy and energetic. I'm not a huge fan of the Airport stage, but I always like rocking out to the song! As an adult with different tastes, it isn't my favorite one in the game anymore, but the Storm Eagle theme is still great.

lol nice! Truly we have differing opinions. I'd be interested in seeing your list once you finalize it, I bet we differ on quite a few of them.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b7558e0d.jpg

4. Crush Crawfish (Mega Man X3)
BEST MEGA MAN X3 MAVERICK

Crush Crawfish doesn't jump around or have any fancy attacks, but he doesn't need them. If he catches you in his claws, this guy grinds X up for a solid chunk of his health bar. He's a constant threat on the ground, always sliding back and forth or tossing his claws out towards the wall. No problem, right? You just climb the wall to keep away from him. But Crush Crawfish launches orange things that drag X back to the ground, constantly forcing you to struggle against them to keep out of his way. But you better not climb too high, because if you're in the top corner he can sometimes surprise you by tossing his claw diagonally.

That's pretty much it. Other than the orange things along the walls, Crush Crawfish doesn't have any big gimmicks or neat themes. He's not even a particularly challenging boss fight once you learn his rhythm. I just always enjoy fighting him. He has the perfect attack pattern to make the entire stage a constant danger. In terms of offering a fair battle, I honestly think he's probably the best designed one in the trilogy. The three that rank above him all have cool gimmicks or are just look too awesome to rank any lower.

STAGE
4. Robot Junkyard Stage (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug1ect_-tME

This is another stage where I love the theme and aesthetic. The whole concept of robots being cobbled together from scrap is cool, and a lot of them use it in neat ways. There are the guys who hang from the ceiling and fall down if you go under them. If you shoot their head, they fall and explode. If you only shoot the body, though, then the head wakes up and starts shooting at you. There's also the big ones who roll forward, and if you blow up a part of them they pull in more bits of scrap to repair themselves.

I'm also a big fan of the two minibosses in this level. A parasitic robot leaps into the scrap, then emerges with a makeshift robot body to fight you. Once you destroy it, it jumps out and hops around before diving in again for another round. It's such a cool idea. And those little parasite guys are in other parts of the level too! They can latch onto X and take partial control of him, sometimes making him jump or dash around (potentially right off an edge). Or they can be oddly helpful and let you spam bullets much faster than you can normally shoot. This stage is just full of unique ideas. My only real complaint is that the upgrade capsule is hidden in a strange way. How is a first-time player supposed to know to use Spin Wheel on a random bit of floor at the start of the level? Every other major upgrade can be discovered through normal exploring or at least has some sort of hint. Still, this is a great stage.

SONG
4. Blast Hornet (Weapons Factory Stage) (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMzDplCxwqM

Man, I love this song. It rocks out so hard right from the start. Seriously, listen to how hard it goes from the first second, and it only gets better from there. It really kicks in at 0:09 with this really ominous tune. I think a big part of the reason why I like Blast Hornet's stage is because this song hypes me up every time I listen to it. There is only one song from the trilogy that rocks out harder than this one, and it is coming up in third place.

We've reached the final MMX3 stage and MMX2 song!

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/4a5e5b0d.jpg

5. Chill Penguin (Mega Man X)

Ah, Chill Penguin, the maverick everyone fights first. That means almost no one fights him with his weakness (at least until the rematch later), but it doesn't matter because he's so easy. Even I could kill him as a wee lad the first time I played MMX. Chill Penguin has predictable attack patterns and they're all easy to dodge. I'm not sure you can even get hurt if you just jump up the wall and stay in a corner, so you can always catch your breath and observe him. Still, a boss doesn't have to be difficult to rank high! Chill Penguin has a lot of positives.

First off, I like how unique a lot of his attacks are. Sometimes he creates snow sculptures with ice breath, other times he jumps at the ceiling and grabs a hook that makes a snowstorm blow through. If the ice sculptures are there, they even interact with the snowstorm and smash into the wall. Chill Penguin always gave me a goofy vibe, too. Like, why do his sculptures need to look like cute little penguins? It's adorable. Most of the time, once me makes them, he ineffectually spits ice and just... hits the ice sculptures. And he seems genuinely confused at why his own sculptures are blocking his attacks. Quite often, he then dashes across the stage and smashes them, which I always saw as an ineffectual temper tantrum. I love you Chill Penguin. You're so easy to defeat, you even hinder yourself.

STAGE
5. Frozen Town Stage (Mega Man X3)
BEST MEGA MAN X3 STAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_vnA1j6MJo

Can a stage be carried mostly on aesthetic and vibes? It turns out, yes, it can. Not a whole lot about the gameplay of this stage is unique. Even the blizzard machine later on is pretty much the same idea as the sandstorm generator on Overdrive Ostrich's stage in MMX2. Sliding around on ice is nothing new either. But, man, from the first moment I jumped into this stage, the background was what got my attention.

You're in a city that has clearly been hit by a devastating ice storm. One of the skyscrapers fell over, then somehow froze while sticking up diagonally, meaning the temperature must have lowered instantly to freeze the tower mid-collapse. It's a small touch, but I also love how it gets dark once you're far underground and then brighter again as you resurface, which further sells the fact that this is an area where the infrastructure is crumbling and unreliable. There isn't a whole lot I can say about the gameplay. It's fine, with standard enemies, exploration, and combat. It's the sheer spectacle of the Frozen Town that carries this stage for me, and makes it my favorite MMX3 stage. It gives me such a haunting vibe, which not many other stages do. Like, you warp into the Giant Dam and you're just in a dam. Here, killing Blizzard Buffalo means rescuing the town and saving people.

SONG
5. Crystal Snail (Energen Crystal Theme) (Mega Man X2)
BEST MEGA MAN X2 SONG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFQW1DFcWsY

This song is another one where the music and instrument choices perfectly match the theme of the level. Right from the first second, it gives a feeling of a crystal cavern, as if someone is drumming on a gemstone to create the sounds. Then, around 0:13, it shifts and has a catchy rock tune kick in. I mostly love this song for the beginning, but it's great throughout. I honestly don't know enough about instruments to even tell what it uses at the start, but is it a xylophone? It's great regardless.

I want to finish the ranking so going to post them a bit faster than usual. Might even do one more before going to bed.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/314f21a0.jpg

6. Crystal Snail (Mega Man X2)

Crystal Snail is challenging if you only fight him with a buster. It took me a long time to figure out his pattern. He spins, moves around twice so you have to bait him to a good spot, then he comes out of his shell. You can shoot him now, but the second you do he spits crystals that freeze you if they hit you. It's a neat fight where you have to learn the timing to dodge between the crystals, and it gets even harder once he starts slowing down time in the second half. Moving at half speed while he's comparatively zooming around makes baiting him into a good spot and dodging the crystals so much harder. I like that. First you have to learn how to fight him, then you have to learn how to do it in slow motion.

A lot of mavericks are trivialized if you attack them with their weakness, and I think Crystal Snail fits in that category. If you have Magnet Mine, you won't have much trouble. But even then, I love how the weapon interacts with Crystal Snail. He explodes out of his shell and slams into the wall, taking damage. Then it's like he starts panicking, running back to get into his shell. You can troll him at this point and knock his shell around, making him jump after it like a loser while you keep hitting him with Magnet Mine. It's an easy fight at that point, but damn if it isn't satisfying.

STAGE
6. Factory Stage (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRdAV2Hlv2o

Playing this stage after defeating Chill Penguin freezes the lava throughout. I think that's a real shame because literally everyone fights Chill Penguin first to get the dash boots. I honestly wonder how many people out there have played this stage several times without ever actually seeing the lava. I certainly didn't until I started playing randomizers and doing levels out of my usual order. The lava really adds a lot. Early on, you can't just dash underneath the conveyor belts and crushers, you have to engage with the broken robots and dodge your way through. Then, later on, lava bursts out from the ground and cuts holes in platforms. I'm not a huge fan of the room filled with miners tossing pick-axes, there are way too many of them. However, if you thoroughly explore it, you're rewarded with an upgrade on the back wall, which is nice. Mostly, I think I just wanted to give this level a high ranking because the lava deserved some recognition after being frozen in most people's playthroughs.

SONG
6. Wheel Gator (Dinosaur Tank Theme) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-BeeC6D7Xc

This song gives such a feeling of urgency, and I really love that. The Dinosaur Tank stage is flying through a city wreaking havoc, and you're fighting your way through trying to stop it before more innocent people are hurt. This fast-paced tune is perfect for it right from the start. My favorite part is around 0:15 where it slows down for a bit and gets a bit darker, for lack of a better term. This is a perfect fit for the stage, which (since it hasn't been ranked yet) is one I obviously have a lot of love for.

I don't mind! Any comments are good considering how dead this ranking has been. I at least hope a few people are following along, even if there isn't as much to say as I hoped there would be, lol

The ship with the boxes is pretty easy, but it comes right after you find the new ride armor and I enjoy smashing the boxes. I just enjoy exploring the area too, I dunno. It felt like it had enough variety to me!

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/6ceb9b85.jpg

7. Armored Armadillo (Mega Man X)

I mentioned before that I've been playing randomizers of MMX1-3, and the one I play has a glitch with Armored Armadillo. Usually, you can hit him with Electric Spark to knock off his armor and make the fight considerably easier. That lets you shoot him even when he's bouncing around, and he can no longer absorb your charged shots and fire them back at you. Honestly, as a kid, I never fought Armored Armadillo with buster only. This glitch forced me to, and it gave me a new appreciation for the fight. Suddenly, you need to focus on staying alive, because buster only makes this fight a drawn-out affair.

Armored Armadillo often bounces around while invulnerable, but it's so chaotic and you need to stay so focused that I don't mind that I can't hurt him. Then he starts shooting. If you fire a normal buster, he blocks it with his armor. You need to charge up and shoot him... but then he absorbs it and fires it back at you. I kept trying again and again, wondering how the hell am I supposed to beat this guy? Then I figured it out! You need to charge up, shoot him, let him absorb it... then charge up and shoot him again right as he fires the blast back at you. If you jump at the same time, you dodge his shot and he gets hit by yours. The fight is still long, but damn if it isn't satisfying to learn this guy's pattern, discover his weakness, and slowly whittle him down. It felt like figuring out a Dark Souls boss. I loved it.

STAGE
7. Weapons Factory Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywcewlICLX8

The video I linked skipped the ride armor early on, but you can grab some and use it in the conveyor belt section. Damn, I love ride armor, so getting to use it for an extended area is great. The level's miniboss, a holographic shuriken, reminds me of the holographic sword in Magna Centipede's stage in X2, which is a plus. However, it's the outdoor section that really makes this level great in my opinion. So many levels are mostly linear. This outdoor section with the weapon warehouses actually offers and rewards exploration if you blast through walls and floors to discover a new ride armor. Then you can use it to destroy boxes being loaded into an airship, which removes them from Gravity Beetle's level. That's the only way that beating one level impacts another in MMX3, and I love it, I wish that mechanic was used more. Basically, this stage has everything: fun individual sections, long ride armor sections, exploration, a satisfying miniboss, and beating it changes something in another level. No complaints.

SONG
7. Wire Sponge (Weather Control Center Theme) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYtODpCAg4g

This song has such a nice blend of instruments. I like how many distinct sections there are. It opens with a kind of low and ominous tune, then gets more upbeat around around 0:13, only to go progressively lower around 0:21, and then it goes up and down a bit more before repeating. The two distinct feelings of the song fit well with the level, since the Weather Control Center also switches between sunshine and storm. I like that thematic touch, even if I lack the musical knowledge to really explain it. Give the song a listen, you'll see what I mean! Some parts of the song fit a heatwave, others fit a rainstorm.

Even if no one posts, the ranking will continue!

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d442650a.jpg

8. Toxic Seahorse (Mega Man X3)

The strategy I learned to use against Toxic Seahorse is that it's best not to jump. He's always hopping around the stage, and it's easier to dash under him rather than try and jump over him. Other than hopping around, his main attack is to launch a ball of acid that bounces around leaking droplets, so you need to watch out for that as well. I enjoy tracking the two threats and picking the right moments to dash and where to stand. Overall, this just feels like a fair fight that's satisfying to figure out and overcome. More than that, I enjoy Toxic Searhorse's aesthetic. Towards the end of the fight, he melts into acid to move around, which looks super cool. It's like he's made of liquid metal!

STAGE
8. Giant Dam Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUfWUMJAHRc

This stage starts with the great climb up through the flowing sewers. Filthy water pushes you down walls or towards edges on floors, and there's a gauntlet of enemies along the way. Then, you have a chance to use the underwater frog ride armor to explore a big open area near the dam. I love searching big areas in these games. This one has multiple routes, one requiring you to destroy some big fans. Then you can either jump perfectly with the frog ride armor or use Blizzard Buffalo's charged up weapon to ride ice to the surface and get a few upgrades. I also like the miniboss, even if it's on the easy side. This is just a fun underwater level that feels great to explore.

SONG
8. Bubble Crab (Deep-Sea Base Stage) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOe3baIm3Ys

This song has the perfect aquatic vibe. Right from the first second it has a catchy tune, which almost sounds melancholic. It ramps up decently through the different parts. At 0:18 it hits its stride, and I really love this section. It's energetic and intense, for lack of a better term. I love listening to this song while fighting the big fish robot. It's hard to put into words any other way than that this song makes me think of a water level, and it's great.