And it's time for the second half of MMZ2 to begin.
---------------------
First, let's take a look at the upcoming missions:
How can I help you?
>BEGIN MISSION
I'll bet that Elpizo is in one of these areas.
As you can see, the next part features rematches with the 3 surviving guardians and....some sort of frog robot. Let's start out with what I consider the most logical starting point; Harpuia.
This is the crystal cave where the bombardment aircraft that we destroyed has crashed... Elpizo seems to have been there to look for something, but I don't know what it is...
Then how the hell can she even be sure he's looking for something? Maybe he just likes the scenery out there.
Since the area is very close to our base, I asked some resistance soldiers to look for Elpizo. I don't know if they can manage by themselves. Will you help them?
Once again, it looks like we're stuck babysitting a bunch of resistance red shirts. Let's get this over with.
>Yes
No
*generic trans server conversation goes here*
*generic trans server conversation goes here*
The IFF beacon that Elpizo was looking for is... Used for Neo Arcadia radar to identify friend or enemy... I know you need one when you want to sneak into an enemy base, without letting them notice you...
Basically it's a disguise that makes it look like your plane/truck/ship/whatever look like one of Neo Arcadia's. Having one lets you fool the defenses into thinking you're one of theirs.
But I don't understand why he is trying to do that...
This beacon does ONE THING, and you have NO IDEA what he's intending to do with it. Brilliant scientist, amirite?
---------------------------
And that concludes this update. Yeah, there's more social scripts in there, but those will wait until a future update. I'm lazy like that. See you next time when I squish a frog.
And now, MORE SCRIPT DUMP. Feel free to skip past this whole mess.
---------------------------
First up, Cerveau
Zero, it seems very noisy in the base, what's happening? ...What? Elpizo? He is dangerous. he should be the first person you locate!
Zero, catch Elpizo as soon as possible. Before it is too late...
Well it's good to see that I'm not the only person who sees that Elpizo is a complete psycho. Let's see how those gunners fared during the invasion.
To tell the truth... My hand on the trigger was trembling when I saw a bombardment aircraft. Though I'm a resistance soldier... I'm ashamed to admit it...
This guy might look tough, but he's actually pretty soft. Much like the rest of the resistance. I'm tired of these reploids, let's go look at some porn.
Ciel isn't there, and the elves are absent. I didn't feel like taking another screenshot.
Computer : Boot complete. Do you want to know?
>YES
Request accepted. What do you want?
>X
X is... A Reploid who was a famous Maverick Hunter. After he ended
the Maverick Wars, he created Neo Arcadia in hope of creating a
lasting peace. However, he went missing and his location is still
unknown... If Cyber-elf X is real... Then the body of the original X
should still exist somewhere.
Foreshadowing? I think so! It also casts a bit of doubt on whether or not Cyber Elf X is the real one. Which can really fuck with your head if you start thinking about that possibility.
>FOUR GUARDIANS
The Four Guardians are Harpuia, Fefnir, Leviathan and Phantom.
They are designed based upon parts of the original X. Three of the
Guardians have attributes like Thunder, Flame, or Ice. However,
Phantom blew himself up in a fight against Zero a year ago.
Well that was depressingly brief. Wait, didn't we see Doight outside earlier? Let's see what he's up to.
Oh, hello Zero. I heard you're doing great. It's all thanks to the weapons that Cerveau developed! ...Well, I shouldn't say that because you might get mad.
Because energy weapons don't kill people. I kill people. With energy weapons.
Cerveau and I are making weapons for all the resistance soldiers. But, it's just too much work for the two of us...
So they're understaffed. Noted. Next stop, Alouette.
Zero! What became of Elpizo? No one tells me anything about him...
Probably because he's supposed to stay away from children. He really seems like a child rapist. I mean, check that fucking grin.
You know, I found a new Baby Elf in Ciel's room. But it has gone somewhere with Crea... I wanted to name it Prea... Umm, well... Anyway do you think that they will be back?
>YES...
Yahoo! I think they will be back, too!
>NO...
Why do you say that? I hate you!
Choose your own response! The thing to take from this is that Alouette is naming the elves. This slightly contradicts some other stuff. More on that momentarily.
I want Ciel to show me the Baby Elves again!
Okay, that's over. Now let's post some audio drama translation that provides some backstory. This appears to be set just after Hyleg's stage.
Some things to take from this:
Books are now seen as relics. Information is now primarily a digital affair.
Trans servers need to be very precise with coordinates. Otherwise you can end up inside a wall. Which is quite nasty. Given how you can only Trans Serv to areas of NA you've been to, that appears to be the logic behind why they can't just teleport you into the main base (you tend to TS in areas outside the enemy base in all levels, and there are scouting parties that likely exist purely for this reason).
Schools are segregated into human and reploid schools. Possibly due to strained relations, possibly due to the huge gulf between their abilities.
Alouette refers to Andrew as "Grandfather". Given the circumstances and Japan's weird tendency, this doesn't really mean he's her actual grandfather. The figurative translation coincides with that. It's also highly doubtful Ciel is her sister.
Andrew was drafted into the military after his teaching career. It appears that reploids have to deal with this pretty frequently.
Dande was most likely killed during Operation Righteous Strike.
Okay, that's enough of that. Now let's do more talk. To Pic the Dick!
New comer, did you come here to listen to my sarcastic comment? By the way, what's going on with Commander Elpizo? Shouldn't you catch him as soon as possible?
[I]So that makes two people that make Elpizo sounds like some sort of criminal. It appears ORS ruined his image.[I]
Hey, why are you working so hard? Do you think you can change this world by yourself? If you think so, you are the happiest man in the world.
He said, to Zero the most unhappy and morose character in this series. To Hirondelle...
Hey, Zero! You Know what? In the center part of Neo Arcadia, there is a very huge tree, which I have never seen anywhere else. Behind its root, you may find something important. However, it's not easy for you to get there. Due to the fact that the area is protected by many buildings.
Sounds like a final dungeon, eh?
Actually, this is just a rumor that I heard from someone else. So I guess it just depends on your belief in rumors...
You know what they say about rumors in video games...
What's up, Zero? Did you already find Elpizo? I can't understand what he wants...
What do any of us TRULY want. Yeah, I'm just trying to be philosophical to speed this along. ONWARD!
(There's a long long talk with Andrew here. But I recorded that later. So....yeah. If anyone would prefer to read it I'll post it. Otherwise....
Zero! How about Elpizo? Elpizo... If he resigns from commander, I want to succeed to him. Being an operator is good, but being a commander is the best!
Oh Hibou, you and your grandiose aspirations. Someday your fat ass will be running this joint.
Are you looking for something too, Zero? Ah, you're looking for Elpizo... But he isn't here!
Yeah, I have a feeling the military blunderer hasn't set foot in a library in his life...
Zero... When you finish your job, help me tidy up this shelf. I can't reach the higher place... I had hoped that Autruche in the storage room would have to do this instead of me...
And that settles it. Perroquiet was type cast because she's a nerdy looking girl reploid. Speaking of Autruche...
Hello, Mr. Zero. You came to listen to my complaints? Oh, you shouldn't do that... It will just make you feel blue...
*resists urge to switch to X-form*
Even for me, I don't have so much complaining. Well, if I force myself... The amount of Energy Crystal I get a day is the same as Perroquet. That doesn't make sense.
Since E-Crystals can work like food too, that means they're eating the same amount. Also, they have the same wage and would probably like to swap jobs. Clearly the management here is horrible at delegating duties.
Hey, Zero! It must be so difficult. Once I met him, I immediately felt that there was something wrong with him. Therefore, I don't want to work under him!
You don't want to work under ANYONE Menart. Lazy son of a bitch.
The first priority is to catch him.
and that pretty much covers it. Phew. I'm somewhat happy when people die because then I don't have to post their endless blathering later. Anywho, that's the base dialogue in part 2. Now I can go back to limiting myself to the teleporter room and the missions.
This must be the ruins of the lost civilization which Neo Arcadia has been administrating. This area is considered to be forbidden land, where even the Neo Arcadian citizens are not allowed to enter... I don't understand why Elpizo went there...
What is this lost civilization, and how is it involved with anything? It's never explained. The best we can infer is that they're probably one of the cities that got wiped out during the Elf Wars/Maverick Wars due to this seemingly being near the area we fought Hyleg in (which contained a sealed baby elf).
Will you go there?
We have no choice
*Generic teleport dialogue*
*Generic teleport dialogue*
The Dark Elf... A key to unlock the seal... Invincible power...I'm not sure... What's Elpizo is up to...?
Clearly it involves mass murder. CLEARLY.
I believe it's wrong to bring peace to the world with power. Please, Zero... Please stop him!
With extreme prejudice? I'm just going to assume you said that.
------------------------------
If anyone's curious about what happened to those brainwashed soldiers from Harpuia's level, they're fine. If you head back to the base at this point you'll find them in the various barracks styled rooms that were previously uninhabited.
Tune in next time when I make a return trip to the Antarctic circle.
This is Neo Arcadia's computer facility in Antarctica. You have destroyed most of it, but some of the systems are still alive. Elpizo seems to be trying to find out the secret code to go into the facilities in Neo Arcadia... I wonder if he intends to break into Neo Arcadia alone... Will you go there?
*Generic teleport text*
*generic teleport text*
Elpizo seems to have acquired the secret code. The secret code can unlock a door to the highest security area in Neo Arcadia... I guess... The Dark Elf is sealed there...
Looks like we failed to catch Elpizo. AGAIN. And he's gotten away with another piece of the puzzle. Wonderful. Before we chase him further, I've got some sidequesting to do. First off, I should probably take out that miniboss I skipped back in Harpuia's level.
And then there's those cyber elves. I'm opting out of doing screenshots. I may stop doing those altogether or even stop showing me grabbing this stuff at all. Beats me. We'll see if amd when I actually get around to doing Z3.
And that's that. Tune in next time when I wipe out the final remaining guardian and his bullshit level.
This is a redundant factory. But I guess they reconstructed it, and it was working on a small scale... Why this place, anyway? What did Elpizo go to this factory for? I don't understand. Still, one thing I'm certain is that it's too dangerous to act alone. Please stop him.
Mission commencing... Everyone, prepare for the transfer.
We are now ready to transfer... Transfer start!
I wish you good luck
*generic transfer in text*
He seems to have stolen a transport from the factory. It's true that you can't travel to Neo Arcadia by a portable Trans Server, but... Elpizo does intend to sneak into Neo Arcadia alone!
So Elpizo is apparently going to wage war on the Neo Arcadians inside a giant ladybug jet. That's...kinda lame.
Hee hee hee hee. You couldn't stop me, Mr. Zero.
I don't like where this is going.
Transmission through a secret line. According to the ID signal... It's Commander Elpizo!
I REALLY don't like where this is going
Switch it to the main monitor!
That's probably the most disturbing image I've seen all week. And believe me, I've seen some shit, man.
Guess where I am, Mr. Zero.
Disney world? Right next to Waldo? Hanging with Carmen Sandiago in the Bahamas? Right behind me?
Surprise, surprise... I'm in the deepest core of Neo Arcadia...
That...was going to be my next guess.
I'm in the room where the Dark Elf is resting. This is where even the high executives are prohibited to enter. Hee hee hee.
Yup. knew I had a bad feeling. I guess Elpizo pays no heed to the "Do Not Enter" signs.
First, I'll awaken the Dark Elf... Next, I'll destroy the Original X... Then I will be able to obtain the true power of the Dark Elf...
Why do villains always feel the need to spell out their master plans? It looks like his goal is the Original X.
Hee hee hee... I'm going... I'm going to gain the ULTIMATE POWER! Um? It's you... X... I'm not afraid of you.
Clearly, he's not afraid of robotic ghosts.
You can't move while you are sealing the Dark Elf. You'd better take care of the Baby Elves...
Otherwise child services will take away your baby elves.
... What? What are you doing? No... Stop it...! Don't bother me, X!!
Why does it sound like X is raping Elpizo right now?
Meeeeee!
Hey, don't go, Baby Elf!! I won't... Give in...! Arghhhhh!
*The entire world trembles and shakes. The world loses focus. The screen temporarily becomes pixilated similar to how it looks when you use a hacker elf. Ciel falls to her knees.*
What was that?
*X floats down from the ceiling. He projects his human form, which appears even more unstable and blurry than usual*
At last he has made his way to the sacred vault of Neo Arcadia... Worse, he has damaged the seal of her.
Am I supposed to be able to know what the hell he's talking about? Let's just assume it's X being weird again.
The Dark Elf...
I'm sorry... My voice couldn't seem to draw off his attention...
A siren you ain't. X.
But she... ... They call her a Dark Elf.
THANK YOU. Finally filling me in on at least some details. Even if it's something we already figured out.
She is not fully awake yet... With my remaining power, I'm still trying not to wake her up... Please, Zero... Come to Neo Arcadia... And please stop him... Zero...
*X fades back to his cyber elf form and flies away quickly*
Ciel. Trans me now.
I know you want to be a girl Zero (I mean, that hair, REALLY NOW?), but is now the time for this? Oh, you mean TRANS. Gotcha.
We can't transfer you directly to the core of Neo Arcadia... ... ... ... But if you go, we can transfer you somewhere around the main entrance... Though it's very dangerous... But... Zero!
It's never easy.
Don't worry... I'm sure... I can work it out.
No time for plans, let's just fly by the seat of our pants here.
We are now ready to transfer... Transfer start!
*Zero teleports out*
Zero... ... ...
More names with ellipses...
And that's the starting point for the final dungeon. We've got quite a way to go before the conclusion. This vault is quite secure.
If only you weren't limited to using 3 per level that could've been a reality. The only place you can equip elves is the hub area.
As for taking 3 powerful elves into that area, I sort of did that part off camera to grab the Ultimate form for my NG+ playthrough.
It was essentially me using the uber broken "All enemies are Mets" with "Eliminate all small enemies" combo to wipe out the entire non-boss population of the level, with one "Boss HP 1/2" elf kept in reserve to cut Elpizo down to size. I cleared the whole thing in about half the time of my recorded run even with serious room for improvement.
On the plus side, it seems even Capcom realized the potential for hilarity. That's what MMZ3's cyberspace is for. Glorious, glorious overkill.
And now we begin the long stretch to the finish line. A five, count 'em, five level final dungeon.
-------------------------
*generic teleport text*
Zero! I'm glad that you are fine... Thank you very much for your effort. Please, just rest for a while.
You know, I think this update wasn't quite long enough. I think this calls for some Elpizo flashbacks.
Some stuff to take from this:
-In Neo Arcadia, Reploids do not have names. They're identified by serial number. With some exceptions (the Guardians, X). When Alouette claims that Ciel named her, that's likely an indicator that up until that point she had a number. This was probably tied to the whole "robots are second class citizens" thing.
- Elpizo has a huge hardon for order. Seriously.
- Elpizo's name comes from "Project Elpis". Or Project Elpizo, as it'd most likely appear in a localized format. It's a bit too soon to fill out the full details (as it's central to the plot of the next game), but clearly major characters are involved, the elves are central to it, it's a pretty big secret that only the higher ups in NA are in on, and the revelation of what it involves didn't exactly help TK-31's mental state.
You are about to go to the first area of Neo Arcadia... It's the temple of flame.
*generic teleport text*
Please don't overstrain yourself...
Nhwooooohhh!! What's the problem! Even though I had powered up, I'm no match for you!
Ha ha, impotence.
I... I won't give up... Someday... I will destroy you for sure!!! Just you wait!
I've set a coordinate axis... Now you can return here anytime you want... So please to the base once. Please... Zero.
*Zero teleports out*
*generic teleport text*
Zero, thank you for your efforts. But don't take it too far...If something should happen to you... I...
Ciel, her sweetness is only surpassed by her extreme nerdiness. Well, this was surprisingly short. I guess I need to pad these a bit more. Fortunately I prepared for just such an occasion.
A brief look into the administrative setup of Neo Arcadia, and some slight foreshadowing. It also gives a little bit of backstory on the gradual nature of Copy X's plan and how not everyone agreed with it. This would occur sometime during Z1, and just after the previously posted audio file.
Time to do that Ice Temple; Part 3 of the 5 part final area. Which, thankfully, doesn't have to be done in one shot. It's nice to see they don't subscribe to the Wily Fortress concept of final levels that much, even if they are still using a lot of his architecture.
----------------------------------------
You are about to go to the second area of Neo Arcadia... It's the temple of ice. Can you do it?
YES WE CAN
*generic teleport text*
Huh huh huh... I'm getting worse than ever... The only thing I can take seriously is... Fighting with you. But... I'm happy. I'll keep going... Dreaming that I can destroy you someday... See you... soon...
If it weren't for lines like this, I probably wouldn't have such a thorough belief that in the world of MMZ, EVERYONE has a crush on Zero. Seriously, everyone wants him. Even the villains. Even other species. EVEN THE MEN. And it's clearly gotten worse since Z1.
I've set a coordinate axis... Now you can return here anytime you want... So please to the base once. Please... Zero.
*Zero teleports out*
Zero! Are you OK? I'm sorry that I asked you to risk your life...
And now is when you start feeling bad? You've been making us do that ever since you found us. You haven't stopped doing it since. That was the whole reason you brought us back from the dead in the first place. AND YOU LEFT US FOR DEAD AFTER Z1, YOU BITCH.
Hmm, not quite long enough again. Well, I guess that's why I have this:
(Somewhat hard to read, but it was the only one I had linked in yonder text file that I make notes in. Try going full screen, I guess. Or Follow along here. Just scroll down to Record 2, preferably without skimming the first entry, as spoilers abound, if that happens to be a problem..)
Some stuff to note:
- Even though Elpizo discovered several of Neo Arcadia's dirty little secrets, he was still patriotic and would have simply forgotten about it, as per Harpuia's orders.
- There was a serious coverup of information regarding this sunken city. This city was likely submerged during one of the numerous disasters that occurred throughout the centuries. A level is set there in Z3.
- The energy rations were getting extremely tight during the energy crisis. Energy= reploid food. When they don't have enough, they lose the ability to function (IE: Hibou in Z1)
- Harpuia appears to be heavily involved in the internal workings of NA law. If this were the X series, he'd likely be one of the high level Maverick Hunters in terms of what he does. IE: Signas. He also seems to function as a leader within the Guardians. This comes into play after Copy X dies since Hapruia suddenly becomes the leader.
- The resistance has spies within Neo Arcadia. HE-22 being one of them.
- Elpizo acquired Crea (the cyber elf Ciel started her research on) during the Resistance invasion of NA during the end of MMZ1. He failed to nab Prea during this time, but it does show how the Resistance knew where it was.
- He appears to have chosen to take the name of Project Elpis/Elpizo as some sort of reminder for why he's fighting. Project Elpizo being an extreme form of Reploid oppression. Being that he's very much in favor of a reploid equivalent of sorts, that could also be part of it.
- He was nuts long before his mental break during the intermission. He was just better able to hide it. Then again, what happened didn't exactly help any either...
And that's the end of the pertinent Audio Dramas for Z2. Looks like I'll have to stop being lazy and begin typing out overanalytical bullshit and begin dumping NPC text again if I want these updates to be of decent length/have adequate content. Oh boy.
And that's another update out of the way. Next up, the penultimate level: The Temple of Wind.
We are nearing the end of days, people. By which I mean I should have this wrapped up in ~3 more posts. Why 3? Because three is a nice number.
------------------------------------
Temple of Wind. KGO.
You are about to go to the third area of Neo Arcadia... It's the temple of wind. This is the last area before the Arcadia capital. Want to go there?
Of course. Otherwise this game will never end.
*Generic teleport text*
*The two baby elves fly out of Harpuia and flee. Harpuia crumbles to his knees*
H... hurry, Zero... Protect Master X... and the world... from him...
Clearly, this is what was mentioned by Hirondelle earlier. This "great tree" with something special hidden there? X's Tomb.
I undrrstand... Leave it to me.
Zero's pretty non talkative in this entry, even compared to Z1. I blame his year of wandering the desert alone.
I've set a coordinate axis... Now you can return here anytime you want... So please to the base once. Please... Zero.
*Zero teleports out*
*generic teleporting in text*
Zero! I was so very worried about you... Soon, you'll be able to reach the deepest part of Neo Arcadia, where Dark Elf is sealed.
Thank you Ciel for stating the obvious. Where would we be without you?
Now, how about one last stroll around the resistance base for shits and giggles?
Starting with our old friend Ciel's computer
>DARK ELF
The Dark Elf is a special type of Cyber-elf created to bring the
Maverick Wars to end... X used it and the wars quickly ended...
After that, it was stolen by someone, and then the Dark Elf brought
about the Elf Wars. Dark Elf... Power Unknown... Unknown...
Unknown... Unknown... ERROR: Termination commencing...
>ELPIZO
Elpizo once worked for Neo Arcadia. Then he rebelled against Neo
Arcadia and built up the Resistance Base. Presently, he has
abandoned the Resistance Base because he has become enchanted by
the power of the Dark Elf... His location is unknown...
And since we're in the area, let's drop in on Q. Err....Cerveau.
Zero... I believe you. That means that I will do any hard studies and tests for you. Just please promise me you will come back alive.
It seems he's as devoted to helping us as ever. Thankfully without any of the creepiness his last lines in Z1 had. Yeck, the memories. MAKE IT STOP.
I don't mean to brag, but... We're very proud of the weapons we made. So, you'd better believe in yourself.
Don't believe in yourself, believe in me who believes in your weapons. I'm aware I ignore Rocinolle, but she really doesn't have much of anything to say about anything in this game.
My Crea and Prea... Zero, when my Baby Elves will be back?
I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back....
Zero... I feel lonely...
Dammit Alouette, you're not supposed to soften a man's heart like that. Least of all a metallic soldier's heart.
You are amazing. Even someone as great as myself has respect for you. You might hate to listen to me, but good luck!
You're such a prick, Pic. Psst, your ego is showing.
I know that you can destroy Neo Arcadia... I'll always be watching you from here.
Or you could, y'know, HELP ME. Lazy bastard.
Hey, young man. You are beginning to look like that legendary hero. I feel so...
Constipated? It'd be hilarious if I were wearing the X form during this talk. Also, Zero actually looks just like he did in Z1. The loss of his bulky armor with ginormous shoulder pads was purely an art style shift.
There will be many difficulties, but you will be able to do it. Good luck, young man.
See? Now this senile old coot gets it. Nice pep talk, old man.
*Note: there's a lot of generic soldiers about to talk to. One of them offers to help (how very nice of him) but points out that it's impossible to simultaneously teleport multiple people to Neo Arcadia. I guess it's just an excuse, since one at a time transport would still be feasible.
Zero... I didn't think that the Baby Elves were dangerous elves... Ciel believes that she can improve the energy shortage, but... Anyway, I'm glad that Ciel is doing well.
You know what else can solve an energy crisis? Nuclear power. Just because it's useful doesn't make it SAFE. But in any event, she's right about this being a great way to solve NA's energy woes.
The power of the elves will destroy even Neo Arcadia... The arbitrary action of a commander Reploid is... The change in Elpizo is... It is in many ways similar to the record of the one Reploid, who caused the Maverick Wars... Please, please stop Elpizo, or it will be too late!
To make a briefer version of her clumsy statement, Elpizo is acting just like Sigma. Which makes him an old school maverick (sans virus, but mavericks apparently existed before and after the virus that caused the maverick wars. The virus simply made the situation worseand more common.) I guess the thing to take away from this is that mavericks still exist to an extent, and one of them has clearly found its way into the resistance leadership. And was behaving in a pretty maverick type way, which sorta makes us the bad guys this time around, in a manner of speaking. When Neo Arcadia identifies the resistance as mavericks, they had a point during at least part of Elpizo's tenure.
Zero... You work so hard. I respect you because you're always trying your best.
Hey, at least someone appreciates all the work we do around here. Even if it is fatty fatty. Who, I am told, has no parents.
Mr. Zero. Good luck. Though I can't do anything for you...
As usual, you're useless. Begone from my sight.
Are you all right, Zero? You must never die... If you die, there are many people who will be very sad!
Wow, that was...err...really sweet Menart. And very out of character. I guess you've learned a little resp-
Can I borrow 5 bucks?
Bastard. Okay, not really. But it sounds like it's exactly what he'd do. In any case, it's not like Zero dying has had any effect on him thus far. I don't see why it'd start now.
And that's the end of that. Tune in next time when I track down some elves and finish what needs to be finished before I make a run at the inner sanctum of Neo Arcadia.
Before we hit Neo Arcadia, let's take a moment to hit up the last few levels and grab any remaining cyber elves. Because Elpizo can wait.
----------------------------------
And with that out of the way, how about we see just how powerful I could have been, assuming this wasn't a rank based run:
Yeah, 4 times the regular health bar amount. 8 times if you happen to like the defense form. 16 times if you count all those sub tanks. That is a shitload of health. Toss in our faster running speed, the single level buffs, health items providing twice as much health recovery, and you've got a significantly broken Zero on your hands even before the special bonus you get for all Cyber Elves (more on that in a later update).
And here's where you're probably thinking "hey, shouldn't you be making some sort of super long random bullshit post about how all of those names probably mean something?" Well yeah, that's the plan. So in a sequel to my original longwinded mythology ramble, I felt it appropriate to do the same now. But before beginning anything here, let's start with a refresher course of this game's boss lineup:
To begin with, let's hit Hyleg Ourobuckle . The first name: Hyleg is pretty straightforward. It's astrology related, which may possibly be a theme for this chunk of the game. The Ouro part is pretty clearly a reference to Ouroboros, which is clearly the reason for the snake inspirations on this boss. Depending on how you look into it, he could also be connected to Serpens or perhaps more accurately Ophiuchus. Although the connection there would probably be a lot more "his name is a semi reference to zodiac signs, and there happens to be a snake constellation that'd fit the bill. As for the species of snake, a closer inspection would appear to indicate some sort of cobra. One wishes Hyleg were a commander to make the joke that much more groan-tacular.
As for the sub boss, the Pinofeel, I'm tempted to say it's a reference to some variety of pinwheel that was horribly mangled. Given Hyleg's name, I'd probably be most inclined to go with a pinwheel galaxy for the reference source. Which doesn't really have much mythological bearings. But hey, the best other version I can come up with that isn't a reference to the toy nor the origami figure would be this. Which provides adequate sharp and pointy for this boss, but I don't think that fits either, so there you go.
With that out of the way, we hit Poler Kamrous. I couldn't find much to go here, aside from her being a polar bear. Which is strange, because polar bears are indigenous to the norther arctic, not the antarctic. If I really wanted to stretch it and try to make some sort of mythological reference work, I'd probably claim that Poler might be some sort of weird japanese pun on pole star. Which would sort of work since the most well known pole star is the north star, which happens to occur within Ursa Major which goes by some bear related pseudonyms and is quite literally translated as "large bear". And it happens to be located over the north pole, which is where one would find a polar bear. Anyone who's spent any considerable time with japanese media has probably come across some reference to this constellation at some point, with the big dipper being an especially popular place to point to. As an example, take Myoken. To attempt stretching it to the breaking point here, Myoken can be male or female (Poler is pretty androgynous), and happens to specialize in averting fire related disasters. Quite appropriate for an ice elemental boss who is weak to fire. As for Poler being a bear, the bear happens to be a pretty important religious symbol for many cultures, including some japanese.
Following that, we paid a visit to Panter Flauclaws. He's...a panther. And not that kind. But I guess black leopards are probably a significantly terrifying beast for the japanese. Not unlike sticking a lion in a western game. Mythology, who cares, it's a cat that throws the fuck DOWN. Although you could say that there being a panther related constellation would run with the star theme...
Finally, to wrap up the first boss grouping, we have Phenix Magnion. The pheonix bit should be clear, even if the design owes at least a little to the Eastern equivalent (check those tail feathers!). In keeping with the whole resurrection theme, it even provides a pretty cool attack by summoning long dead X series characters to the field:
And just to keep the constellation theme going, yup. As for the Magnion bit, I'm going to assume it's purely a reference to Magnesium. Which is appropriate since it's pretty damn flammable and hard as hell to extinguish. Although it could be a possible subtle case of awesome since the element Magnesium is located in the 12 slot of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodi...le of elements. And 12 shows up in religion/mythology all the damn time.
As for the hidden sub boss of Phoenix' stage, Gazami, he's just a Gazami crab. Wait, wasn't there a star related crab?.
Following that, we had our first new intermission boss: Kuwagust Anchus. I can't seem to think of/find anything here, so I'm just going to pin him on this developer's obvious love of large beatles and apparent fondness of kuwagata.
Following this, we entered the second phase with the forest of Notus. Which featured Burble Hekelot. I'm going to just assume Burble means bubble, and the reference is purely in the second name. Specifically, to Heqet. As for it being a frog, it seems obvious considering frogs are somewhat important in japanese culture (much like snakes, for that matter). Although in this case I have to allot several huge bonus points of badassery and awesome go to the language pun with the recycled level being a frog boss. With excellent language pun points for Burble replacing Phantom.
Eventually, we ended up meeting the armed phenomena of the 3 guardians. Fefnir has a large truck looking thing that spews fire (which seems appropriate given his mythological basis as a dragon), Leviathan transforms into a large sea creature that shoots dragons (again, quite appropriate and in this case Fairy seems to fit her normal form while Leviathan seems to go a bit more with her AP), and Harpuia turns into a giant bird-like jet with a human (well, reploid) face (quite appropriate, really).
At this point, you're probably wondering what Phantoms AP would've looked like. Well wonder no more:
As for why phantom didn't appear in that form, it's anyone's guess really. Maybe they wanted to spread the death out over the series, and make it a point that, yes, it's permanent. Kind of makes you wonder how it'd handle though. But fear not, the design wasn't so much scrapped as it was simply recycled into a later boss.
And while we're here, I should point out that Copy X's final form is sort of an AP. And originally it was quite a deal closer:
I guess they figured it looked a bit silly. Sadly, it doesn't make any appearances in the series. I am kind of curious as to how that boss would function, and they could've easily used it as a pantheon based sub boss (like the pantheon core of Z1, or the bosses like that who pop up later).
And now, to wrap this up, a little look at the impending final area: Yggdrasil. It has quite a deal of significance, even going as far as the name. The name is believed to be a reference to Odin (a god among gods) who hanged himself there. X, a repoid (which is pretty godlike itself) happens to be a legendary figure to the surviving population and has several god-based friends. And this happens to be his final resting place. The alternate name meaning could be "terror", which seems appropriate consider it also happens to be the sealing place for the Dark Elf, a being that has nearly destroyed the entire world. The Dark Elf itself fitting in with a mythological reference all its own. Generally speaking, Dark elves are evil demon like creatures that contrast their more good nature brethren that pop up in a couple mythologies, including the ongoing Norse example. The mythological tree is constantly in pain from being gnawed upon by Nidhoggr who is sometimes stated to be "sealed". X is constantly using his power to keep the dark elf from bursting out and consuming the world. It appears to cause him great pain. And for a slight bit of foreshadowing, remember how the world completely shook when Elpizo began to break the seal? One of the early signs of the end of the world is supposed to be Yggdrasil shuddering and groaning. And since this event helps kickstart the things to come....
At last... Here is the final area of... Neo Arcadia. Will you go...?
Yeah, no big briefing screen. Nothing more to say. Let's end this.
*Generic teleport text*
[I]As for the forms that haven't been shown: the proto form doubles your attack power, but you take twice as much damage. It has normal speed. Finally, there's the ultimate form, which you get from using all the elves. It's 50% better than the normal form at everything and allows you to used charged attacks without charging first.
I guess that's the end of that then. I'll be picking up Z3 at some point to keep this going. It's easily my favorite Zero series entry, so I'm sort of looking forward to replaying that. Until then I have some possible things in mind as far as future LPs go. So once I decide if/how to tackle that, I'll be doing something.
And now, there's nothing left to do but BURN THIS MOTHER DOWN. Good night everybody!
How can I help you?
Mission commencing... Everyone, prepare for the transfer.
We are now ready to transfer... Transfer start!
Hee hee hee hee. You couldn't stop me, Mr. Zero.
Guess where I am, Mr. Zero. 
Meeeeee!
At last he has made his way to the sacred vault of Neo Arcadia... Worse, he has damaged the seal of her.
The Dark Elf...
Nhwooooohhh!! What's the problem! Even though I had powered up, I'm no match for you! 
Huh huh huh... I'm getting worse than ever... The only thing I can take seriously is... Fighting with you. But... I'm happy. I'll keep going... Dreaming that I can destroy you someday... See you... soon...
H... hurry, Zero... Protect Master X... and the world... from him...
