Upon arriving at the aquarium Lan and Troll-Boy learn to their dismay that the building is closed, but will be open the next day (which is a Saturday--so why would an aquarium be closed on a Friday afternoon?) However, during that time, they witness the firing of a pirate who handled the aquarium show. The pirate goes on to complain how the management doesn't appreciate real entertainment and storms off. Thinking absolutely nothing of this, Lan and Troll boy make plans to return the next day.
Lan shows up late, and Troll-Boy complains about how the penguin tried to cuddle with him. After this moving speech, they enter the aquarium and return the penguin to the manager. The manager is so delighted that he offers the boys a free pass for the day. Yeah, I know it's a shitty reward, but Lan and Troll-Boy are blown away by the offer. After seeing all ten or so of the different species of aquatic life, the boys watch the Aquarium's show. This amazing spectacle includes an elephant seal bouncing a ball on its nose and the lady hosting the show riding a dolphin.
After the show, as the boys are leaving the aquarium, Troll-Boy makes a big thing about not wanting to see the penguin before they go. It seems he'd grown quite attached to it after their one night stand and just can't bear to say goodbye. Immediately after they leave, however, a pirhana jumps up in the fountain water, sharks appear in the pool surrounding the aquarium, and all hell breaks loose. All the animals, including alligators, have escaped from their cages.
Troll-Boy rushes in to check on his penguin and Lan runs in after him. Lan finds Troll-Boy heroically defending the penguins from a stationary alligator with a broom, while the aquarium manager is cornered inside a cage (why in the hell did he go in there?) by another stationary alligator. The manager tells Lan that their only hope is to ring the dinner alarm which is controlled by the central computer. The animals know that when the alarm rings it's feeding time.
This is why most prisons have manual locks on the doors.
Well, Lan runs on over to the central computer but his way is blocked by the elephant seal. He searches to find the ball the seal played with during the show in order to distract it and finds it in the bottom of the pool. Completely inflated. I love this game so hard right now. Who needs logic, plot, or sense when you can just make shit up as you go along and people will buy the game anyway? The movies have it all wrong, kids aren't smarter than adults in their innocent wisdom, they're stupid just like the rest of us. They'll watch anything so long as cool shit happens. Hell, I loved He-Man growing up and that cartoon was about the most wildy ludicrous show ever.
Anyway, not only is there an inflated beach ball in the bottom of a pool, but it's also filled with Jellyfish. Here's another amazing leap in logic, not just regarding the jellyfish, but all the fish. How big are these fucking pipes? I can see how they may be fish sized, but shark, dolphin, and jellyfish sized? That's brilliant!
So, Lan is screwed, he can't enter the pool because he'll be stung by the jellyfish. Lan runs out to find something that can help him get the ball. As he's leaving he sees this mysterious girl who appears out of nowhere then disappears. I dub her Ghost-Girl. Lan runs out of the aquarium and sees her standing on the roof and pointing toward the left of the screen and then she disappears. Lan looks to where she pointed and lo and behold there is a robot that Mega Man can embody and run around in the real world.
This is actually introduced earlier in the game and I missed mentioning it. Cyber Town has designed these robots that Navi's can enter into and interact in the real world with one caveat: no weapons.
This robobody allows Mega Man to enter the pool unharmed (!) and bring to surface the beach ball. Mega Man then leaves the body as the be batteries are about to run out and Lan gets the seal to move out of the way by having him play with the ball.
Now, finally inside the aquarium control room, Lan finds the Pirate standing on top of some pipes. The pirate believes he's created the ultimate in entertaiment by having the cages unlocked. I can see where he's coming from; I know that having my life in danger and shitting my pants in terror is far more entertaining than watching an enormous seal bounce a ball on its nose.
Anyway, Lan jacks in the computer despite the pirate's protestations and warnings about his own evil Navi, Dive Man. Mega Man enters into the aquarium's control computer and the first order of business is making sure the proper "fish programs" go into the proper cages. None of the prgrams remember what fish they are, but they remember totally obvious clues. However, it's not as easy as simply returning them to their cages. No, when returning them, one has to run through a maze while being chased by Shark programs that will return the fish programs to their original locations. It's sort of like a neat combination of Pac Man and a pain in the ass.
Once Mega Man returns all 10 programs to their proper cages he moves on to fight Dive Man. In an epic battle of good versus submarine, Mega Man comes out the victor. However, the Pirate is pissed and puts poor Lan in peril. As he's about to put the beat on Lan, in comes the seal, his ball, two penguins at his side, and the emperor penguin on his head barrelling toward the Pirate saving Lan from a fate worse than playing this game.
Troll-Boy finally says goodbye to his penguin friend and many tears are shed. Our heroes return home and that night, Lan has a nightmare. . .
To be continued!!!
1 comment:
Another superb entry, Stan. This game is rife with subtleties, as I'm sure you already know.
I mean, the main character is called LAN. And it's all about the Internet. Get it? Lan? That's so incredibly hilarious!
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