Let's face it. MMBN4, Red Sun, was probably the worst in the entire MMBN (GBA) library. It had some nice features, like the emotions and the darkchips, and best of all, the soul unison system. However, the game itself felt rushed and boring. So, when the fifth installment was announced, many fans must have been nervous as to what Capcom would do. Well, have no fear, MMBN, Team Colonal is here. The first addition you'll notice is that the graphics have signifigantly improved. There are a ton more animations in this game than in previous installments. This is shown off in the liberation missions, where Capcom went to the trouble of making sprites for each team member, running in all eight directions, along with the battle sprites. Capcom did not take the easy way out in the graphics department. In fact, one of the mugshots at the end of the game is incredable... Just looking at it, it's a piece of art. The one I'm talking about is the one that's all blue, that's a hint for those who are confused. Anyway, the graphics are a ton better than before. Now, what's a liberation mission? Why, it's one of the greatest new features, of course. Liberation missions have you controling different navis, and using them to "liberate" dark panels. It's like a strategy game meets MMBN. When you "liberate" panels, you fight viruses, but you have to be quick or you'll fail the liberation. There are a ton of twists thrown at you, such as traps, special abilities and even two-way battles, where you have 6 panels in the middle, and your opponant can jump back and forth on the surrounding panels. These two-way battles can be very challenging, and you can turn around using the L or R button (since the custom gauge automaticly activates when filled) The goal of the liberation missions is to kill a boss character. If you're confused, I'm not going to explain the battle system of a MMBN game, go look it up somewhere. As you'd expect from a MMBN game, there are new battlechips, and you can trade and battle with friends. There are also 6 new souls in each game, and they are well-balenced. Now, there is one thing I need to point out: This game is a bit short compared to other MMBN games. Fortunatly, there is a fair share of stuff to do once you've beaten the game, but the main story is short. Additionally, the battles are very fair. In one battle, you must fight Tomahawkman, and at first I had no idea what was going on. However, his attacks are very fair. When he is going to use his extremely powerful Tomahawk swing, he gives you enough time to dodge it. In other words, you don't have to play a boss a million times and memorize it's attack pattern to win, the game is forgiving. Soundwise, Capcom has made a handful of new songs, including a new song for the ACDC area, which is quite nice. There are a ton of additional sound effects you wouldn't expect to be put in the game, but they are there anyway, and are a welcome addition anyway. An example of this is the sound a dog makes when you interact with it. The dog barks, and it sounds like a real dog. Additionally, the game is more realistic. The characters will not just stand around and wait to be killed off in the cut-scenes, they are quite fluid. Unlike in previous BN games, they actually have brains, and use them. This is a great thing. It also sets up the plot, the enemy won't just sit around and let you counter their plan, they actually make an unsuccessful attempt at stopping you at the very begining of the game. The plot is great, and there are many plot twists to keep your attention. The best in the MMBN series, T(O)C perfectly fills the expectations of all MMBN fans, with a few added twists. If you haven't played a MMBN game before, this isn't the best place to start, but it's a fun game nevertheless.
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