Yay! We're going on a mission! Let's Play The Misadventures of Tron Bonne

When you played Mega Man Legends, did you ever wish that your favorite enemies from that game would have a game of their own someday?

Of course you didn't. No one could imagine something so awesome. But wait...!


There really is such a game! Let's play it. Let's Play...



Okay, I guess the Bonne family figures into this somehow as well. But make no mistake, this is primarily a game about Servbots. It's either a squad-based Servbot game, or maybe a Servbot management sim.

If you stay on the title screen a while, watching Servbots throw paper aircraft, you get a little cutscene that takes place right before the game's introductory level. The context is a little different, but it's mostly just information that we'll get from the intro level anyway.





Basically, the Bonnes have a fancy new airship, called the Gesellschaft. But it was real expensive, so they've gotta get busy plundering treasure. So let's get to that, why don't we.


(Notes:
#1: For a while I was having a lot of emulator problems with this game. I think I've worked around all of the ones that were making the game freeze up, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to play through the entire game. We'll see.
#2: This is my first try at one of these. Let me know if I'm doing anything wrong?)

Wait up!
I only just now noticed the graphical errors at the top of the screen there. Oh well.





He's already decided that the map is fake...so why does he still expect to find the ruins?




Hey cool, he already found the treasure, and brought it back to the airship! That is what he just said, right?


Oh, okay. Well that's good too.






Here we have the Gustaff, which we control directly, along with our squad of six Servbots, who follow it around, and help out when called upon. Now, if we press start...


...we find adorable pause screen Ver. 1, which shows us that a seventh Servbot is inside the Gustaff, along with Teisel Bonne. That'll actually mean something later, when we can choose the Servbots that go on each mission.

Next: Let's actually start playing

I hate to be the breaker of bad news, but at least a few of us might not be able to see the images for the LP. They've uploaded fine (I checked the links for a few to be sure), but they're not rendering at all on my browser. Maybe others are having better luck with it than I am.

I can see all the pictures fine. Which is awesome, because Tron Bonne!

I see the pictures just fine as well. I've always been curious as to what this game actually was, but perhaps I should get around to playing the Mega Man Legends games before I start actually reading this LP.

I can see'em too.

After hearing about this game for years, I'm eager to see an LP of it.

No problems with the images here either.

Shine on you crazy diamond, however you do realize the penalty you will pay if this LP goes inactive for too long right? Your biscuits will be punched!

Yay! Oddly enough I only started playing this game after repeated use of Tron Bonne in MvC2. This followed my attempt to use a three-Servbot team. Oddly enough, I didn't win too often...

It was in fact one of the catch-all filters in my pop-up blocker being a bit overzealous. And thank goodness that's all it was. I'd hate to see an LP of an underrated PS1 classic be missed out on.

Zenny coins! Those bring back memories of Black Tiger. (And in the screenshot you have 0z - looks like you need to follow the yellow brick road for a while)

I played Mega Man Legends, and I've heard of this, but I never got back to it - I'll be looking forward to more servbot goodness.

Sweeeeeet.

One of my secret shames is that I haven't actually played either MML game, but I *have* played this, and it was awesome. I remember developing an unhealthy obsession with upgrading and managing my adorable little servbots.

Having played both MMLs its always upset me a little that I haven't played Tron Bonne

Anyway, playing as the Gustaff is pretty similar to playing as MegaMan Volnutt (who, by the way, the Bonnes haven't met or heard of, since this is a prequel to Mega Man Legends--maybe I should've mentioned that in the first post).



It can run...



..and jump...



...and shoot, and it all feels pretty familiar. The Gustaff is clearly bigger and heavier than MegaMan though, so be careful when you jump, or...



...something like this might happen.



Then again, maybe that's something that happens when you ARE careful about your jumping.

No Servbots were harmed in the making of this, uh, whatever this is.

But that's enough tutorial-type information from me! Let's get to the in-game tutorial information!



This is very helpful. If I hadn't known to turn with the L1 and R1 buttons, I might not have been able to tell that there's only one way to go.

And around the corner...




An opportunity to actually do something. Hopefully I can handle it!



I guess I can. Moving along...

Alright, now maybe they can do something besides following me around, being cute. So how about it, Tron?




Sounds good to me. Let's see how that goes.




Oh shit, money zenny! Good work, dudes.



...800?! That's all? Go back and get some more.



Great. Let's just keep going.

Next: We keep going

I totally did not intend for this to take so long. We're not even to any of the good parts yet!



Well, the Gustaff's gun has no effect...I guess there's nothing I can do!

(Not pictured: some sand whirlpools that don't really do anything)



Hmm...I don't see how that could help me, but okay.



Hey cool, here's something you couldn't do in Mega Man Legends. I think. Maybe. I forget.



Hooray! This time it's 30,000 zenny! Those don't look that much bigger than the last ones though...



Sure, one of these would've worked just as well, but then the Gustaff wouldn't have had to carry it over it's head with both hands, so that's no fun.

Up ahead, past the rest of the boulders that were blocking the way...



Reaverbots! That rock the Gustaff's carrying takes out the first one, but then what can I use against the other one? How about a beacon bomb?



Well look at that! I guess the Servbots can handle this themsel-



Which is to say, they can (unnecessarily) keep the reaverbot busy for a few seconds, without causing any damage. I guess I just have to shoot it.



See, it all worked out fine. Teamwork! Right, guys?

...Guys?

Oh, they're fine.

I'd almost forgotten the extent to which Servbot expressions *make* this game.

I'm gonna continue this for real shortly. tomorrow...probably First, a question: in future updates, would smaller screenshots be okay? And, which of the following sizes would be more okay?

or
(these are taken on a PSP, so I could also leave in the black borders, if for some reason that would be better)

The one on the right isn't as fuzzy, so I'd go with that. Also: hooray!

The ones on the right, definitely.

Ditto.

Ditto to the ditto.

Alright then. But, I've still got some more of these big screenshots, so I might as well keep using them for now.



This time, the hole in the wall is blocked by a boulder. After it's tossed aside, the Servbots are sent in for...another 800 Zenny.



Well, maybe I should've held on to that boulder a little longer. In fact, if I had, it would take this guy out in one hit. Too late now!



This one attacks even! It's easy enough to dodge, but it sure looks powerful. As you can see, my counterattack is already on its way.



Yeah, still not very effective. That doesn't mean I won't use it.



I like to imagine the Servbot on the left is running away in slow motion.



That sure looks like a destination. And look, there's Bon Bonne too. Must be time for some cutscenes!



In between these two screens, Teisel tells the Servbot that Tron shouldn't worry, and then Tron comes on and is worried.



What the--?! Nooooo! Not Bon Bonne!



Oh shit! It's...some guy! And some weird looking bird things! Who are these mysterious troublemakers? You'll just have to wait until next time to find out!

...

...



Uh, I mean...Here, allow Glyde to conveniently introduce himself for you. It's as if he knows he's appearing for the very first time, even though he and Teisel clearly know each other already.

Well anyway, make sure to check back in to find out what the deal is with those bird dudes. Except, not really. There's nothing much to know about them.

(Of course, you may already recognize all of them from Mega Man Legends 2, but that obviously hasn't happened yet.)

I love how they managed to make Glyde's little bird dudes servbot knockoffs who are kind of the opposite of lovable. Symmetry!

I was gonna say, that's one way to make last game's bad guys into this game's "good" guys: by introducing new, less likable bad guys.

So this is the basis for the Battle Network series' Glide.

Is Glyde just as useless?

Also, is circle strafing still the go-to strategy?

Glyde reminds me of that bird-themed jerk from the Link to the Past Nintendo Power comic.

And I never could bring myself to mourn the loss of my least-favorite Bonne sibling.

BUT IT IS JUST A BABY.

Come to think of it, is Bon Bonne supposed to be a baby in a robotic suit, or a robot with the "mind" of a baby? I've always thought it was the latter, since nobody ever seems to be too upset when Megaman (or anyone else) blows him up.