Support NeoGAF

[maxcriden]

SteamWorld Dig is a Metroidvania game for 3DS, Wii U, PC, PS4, and Vita. The game recently saw a long-await HD release for Wii U, and it's a rare gem with a unique flavor and sensibility to it. Here's a bit of background info:

SteamWorld Dig is a platform mining adventure with strong Metroidvanian influences.

Take the role of Rusty, a lone mining steambot, as he arrives at an old mining town in great need. Dig your way through the old earth, gaining riches while uncovering the ancient threat that lurks below.

Game features:

■Carve a path through the earth, and explore a deep underground world full of secrets, treasure and terrors.
■Uncover the remnants of Human civilization, a degenerate race of drunken, dynamite-wielding troglodytes.
■Meet the weird and interesting townsfolk of Tumbleton and help the community get back on its feet.
■Beautiful, high-res graphics with dynamic lights and multiple parallaxed background layers.
■Randomized worlds with emergent gameplay - a fancy way of saying that the game is both fun and replayable!
■Clutter-free HD graphics. The map and other interface elements are now displayed on the Wii U GamePad
■Off-TV Play. Continue digging on the Wii U GamePad even when your TV is occupied or turned of
■Support for Wii U Pro Controller.

It's a fascinating game with a compelling post-apocalyptic setting populated with richly textured robotic characters.

So for this giveaway, I have five copies of the game for the Wii U eShop, NA region only.

To enter, I want you to dig deep and tell me about some of your favorite instances of artificial intelligence in a game, be they robot, sentient AI, or anything you can think up. Please explain why this character (or whatever it is!) resonated with you. (To clarify, you can talk about coded AI in a game if you like, but I'm more looking for actual characters who are robots or other lifeforms with artificial intelligence, such as the Ammo Depot Gearmo from Super Mario Galaxy.)

I'll pick winners in a few days. Screenshots, video, OST samples are encouraged.

(Disclaimer: I do not work for Image and Form pr any game company. If I'm giving away an eShop or Steam game in a thread like this, the codes are usually provided by the publisher or developer, but I am not being paid or asked to do this.)

BTW, you can enter as many times as you like, but you can only win one copy yourself.

 

[Brofield]

Oh jeez...you know, I'm gonna go with E-102 Gamma from Sonic Adventure DX. Something about a robot learning to work against the will of its creator, realizing it had to destroy its brothers from Dr. Eggman, developing a moral conscious...it really got to me inside. Hell, even watching Sonic X on a Saturday morning felt fantastic, really delving into its backstory.

I may or may not have shed a tear when E-102 was dying, both in game and in the show...

 

[Avallon]

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR VIRTUE'S LAST REWARD
SERIOUSLY DON'T REVEAL IF YOU INTEND TO PLAY VLR!

Spoiler

One of my most well-liked characters in VLR turned out to be an artificial being. This reveal blew my mind and the way they did it was in a beautifully heart wrenching scene. http://i.imgur.com/GPdYV.jpg Actually, someone else was also a robot too. http://i.imgur.com/cJO6EtP.png That game got real crazy.

 

[Valkrai]

Oh jeez...you know, I'm gonna go with E-102 Gamma from Sonic Adventure DX. Something about a robot learning to work against the will of its creator, trying to save it's siblings from Dr. Eggman, developing a moral conscious...it really got to me inside. Hell, even watching Sonic X on a Saturday morning felt fantastic, really delving into its backstory.

I may or may not have shed a tear when E-102 was dying, both in game and in the show...

I agree but to be honest, I think the Omega (Sonic Heroes) version was a bit more humorous for me. Mainly because of how aggressive, how hellbent he is on his goal, and his interaction with Team Dark. The only thing I like about Heroes too is Omega and Team Dark.

 

[alf717]

The AI in Half-Life was really cool when I first played the game. I remember the Grunts patterns and how they would run off it they were injured. It was neat listening to their radio chatter and how they communicated with one another.

 

[RK128]

I guess it would be Aigis from Persona 3 . She developed her personality throughout the game to the point she became more or less human by the end :'). Loved how funny she can be in the game though (her not fully grasping how the human world 'works' lead to some priceless moments XD).

Her role in the game too was really great (as their was a reason for her to be so attached to Minato). Loved Persona 3 and she was one of my favorite characters next to Junpei from that game .

Regarding SteamWorld Dig, it really is a wonderful game . Sort sadly , but it can really suck you in (I beat the entire game in three days; played it in three-five hour shifts....once you start digging, you cannot stop man XD).

Hope one of you guys win ; you will love this game .

 

[Shauni]

Oh man, HK-47 from the original Knights of the Old Republic was the first that came to mind. His unabashed robotic hatred was awesome. I laughed my ass off with every conversation I had with him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhuYZllalk8

 

[zruben]

my entry is Metal Gear Solid 3, as a whole. Not any particular character, but the whole game.

The game itself is some sort of "Artificial Intelligence" because it reacts to whatever the player does in very creative ways; and the amount of love and dedication on the little details and way the game "adapts" itself to the way you're playing, really blows my mind. Even after all these years; I can't think of any other game "smarter" (in a fun way) than this.

Just some of the things I love about it. (gonna spoiler the whole thing, just in case.

Spoiler

-Eva changing outfits in Zaozyorje East depending on how much HP she has.
-Eva removing the transmitter if Snake don't do it after the torture session; also, the path to the waterfall would be patrolled by an Ocelot unit.
-Snake vomiting if you make him spin
-Interrogating enemies when holding them, some of them even lie.
-Killing The End after the cutscene, or even kill him of starvation if you make the fight last one week.
-Eva making fun of Snake for keeping the dirty magazine.
-Raikov ignoring the dirty magazine, because it's heavily implied that he's gay.
-The time paradox you cause if you manage to kill Ocelot.
-In general, all the fun stuff you can do to mess up with the guards' minds.
-The guards laughing at you when you wear the croc hat
-Blowing the supplies room, resulting in less guards, and complaining that they are hungry.
-Ocelot picking up his hat if you take it off with a shot
-And many many more

so, yeah, I consider the game a nice piece of Artificial Intelligence as a whole. And it really resonated with me because the game is very "respectful" to the player in that way... you want to be creative? the game will be creative "back" to you.

So yeah, that's my two cents about this

 

[Dragoshi1]

Oh, I got a good one.


So there's this game that released with little to no fanfare for PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, and Wii called Jurassic: The Hunted. It's a FPS game about being stranded on an island with Dinosaurs that you shoot over and over with the cheesiest voice acting, and the game itself clocks in at under 2-4 hours.

Anyway, there are many different types of dinosaurs you can shoot, but the coolest one is this game's depiction of the Raptor.

Ain't he adorable?

The AI for these suckers is very good, it was the first time in a game I actually blurted out "holy shit" because of something a video game character not under my control did.

There's moments in the game where a pack of these guys will attack you, usually up to 5 of them. Two will slowly walk towards you from the front, while the others run off, and while you stare down these two approaching you, you get grabbed/jumped from behind by one of the ones who ran off! After you beat it off, they rush in to attack, and then run off, before circling around to do it again.

The kicker is, if you turn to face the one that sneaks up on you, it stops, cocks its head, and backs off, runs away, or just goes for the attack anyway.

Basically, I felt like I was being hunted, and that felt AWESOME.

So yeh, that's my cool AI moment.

 

[Aiustis]

Freespace 2. I've been replaying it and I'm surprised by how good the AI is.

The Wingmen were useful without me having to micromanage all the things they did. Pretty much just set them up to compliment how I played and let them at enemies.

 

[MissileTrick]

I know its been touched on , but I have to talk about a certain character from Virtue's Last Reward. However I'm goinrg to spoil it a bit more , so if You haven't played it DONT READ IT AND THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO OP ( if you do play it later op,I hope you will go back and read this. )


SPOILERS FoR VLR STARTING NOW

Spoiler

Luna is one of my all time favorite characters. She's the nicest, kindest and most honest character I ever known. Hell she's basically every positive adjective you can think of. She believes in searching for happiness whenever you can. In a game where you can easily betray someone and cause them their death, she always votes to allied with that person and always has an unspeakable belief of trust with you. She will never betray you. In order to get all the endings you have to betray and allied yourself with everyone. Betraying her is the most regert I ever had in a video game. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. It's the main reason I can't go back to this game, she never deserved that. She's the only one I didn't want to betray.

In her game the robots are called GAULEM. Each and every GAULEM is given a certain task they must do. She follows the rules of robotics ,even if she does not agree with her master's plans. She has an self conflict with herself about it though. She feels overly guilty how she let some people die. She shows other signs of deep emotions such as love or a strong willing to give love. It takes a while to find out she's actually a robot , but man when you do that ending is so heartbreaking .

You find out she tweaked some of the systems/ other robots there to help the other characters . In doing so she has to give up her life . You sit there helplessly watching her fall apart . She was worried that she wouldn't be liked as a robot . However she is truly happy that she was able to help and to spend her last moments with someone that likes her for her. That didn't matter , it never mattered. Just losing her at all was a disgrace and Simga ( the main character) reassure her that it didn't mattered. He enjoyed Luna for who she was and so did I. She's the best person , it didn't matter if she was a robot. Everyone should try to be more like her. Out of all the characters I'm interested in learning about her backstory, since she was based off a person in the series.

Here is the song that plays when she tells your her story, tears are Natrual to have while listening.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gFJ1r6_4mW4

Oh a much lighter note I would like to mention Scrapper from Skyward Sword.
Scrapper is a robot Link gets fixed by Gono. Once Scrapper is fixed he can help Link carry large and heavy objects in the sky or over the surface. He has an instant dislike for Link since Scrapper thinks it's way beneath him to help Link in any shape or form. This changes when he notices Fi. He instantly becomes smitten with her and will do any and everything for her. He calls Fi mistress and throws a jokingly jab at Link by calling him Master Shortpants. He doesn't hide the fact that he does not approve of how Link treats Fi in speaking with her and how he carries her on his back. He provides a bit of humor to the game and is needed for a good bit of the side quests. He is one of the few robots that are alive in the game and well he's cute as a button too. I enjoy humor and it's not often you see someone or something dislike Link so much. So Scrapper stuck out for me in a good way.

 

[chronosic]

Gonna have to go with the Mega Man series on this one. Not only do you have Mega Man and X, but seeing Dr.Light return as an AI giving upgrades to X blew my young mind.

 

[JazzmanZ]

CHIBI-ROBO!

He's the little robot that could, he cleans, he takes out the trash and solves the dysfunctional life of a family, Even through he doesn't talk I loved the little guy when I played the GCN Game just something about a tiny robot trying to solve life crisis and help around the house that was so charming.

I'm happy that Nintendo still cares about him, considering it got a 3DS game recently, I'd love to see him in Smash bros. too, maybe as DLC.

Spread the happiness!

 

[PseudoViper]

Has to be Civilization! Gandhi coming in with the nukes!

 

[Lambtron]

The first example that pops into my head is the SA-X from Metroid Fusion. Every time it came on screen made me feel butt-clenching terror. It's a hell of a good enemy.

 

[The Hermit]

The challenges were something mibdblowing, especially in the hardest dificulties. The bots tricked and fooled you like human players, it was something marvelous for its time.
I loved it!

 

[depward]

Robo from Chrono Trigger is the most memorable robot character I've experienced in a game.

Spoiler alert for Robo story events throughout Chrono Trigger.

Let's talk about when you first meet him: 2300 A.D. A desolate wasteland full of different domes.

Man, playing through this on the SNES on the first time, I had these feelings of depression whenever I visited this future time frame. Hated being there with the depressing mood, music, etc.

I think I really actually started liking him as a character when he was shunned by his robot comrades. And it gets worse: his maker shuns him because he actually has emotions for his new human friends.

This is a robot that got NO love from his fellow robots.

ON TOP OF THIS, he actually states he wants to take 400 years restoring Fiona's Forest. FOUR HUNDRED YEARS.

If I was Robo, shunned by my old friends, my maker, I'd like just hang out with my new friends and like just go on adventures and have fun. Not Robo - he was like guys, I'll help you out by dedicating 400 years to something.

Chrono Trigger has such an excellent cast... and I feel like Robo is a character not many really remember. We all remember Frog because... Frog. Chrono of course. Marle - who was the inspiration of the name of my first-born Marleigh. But not many people give much credit to Robo.

 

[xXBetter Off DadXx]

The first F.E.A.R., the A.I. blew me away in that they would try and flank me, but if I was doing particularly good, they would all fall back and bombard me with grenades. They would seemingly actually be communicating with one another, and that dialogue would change on the fly depending on what I was doing.

 

[The Hermit]

I think I misread the OP. My favorite AI character is by far

She is so terrifying that it sounds... Human.

I´ve played this game for the first time last year, and despite the horrible graphics, the sound design and the characterization of her is perfect. One of the scariest game I´ve ever played and most of it because of her.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8wjInQTZKk

 

[Spike]

SHODAN from System Shock 2
GLaDOS from Portal

Will give my explanation soon.

 

[Mine01]

There was a shooter game where some modders nodded the A.I., the new purpose was to survive instead of killing, after some rounds the A.I would stand still.

They noticed that the best way to survive was to stop killing the other guys.

Also when they added a new bot to the match it would attack and the old bots would kill it and stand still again.

I think the game was unreal tournament, I don't really remember :

 

[tebunker]

Argh a couple people said Shodan already.

I have rarely been so sad as when, well, when I finished The Fall.

Spoiler

You are "tricked"/forced to wipe and reinstall the Friendly AI that had been trying to help you. Which sucks because it was so awesomely voiced acted and even though it was a short game his character was genuine.

Start Watching here to meet him/it , note that there may be minor spoilers.

Yeah so The Fall made me care about an AI, that wasn't my character.


I have two other submissions that stick with me;

Custom Robo on Gamecube, not because of some awesome character, but because I had built my own little robot army. These guys were mine, I slaved in this game to get all the upgrades and to make my robo awesome. Too bad no one else I knew really liked playing it. Non online arena battler type games never really took off, but this is clearly a genre that could be expanded upon and depth could be realized with more modes and different challenges. I would love to dust off my robos again.

Lastly,

Gotch Force, this one falls in line with Custom Robo. That little robot you see in the intro was my main. We crushed, got crushed but it was a blast. Man I loved the Gamecube days. You just don't see titles like this anymore.

 

[TehOh]

Bah, somebody already chose Nuclear Ghandi!

I'm going to go with the Strike Suit AI in The Fall. I don't want to spoil the story, since the game is fairly new (especially the Wii U version), but the suit AI ended up being one of the most intriguing characters I've seen in a recent game. In its drive to protect the suit's inhabitant, the AI explores its own programmed limitations, bends them, and ultimately achieves what could be argued as true sentience and freedom. Extremely interesting arc, and I can't wait to see where they go with episodes 2 and 3.

 

[Neo Dark]

R.O.B.'s appearance in Subspace Emissary stood out quite a bit for me especially the role they played. The leader even had enough AI to start developing feelings of remorse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih-YQID7F38

Also it's kind of funny to think that Nintendo turned one of their real life products into a character that could be used for a game like Smash Bros and Mario Kart.

 

[Vanillalite]

Halo 1 AI was revolutionary at the time on a console.

Enemies in previous fps games such as Goldeneye or Perfect dark were little more than bullet spunges with no strategy.

Then Halo comes along at the Xbox launch. We get a semi open worldness to the level design, and then you see the AI especially at higher difficulty levels take advantage. They move, they flank, they try and work together.

On top of that you roll with other friendly AI who also happen to try and move, flank, and assist. No longer are you partners just set dressings, and now they are integral to your very survival.

Quite frankly I still think the Halo series has some of the better AI even today compared to a lot of shooters. Good campaign AI has become a hallmark for the series, and that all began with the original Halo on the Xbox.

 

[tebunker]

God, just talking general AI in game as well, how the hell could I forget the Nemesis system in Shadow of Mordor...

I couldn't pin point one Uruk, god knows you go through a ton, but;

This guy, oh man this guy... What a royal pain. He started off as a grunt. Got promoted when one of his buddies, he was standing next to, killed me. I ran in to him 4 more times after that while systematically destroying the ranks in Udun.

Every single time he ran off. He would always show up with a smart remark and leave with one too. He never actually hit me. Once. Period.

And now, as you can see, he assumed a role in the power vacuum I left behind. He has two bodyguards, and is still a giant wuss. What a great system. Honestly, while I was off in the second half of the game, this nobody has assumed a role as War Chief in Udun. He never did anything to warrant his promotion, and I kind of want to kill him out of spite, and I may just do that.

That's what good AI does, it makes you want to react to it, even when it is tangential to what you are really trying to do. The Nemesis system really gives Mordor life and a soul behind everything that is going on. I have a history with this Uruk. He knows me, I know him. We have become more powerful together. He through cunning and cowardice, and me through brutality and lust for revenge on the black hand. I thought I could ignore him, but now... now he has gone too far.

 

[GaussTek]

My favorite AI character by far is Mother Brain from the Metroid series (how everyone could forget about her/it? ).

"She" is an AI created by the Chozo, you know, the ancient race that also created Samus' suit, but then she later went really maaad. Acording to Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto:

"If the Chozo made Mother Brain, why is she so dangerous?" Yoshio Sakamoto: "Mother Brain was not originally dangerous, and was an indispensable artificial intelligence that served as the center of the advanced Chozo civilization. However, as an extremely superior standalone AI, Mother Brain sprouted dangerous thoughts and went berserk."

Well, there you have it. She's the main antagonist in:

- Metroid:

- Metroid - Zero Mission: (the remake)

- Super Metroid:

And... Metroid: Other M (well, her consciousness led to the events of it, but I won't spoil to much about it).

So, why it resonated with me? First, its design, as a brain on the first Metroid and as a terrible monster in Super Metroid (she doesn't look like your "normal" AI). Second, the way she acted behind the scenes in all the games... I don't know, it just hooked me up, and made me really interested in the character, made me investigate and try to find out what were her purposes.

Definitely, a terrifying AI, and one of the most temible/scariest enemies in all the Nintendo series!

Finally, don't forget to check out her amazing music theme, taken from Super Metroid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcvJ8nzxH8c

So, good. Damn, now I want to re-play it again on the VC!

 

[Scirm_Layton]

As for me, despite of being more of a background than actual character, in this battle the only winner is this guy:

Gato introduced me to Chrono Trigger. He gave me first battle, first great tune and moreover, some pennies! He was like the first thing telling you how awesome and different this game will be. Of course in terms of character's personality Robo:

Is better.
But Gato was the man..err.. Robot who made me to fell in love with Chrono Trigger.




(I know I ma not from US, I am just tryin' to win this game for friend of mine hope it is not against the rules. He's not registered on NeoGaf)

 

[MissileTrick]

I'm on break so I thought I'll drop one more.

Zero III from Virtue's Last Reward

I know what you are thinking, a cute bunny he must be your faithful loyal adorable sidekick. I'm here to crush your dreams, because this is basically Satan himself. Whenever he pops up on screen your life just got a million times worse.He actually serves as the AI for the Nonary Game.( A game in which people are trapped and force to work together to slove puzzles and riddles. However they usually just wind up wanting to kill each other.) He pops in to explains the rules, keep score, give penalties, and to make sure everything is going as plan. He listens only to his master and refuses to hear any input from anyone else.

He is one of the first things you get to speak to/ interact with. Zero III gets an overwhelming joy in screwing with the constants of the game. He will crash in randomly to simply mock you or to lead you astray. He has no problems holding back valuable information and once you question him he will just simply mock you. He has given the main cast nicknames. Most of which are a play on their names, but there's some that are just to be cruel. Like for one person he calls them B.O ( body order) . He also throws in a lot of rabbit related puns, which are mostly funny. In the Japan version he ends nearly every sentence with Usa ( which comes from Usagi which means rabbit.) He's actually very self conscious about his speaking skills, but that doesn't stop him from coming on to throw a joke or two. The developers of the game mention he was based on the moon rabbit folklore. There is a reason he is a rabbit , but I can't mention why at this time.

At first I hated this intentionally cruel character, but after a few endings the little guy grew on me. However if I was stuck in there with him, he would be the first thing I would try to kill . It wouldn't help me at all, but it would make things easier to focus on in the game.

Below I put one of his favorite quotes from the game. ( I tried finding some in video form but they showed way too much of the game. If I find one I will put it in here to show off his voice which fits him to a tee.) He often uses the phrase everybunny instead of everyone, which I always got a kick out of.

Hare are some more rules for you! Have a nice trap!

 

[SuperShadow271]

I would have to say that my favorite AI in a game is Helios from Deus Ex.

Spoiler

I kinda relate to Helios because I feel like I'm a combination of good and evil in the same way Helios is a combination created by JC as a combination of the good Daedalus and the evil Icarus

Plus listen to that awesome

Spoiler

Helios

ending music! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wesQRsslGcA

Anyway, I appreciate your kindness for creating this giveaway!! Thank you!!

 

[wiibomb]

can a pleb junior member like me enter the contest?

 

[maxcriden]

can a pleb junior member like me enter the contest?

Absolutely! You're more than welcome to enter. By the way, I'll probably pick winners Saturday morning.

 

[Hero of Legend]

Wow, I would LOVE to win this! It's hard to pick a robot character not picked already.

Like I also really like Gamma and Omega in Sonic Adventure and Heroes respectively. I also like Clank from Ratchet & Clank, I mean he's voice by David Kaye who also voiced the best Megatron of all time! Yeeeeessssss!

Speaking of Megatron, words cannot describe how legendary the cast of Beast Wars was. I mean the show was the best thing ever and my childhood next to Lion King and Pokemon. It did have four games (2 on PS1, one on N64, and a GBC game in JP).

Mainframe were gods among gods, hell ReBoot was a haven for gaming fans and tech fans alike with all the references and spoofs in the Game Cubes (yep, they were called Game Cubes... AND WERE PURPLE!), Pokemon even showed up in the first episode of the final 4-parter My Two Bobs where Firsket reboots in to "Frisketchu" of sorts.

I'm still waiting with baited breath for the new ReBoot to finally show up, hopefully they'll magically conclude the infamous cliffhanger, unfortunately a certain voice actor had past away years ago and won't be back to be involved. :'(

Still, as long as Rainmaker (who bought Mainframe in 2005/2006) get as much of the old guard back and do it RIGHT, I think we'll be in for a huge treat, hell they confirmed the old characters will be in it, so it's a continuation of sorts. AND GET BOB BUCKLEY TO COMPOSE IT!

 

[Experien]

I was playing Half Life 2 on ththe PS2 and I knew two soldiers were around the corner. Naturally I threw a grenade...and then they kicked it away. I had never seen that in a video game before and it blew my mind!

 

[Killer Yakuza B]

Chibi-Robo is a great robot. Crawling from underneath the kitchen with a toothbrush in hand, about to clean the mess on the floor as his friend sings the Teriyaki Blues. Chibi-Robo is great because he'll never lay down and be conquered by despair or his friend's problems or his batteries running low. He's always ready to bust out a vacuum or flip some burgers, making sounds as he runs all over the house for the sake of his friends and family, just when they need some spirit because the daughter thinks she's a frog, the teddy bear has a nectar addiction problem, one of Funky Phil's sons is a bit of a Freaky Phil, or there might be aliens in the garden. Promptly and reasonably and in his best behavior Chibi-Robo helps them hang on and grow big and strong and take their hits and keep going. And like that, life is worth living again.

Chibi-Robo isn't in it for the power trip. Chibi-Robo is actually about the love. Everything he cannot say with words he shows with action, imagination, fun and beauty. He inspires and transcends and stimulates, and, in doing so, helps others get better together, easing the pressure of a world that is sometimes scary. Chibi-Robo does what he can and does it well, with all his best. We need robots like this. A lot of robots out there are out for power, destruction being their game. But Chibi-Robo is a great robot. There is no whining and no complaining from him, there's only hard working and a whole ocean of love and all the related goodness that comes with that.

Chibi-Robo is the hippest of robots.

Me? I LOVE CHIBI-ROBO!!!

 

[braves01]

You spend the whole game taking orders you don't always understand from a man you believe to be Roy Campbell. In the end, "he" is ultimately revealed to be a construct of GW, the mysterious AI system of the Patriots that they hope will control global data flow. The reveal itself wonderful, as the virus planted by EE starts to wreak havoc with the AI. It starts giving unusual commands, even breaking the fourth wall to tell you to turn the game off, and then eventually just spews out gibberish.

I think it's a great representation of an AI, one that could only work in games. It makes the player doubt the very reality of the entire experience. If Campbell is an AI, and my orders have been planned by the AI, can I trust the authenticity of anyone or anything in this game? Who else on my Codec is an AI? Is this whole thing a VR run? I know people hate Rose, but I think her character fits in well with respect to Raiden's doubt towards his own memories and experiences. This ties in with the 'VR/artificial experience vs. real experience' theme that comes up at points throughout the game, which also dovetails into the AI theme.

I think the best part is that the AI is able to manipulate Raiden and the player so effectively for much of the game. My first run through, I didn't question Campbell much at all until the virus made it go crazy. I thought I knew Campbell from MGS1, and the AI (and whole damn game) Kojima dreamed up was designed to exploit my memory and experience. GW/Campbell just a really great fictional AI, one that's much scarier in theory than something like HAL because it makes you doubt your understanding of reality.

 

[Camjo-Z]

Me? I LOVE CHIBI-ROBO!!!

I've definitely got to go with this too. Chibi-Robo is the type of character I really enjoy in fiction. He's like the Forrest Gump of AI. He never actually does anything with the intent of solving a greater problem - Chibi's only directive is "make people happy". And yet through doing his own thing, he ends up being the catalyst that fixes many characters' issues.

Also he makes music by hitting things with a spoon.

 

[Kaiser_Glider]

Oh neat! I'm gonna enter just because I think you're a great guy MaxCriden!

Spoiler

(and because I'm poor and haven't bought any new game since last year).

Anyways, my choice would have to be from a Wii game called Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon. I think this game is severely overlooked, and yes I know it has it's fair share of problems but if you're like me and enjoy a great, engrossing and atmospheric game you should definitely give this game a try if you can find it at a decent price. Pretty much just play it for the great atmosphere.

To set the mood, let's listen to this song from the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pPsJd6bPOM

Alright so, in this game you explore a desolated post-apocalyptic world trying to find out what happened to everybody. In your travels, near the beginning of the game you encounter some sort of robotic backpack, similar to F.L.U.D.D or the Poltergust 3000, that's what it reminds me of anyway. You immediately discover that it has it's own A.I. and that it can be caring and ultimately becomes a great companion for Seto (the game's protagonist) and in a desolated and spooky world as the one in Fragile Dreams, any company you can get is greatly appreciated, especially if it is as warm and friendly as this one... as much a machine can be.

The relationship with PF, as it's called (short for Personal Frame) starts out one dimensional as it with any robotic personality can possibly be, but as they begin to talk to one another, PF learns to display some sort of emotion and creates a bond with the boy. It starts out cold and well, robotic, then it becomes so much more. PF begins to show real emotions, becoming shy and jealous at certain points of the game, almost like a real person. As the story unfolds, as they travel the world and confront all sorts of weird and creepy things and beings along the way the bond starts to become stronger and stronger until... it happens.

You see PF runs on a limited battery, and it is practically impossible to find a replacement for it in this destroyed and abandoned world, so once the energy runs out that would be all for the charismatic mechanical backpack. And this is exactly what happened. As the battery begins to deplete, PF informs Seto of this and they start to reminisce a bit and the robotic companion tells our protagonist that the short-lived adventure alongside him made her/it very happy and is grateful he took the time to take it with him until the very end. Seto buries the mechanical friend, and keeps a screw for his own personal treasures collection, and in one of his many recollections along the game mentions how he will never forget the moments together with PF.

You would expect a companion like this, found near the start of the game would be there with you until the very end. But alas, that's what makes it so special and the reason PF is one of my favorite A.I. characters.

 

[MissileTrick]

A new day so a few more robos and AI.

First up is Marina Liteyears from Mischief Makers

She was created by Professor Theo for the sole purpose of being his robotic maid. Everything was going smoothly , until the evil empire brainwashes their home planet Clancer. This causes the people of the planet to kidnapped the professor.Determined to get her professor back she goes on a mission to save him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCS8T__PyVQ


Marina is an Ultra-InterGalactic-Cybot G robot. This type of robot can grab, shake and throw items/enemies in her way. Throughout the game shaking things can change their properties, so it's encouraged to shake as much as you want. Marina often says her catchphrase of "Shake, shake!" which is just endearing .She also has a jet pack which can move in a surprising amount of ways.She has a character that tries to mimic her, but fails miserably. ( video below shows off that level) Levels can be split into all action or puzzles. The game itself isn't really hard, but has really well made levels. If you collect all the gold gems, she can actually transform into a human!

I use to rent this all the time from Blockbuster as a kid so I have very found memories of it. It wasn't often you saw a cool girl robot, too bad her game was often overlooked.



Next up is Mike from Warioware Touched!

Mike is a karaoke robot, however he is used for cleaning his creator Dr.Crygor's lab. While cleaning the lab some dust gets caught in his system. This causes him to go haywire which causes him to stop cleaning and instead to hold a karaoke tournamnet. He eventually travels to this planet filled with alien bunnies. He slays the competition and is victorious . Dr. Crygor finds him and takes him home to preform a duet with him. Mike is unsatisfied with his creator's talent and leaves.

Mike actually has a very catchy song for his stage and is actually one of the two songs in the game with lyrics. Mike's stage focuses on using the mic, so his mini games are to blow stuff away, blow stuff up and such. I was very awful at his games, but at least I got to listen to his catchy song. His story is off the wall wacky too you can't beat that .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8CDa-nmJSM

Lastly is Bowser Memory ML from Bowser's Inside Story

Mario bros and Starlow are looking for a combination for that star cure . He claims he knows the code, but he simply forgotten it. While in the memory banks of Bowser's brain they encounter the main computer that is of Bowser's brain. While they approached it, they are interrupted by the guardian of his memories . The guardian thinks they are viruses and Bowser's AI memory creates pixel doppelgangers of the Mario Bros. Bowser Memory ML 's attack are clear references to Super Mario Bros. After the battle instead of being completely destroyed, Bowser's AI memory transforms into Bowser memory P, which is a pixel version of Peach. In this version Bowser's memory works with the team and helps them out.

This one battle was one of my favorites in the game. I thought it was very creative and it just goes to show you that despite all their difference Bowser clearly thinks of Mario bros in a high standard. Below is a video of the fight.

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

 

[maxcriden]

Great entries, guys! Five winners will be chosen tomorrow morning, so you have until I choose winners to get in any last-minute entries.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Love steamworld dig. Great going, Max

 

[Multro]

Most of my choices have already been taken but I'm a huge fan of Burroughs from SMTIV on the 3DS. The lack of a true "face", the implications of her larger role in the ending (which I won't spoil because its the most fulfilling one) and constant "I'll register that as a quest master" was endearing. Plus she told you when "your collect-o-thon was going well" to let you know if you had all the materials for the quest reward yet. She would even quip at you if you sat idle for a minute. "Checking on your demons Master?".
The funniest moment is early on, if you deflect an alignment question in a conversation she'll say something along the lines of
"Thats pretty pathetic, can't you even form your own opinion?"

Heres a clip of her in action (in japanese though!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr4CEfg50jo

 

[muyricosuave]

im gonna have to go with....... hmmm ...... ROB hes just cute and awesome to play as in smash and among the first robots in gaming

*edit: had to fix how i posted the image sorry!

 

[wiibomb]

Ok here I go...

As a person who has a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, I'm highly interested always in the ways the developers and games handle the technical aspects of the Artificial Intelligence (known as AI) and in fact I want to invest more of my future time in that area of Computing, that's why I'm choosing Monster Hunter in general to express my admiration for how some people have managed to put a game and made it so intelligent that it almost seems like being in a natural environment, my election goes to the developers behind the Monster Hunter team since they get incredibly clever ways to make monsters real and threatening.

Monster Hunter, and well, its monsters have always been huge things who try to devastate the hunter by making anything they can, but the developers have always put detailed care of how these monsters are handled, they are not like Final Fantasy or other RPGs, they think very well the actions they make in order to make the hunter fall, one of them I would like to focus is one of the recent ones, Brachydios purpose is to make you explode, literally...

he try to get you slimed with its punches, if you get slimed, its very easy to explode. Brachydios can jump VERY high and get you, so even if you are far away you can be killed by how this fast monster can get to you, and if that is not enough, Brachydios has the ability to make the field explode, and it uses so well that when it senses hunters around him, it make the attack to wipe the hunters.

Brachydios is the Monster Hunter incarnation of a Michael Bay movie


But Brachydios is another monster, and it can get angry, he makes a huge roar when he does, and when he does get angry hunters got to have even more careful as he becomes pumped with its attacks.

Brachydios attacks are designed all in order so that they think before acting, little important details are made in order for that, when it attacks its tail moves with him, and if you just try to avoid its hit you might get hit by the tail, so you better watch out for that, he is intelligent enough for attacking in certain areas where the hunter might never expect.

But Brachydios suffer as well, some attacks might hurt him bad and he might fall, he can also get tired of the battle and get a need for food so he can "fuel" himself, Brachydios is also smart, so when he is very close to death, he tries to hide from the hunter and get some sleep in order to recover health,

Despite being a VERY powerful being, brachydios is made detailed enough to let the people know that it is still a life being and it can suffer and be killed.

Want to see more from this awesome monster? please check this little video that explain some of the behavior that these good team of developers have made into this good piece of AI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI4eE7YIIvQ

I hope you have enjoyed this and also hope you try Monster Hunter, this is just one monster, and it can be found in the upcoming Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate!!

 

[ShadowElliot]

Mines is...

MegaMan.EXE from the Battle Network series!

My first ever introduction to the series was with Battle Network 3 White version when I got my brand new Gameboy Advance SP. When I first saw the back of the game box, I was amazed that I could fight viruses and save the internet with my very own NetNavi! As I played, I fell in love with Lan and MegaMan. Actually, I fell in love with the game when I heard the ACDC Town theme. Literally, the best ACDC Town theme I've ever heard!

The beginning of this game is basically tutorials, tutorials... I was just going through it until I heard this. The internet music has been stuck in my head every time I went on the web in real life.

Next up, the Battle theme! The music just gets better and better! I remember fight EVERY random encounter in the game just for this!

One of the best parts about MegaMan.EXE is his growth in experiences. Suddenly, MegaMan.EXE goes through a Style Change (one out of many!):

I felt connected to MegaMan because it shows that if we try hard, we can change anything!

It was all fun until I accidentally dropped my GBA SP and MMBN 3 in the toilet after washing my hands in the bathroom... All that progress, lost... Luckily I got my GBA SP and MMBN3 replaced, thanks to the warranty, but restarting everything would be a pain...

Until! I got MMBN3 White replaced with the Blue version, which is the updated bug-fix version. While I had to restart everything with MegaMan.EXE like a System Restore, the experiences were never lost. I can say I felt close to MegaMan like how close Lan and MegaMan are...

Spoiler

MegaMan.EXE is Lan's dead brother who is now a NetNavi

. After finishing the game, I felt very sad

Spoiler

After the final boss fight in MMBN3, MegaMan sacrifices his life to save Lan after they were both trapped in the final boss... After the credits, MegaMan.EXE is back, thanks to his father!

...

What made it worse was MegaMan Battle Network 4 and the changes that occurred after that. MegaMan Battle Network 3 will remain my favorite game of the entire series. I always wish that Capcom would continue the series with MMBN 7... Someday!

I mean, the art style (and grammar) went from this:

To this:

Plus, more awesome music:
- N1 Grand Prix Battle Theme
- Beach Street
- Boss Theme
- Proof of Courage
- N1 Grand Prix

 

[maxcriden]

Some great entries, so it was tough to pick winners. Here they are!

Me? I LOVE CHIBI-ROBO!!!

Anyways, my choice would have to be from a Wii game called Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon. I think this game is severely overlooked, and yes I know it has it's fair share of problems but if you're like me and enjoy a great, engrossing and atmospheric game you should definitely give this game a try if you can find it at a decent price. Pretty much just play it for the great atmosphere.

I think the best part is that the AI is able to manipulate Raiden and the player so effectively for much of the game. My first run through, I didn't question Campbell much at all until the virus made it go crazy. I thought I knew Campbell from MGS1, and the AI (and whole damn game) Kojima dreamed up was designed to exploit my memory and experience. GW/Campbell just a really great fictional AI, one that's much scarier in theory than something like HAL because it makes you doubt your understanding of reality.

Oh a much lighter note I would like to mention Scrapper from Skyward Sword.
Scrapper is a robot Link gets fixed by Gono. Once Scrapper is fixed he can help Link carry large and heavy objects in the sky or over the surface. He has an instant dislike for Link since Scrapper thinks it's way beneath him to help Link in any shape or form. This changes when he notices Fi. He instantly becomes smitten with her and will do any and everything for her. He calls Fi mistress and throws a jokingly jab at Link by calling him Master Shortpants. He doesn't hide the fact that he does not approve of how Link treats Fi in speaking with her and how he carries her on his back. He provides a bit of humor to the game and is needed for a good bit of the side quests. He is one of the few robots that are alive in the game and well he's cute as a button too. I enjoy humor and it's not often you see someone or something dislike Link so much. So Scrapper stuck out for me in a good way.

 

[Kaiser_Glider]

Huzzah! Yay! I finally won something! Thanks Max! You're even awesomer than before now!

 

[MissileTrick]

Congrats everyone! I'm actually a bit surprise a few robots did not show up in here. As usual I enjoy this thread and I'm going to look into Kaiser_Glider's choice. It seems very interesting, so I gotta check it out.

Also again thanks, maxcriden!

 

[Killer Yakuza B]

Yeah! I won! Thanks a lot, maxcriden! You're doing a great job with these giveaways. I know I'm going to like SteamWorld Dig a lot, it looks like it's right up my alley and I've been curious about it since it was announced. Now I can finally try it!

Huzzah! Yay! I finally won something! Thanks Max! You're even awesomer than before now!

I wanted to tell you before, Fragile was a great choice! It's a good game with great characters that I wish more people would give a chance. Personal Frame is a really good choice for this thread, and it isn't even the only robot from this game! If I had had more time I would have written about Crow. I get emotional just remembering certain scenes. Powerful stuff, man. I guess I like robots.

 

[Kaiser_Glider]

Congrats everyone! I'm actually a bit surprise a few robots did not show up in here. As usual I enjoy this thread and I'm going to look into Kaiser_Glider's choice. It seems very interesting, so I gotta check it out.

Also again thanks, maxcriden!

Yeah, you should definitely try to hunt down a copy. It's a very melancholic and depressing game in general, but an enjoyable one at that. I enjoyed it immensely, even with the problems it has.

Yeah! I won! Thanks a lot, maxcriden! You're doing a great job with these giveaways. I know I'm going to like SteamWorld Dig a lot, it looks like it's right up my alley and I've been curious about it since it was announced. Now I can finally try it!


I wanted to tell you before, Fragile was a great choice! It's a good game with great characters that I wish more people would give a chance. Personal Frame is a really good choice for this thread, and it isn't even the only robot from this game! If I had had more time I would have written about Crow. I get emotional just remember certain scenes, man. Powerful stuff. I like robots.

Thanks! I do feel it's a game that deserves more recognition. Maybe not for it's gameplay since it can be very janky and cumbersome at spots, but for it's fantastic atmosphere and story. I just love these sort of games.