Line #27 YMMV/ZoneOfTheEnders


1	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
2	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPE8EesftLg Kiss Me Sunlights]], the opening song from the first game. Somehow manages to be chilling, somewhat haunting yet equally bombastic that encapsulates the sci-fi setting and prepares the player for the high action experience.
3	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6fDUwOpa5M Flowing Destiny]] is just a beautiful song that complements the ending's simultaneous tones of sadness and hope [[spoiler:as ADA reveals her upcoming duty on Mars is a suicide mission just as ADA and Leo had begun to bond, devastating the young Runner; but Celviche (Leo's childhood friend and companion for most the game who was shot by Viola) is recovering from her injury and happily reunites with him.]]
4	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lahoYnOGxYg&fmt=18 Beyond the Bounds]] from ''The 2nd Runner'' is an awesome opening. It has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg7rIuBTc54 remixed version]] by Mitsuto Suzuki and performed by Sana used in the Special Edition version of the game and it is just as hauntingly beautiful.
5	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_znPjprsH8 Hiai Naru Tougi]] from ''IDOLO/Dolores, i'' is intense beyond all rational thought.
6	* BestBossEver: Despite being a fairly easy (or [[DifficultySpike downright hard]] in the Special Edition) boss, the battle against with Leo and his Vic Viper in ''The 2nd Runner'' surely counts as one, especially if you're a long-time fan of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}''. The boss music, the attack patterns, ''everything'' about this boss battle is one big ShoutOut to ''Gradius''.
7	* CompleteMonster:
8	** Ridley Hardiman, better known as Nohman, is the leader of the extremist Martian faction called BAHRAM. He causes countless destruction in the name of freeing Mars and has no qualm about sending his minions to death in order to achieve his goals. [[spoiler:Then, it is later revealed that not only does Nohman not care about Mars' independence at all but also wants to wipe out the entire solar system with [[DoomsdayDevice the Aumaan]].]] Even if one takes madness induced by the Metatron into account, it's clear that Ridley is a power-hungry madman who will stop at nothing to achieve his ambition, as shown when he sent Dingo and his teammates on a suicide mission just so he can eliminate competition for the leadership in BAHRAM. This particular incident happened before Anubis and Jehuty were made.
9	** On the Earth's side, we have Zephyr, the MadScientist. Willing to do anything to gain recognition for his research on Metatron, he uses children in lethal experiments to develop the mindflow system, which subdues the will of a pilot to enhance the performance of orbital frames. This system works better with children, making them ideal for soldiers. Only two of the children, [[spoiler:Pharsti and Vale]], he used for his experiment manage to survive and run away, setting the plot of ''The Fist of Mars'' in motion.
10	** Ned Noachim holds a [[FantasticRacism vicious prejudice towards Martians]] and is introduced attacking a hospital to steal medicine and have his way with the nurses. He is implied to blow up the hospital to frame the Born In Space (BIS) group and later kidnaps three orphans from Pandora Frettum and places them into unmanned LEV suits set to explode when destroyed in order to sully BIS's name. Noachim [[BadBoss forces his own soldiers]] to explode rather than surrender.
11	* DirectorDisplacement: The series is far more commonly associated with producer Creator/HideoKojima than it is to the directors of either game (Noriaki Okamura for the first, Shuyo Murata for ''The 2nd Runner'').
12	* EvenBetterSequel: The first ''Zone of the Enders'', while far from a bad game, it is considered by many fans of the series as a proof-of-concept rather than a full-fledged game due to its short length, frequent backtracking, and repetitive nature. Doesn't help the fact that the first game was bought mainly for the ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty Metal Gear Solid 2]]'' demo rather than the game itself. ''[[ActionizedSequel The 2nd Runner]]'', on the other hand, properly fleshes out the core gameplay while streaming or removing some of the disliked aspects of its predecessor (e.g. the backtracking, preventing collateral damage) with more varied and faster paced combat.
13	* FanNickname: The [[CompilationRerelease HD Collection]] has coined "Platform/HighDefinition [[HumongousMecha Robot]] {{Action\|Game}}" by the Zone of the Enders: The Unofficial Site as a play on ''The 2nd Runner''[='=]s TagLine.
14	* FanPreferredCouple: Many fans thought that '''A.D.A''' was a better match for Leo than Celvice. So much so that ''The Second Runner'' {{Ship Tease}}d the hell out of the two.
15	* GameBreaker: Naked Jehuty [[NewGamePlus outside the final battle]] in ''The 2nd Runner''. It murders nearly ''everything'' in a single hit (even a helpless [[CowardlyLion Taper]] and [[FauxActionGirl K]][[TheMole e]][[MsFanservice n]] are fair game) and it has infinite sub-weapon energy. This means players are free to spam the [[MacrossMissileMassacre Homing Missile]] as much as they want and use [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe Mummyhead]] block normally unblockable attacks whilst [[HealingFactor regenerating HP]] no problem.
16	* HoYay:
17	** Nohman and Dingo when Nohman asks him to re-join BAHRAM.
18	-->'''Nohman''': "[[FoeRomanceSubtext Come back. I like you.]]"
19	** Also Bolozof and Cage have a little of this a third of the way into ''The Fist of Mars''. Mostly from Bolozof, though.
20	* ImprovedSecondAttempt: ''The 2nd Runner'' is widely considered by ''Zone of the Enders'' fans as a vast improvement over its first game.
21	** Leo from the first game was poorly received by many players because of his reluctance to kill and whiny attitude. In ''The 2nd Runner'', he is replaced by Dingo, who is older, more mature and a former soldier who has no qualms with fighting. Leo himself also matured between games and no longer whiny in the sequel.
22	** The game's combat has been greatly overhauled from the first game while refining Jehuty's repertoire of attacks and mobility, allowing the game's combat to be much faster paced.
23	** The overworld was stripped out and instead the game progresses in a linear fashion, eliminating backtracking between places and keys to advance are not too far off between level sections.
24	** No longer the game forces the player to be cautious about their surroundings outside of a few key moments, giving players more freedom in how they engage in combat.
25	** Enemy variety was fairly lackluster in the first game, with Raptors and Mummyheads being the most common enemies players fight against along with Cyclops on occasions. The sequel added a few more enemy types (Narita, Leopardo, and Clod) and other minor mooks to mix up the enemy roster.
26	** Sub-weapons no longer use ammunition, instead the game uses a [[ManaMeter Sub-Weapon Gauge]] which can be replenished through pickups such as Metatron or attacking enemies, and it grows as the player levels up.
27	* ItsShortSoItSucks:
28	** You can beat the first game in as little as three hours if you know exactly what you're doing and where to go, thanks to most of the game being padded with backtracking and fetch-quests.
29	** The second game can also be finished in under an hour and you get a bonus for doing so.
30	* JerkassWoobie: Viola [[spoiler: whose potentially [[TearJerker tear-jerking death]] [[CryForTheDevil can make you feel sorry for her]] [[AlasPoorVillain in spite of everything she's done]].]]
31	* JustHereForGodzilla: Most likely ''Metal Gear Solid'' fans were likely thinking "Hey, the $50 ''[=MGS2=]'' demo came out!... What? There's a game about {{Humongous Mecha}}s included with it? That's pretty cool, I guess... I'll try it out after I beat this demo twenty times."
32	** [[MythologyGag And then they repeated it]] with the ''Zone of the Enders HD Collection'' for ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''.
33	** Most people also buy the HD Collection just for ''The 2nd Runner'' alone. The [=PlayStation=] Store for [=PlayStation=] 3 also carries the HD Edition of each game individually, so it's no surprise which game will sell more than the other. In 2018, the second game would also go onto receive a VR remaster for [=PlayStation=] 4 and Steam, whereas the first game gets left out.
34	* MemeticMutation: LITERAL COCKPITS.[[labelnote:Explanation]] The control cockpits for the humanoid Orbital Frames and [=LEVs=] are located right between the mech's legs, giving them the appearance of penises.[[/labelnote]]
35	* MoralEventHorizon:
36	** Baan removing a little girl's oxygen mask and shooting into a crowd to get information.
37	** [[spoiler:Viola shooting Celvice in the first game. Fortunately, Celvice lives, but that was one heck of a KickTheDog moment.]]
38	** Pick any of the actions Nohman does.
39	** Ned [[spoiler:putting kids in LEVs set to explode when attacked, and then sending them after BIS. And then he literally blows up an orphanage.]]
40	* {{Narm}}:
41	** Leo constantly whining about how he won't kill anyone whilst flying around in Jehuty blowing up unmanned Orbital Frames. (On the bright side, at least it averts WhatMeasureIsAMook, and it adds [[TearJerker/ZoneOfTheEnders a lot of extra poignancy to Viola's death]], especially when Leo asks ADA whether it would be [[SaveTheVillain possible to save her]].)
42	** Celvice's introduction to the player by Leo.
43	-->"Celvice! That is you, isn't it, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Celvice]]? Are you alright, [[RuleOfThree Celvice]]?"
44	** ''The 2nd Runner''[='=]s English localization [[http://www.audioatrocities.com/games/zoneoftheenders2/index.html also has its moments]], from Ken's battle cry to Dingo yelling "You devil!" to Nohman, due to [[BlindIdiotTranslation shoddy translation effort]] (which is a stark contrast to the localization of ''The Fist of Mars'').
45	* NightmareFuel:
46	** In a cutscene in ''The 2nd Runner'' where Dingo meets face-to-face with Nohman since leaving BAHRAM, Nohman shoots him in the heart, lungs, and air supply tank in response to his refusal to rejoin under his command, with globs of his blood floating in the hallway in front of Ken as he's dying. While it may not be on the same level as ''Film/RoboCop1987'', it's still very gruesome to watch and is probably the only reason why it was rated M back then.
47	** The hallway area before fighting Nephtis halfway into the game. The area is littered destroyed UNSF [=LEVs=] as far as the eye can see, some of which ripped apart or their upper body torn apart. The non-existent and foreboding music that plays in this section does not help.
48	** One of the [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/zoe/images/e/e6/Zoe2-viola-ai3.jpg/revision/latest?format=original concept art]] for [[spoiler:Viola's AI]] implies that [[spoiler:she]] is an android [[spoiler:and not just a sentient AI program, with a mugshot of her face and hair cracking apart, eyes bulging out, and leaking MachineBlood from her eyes]].
49	** In the ''M∀RS'' remaster, there's a Hangar mode among its new unlockable bonus contents where players can play as Dingo and explore around the Deimos station area from his POV. There's only one problem: [[CantLiveWithoutYou he cannot survive for very long outside of Jehuty's cockpit]] supplying energy to his artificial heart and lungs. If players do not get back inside Jehuty's cockpit, they'll first be warned by ADA that he is steadily losing oxygen and the condition of his health. This is soon followed by his heartbeats becoming increasingly audible, his vision becoming darker and limited, and Ken begging for Dingo to get back inside Jehuty's cockpit. If the player does not get back in time, [[TheNothingAfterDeath they can witness him die from oxygen deprivation]] before starting back onboard the cockpit.
50	* PlayTheGameSkipTheStory: The first game ''seemed'' to be along the lines of an emotional tale of war and the value of life, but due to the mediocre voice-overs and shoddy script translation, most people outside Japan skip the story of the first ''Zone of the Enders'' altogether.
51	* PolishedPort: [=PlayStation=] 3 version of ''The 2nd Runner'' after the Hexa Drive patch. ''The 2nd Runner'' runs at the intended 1080p quality with smoother frame-rate oppose to being upscaled to 720p with frame-rate and transparency issues (see below). The ''M∀RS'' remaster for [=PlayStation=] 4 and PC improved the visuals even further with 4K presentation, higher resolution textures, revamped effects, and remastered surround 5.1 sound presentation, while the PC version has various graphics settings including some PC-exclusive visual effects such as optional motion blur, film grain, and screen space ambient occlusion and reflections. The ''M∀RS'' remaster also added a few other features such as revised tutorials, a new "[[EasierThanEasy Very Easy]]" mode for beginners, a togglable mini-map during gameplay, a "PRO" control scheme, an updated ZORADIUS mini-game, and a few other quality-of-life enhancements compared to previous releases.
52	* PortingDisaster:
53	** The HD Collection suffers from technical and frame-rate issues on both the [=PlayStation=] 3 and Xbox 360 with some broken transparency effects across both games, but the former's version of ''The 2nd Runner'' was hit the hardest. The [=PlayStation=] 3 version suffered from frame-rate stability issues running at most 30-40 FPS (if not less) whereas the Xbox 360 version ran at 50-55 FPS until the action really intensifies; the frame-rate on the [=PlayStation 2=] originals still runs better than either version of the HD Collection, going against Konami's original promise of presenting the games in full HD at 60 FPS. The problems in the [=PlayStation=] 3 version of the ''The 2nd Runner'' was finally addressed in July 2013 with Hexa Drive's 2.0 patch. Unfortunately, Xbox 360 owners didn't get the patch and some of the issues with the first game went unaddressed.
54	** Downplayed by the ''M∀RS'' remaster on [=PlayStation=] 4 and PC, due to the remaster being designed for 5.1 surround sound rather than basic 2.0 stereo presentation like in the original and HD releases, the game's audio ends up being much quieter when playing on stereo speakers unless you're playing on headphones or a 5.1 surround sound setup. The game also does not allow for keyboard rebinding on the PC version, [[GuideDangIt nor does it tell players anywhere]] what the key bindings are for the game itself, and some players also encountered issues with the positive/negative response feature when using the left and right thumbstick buttons on both versions.
55	* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Leo Stenbuck had quite a hatedom in the first game due to how he is against fighting and his multiple arguments with Elena and company, not helped by his poor English VA. However, he matured in ''The 2nd Runner'' where he is not only hot-headed, but is determined to save ADA, and a skilled pilot regardless of piloting a weaker Frame, an important supporting character but also has one more passable English voice ([[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct and it's the same voice-actor from the previous game to boot]]). In Japanese, he is voiced by Creator/KenichiSuzumura.
56	* SequelDisplacement: When it comes to the ''Zone of the Enders'' games, ''The 2nd Runner'' is almost always the one that comes to mind. The sequel was praised for fleshing out the potential of the first game had and making it much more action-oriented, while the first game is considered average at best and its main selling point to ''Metal Gear Solid'' fans was the demo for its sequel.
57	* SoOkayItsAverage: The first game isn't bad by any means, but it feels more like a tech demo than a full-fledged game. It also has some noticeable issues like the S.O.S missions and backtracking (which feel more like padding to disguise the very short length of the game), repetitive gameplay with poor enemy variety, as well as the poor localization and voice acting making it difficult to be invested in the story and characters, not helped by Leo being a contentious main character already.
58	* ThatOneBoss:
59	** Due to SurpriseDifficulty to those that never played the [[UpdatedRerelease Special Edition]] of ''The 2nd Runner'', Leo and his Vic Viper in HD Collection has became arguably harder and infuriating than before. Even on Normal, players are having a hard time beating him. This was a given since the Special Edition was made harder than the original release of the game and [[NoExportForYou it never got released to North America]] until the [[CompilationRerelease HD Collection]] came along.
60	** [[spoiler:Anubis and Aumaan Anubis in the final areas of ''The 2nd Runner''. You only have [[FlashStep Zero Shift]] available, all other sub-weapons had been destroyed by Aumaan, including [[WaveMotionGun Vector Cannon]] which could bust through the boss' shield with ease. In the time trial mode, none of the sub-weapons work on him. Its [[ThatOneAttack zig-zagging homing lasers]] are a bitch to dodge moving around all sorts of directions and the damage is punishing if you get caught into a barrage of them. As Aumaan Anubis, its BURST Shot homing capabilities are even more persistent, so simply trying to dodge isn't going to cut it unless you shoot it. Worse still is Aumaan Anubis' [[HealingFactor ability to recover energy]] while protecting itself in an impenetrable shield if you don't shoot down the Aumaan panels in the Special Edition of the game in the later ports.]]
61	* ThatOneLevel: Any time there are friendlies, but especially the massive battlefield clash in ''The 2nd Runner''. Not only are Jehuty's controls not made for avoiding collateral damage, and ADA isn't too picky on what she locks onto. This creates one of the few cases where things would be substantially easier if they'd just let you fight an army at once on your own. Also, to get a SS rank, you must beat it without ''anyone'' dying.
62	** The Homing Missiles might help, but can be taxing your sub-energy gauge unless you're [[GodMode Naked]] [[InfinityPlusOneSword Jehuty]].
63	* ThatOneSideQuest: The S.O.S. missions of the first game. Basically you have to clear out the enemies taking over a particular area while avoiding collateral damage. Sounds easy at first until you find out that giant mechs aren't good at preventing the latter. Often you're liable for something to go wrong and you'll be penalized for it, be it one misfired attack or enemies attacking a certain section of the area that you couldn't get to in time. Skipping the missions outright doesn't help if you're trying to get the good ending as civilians and buildings will be wasted over time if left unnoticed.
64	* UnderusedGameMechanic: The inclusion of sub-weapons in the first game are considered under utilized in execution; while there are a few useful ones such as Gauntlet for its ability to guard break enemies and Comet for to its damage output and homing capabilities, many of the other ones like Sniper and Decoy feel like a means to an end to advance to certain areas of the game rather than extending Jehuty's fighting capabilities, along with other sub-weapons such as Javelin being borderline useless due to its short range and pitiful damage output. The sub-weapons themselves also required ammo pick-ups to replenish supplies, which incurred players to either grind for ammo after use or hold off from spending some of the useful ones until later into the game. The sequel rectifies the sub-weapons by readjusting the properties of some of existing ones to work in tandem with the reworked combat system (e.g. Gauntlet is partially nerfed damage-wise but incentivizes using it against enemies for its knockback effects, Decoy has more practical application other than being a mandatory tool to dodge Tyrant's OneHitKill attack in the first game), removing some of the useless ones (e.g. Javelin, Bounder, Sniper), added a few new ones like [[GrapplingHookPistol Wisp]] and [[FlashStep Zero Shift]], and uses a universal [[ManaMeter sub-weapon gauge]] that can be replenished with either Metatron/Sub-Weapon Energy pick-ups or by simply fighting enemies (unless the player is using Damaged or Naked Jehuty in NewGamePlus) rather than a finite ammo pool for every sub-weapon.
65	* {{Wangst}}: Leo in the first game goes on and on about not wanting to kill, even late in the game. What makes this especially egregious is that most of the opponents he fights are unmanned units.

Context YMMV / ZoneOfTheEnders