A Linguistics Lesson: Dr. Weil (Mega Man Zero)

Now for something slightly educational and mildly pointless!

This is Dr. Weil, the primary antagonist of Mega Man Zero. Apparently there's a little bit of confusion caused by his name, how it's pronounced, and who it could possibly connect him to, so I thought I'd dedicate a little bit of time out of my day to elaborate on this.

Some people out there pronounce the name "wile," and say that this points to him being Dr. Wily, the antagonist of the original Mega Man series. I can't say I buy that. For one thing, Dr. Wily, while a card-carrying villain of the utmost degree, does have scruples and is quite capable of acts of kindness and gratitude. For instance, at the conclusion of Mega Man 10, after being taken to the hospital for sickness by Mega Man, leaves enough Roboenza medicine in his hospital bed to completely remove all traces of the virus from the world.

Weil, on the other hand, is easy to see as the foulest, most evil character in the setting, with no redeeming qualities or standards whatsoever.

In addition, his name isn't even pronounced like that.

Let's take a look at the original kana: バイル . An accurate phonetic translation of this would be "Bairu." Since people typically don't name characters after pre-puke, and the Japanese syllabary doesn't have any actual "V" sound, it's obvious that his name is supposed to be Vile.

But... don't we already have a Vile in Mega Man?

Yes, we do... in America. See, the Mega Man X villain that we know as Vile actually had a different name across the pond. His original Japanese name was VAVA. Now, that name sounds rather silly, and there's the fact that Capcom of America likely only saw the kana as "BABA." Given who Vile is visually based on, it's a safe bet that they didn't want to get in legal trouble with Lucasfilms. Thus, they changed his name to something more threatening, if about as subtle as a shotgun blast.

So imagine their confusion when Capcom of Japan popped out a character who actually WAS named Vile... which leads me to my next bit.

Let's take a look at the German language. You know how a stereotypical German accent replaces "w" with "v" sounds? There's a reason for this: In the German language, that IS the "w" sound.

Capcom of America decided to alter JP!Vile's name in such a way that it now resembled an actual name, yet at the same time did not change the pronunciation or the threatening overtones. Thus, Dr. Weil is still pronounced the same as it is in the Land of the Rising Sun, "Doctor Vile."

Moral of the story: Not every dub name change is as bad as the MegaMan Battle Network anime.

Retrieved from the Internet Scrapyard: Nazethox, the Unholy Shadow

This, like the Prototype list, was originally on Pastebin and linked elsewhere.

Anyway, what this monster is supposed to be is an umbral dragon, advanced to its highest and most powerful age category, transformed into a ravener (dragon-lich), and given Mythic power. The result is a monstrosity that only Mythic heroes could ever possibly challenge.

If you don't understand the statistics, that's alright. Just imagine a huge dragon skeleton, surrounded by a shadow that resembles its living self.


Nazethox, the Unholy Shadow
CR 29/MR 10
6,553,600 XP
Great umbral wyrm ravener
CE Colossal undead (extraplanar, mythic)
INIT +0; SENSES darkvision 240ft, blindsight 120ft, Perception +50, x-ray vision, true seeing
AURA cowering fear, frightful presence (360ft, DC 37), mythic blasphemy
 
-Defense-
 
AC 44, touch 5, flat-footed 44 (+5 deflection, -2 Dex, +39 natural, -8 size)
HP 841 (29d8+609)
FOR +26, REF +14, WILL +27
DR 20/good and 10/epic; IMMUNE cold, death effects, negative energy, paralysis, sleep, undead traits;
DEFENSIVE ABILITIES Channel resistance +8, freedom of movement, soul ward (58 hp)
SR 43
 
-Offense-
SPEED 40ft, fly 250ft (clumsy), burrow 60ft
MELEE bite +35 (4d8+21/19-20 plus energy drain), 2 claws +35 (4d6+14/19-20 plus energy drain), tail slap +33 (4d6+21/19-20), 2 wings +33 (2d8+7/19-20)
SPECIAL ATTACKS breath weapon (70ft cone, 24d8 negative energy, DC 37), create shadows, crush (4d8+21, DC 37), energy drain (1 level, DC 32), shadow breath (12 Str), tail sweep (2d8+19, DC 37), mythic power (10/day, surge +1d12)
SPELL-LIKE ABILITIES (CL 29th; concentration +37)
-CONSTANT: true seeing,
-AT WILL: darkness, project image (DC 25), shadow walk, vampiric touch
-3/DAY: finger of death (DC 25), shades (DC 27)
 
-Spells known-
CL 20th, concentration +33
 
9th (4 known) soul bind, wish (M), miracle
8th (3 known) greater planar binding, mass inflict critical wounds, trap the soul
7th (3 known) destruction, hungry darkness, summon monster VII
6th (3 known) disintegrate (M), harm (M), mass inflict moderate wounds (M)
5th (4 known) dominate person, slay living, teleport, unhallow
4th (4 known) animate dead, black spot, mass reduce person (M), unholy blight (M)
3rd (4 known) animate dead, deadly juggernaut, fractions of heal and harm, haste (M)
2nd (5 known) command undead, darkness (M), desecrate, invisibility (M), silence
1st (5 known) bungle, curse water, expeditious retreat, interrogation, murderous command (M)
 
-Statistics-
 
STR 43 (+16), DEX 6 (-2), CON —, INT 30 (+10), WIS 31 (+10), CHA 37 (+13)
BAB +29, CMB +51, CMD 59 (63 vs trip)
FEATS: Expanded Arcana, Quicken Spell, Maximize Spell, Echoing Spell, Power Attack (M), Improved Bull Rush (M), Awesome Blow, Multiattack, Eldritch Claws, Sneaky Vagabond, Stealthy (M), Spontaneous Metafocus (mass inflict moderate wounds), Spontaneous Metafocus (mass reduce person, M), Extend Spell, Reach Spell, Mythic Spell Lore
SKILLS Diplomacy +43, Fly +30, Intimidate +51, Knowledge (arcana) +42, Knowledge (local) +42, Knowledge (nature) +42, Knowledge (planes) +42, Knowledge (religion) +42, Perception +50, Sense Motive +42, Spellcraft +42, Stealth +45 (47 in crowds), Survival +42, Use Magic Device +43
LANGUAGES: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Undercommon, Aklo, Aboleth, Goblin, Orc, Celestial
SQ: dragon cantrips, ghost bane, umbral scion
 
-Abilities-
 
Mythic Blasphemy (Sp): Nazethox benefits from a permanent 'desecrate' spell, centered on him. In addition, creatures within 20 feet of Nazethox take 2d12+12 points of negative energy damage per round. Undead in this area of effect (apart from Nazethox himself) instead heal by this amount. This effect cannot be dispelled.

Retrieved from the Internet Scrapyard: Top 9 Prototype Bosses

Warning: The following post concerns an M-rated game with strong language, a few sexual undertones and impossible amounts of blood and gore. Viewer discretion is advised.

Prototype and Prototype 2 are two of my all-time favorite video games. You are given massive power, a story to find out who you are and what you're supposed to do in this world, and some boss battles that will blow your cells open. In this list, I'm going to cover all of the bosses of the Prototype series, from my least favorite to what I consider the best.

Of course, this comes with a warning: There be many spoilers on this list. Some of the bosses are dependent on plot twists, others are obviously the final boss, and still others are just worth fighting yourself.

With that said, let's rumba!


9: Supreme Hunter

 

I hate this thing. It's supposed to be your evil counterpart, but it just looks like someone threw a bunch of body parts at each other until it looked like a humanoid.

Not only that, but the boss fights against this thing are pretty terrible. This thing moves at improbable speeds, does absurd damage even when it's just throwing things at you, and in its second fight (the final boss), it possesses your Tendril Barrage Devastator... and if you're not out of range, it will kill you instantly and unavoidably. BUT THERE'S STILL MORE! The final battle is on a time limit, and if you don't beat the Supreme Hunter in time, the nuke that was activated before the battle goes off, killing you, the forces of Blackwatch, and everyone in Manhattan. I hate this boss SO MUCH!

8: Juggernaut

 

This bloated tub of lard is a very un-fun second boss. The Juggernaut is the only enemy in the game that can block any frontal attacks. Its attacks are very difficult to avoid. If you're on the ground, you're given the Vlad of Wallachia treatment on the wide-ranged Groundspikes. If you're in the air, you're going to be the victim of thrown rocks. Thrown objects home in on their targets, whether it's you or an Infected enemy throwing it.

Not helping anything is that when you fight it, your only powers are the Claws and Tendrils, both of which are nearly useless against Juggernauts.

The worst part of this battle is that you're alone with the Juggernaut. Almost all of the other bosses in the game have scientists, soldiers or other Infected roaming around for you to consume and heal. Let me clarify: Against the first Juggernaut, YOU CANNOT HEAL. James' regeneration sucks until you have all ranks in it, so all I can say is good luck.

7: Orion-II

What do you get when you combine a sociopathic soldier, some mad scientists with syringes, and an angry viral black man's vengeful rage? You get your super-soldier knockoff, Orion-II. And it's no different from any other super soldier up to that point. Orion-II does more damage and is more of a tank, but other than taking longer his fighting style is exactly the same as his lesser brethren. Thus, this fight is quite generic, a shame considering that he's supposed to be a knockoff of YOU.

However, placing this above the Supreme Hunter and the Juggernaut is the fact that you have plenty of options to heal, and the other fact that super-soldiers are fun and challenging enemies to  fight anyway. Orion-II isn't the best boss, but he's far from the worst.

6: Hydra

 

Now we're getting into the good ones. Players may recognize the Hydra from the first game, and think (or hope) it's just there as plot exposition or something.

Nope! The hydra, a dangerous foe from the previous game, is the first boss of Prototype 2. And it has new tricks up its throat. In the first game, all Hydras could do was pound whatever's in front of them and throw things. In 2, it's a bit more complicated. It now has a tendril attack, and if you're not paying attention, it's going to reel you in and throw YOU like a rock. It also has more physical moves than the original, as it now tries to sweep the floor in order to kill you. Unlike the Juggernaut, you have plenty of Blackwatch soldiers shooting at the thing (read: health packs), so healing's a cinch. Bottom line, this is a great boss to start the game with.

5: Goliath

 

So you're going about a mission inside a Blackwatch base. You're eating scientists and making people go bloody boom without anyone realizing it was you, and suddenly the ground starts shaking. Red Crown and her contacts start going nuts, and you begin to wonder just what the heck's going on.

And then you step outside, and are greeted with the Goliath.

The Goliath is, simply put, GIGANTIC. It's easily fifty feet tall, and it is absolutely pulverizing Blackwatch. Besides that, it's heading towards a factory of Whitelight, which at this point has been revealed as a catalyst for turning humans into Evolved. This contributes a sense of urgency as you attempt to cut the massive abomination down to size. You have to react to the Goliath's powerful and wide-ranging attacks and chop off parts of its body when its guard is down.

As it loses body parts, the Goliath constantly changes how it fights, culminating in doing its very best impression of a tactical nuke. The best part? Despite how enormous it is, you get to CONSUME it. After a lengthy and painful battle, turning a colossus like the Goliath into fast food is just fantastic.

4:  Alex Mercer

 

Didn't expect this to be #4, did you? Despite the fact that many people find the Alex Mercer battle easy and anticlimactic, I find it to be a very fun battle, and a MUCH better final boss than the Supreme Hunter.

Alex is armed (ha-ha) with an arsenal of powers like yours, and you have to choose the right power for the job. This isn't a battle that you can win with just one power, as attempting to go after him with the same power as he's using will just get you hurt. You have to constantly change up how you fight in this battle in order to win, while dodging Alex's own attacks. Overall, in my opinion, this is a very satisfying end to a vastly improved sequel. Alex Mercer's final words are even respectful and it gives me the euphoric feeling of victory.

"Welcome to the top of the food chain."

3: Elizabeth Greene

 

For most of the original Prototype, Elizabeth Greene is built up as the main villain, the hive queen of all Infected in Manhattan. After seeing that, yes, she is strong and mobile in a cutscene, you'd expect to be fighting a (hopefully) better version of the Supreme Hunter, the result of Alex symbolically knocking her up. (seriously, watch the scene)

What we got instead was a lot crazier.

Instead of fighting you one-on-one like Alex Mercer in the next game, she summons a cocoon that... uh... well, it looks quite Freudian to say the least.

Anyway, Greene has a slew of attacks to assault you with, and you have a variety of methods to take her down. You're in Times Square, and while it seems like you have the advantage (since Greene can't move and you have plenty of freedom), that's not completely the case. Besides Greene, there's a horde of Infected, including Hunters, trying to tear you a new one, so hiding on a building isn't going to cut it. You have to keep moving and eating to survive Greene's attacks, which include giant green homing spores, thrown cars, and a shockwave that WILL KILL YOU INSTANTLY if you don't have the Adrenaline Surge evolution. You have to keep diving in close to Greene in order to take out the tentacles holding her up, toppling her so you you can attack the woman herself.

This battle is long and very difficult, but you feel triumphant after winning it. Remember kiddies, always eat your Greenes! I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

2: Specialist Cross

 

Captain Robert Cross is my favorite boss from the original Prototype. He's built up by the Web of Intrigue and Red Crown cutscenes as the ultimate Runner-killer. He's an ordinary human, yet he can still go toe-to-toe with beings like Mercer, Greene, and the ever-mysterious PARIAH. You get to test these legends after being betrayed by Karen Parker.

And the legends are true.

For an ordinary soldier, Cross is surprisingly durable, and is armed with weaponry that require you to think before attacking him. If you're far away from him, he'll unload with a fully-automatic grenade launcher that hurts like a truck. If you're up close, he'll quite happily enter CQC with a taser baton that ALSO hurts, and stuns you. Note: Don't use the Whipfist.

You have to attack Cross very carefully. Much like the Alex Mercer fight in the second game, you can't just charge in swinging and expect to win. Attacking him up close isn't an option, you have to wait until he reloads (that grenade launcher isn't ammo-friendly) get some quick hits in, and then get out before he tries to zap you.

You will probably die several times against Cross, but this battle definitely brings the excitement.

If only it wasn't before the worst part of the game... sigh.

1: Dr. Koenig

 

At the beginning of Prototype 2, after being evolved by Mercer, James Heller is locked in a lab by Gentek scientist Anton Koenig and Blackwatch commander Douglas Rooks. At first, Koenig seems like an ally, helping you to survive. Over the course of the game, it seems like Koenig is like any other Gentek employee (read: mad scientist), and James is eventually tasked by Father Guerra to take him down. So what happens when you get to Koenig?

He locks the door after you enter and tells you about a super-soldier project, and how you can take it down.

Koenig serves as mission control for a few missions... right up until you consume the creator of Orion-II, where you learn that Koenig set you up and was hoping Orion-II would kill you. You hunt down the good doctor AGAIN, and he's ready with a gunship to kill you. You think it's going to be easy after the chopper is destroyed, but the next cutscene will blow your mind.

Koenig suddenly grows Blades and slashes James a few times with them, suddenly moving much faster than his old age would suggest. He reveals that James is not the only one of Alex Mercer's so-called Evolved, and that they were hoping James would join them. And thus begins the first Evolved battle of Prototype 2.

While most Evolved afterward follow Koenig's example and fighting style, Koenig sits at the top because he makes you realize just what you're up against.

I fully admit that I was spoiled about the Evolved before I played, but I didn't know (or didn't remember) that Koenig was one of them. In addition, I can see most plot twists coming a mile away. And yet Koenig surprised me, the genre-savvy spoiler hound, with his sudden blade arms.

I love the Evolved battles. They are faster, stronger, and smarter than other enemies, and you have a whole zone of NYZ to fight them in if you so please. Because Koenig so surprised me, so impressed me, and so obviously let me just have fun with raw power, I vote Dr. Anton Koenig as my favorite boss in the Prototype series.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

Greetings, people of the Internet!

I am Voyd. I'm just going to use this blog to talk about whatever's on my mind, whether it's video games, TV, or any other subject that I can discuss at length.

Expect to see a lot of video games and Pathfinder.