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The Master Returns!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: March 18, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The latest expansion pack for Armored Core has arrived. It features 20+ new parts and the return of Nine-Ball, the #1 Raven in the original AC.

With new missions and 150 new enemies in the Arena Disk, AC: MOA should keep you occupied for quite a while. Highly Recommended!

New Armored Core game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: March 31, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This hot new expansion to the famous Armored Core is the third in the Armored Core series. You control a mech and can customize it in just about every way. Whether it's the arm weapons you want to change or even the paint job, this simulation is going to be an immediate success. You are a ruthless mercenary on a quest to control the most powerful and feared mech in all of the Raven's nest, a group of mercenaries. This game is definitely worth buying!

armored core 3 ----

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: April 01, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Armor core :masters of arena -- Great lots o fun. There are several arenas to compete in. The Missions are complex and fun at the same time. This is not a game unto its self but more of a great add on pack. My only beef with the game is the graphics -- we saw these graphics 3 ys ago and they havent changed. Giant robot fans (mecha) fans will have a blast in designing and tweeking the game. --- MUST HAVE MEMORY CARD-- there are no if or buts about it.

What an upsetting development in the series...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: April 04, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Let's get this out of the way: I'm a huge fan of the Armored Core series. Project Phantasma was a staple in my machine (along with Syphon Filter) for months. I'd read the bad reviews of Master of Arena but I'd been confident that my love of the series would overcome any gripes.

Turns out the reviewers were right.

Forget the fact that the whole game system is the same; I was prepared for that. No, the problem is that while Project Phantasma struck a great balance between the missions (the meat of the game) and the arena (which was, appropriately, both a kind of sparring mat and a diversion), Master of Arena reversed the roles and made the much less interesting portion of the game, the arena, the focus. It was a good idea to link the arena battles to the missions by means of story threads, but to have to fight seven arena battles to get a new mission is absolutely dreary.

There are good things improved from the first two Armored Core games: The aforementioned linking of the arena and mission modes; a better final stage and boss; nice array of new parts and weapons (lots of different legs and -- better still -- arm weapons); more diversity in the computer's fighting techniques, with some opponents taking a dogfight approach.

They still don't make up for the legions of problems:

1) An excruciatingly slow load time -- even when you switch items in the inventory it's slow;

2) Terrible disc-changing system. Select the wrong thing in the menu and you'll end up having to switch discs twice more;

3) Extremely cheap AI. This problem started in Project Phantasma but peaks here. The way Master of Arena increases difficulty is to make your shots miss your arena opponent even when you have a lock. I did a test of this, fighting an opponent equipped with the six-shot Dual Missile with that same weapon. His shots hit every time; mine barely scratch his paint. That's like saying, "You can never hit me, because this is meant to be a tough game".

4) Display problems. Your AC can *still* block your own view more often than you'd like. You'd think that after three years on the market, the developers would've done something about it.

5) Low replayability value. Can you even remember each opponent anymore? Do you care? By creating 150 opponents to fight, they exhausted the uniqueness of each one. I finished the game in about six hours total. I don't think I'll touch it again.

6) Impossible to play as an individual game. Unless you've played Armored Core or Armored Core: Project Phantasma and have an AC you can import, you will DIE. Very quickly.

7) If the idea was to retain connection to Project Phantasma, then why did they so radically change the stats of so many parts? My signature AC, Rainbow II, actually had to be changed because, in Master of Arena, it's now "Overweight". The "Finger" machine gun is now upsettingly low on ammo count (therefore nearly useless in the arena, though still dandy in the final mission of the game); the powerful Large Missile now has a shorter range than a machine gun and only holds four missiles (hello, logic? ); and the Triple Laser Cannon nearly tripled in weight, making it a less-than-appetizing sidearm. This means that continuity with Project Phantasma is now also history.

Why two stars? Call me nostalgic, since the first two games were so enjoyable to me. But all those nasty things in Master of Arena actually started to make me feel as if From Software is getting more and more contemptuous towards its customers, the players. Well, this is the last time I buy an Armored Core game. I have fond memories, but Master of Arena has given me so much crap that it bordered on being assaultive.

Armored Core Master of Garbage

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 11
Date: April 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

First and foremost, Armored Core: Master of Arena is not a sequel. Rather, it is an expansion pack for the original Armored Core. This is probably the first I've ever seen two expansion pack for one game, by the way. ACMOA is a giant edition of the first expansion pack, called Project Phantasm, but more arenas, more weapons and more terrible voice-acting. Don't get me wrong, I loved Armored Core for the auction and you can mix and match all the parts for your robot. You can have your choice between the two legged robot with gatling cannons and heat seeking missles, or the hovertank with grenade launchers for arms and a fusion cannon on your shoulder for backup. No other PSX has this much control over customizing your vehicle (except gran tourismo, but that's just driving).

However, ACMOA fails terrible because it is just more of the same crap. You get about 5 more arenas for head-to-head fighting, some missions that are basically the same from the first two AC, a couple of weapons that do absolutely nothing, and enemies which are nearly impossible to destroy. Is it me, or do they never miss? I can be armed to the teeth with missles, rockets, laser cannons and machine guns, and I barely take 10% off their health, and yet the computer-controlled robots can destroy in about 8 seconds, only armed with a sword and a toothpick.

Even though the first AC came out 5 years ago, ACMOA seems to be even slower and the graphics look like they came straight off a Sega Genesis. Loading times are excruciatingly slow - it takes about 30 seconds to just start an arena game. To make if worse, you win or lose, the game takes another 20 seconds to automatically start showing the replay - you can't turn it off in the option screen. Then you have to wait another 30 seconds for the game to go back to the main menu. Talk about your loading times!

And here's the final straw - even though analog sticks have been available on the PSX since 1996, ACMOA still relies on the d-pad. You use L1 and R1 to strafe, and L2 and R2 to look up and down. This game just begs for the usage of the TWO ANALOG JOYSTICSK, but apparently the game makers are still living in 1995. Even this one little thing could have savalge the game.

But nope. With outdated graphics, terrible controls, and nothing really new to offer, Armored Core Master of Arena is best suited for die hard AC fans. Wait a second, I'm a die hard AC fan, and I thought the game sucked. Let me change that. ACMOA is best suited for those who like to waste money and play the same game over and over again. If you own the first AC, buy Project Phantasm, availabe for about $20 at most stores. If you don't own AC or AC Project Phantasm, DO NOT BUY this game.

Armored Core: Master Of Arena

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 14
Date: April 21, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This was actually a good game from my point of view as an experienced player at this game. Although the load time and the difficulties of the ExArenas might have been too high for some people but that's a challenge they must face.

The good thing about this series is that computers actually started the method that humen uses (mirrage dance, hand-gun-lock, and air cut as some example).

And the other good thing was that it mixed the missions and the arena together so you will have to fight and have some experience before the big boss.

The last good thing that I thought was that it diversed the two events which was normal senario and the extra arena mode.

The bad thing about this game was that it would be too hard for unexperienced starters and non-starters. It had good challenges for the experienced but this didn't have the training for the unexperienced.

The other thing was that it had a real slow loading time. That killed the fun of it sometimes.

The last bad thing was that it didn't use joy-stick. That is a problem.

Over-all rating is 4 stars.

Time to set the record straight....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: June 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Time to set the record straight. Armored Core: Master of Arena is so much better then everybody says it is. I don't have the first two games in the series, but I am certain it can't be worse than the first. Why does everyone hate this game? There is no horribly cheap AI. Sure, they can aim somewhat well, but it's nothing a GOOD gamer cant handle. People you say you WILL die if you just started with a new core in AC:MOA. That is so false it hurts. I am new to the series, and I am now a master of this game. Crappy graphics? Not a chance. Just by looking at the back of the box of the original AC (i don't have it), i can see grainy blocky polygons, but on AC:MOA, there are nicely textured heaps of eye-candy. Disc changes if you choose the wrong menu item? Nope. Press X without switching discs and it brings you back. Excrutiating load times? Yeah, right. I counted. 8 seconds to start an arena game, 3 seconds to load the replay, and 7 seconds to go back to the Raven's Nest. NOBODY BEAT IT IN SIX HOURS. It seems that the people who write the bad reviews don't have basic counting or math skills. If, like some people say, it takes 80 seconds to start and finish an arena game (30 seconds to start, 20 seconds to load the replay, and 30 to go back to the menu) If there are roughly 250 ACs in the game, that is 20,000 seconds of loading time right there. Six hours is 21,600 seconds. That leaves 26 minutes and 40 seconds to beat all 250 AC's, which would mean you must beat every AC in the game in 6 seconds apiece. Actually, 3 seconds, because you must watch the replay again. And you CAN cancel the replay. I found that out by reading the words "X = Replay Cancel". That means that when you press X, it cancels the replay. Maybe you people should play until you beat level two before writing a bad review. Sheesh. Well, that seems about it... . If the game's bad reviews are pulling you away, then hopefully this one will pull you back. I loved it. Please also note that I am not trying directly to offend anybody, but I am just so darn tired of all of the bad reviews of a game that I love. There have been a lot of lies about this game, and I just wanted to set the record straight.

SB Wisconsin

Don't get angry, just read this review

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: June 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

What a pure waste of potential and huge insult to a die-hard consumer base. Read everything Gamer from NY said (which is right on the mark) and add these short falls...You have to fight in the arena to get missions, and you fight missions to be allowed to fight in the extra arena to get awesome parts that you can use in the missions. So I finish all the missions and arenas to get flame shell and stealth to use where? At least in ACPP you almost had to win the arena to get large missles to blow up that dudes ship(can't remember his name)and finish the game.

If you didn't import a core with parts from the first 2 games with human plus, arena and missions could be difficult, I don't know, I didn't try it. If arena was tough I wouldn't be so disappointed...but there is a way to beat them all almost as easy as just standing there. I won't tell you here, I don't want everyone in the universe mad at me!

Here's how it could have been a little better...

More than just a handful of missions. There are 2 disks, but only 19 missions and over 150 arena opponents. Talk about monotonous! There could have been a ton of missions with more than 1 storyline to follow. Remember in AC1 how you could have taken Chrome missions or Murakumo missions? There could have been 4 or 5 companies vying for your skills, some companies jumping in only after you have proven your skills in the arena.

Keep the weights, amounts, costs, energy drain, range, etc. consistant!

Make AI better, or at least fair. What's up with the new opponents being able to use their sword while they fly? No human plus surgeries in this game that I have found yet...

Make arena more of a risk. If I win I get money and sometimes a part, if I lose, I lose nothing. I should lose money or one of my parts if I lose. After fighting over 100 other cores and getting 10-60K each plus parts, I now have more $ than Donald Trump.

More hidden parts!

Better parts would also be cool. In this game there is a new core that has 5 expansion slots, a head with no radar, bio sensor or noise cancelor. What's up with that? There are some kick butt legs, a set of armor arms, gattling cannon arms, and some cool hand weapons. Human plus operations or some hidden upgrade. Wasn't that operating table in AC1 the coolest?

Anyway, I finished the game so I may as well trade it in cause there's just nothing to keep my interest in this one...

Armored Core FAN!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 07, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Overall, this game is awesome. Although there are some problems with you AC getting in the way of the camera. And in one player mode, the arenas are all one on one. It would be at lot better if you could choose either to fight one two or three enemies at a time, like in a battle royal. Every man for himself. It would also be cool if you could play two player on the same team, doing missions, and such. Another good thing to do would be to make it so that you could hire people to help you, like MT's. Or if you could take on protege's. I like this game, and once i got used to it i started doing good. In three days, after I got going good i made it 60% through the game.

Thanks for pointing out the mistake...

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 7
Date: June 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Earlier I stated to read everything that the gamer from NY said and take it as true. I'm changing some of my review. Loading times are not that bad...I wouldn't say they are 30 seconds, but I'm not sure if they are 3 seconds either, I haven't actually sat there to count. You dont have to change disks as Wisconsin pointed out. Everything else is true. Until I found the trick to beating them ..................... that not only could they hit me with everything they shot and my missles and bullets seemed to be shot at something invisible on the screen, but missles that have reload times of 10 and 15 on my core have reload times of 1 on the computer core. What's up with that? The flying while using a sword continues to fry my noodle. How can I get my core to do that? No one has found that trick yet, maybe thats something only the computer cores can do so it makes arena fighting even more of a challenge?

If you love this game and you don't have the first 2 games, or even the first one, then that is ok, but be warned, if you do buy the first 2 you will see what we are talking about and say to yourself: "WOW, These rock! Why didn't they make MOA like these and just improve on them? Graphix, joystick use, etc."

The market is no longer cornered by Fromsoftware on robot games. There are more out there that are good, both on PS and PC. Instead of buying this one, just keep playing the first 2 til something else comes out and even then I would wait for some other poor sole to write a review so you can read it and make a decision. Wish I did.

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