Welcome to another edition of For What it’s Worth where bargain titles are examined to see if they really are worth your bottom dollar. As I have stated many times in the past, I am a fan of the Mega Man franchise, mainly the classic series. You couldn't imagine the joy I felt two years ago when I learned that Mega Man would be returning to his 8-bit roots in Mega Man 9. Unfortuantly I did not have a console to download it to but two years later I know have an Xbox 360 and an Xbox Live account, so I was finally able to download it and as luck would have it, Capcom kept the nostalgia train rolling with the release of Mega Man 10 back in March. So I was able to download two classic Mega Man platformers instead of just one.
But do these games really pay tribute to the Blue Bomber or is 8-bit platforming too out-dated?
Mega Man 9:
(They even brought back the God awful box art of the first two games. Awesome!)
Story: The year is 20XX and some time has passed after the events of Mega Man 8. The world is once again peaceful with Dr. Wily’s disappearance. However, the world falls into chaos once again after robots created by Dr. Light begin attacking different cities. These attacks trigger Wily’s return and with that the revelation of Dr. Light being the mastermind who is pulling the strings. It is up to Mega Man to defeat Dr. Light’s eight robot masters (one of which is a series milestone because she is a woman) and discover the truth behind what is going on. Is Dr. Light really setting his sights on world domination? The plot is a bit on the silly side and the game even acknowledges itself and provides some clever bits where it lampoons itself.
Graphics & Design: Capcom did something really cool with the decision to give it the classic 8-bit style of the NES games (the first six) because as so many fans know, that was when the series was at its best. Personally, I think Capcom made the right decision in taking the nostalgic route with the look of the game because not only does it bring back warm memories of playing the original games, but it also serves as a sharp contrast to the gaming industry’s obsession with cutting edge 3D graphics. A 2.5D game would have worked to, but it just wouldn’t have had the same feel.
Sound: With Capcom taking Mega Man back to his 8-bit roots, the vintage 8-bit music which has been a series trademark makes a return as well. Is Mega Man 9’s soundtrack a true return to 8-bit form? Actually, yes. Mega Man 9 has a solid collection of tracks, which can be ranked among the best among the NES games. With that said, is it one of the best over soundtracks in the classic series? Yes I would. There are some really great songs that deserve to be ranked with the very best in the series. By the way, you are going to hear some familiar tunes from the Mega Man 2 soundtrack, which only adds to the game’s nostalgic value. Examples: Tornado Man, Galaxy Man, Plug Man, Dr. Wily 2.
Gameplay: The game sports the same run, jump and shoot gameplay as the old school 8-bit Mega Man games and the rock, paper, scissors style system of gaining a new ability after defeating a robot master returns as well. Oh and when you get hit, you get knocked back (annoying yes but you are immune to damage for a couple of seconds).
However, there are a few differences. First of all, Mega Man no longer has the slide move that was first introduced in Mega Man 3. Nor does he have the charge shot move he was given during the opening cinematic of Mega Man 4. Instead the developers decided to make Mega Man more like he was in the first two games. It adds to the difficulty, which I am perfectly fine with, although it does take some getting used to. Second, the game features a shop, where Mega Man can use screws found in each level to purchase power ups like E and M Tanks, a shock guard that protects against instant death when landing on spikes and etc. This is a new feature in the realm of the 8-bit games but the shop has actually been a staple of the classic series since Mega Man 7 made its debut on the SNES. With the difficulty created by some of these level designs, the shop can really come in handy. However, two things really bug me about the shop. First, you have to go to the level select screen to go to the shop, meaning that if you want to go back and buy something when you are half-way through Wily’s castle, you wont be able to do so without having to start all the way back at the very beginning of the castle. The other thing that bugs me about the shop is how slow the process of buying something and leaving the shop actually is and that is because Roll’s dialogue takes a tad long to load up, which is a pain in the butt.
Now that we got those things out of the way, let me tell you about the game’s difficulty. Remember when I said that this game was modeled more after the first two games in the series? Well, I wasn’t kidding. Not only are two of Mega Man’s signature moves stripped away from him but the level design’s are at times unforgiving, I mean it really felt like I was playing Mega Man for the very first time. I was dying left and right because I didn’t know what obstacles were waiting for me at the other side of the screen. This was at times a tad frustrating (it felt like I was experiencing cheap death after cheap death) but it is as it should be and it’s awesome. Making it through the game is going to depend on your ability to remember each situation and having the knowledge of how to counter it. This is where the robot master abilities, and purchased power ups are really going to come in handy. It is hard but it made me feel like I was a kid again, back when I found the original games hard (actually 1 & 2 are still hard) and it felt really cool and actually kind of rewarding when I finally managed to beat the game.
Extra Features: Proto Man is available as a playable character (a series first, which I think is awesome) via DLC. Proto Man has both the slide and charge shot abilities that have been stripped from Mega Man and you can use his shield for some extra protection but he does take twice as much damage and is knocked back twice as far when hit. And sadly the story remains the same for the most part. There is also a list of different challenges that can be accessed in the Main Menu. Each challenge is to be completed in the main game. There is also the Time Attack Mode in which players must complete each level in as fast as possible and an endurance mode called Endless Attack which features a new level and a ninth robot master. Endless Attack Mode is a DLC.
Replay Value: Despite its difficulty, Mega Man 9 provides a good few hours of entertainment. The ability to play as Proto Man also adds a new element of challenge to the game, which is a good way to increase it’s initial life span, even with the lack of story variation. The Challenges, and the Time Attack and Endurance Modes also add on to the replay value, making this a worthy download.
Overall Value: Download Price- 800 MS points
What it’s Worth- $15
(The cheesy box art was cool for Mega Man 9 but they should have used Inafune's anime artwork)
Story: This time around, a terrible virus known as Robenza has infected robots around the world and in what has become a series tradition, they all go berserk and start attacking humanity. Mega Man and Proto Man must defeat the eight robot masters, as Dr. Wily and Dr. Light work together to find a cure. The story is ok but it seems to take itself a tad too seriously. It really could have used the bits of self-parody from Mega Man 9 to lighten the mood.
Graphics & Design: Just like in Mega Man 9, the game sports the classic 8-bit look of the old NES games. Like in the ninth installment, the retro look works well and it really suits the series well as a whole but if Capcom does create a Mega Man 11, it would be cool if they decided to them try a 16-bit look and sound. Speaking of which…
Sound: So, does this 8-bit soundtrack rank up there with the best in the Mega Man classic series? Like 9, Mega Man 10 provides some really solid tunes, so I would say that it does. However, I think that the music of seemingly every level tries just a little too hard to be epic, making most of them sound like the levels of Wily’s castle. Not that this is an overly bad thing but a couple of extra songs with a light-hearted feel would have been nice. Examples: Strike Man, Nitro Man, Chill Man, Solar Man.
Gameplay: It sports the same challengingly classic gameplay as Mega Man 9, so I will simply state the few differences between the two games. First of all the shop is much better this time around. It is part of the post-level (it appears after you beat a level or after you loose all of your lives) menu rather than at the bottom of the stage select screen. Now you can purchase items even when you are at Wily’s castle. The dialogue is also a lot smoother, making the task of buying power ups a lot faster.
Proto Man is now playable right off the bat, with the same strengths and weaknesses as before but he still doesn’t add much to the story.
And what is perhaps the biggest game changer is the addition of an Easy Mode, which allows players to play a much easier version of the game that will reduce the number of enemies, make obstacles easier to overcome and even put floating platforms over pits and beds of spikes. This is great for beginners, younger players and for those who just want to beat the game without too much of a hassle.
The traditional Normal Mode features the challenge you would get from Mega Man 9 and it is still a fun experience, even if you might get a tad frustrated from time to time. If players feel that this is not challenging enough, they can always unlock the Hard Mode, which I imagine to be very similar to Grandpa Simpson’s explanation of death.
“Death stalks at every corner. Ah there it is death!”
Extra Features: The Challenges from the previous game make a return but this time they are in the form of a separate game mode, although some of the challenges must be completed in the main game. The Time Attack Mode also makes a return. There are also the DLC packs, which contain extra levels featuring the Mega Man killers from the games in the classic Game Boy series. The neat thing about this is the fact that their powers can be used in the main game after they have been defeated. Bass can also be added as a playable character but like with Proto Man, he doesn’t really offer much in terms of a different storyline.
Replay Value: The same as Mega Man 9, although the DLC packs do offer a bit more to the initial play through if you choose to purchase them.
Overall Value: Download Price- 800 MS points
What it’s Worth-$15
I would say that 8-bit platforming is still as fun today as it was 20 years ago and both of these Mega Man titles are fine examples of that. Both are worthy installments to the classic franchise but I wouldn't say they are the best (I still think 2,3 and 5 hold that honor).
If you are a Mega Man fan, a fan of retro gaming or if you are a new school gamer who wants a history lesson, I would highly recommend downloading them to your console of choice.
Mega Man Lives!
Until next time: Happy Hunting!
Next on the docket: BioShock (for real this time)
