Mega Man: The Power Battle

"Three Mega Fighters Ready For Action!"

Introduction

I first played this game on Mega Man Anniversary Collection (GCN, PS2, GBA), and despite the bad things that have been said about this game, I think it is great. Many people find this game weaker than the other Mega Man games because you don't have to go through a challenging level to fight the robot boss of that level. No, in this game, you begin fighting the robot from the get-go. Also, this is the first Mega Man game to feature a multiplayer option. Read on, find out more about this excellent game in the entire Mega Man series.

Gameplay: 9/10

In Mega Man: The Power Battle, you must destroy the enemy robot. Choose from three characters; Mega Man, Protoman, or Bass. Then, choose what set of robots you want to fight; Robots from Mega Man 1-2, Mega Man 3-6, or Mega Man 7. Instead of conquering a level to get to that robot, you begin fighting him from the beginning. Keep blasting the robot with your Mega Buster. When you defeat the robot, you gain his ability, just like in the other Mega Man games. And each robot has a weakness to one of the other bosses abilities, just like the other Mega Man games. The controls are simple and won't take long at all to learn, whether you're at the Arcade or playing on your GCN or PS2.

Story: 8/10

Dr. Wily is determined to destroy Mega Man. So he has programmed six different robots to destroy you. You must beat each robot in a one-on-one match (two-on-one if you're playing multiplayer). If you can defeat the robots, then you will come face to face with the evil Dr. Wily. Destroy his Wily Machine to defeat him and complete the game.

Graphics: 8/10

Even in 2004, these graphics aren't half bad. Each of the characters are very colorful and detailed, but not 3D. However, you must take into consideration that this game was created in 1995. Each character is colorful and detailed.

Sound: 7/10

The sound has good quality, but the songs can get annoying at times. But the classic tune of when a evil robot is introduced makes up for that.

Playtime and Replayability: 8/10

With the multiplayer option (even though there is a noticeable amount of gameplay slowdown), this game can be really fun. I like to play it in single player, too. There's nothing like a one-on-one matchup between the Blue Bomber and an evil robot.

Final Recommendation

Mega Man: The Power Battle is definitely worth a few quarters at the Arcade, or a little bit of playtime on your home console. If you're a fan of fighting games, this game shouldn't disappoint.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/29/04