Mega Man Network Transmission

"An excellent gaming blend of the old NES Megaman and the new GBA Megaman.exe"

I have always been a giant fan of Capcom, most notably their Megaman series. My first Megaman game was Megaman V. I loved it, and either bought or rented the rest. I have loved each and every one of them. Then Capcom made the X series. I must have played through Megaman X a hundred times, the others a considerably less amount of times. Then came Megaman Battle Network. The first one was decent, but could've used improvement. The second one was excellent, and I felt Capcom had hit its peak. I was wrong.

Megaman Network Transmission is an awesome blend of the old Megaman games from the NES and the newer Megaman games from GBA. The storyline is meant to be directly between Megaman Battle Network and Megaman Battle Network 2. The basic gameplay is the sidescrolling madness from the earlier games, with several essential additions that make it more like the later games, like the use of chips. I'll get into more detail on this later. It provides you with a decent amount of challenge, especially with some of the bosses. Of course, the game is not without its flaws, but the rest of the game more than makes up for it.

Perhaps one thing that really grabbed my attention were some striking similarities to the NES versions. Several enemies make a surprise return, like the flying penguins in Iceman's stage or the infamous Sniper Joe. Some levels have a strong resemblence to their original versions. This adds a very strong nostalgia factor to the gamers who have been playing since the days of the NES. Now, to make this review a bit easier to read, I'll divide my rating into categories.

Graphics:
The backgrounds are amazingly detailed. The pre-boss scenes are alway enjoyable and some levels will have your mouth drop in wonder. However, it feels as though it could use some improvement. When I look at Megaman, it just doesn't seem right. The same goes for Lan as he wonders around his bedroom. I'm probably nitpicking, but it just doesn't look as good as it could have.
7/10

Story:
Ah, the storyline. Megaman's nemesis. I have yet to play a Megaman game with a truly involved story. The story is more complicated than the Megaman games for NES, but that's not saying much. It's a lot like the story for the games for GBA, and again, that's not saying much. It's fairly predictable and repetitive. And since you don't control Lan, there isn't much going on that can cover it up, as it did for Battle Network. No twists, no turns, but then that's not why anybody plays a Megaman game. I'll give this category a 5, and that's being generous.
5/10

Controls:
The controls are responsive and easy to use. And just in case you don't like it, there are three options! However, using chips so very often doesn't feel as comfortable as it could have been. A very small problem which I only noticed once.
9/10

Sound/Music:
The music is excellent! There are remixes from both versions, as well as completely new background music. I don't really like the boss music, but it doesn't irritate me. Some levels stand out with its music, such as the Arcade. The sounds are average, but there's not much to expect there. As long as the sound doesn't irritate you, it has done its job. The voice acting... It has great voice acting, but unfortunatly it's all in Japanese. They have subtitles and text in english of course, but still... I'm torn on this issue. It would be nice to understand what they are saying directly, but I know how horrible some voice actors for games can be. Super Mario Sunshine is an excellent example of this. But then, it can be truly excellent, such as on Eternal Darkness. By translating it, they could either have made it terrible or kept it as well as it is. However, I kind of enjoy hearing the Japanese language in this game. It's also fun to have my Japanese-crazy sister translate some of the little phrases which don't have subtitles.
9.5/10

Gameplay:
The best part of the game. It has the original sidescrolling action from the NES, as I have mentioned. You have your buster which has unlimited shots. The buster is weak and slow at first. However, you can gain power, speed, and the special charge function as you gain Power Ups. Lan also sends Megaman some additional weaponry in the form of chips. These have limited use, depending on how many of each chip you have collected. Every enemy drops a chip, though you usually have to defeat it quickly and without taking damage to receive it. There are two special chips dropped by each boss. Naturally, they are more difficult to get and more limited than other chips. Some are fairly simply, like the cannon which does 40 damage directly. Some are more complicated, like the Muramasa which does damage depending on your damage. All are suited for different situations. Some chips have elements (Wood, Aqua, Fire, Electrical) which do double damage to certain enemies.
While the game is extremely linear, it sometimes splits the game to give you a choice on choosing levels. This hails back to the NES Megaman games. However, this rarely happens, which is disappointing. At the end of every level there is a boss. Most bosses are difficult and will take several attempts to beat. You can't save before a boss, which is a turn-off to many people. However, this adds something to the game which not many Next-Gen games have- challenge. If you are only afraid of losing your chips, though, all is not lost! You have the opportunity to jack-out if you ever run out of back-ups (lives). Then you can save and return to the level from the beginning. If you jack-out then return to the level, you will return with all back ups again. Additionally, back-ups can be increased by finding them in different levels. These are usually in a difficult to reach area and can only be obtained once, but they are well worth it.
After you defeat a boss, they can be found at the Park to be beaten again. In this way, you can receive more than one of their chips. However, skill is required- you must defeat them quickly and take minimum damage. Fortunatly, there is no penalty at all for losing to the bosses here, except for wasted time.
There is only one negative thing I have to say about the gameplay. You are unable to control Lan. This was disappointing, since many puzzles and hidden areas were usually found through him. However, this is minor and would only truly be a factor to those who have only played the Battle Network games.
10/10

Overall (Not an average): 9

This game is incredibly fun and presents a challenge that is so hard to find in today's gaming world. It is a blend of two completely different gaming styles that works incredibly well. I strongly suggest you buy this game, though you should rent it first to ensure that you are the kind of person that would enjoy this game. If you are a fan of both Megaman versions, I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.

This is my first review. I hope you found it enjoyable and/or useful.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/08/03, Updated 07/08/03