Mega Man 2

"Classic."

Mega Man 2 is pretty much perfect in every way. The level designs are unique and fit their specific themes extremely well, the action is typically fast and fun, the enemy designs are great, the controls handle very well and the whole thing looks and sounds really good. While the original was an innovative title that was very good, Mega Man 2 improves and excels in every way.

Most action games from the late 80's start out as a knock off of the typical platformer scheme, and push whatever character designs into that mold. While that led to many games being worth playing, it also left them all hanging around in the same level of quality, with very few games actually standing out. Mega Man games break away from the typical platformer scheme, and you start the game with the option of picking one of 8 levels guarded by a specific robot master. You make your way through the level, defeat the robot master and earn his special attack. Afterwards, you move on to the next level that you choose. It isn't until you defeat all 8 that you move on to the Dr Wily's Castle, which is a series of levels one after another.

Each level is fashioned after it's own robot master. Air Man's level takes place in the clouds, Bubble Man below the sea. Each level has really good music, fitting the theme and being drilled into your brain for the rest of your life. Each level has it's own unique challenges - Bubble Man's stage has giant fish, frogs, mines, and different physics in the underwater sections. Quick Man's stage has giant and deadly quick beams that force Mega Man to make his way down as fast as he can or he'll get hit and explode. After conquering the stage, you meet the robot master in battle.

Fighting robot masters is a classic Mega Man staple, and here you'll enter the robot master's room, the door will shut, the robot master music will play, and the fight is underway. Each robot master is typically weak against a specific weapon you can obtain from another robot master, and each has a unique fighting style that can take a couple of attempts to learn and defeat.

After the enjoyable romp through the robot master stages, Mega Man moves on to Dr Wily's castle, which is a series of stages and bosses. These levels and bosses aren't easy and certainly give the player the sense that we're indeed moving deeper into the game. There is a dragon boss that will chase Mega Man across a black background with only a few squares keeping Mega Man from falling to his doom. This fight is a blast and a terrific example of how Mega Man 2 is able to create a sense of harrowing danger from big, brightly colored sprites.

The weapons Mega Man gets from the robot masters are all fairly different from each other, and have their pros and cons, as well as specific uses for some items. They look and sound good, each one capturing the general idea of the weapon perfectly. You won't use them all, and some seem to be used for a robot master battle or two and that's it. Others are indispensable.

Along the way, Mega Man doesn't just receive upgrades to his weapons, he also gains specific tools like a rocket sled and a wall climber after defeating certain bosses. He can also collect 1-ups and E-tanks. E-tanks are used to refill Mega Man's energy, which can be a great boost during difficult boss fights. Health and weapon energy powerups drop from the enemies that fill up each stage.

With the robot masters, the dragon, the laser/wall room, the guts dozer, and Wily himself, Mega Man 2 is filled with memorable battles. Some of the lesser enemies are also classic gaming baddies, filling each stage with terrific action and challenge.

The game isn't terribly hard. There is a hard difficulty setting that helps out if you want a real challenge, but the normal level feels like it has a good amount of balance. You'll need to die a few times to get past some areas, but luckily there's a password system that you can use to continue your progress. The gameplay combined with the controls make for a very rewarding game to play, and with the various paths you can take through the robot masters, there's definitely replay value to be had. Even playing through the same way works out because it's absolutely one of the most fun games ever released.

All in all, Mega Man 2 takes the formula of its predecessor, improves it, and makes a strong case for being not only the best classic Mega Man series game, but it also makes a case for being the best action game of the 8-bit era.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/21/08

Game Release: Mega Man 2 (US, June 1989)