Mega Man 2

"Try and catch him if you can..."

Heroes come and heroes go, their stories known and then forgotten as time passes on. It's an undeniable fact; people don't care that much about the typical hero anymore. They go on a quest, beat the evil bad guy, save the damsel in distress, and live happily ever after. Who cares about a boring hero like that? Yet there are some of these brave souls whose stories are not only known of, but they are also remembered and cherished by all who care about them. While it's an unwritten rule for good to triumph over evil, the actual undertaking of that struggle can prove to be of epic proportions, leaving an incredible tale of action, suspense, love, danger to the imagination of all who here it. It's the kind of tale about a hero with perseverance and bravery, a legend whose deeds are revered and admired throughout the annals of time. Those are the kinds of heroes that stay with you, the kind that you never forget, and the ones you hold on to with pride. Mega Man is such a hero.

In the year 200X, a robot was created. In truth, he was much more than some meaningless piece of machinery. This Humanoid named Mega Man was destined to be humanity's savior, using his inherent abilities to stomp out the uprisings of evildoers the world over. Using his incredibly advanced powers and fortitude, this hero ventured forth into the open world in an attempt to Dr. Wily, an evil genius whose aspirations not only spelled doom for the world, but the universe itself. In an epic journey that spanned across a realm of Monsteropolis, Mega Man sought out the madman, taking down robots with similar to his own Humanoid qualities. He endured desolate fields of ice, pits of boiling magma, climbed the highest towers, and delved deep into the Earth, systematically taking out his foes as they challenged him. He acquired their powers, and learned to wield them with remarkable mastery and technique, casting a harsh judgment on those who stood in his way. And in a final confrontation, Mega Man took down Dr. Wily and saved the world from annihilation…or so he thought. Still licking the wounds of his defeat, the mad doctor created a new set of robots specifically designed to assassinate the hero. With this new wave of evil on the rise, it's up to Mega Man to return to battle and defeat Dr. Wily once and for all.

His quest will take him over a whole new set of levels as the crusade against evil progresses. He'll traverse through thick forests and underground tunnels, walk along dangerous platforms amongst the clouds, explore subterranean labyrinths, and avoid massive rivers of boiling hot magma. He'll have to dodge lethal laser beams, leap over bottomless pits, and avoid the myriad of other level hazards that the mad doctor has thrown up against him. Also, the minor enemies are more dangerous and durable than ever, giving our hero a tough time as he continues on his righteous quest against evil.Mega Man will come up against a wide variety of Dr Wily's new inventions, ranging from flame-throwing robots to massive mechanical dogs to spiky platforms to deadly giant rabbits to hovering spinning cylinders of doom. Not only can these things take a serious chunk out of his, but they are also incredibly difficult to dodge and shoot without getting roughed up. Also, the same high level of platforming performance as the original adventure is expected, with even more dire results. One false step can send Mega Man diving into a pit of lava, spelling out a fiery death and sending him back to the start of the level missing a life. Some of these levels cannot be completed unless you have excellent timing, skill and control technique, leaving you stranded in a hostile world as evil slowly surrounds you.

However, these dangerous new levels are the least of Mega Man's worries. Learning well from his previous mistakes, Dr. Wily has taken great care to create a new batch of villains specifically designed to exploit Mega Man's weaknesses and turn him into scrap metal. You'll have to deal with the likes of Wood Man, whose utter and complete control of the very leaves of the forest can leave you reeling. Metal Man's razor sharp blades can impale the hero, ripping into his circuited innards. Bubble Man will take you deep into his underwater lair, crush you with his mighty bubble and skewer you with his harpoons. Air Man can summon tornadoes to blow you away, Heat Man can fry you in seconds, Quick Man can outpace you with ease, Flash Man can stop time, and Crash Man can plant bombs anywhere sending you to a fiery death. Thankfully, all of these truly fearsome foes can be defeated, granted you have the right weapon to do the job. Each boss has a weakness to another's weapon, thus leaving it up to you to discover which goes with which. In the meantime, the revamped bosses will give you a hell of a time, a vast improvement of their original six predecessors. These enemies actually require strategy to defeat them. You'll have to time your attacks and jumps, lest you be blasted to bits by your foe's lethal forces. In this game, it'll take more than just right weapon to see you through a battle unscathed.

Mega Man's new quest is not only of the toughest he'll ever have to endure, but it's also one of the most beautiful. This sequel makes great use of the graphical abilities of the NES, treating gamers to a wonderfully colorful and detailed world. All of the levels are major improvements over the original game, a refreshed portrayal of a hero's second adventure. Everything seems more lively and vibrant, a sight for sore eyes that have grown used to seeing lackluster NES presentations. You can practically see the searing white heat coming off the lave pits, or the dense green foliage of Wood Man's level. Air Man's skyway is full of fluffy clouds that obscure your view of the battlefield. You can see the light shimmering off of the massive waterfalls in Bubble Man's level, or the festive and sparkly lights of Flash Man's area. Sadly, Mega Man doesn't look that much better. He still bears his signature blue armor, his carefree smile and bright eyes standing out from the chaos around him. At least his new foes look stylish, complete with detailed armor, smooth attack animations, and character illustrations. Even the lesser baddies look amazing, fighting Mega Man with bright colors, quick animation and remarkable style.

Not only have the graphics been updated, but the audio quality has significantly improved. Mega Man has retained all of usual sound effects, like the sound of his blaster blazing through the air and burning into a hapless foe. You can hear the gears in his legs grind together after he makes a successful jump, or the way his armor crunches every time he gets hit with some unfriendly fire. And when he finally loses all of his energy, you'll be haunted by the sad sound of his life force draining away as the evil closes in on him. Also, all of your hard-earned weapons come with their own unique sound effects, like the distinct “ping” sound of the Time Stopper, the blustery sound of Air Man's mini tornadoes, or the whooshing sound of the leaves flying through the air every time you use the Leaf Shield. But the best part of this game's audio is the music. Every level comes with its own theme music, each of them orchestrated remarkably clarity and detail given the abilities of the NES. These fast-paced tracks are not only upbeat and fun to listen to, but they also add so much more pace and emotion to an already intense adventure.

Normally, sequels are supposed to be horrible. They can never live up to their predecessors, nor can they wield the same kind of popularity. Sequels are normally doomed to the harsh judgment and criticism of the diehard fans of the series, to be scorned and disliked, to lead a bleak existence in the shadow of the former game's glory. Yet Mega Man 2 stands tall and proud on its own, one of the few sequels that can boast success and superiority over its elder game. This game has more enemies, longer levels, tougher battles, and greater challenge than the original Mega Man could muster. Its graphics and audio make the ideal use of the console's capabilities, treating you to a wonderfully depicted world fraught with danger, suspense, and death. It's a true test of your skill and technique as a gamer, one of the finest titles of the Mega Man series, as well as on the NES as a whole. It has that perfect blend of characters, difficulty, gameplay, and style that makes it one of the games that is remembered so fondly by not only its old school fans, but future generations as well.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/16/05, Updated 01/04/08

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