Mega Man 2

"The defending robot..... Mega Man!"

If the Nintendo Entertainment System was good for something, it was good for jumpstarting several influential series into fame. Mario, Zelda, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy and Metroid are just some examples. Mega Man is another example. Mega Man for the NES is the beginning of a legacy that spans well over 50 titles and does not appear to be stopping any time soon. There are 6 Mega Man games just for the NES! Legend of Zelda has only two, Final Fantasy had three and Mario Bros. has 3. The NES Mega Man games aren't too much different than one another which would probably explain why the later games aren't received as well. The games were rehashed for the most part and there wasn't a whole lot of spark of creativity. There is no need to worry about that in this game though as this was one of the originals.

Mega Man is a platformer but it does have unique aspects that only the Mega Man series can call as its own. The story begins as the brilliant scientist Dr. Light made humanoid robots to perform specific everyday duties. Mega Man was the first of these. Dr. Light and his assistant Dr. Wily proceeded to develop six additional humanoid robots all with different purposes. Dr. Wily went evil and re-programmed all the robots to do help him enslave the world. Fortunately, Mega Man was here to save the day and he crushed Dr. Wily. Dr. Wily was no finished though because he created eight of his own robots to counter Mega Man. These robots were Flash Man, Quick Man, bubble Man, Wood Man, Air Man, Crash Man, Heat Man and Metal Man. Mega Man must once again embark on a quest to stop Dr. Wily and save the day.

At the beginning of this game you will have the option of eight levels to choose from, one for each of the aforementioned robot masters. This is different from the previos Mega Man which only had 6 to choose from. Your goal is to navigate through each level and have a final showdown with the robot master at the end. This isn't as easy as it sounds though because several of the robot masters can really only be easily defeated with their weakness. For example, to defeat Heat Man, you'd use bubble powers. You get bubble powers from Bubble Man. To defeat Bubble Man, you will want to use Metal Man's powers. I personally approve of this way, I think it requires you to have more strategy than just waltzing through each level. Having these different powers at your disposal is really nice and adds a lot to the game play because let us be honest here, it would get boring just using your little blaster over and over again. Unfortunately, in this game, you can't slide of charge but that will come later. This game was an additional on the developing foundation.

You don't have infinite of these special power-ups though. They do run out and some of them more quickly than others. These special powers are mostly used for bosses, to be honest but there are several times when you'll use them outside of boss battles.

Mega Man 2 is a very challenging game. Difficulty wise, it is much more intense than a Mario game. While the difficulty can't quite compare to the original, that is actually okay, it is more balanced in this game. Simply jumping over a pit can be a challenge because you have to time your jump just right. One thing that is irritating about this game is that you have to be precise. I looked at the “Game Over” screen a countless number of times. You'll have to battle some tough regular enemies and you have to make sure you shoot well, or an enemy might run into you which would knock you off a block you were standing on. There are some block puzzles where the blocks will appear and disappear and you'll have to study their patterns and act accordingly. Of course, by accordingly I mean quickly. It can get irritating but once you have conquered it, it's quite satisfying and rewarding.

The graphics of this game are not good, at least compared to the visual aspects of the other NES Mega Man games. But you have to remember that early games seldom have outstanding graphics because the developers haven't yet learned to utilize the system to its full potential. Mega Man 2 is a perfect example of this. The backgrounds were still very nicely done for an NES game. The enemies were creative and original and the attacks were noticeable. The scenery was at times pretty vibrant and it's overall pretty impressive for a NES game. There was noticeable enhancements from the original Mega Man but it still could be better.

When judging a game, I do feel music is a very important feature. Without a good soundtrack, the quality of a game is often severed. A game with no soundtrack is the equivalent to Donald Trump without his hair. It just doesn't work. Fortunately, the Mega Man series is widely known for its good music and Mega Man, for the most part, is no exception. The themes of the levels fit the environments and the boss battle music, while sometimes creepy, is also good for the most part. The music to this game was quite frankly, AWESOME. Much better than the original Mega Man's. Unique themes that make you feel ready for action envelop this game.

The sound of this game is actually quite good. Despite the blasters sounding pretty much the same for the most part, there is a noticeable difference between them which is good. The have a few different types of attacks sound-wise and I think it's funny that no matter how you die, it always sounds the same. The sound was good.

I will admit I was often frustrated with this game. This is a very difficult game and it was more difficult than some of the later games. But I endeavored and it was rewarding to complete this game. When I beat an easy game, I usually don't feel that proud of myself as it is like passing a test with the answers in front of me. Yeah, it is nice but you honestly don't feel very rewarded when you beat it. When I beat this game, I was happy, it was an accomplishment. I was mad at this game on numerous occasions but I overcame it and so can anyone.

Rating Breakdown:

Story: 8/10
Game Play: 9/10
Graphics: 8/10
Music: 4/5
Sound: 5/5
Difficulty: 9/10

Average Score: 8.6 = 86% = B (Rounds to 9)

Pros:

Unique Abilities
Awesome Soundtrack
Pretty good graphics for the time
A true classic
Okay sound
Interesting game play
Balanced Difficulty

Cons:

Beginning of rehashed stories
Lack of certain aspects that are implemented only in future games.
Glitches

To conclude, I must say that everyone needs to play this game. Mega Man and his series are practically iconic and they have acquired a dedicated fan base. The unfortunate thing is that when it comes to the Mega Man series, Capcom has become somewhat of a joke. There are far too many Mega Man games and honestly, they have lost their luster long ago. The amount of games they have produced is insane! The spin-offs and rehashes have almost killed the series. Almost. The dedicated fan base will keep buying Mega Man making him live longer. He's almost at 20 years now. That's more then can be said about the vast majority of video game characters out there. Mega Man 2 is a solid game and I think everyone should play for its classical experience. It is easily an improvement over the original in practically every aspect. Mega Man 2 is often viewed as the second best of the series for the most part with Mega Man 3 holding the number 1 spot. It isn't hard to see why either. This game rocks.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/24/05