Mega Man 8 Anniversary Edition

"The reason they don't make games that are just called "Mega Man #" anymore"

Mega man 8 had a very, very strong reputation to live up to. With its roots all the way back in the days of the NES, and the wide majority of its titles being instant successes, anyone getting ready to play this game will probably be doing so with high hopes. Prepare for those hopes to be shattered, as this game destroys everything the series once stood for.

Story: 2/10
This story is subpar even by Mega man standards, and Mega man games were never exactly known for their "rich, in depth plots". The objective of the game is to find and destroy "evil energy", with the help of a robot designed to destroy "evil energy". This robot actually tells you, in one of the extremely poorly done anime cut scenes, (these make Dragon Ball Z look like an Academy Award winner) that evil energy is evil. That's right, they think you couldn't figure that out with a name like "evil energy".

Gameplay: 7/10
The game play of Mega Man 8 is the only reason that I didn't make this review a one out of ten. Weapons are interesting, strategic, and visually appealing. You can choose your own power ups, but you have to be smart in choosing, because they only let you get a few of them, rather than all. Most of the levels of this game have some very interesting concepts, like an R-Type like part in one level, as well as backgrounds that are relevant to play. Also, Mega Man can call rush to turn into a motorcycle, which can't really get you anything special, but it does make the game more engaging. Although the difficulty curve is extremely easy ( in one portion wherein you ride a snowboard, the game actually TELLS YOU when to jump and when to slide. That's called "babying" to me ), especially in comparison to its NES predecessors, the way this game plays is, for the most part, fun.

Graphics: 4/10
While well done, most of the graphics for this game seem to be designed for a toddler. They make the level for "Spring Man" on Mega Man 7 look as masculine as a gun show. One of the bosses, Aqua Man, (which, by the way Capcom, is a name reserved, or at least already used, by DC comics) actually points his "water gun" upwards to make a rainbow that spells his name. If the fact that it's a rainbow wasn't childish enough, his name is spelled out in Spongebob Squarepants-esque font. Intimidated, I am not. Another boss was actually called "Clown Man", with a level filled with toys that attack you. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "tough guy" gamers who only likes M rated games with tons of gore and blood. I even liked the heavily criticized "cel-shading" seen in Wind Waker, but this, this is simply disgusting.

Sound: -3/10
You may think a negative rating sounds harsh, but believe me, the sound in this game deserves it. The voices are very, very clearly done by the developers. Mega man sounds like a eunuch who swallowed helium, Bass sounds like the kid who got beat up over and over in 3rd grade, Roll sounds like Michael Jackson, and Dr. Light can't pronounce the letter "R". A boss I mentioned earlier, Clown Man, sounds like Kyle from South park, and "Frost Man"'s voice makes him sound more like he's getting ready to ride the short bus than fight an android. This is made worse by the fact that the voice acting is poor and unconvincing, showing little or no tonal variations, and exceedingly unrealistic dialog. The voices in this game would have sounded better if they were done by chimps. I am not kidding you. As if the terrible voices weren't bad enough, many sounds sound more like squeaky toys than high-energy weapons and suits made of steel. Rush sounds like that sound you get when you change an old TV to a channel you don't receive. The only redeeming aspect to the sound in this game is that most TVs come with a "mute" function.

Controls: 10/10
The controls are fine, but this doesn't exactly come as a shock, and in no way redeems the putrid sound and visual style of this game.

Overall: 3/10
This game would be great if you're under 10 and hard of hearing. If that's not the case, I would suggest you stay far, far away from it.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/08

Game Release: Mega Man 8 (EU, 1997)