Mega Man Legends

"Contrary to what the magazines say, Mega Man Legends is a highly above average game."

Contrary to what the magazines say, Mega Man Legends is a highly above average game. Granted, it's not as fun to play as Square Soft games, but if you're a fan of the Mega Man series, it's definitely a game you'll want to add to your collection.

Graphics: 9/10

Surprisingly, the graphics in this game are great. They are pretty pixelated (like most PlayStation games are), but there's almost no pop-up, and they're not pixelated to the point where it just makes you sick to look at it (i.e. House of the Dead, Saturn). Mega Man and the other characters are nicely animated, and the cut scences use the game's "in-game" graphics, so that's also a welcome addition. Unfortaunately, that also means no FMVs, so don't expect anything like that. Overall, though, the graphics in this game are good.

Music/Sound: 7/10

The music in this game isn't all that impressive, and that's a shame, considering the excellent music that Capcom makes for their fighting games. The music mainly consists of ho-hum elevator type music, especially that damn town music (geez, are they TRYING to put us to sleep?!), and sometimes, the music isn't really music; it's just sound effects to give the game a feeling of more depth. The sound effects are all nice, but there aren't any that are amazing. I mean, the typical footsteps, birds chirping, engines running.. they're good quality effects, but nothing special.

Control: 7/10

The controls in this game are horribly sluggish; they're sure to give you a sore thumb or two during the course of the game. The main problem is when you're trying to move Mega Man. Sure, he goes where you want him to go, but you have to hold down on the Control Pad more than you should have to. Man, if this game was compatible with the Analog Pad, I would have a field day.. this game was *made* for the Analog Pad, but unfortaunately, Capcom decided to leave out the support for that. Too bad. Now we get to the button functions; I really have no beef with these. They're all very responsive, and the controls are pretty easy to learn and get used to. X is used to jump, Square is used to shoot, Triangle is used to use your Special Weapon, and Circle is used to activate the Jet Skates (after you have them). As you can see, the controls are easy to learn.

Story: 8/10

The story is, well, in two words, pretty lame.. but there's just something there that makes you want to know what happens next.. maybe it's the developing relationship between certain characters? Or the fact that the characters are ones that you can actually care about? I don't know, but there's just something in there that keeps the suspense going. Anyway, the story goes like this: Mega Man, Roll and their "grandfather" crash-land on an island called Kattelox Island, and they learn about an ancient treasure called the Mother Lode (yes, you heard me right) that supposedly brings disaster to the island every ___ years. You, as Mega Man, have to solve the mystery of the island before the island and all its inhabitants are destroyed. Simple? Yes. Addicting? Strangely so.

Fun Factor: 9/10

Mega Man Legends is very fun to play; there's just so much to do. The game itself isn't very long.. only about 12 hours of solid gameplay. But couple that with seven or eight sub-quests, a buch of extra, optional weapons and items to get, and you have a hell of a fun game on your hands.

Overall: 8/10

Overall, this game is a nice little mix of everything. It has a action, adventure, and a little RPG in it. It should keep you entertained if you've beaten Xenogears. If you're a fan of the Mega Man series, this game will not dissapoint you. If you've never even heard of Mega Man (which is doubtful) you might want to go for another action game like Tomb Raider. But, being a fan of the Mega Man series, I must say that I liked this game.. alot.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99