Mega Man Legends

"The legend of Megaman"

Megaman Legends revolutionized the Megaman series. The series started as a scrolling shooter on the NES, and even now it is such, spanning out on a wide variety of gaming consoles. However, Megaman Legends is a total change of pace. Megaman Legends takes what was Megaman and forms it into something that is totally new.

Story 8/10
The story in this game is somewhat interesting. The world is mostly covered with water and the people are forced to live on small islands. The story begins with an orphan child strangely named Megaman, who has no memory of his past. He grows up with a family of adventurers who are constantly searching for an energy source that will provide energy for the entire world forever. This massive energy source is known as “Mother Load.” Roll, his foster sister and partner in adventures, lost her parents when she was young and always hopes to find them one day. Megaman searches for his past, Roll searches for her parents, and everyone searches for the “Mother Load.” Oh yeah, and throughout the entire game, the heroes are always having to deal with an interesting group of pirates, who are also searching for a source of wealth. The game is sure to keep you entertained from start to finish. There are some surprising plot twists in the end as well.

Graphics 9/10
This is one of the main things that sets this Megaman game away from the others. The environment is in full 3D. This allows you to fully explore the environment, from the town to the vast ruins underneath. The graphics are not quiet flawless. There are still some sketchy places but overall the graphics are great and a nice change from the other Megaman games. It may sound a little weird but it is actually pretty cool.

Gameplay 8/10
The gameplay is pretty much similar to the rest of the series except for the fact that the game is in 3D. This time though, the game takes place on a single inland with a single set of ruins. This means that the traditional x number of areas with a boss at the end is not present in this game. Megaman gains new weapons and armor upgrades by finding parts in ruins and having Roll fix the parts up and create new weapons and upgrades. Also, the enemies drop money as well as health and weapon refills. The money can be used to buy items and parts in town. My only complaint is that there is a lack of variety in the game. There is only one town throughout the entire game. The ruins all pretty much look the same and they all connect into one big ruin anyway. Still, the new gaming engine is really good for a first attempt.

Music/Sound 7/10
The music and sound is alright. It isn’t the best but it certainly isn’t the worst I have heard from a game made in the same time period as this.

Length/Replay Value 7/10
Well, this game is not very long for starters. If you know exactly what you are doing and where you are going you could beat the game in 6 hours. A first time player could beat it in 10 or so hours. However, after you beat the game extra modes are unlocked. You play the game on Normal Mode to start out with and after you beat the game on that mode you unlock Hard Mode. If you beat the game on Hard Mode then you unlock Easy Mode. On Easy Mode you start the game with the ultimate part that does something special but I won’t spoil that for you. However, the part can not be attained any other way.

Overall 8/10
This is not an average. Overall, Megaman Legends is a good game that should be tried by all Megaman and action/adventure game fans. It has its flaws but it should still keep you entertained to the end.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/22/04