RockMan Battle & Chase

"Rockman takes to the track in a decent racer"

Rockman Battle and Chase is a game that relates to the Rockman (Megaman to America) gaming series. Like how Mario and friends were turned into Mario Kart, the same happened for Rockman. This game is very fun and addictive, but sadly, only for a short time. The object in this game is to defeat all of your opponents, claim victory, then stop Doctor Wily. In the process, you will collect pieces of your opponents car. It's either the wing, engine, or tires. After that, you get to take the whole car!

Gameplay 7/10: I have to admit, the controls it Rockman Battle and Chase aren't all that great. The steering is horrible, no matter who you choose. Even the best wheels might do you no good! You just have to get used to this kind of thing. Yet, if you want to compare the game to a Mario Kart, well, it's totally different. In Mario Kart, you could get the random weapons once everytime you went around the track. In Rockman Battle and Chase, to obtain the little toys, you must run over/destroy the little Hardhat Harrys, big Hardhat Harrys, cones, and other objects on the screen. You can get the weapons more than one time per round, making it more fun. Add in that you can take a piece of your opponent's car afterwards, instead of racing through four tracks and getting some dumb trophy.

Audio/Video 8/10: Graphics are great for the game! I haven't seen any mess ups in it, but characters are slightly blocky. It's great how Capcom added in the animations for each character, and their own endings with complete talking! Also, during the event, the announcers shout out a bunch of phrases, and even your character and enemy say a few things too. The music can get annoying, like most games, so turn it down or off while driving.

Replayability 6/10: It all depends if you want to, or not. Playing as a different character is nothing very new. If you've completely dominated everyone and have taken every part of their car, then there's no point. However, if you're the kind of person that wants to view and hear everything, go for it. It should be a breeze the second time.

Buy or Rent?: Again, it depends. Buy it if you want to see all the endings, you cannot finish it in about a week. (Well, I know some of you can.) But, my suggestion is to rent it. You might not want to keep this game for a very long time after finishing it about once or twice.

Overall 7/10: Rockman Battle and Chase provided me a couple hours of fun, but it just isn't one of those games you'd call a classic. Sure Rockman provided a different type of game instead of his normal action shooting game, but it just isn't the same. With a better soundtrack, better graphics, smoother controls, and more options, the game would be a whole lot better.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/18/00, Updated 06/18/00