RockMan & Forte

"Thank you for clarifying that CJayC...my Japanese is not what it, well, never was..."

OPENING STATEMENT
Rockman and Forte marked the end of the normal Mega Man series. It led up to the the Mega Man X and Mega Man Legends series that we currently have. But, Rockman and Forte was the last of the best. It coupled everything that was good from the eight previous installments, in the second best Mega Man game available. Please keep in mind that Rockman is Mega Man, and I will be referring to him as Mega Man, as I am used to, in this review.

GAMEPLAY--9
Although I am certain that you all have played a Mega Man game, on the off chance that you have not, I will explain the ideas. Mega Man is a shooting/action game. You go through eight levels, each with their own unique level boss. When you defeat each boss, you gain he allowed usage of a weapon that is directly correlated to which boss you defeat.

Each level itself is also completely different from one another. As usual, the levels all involve lots of enemies, including many of your previous favorites, and lots of jumping. Jumping is integral in the Mega Man series, whether it be from bubble to bubble, ledge to ledge, or over an enemy.

Rockman and Forte is also just a little bit different. The game begins to lean more into the Mega Man X series, as it involves some cinema scenes that explain the story. Of course, you can only read the story if you know Japanese.

GRAPHICS--8
The last of the original Mega Man series, graphically, is also the best. Everything is more detailed than ever, and now shadows have become a more important part of the graphical presentation. The enemies seem to be a little bit more mech like as well. The coloring does a nice job varying from level to level. Some of the levels are very dim, others very brightly colored. This makes each level different than the last, and it makes you want to keep playing. An excellent job here by Capcom.

MUSIC--6
SOUND--9
The music is quite a bit worse than the last Mega Man installment released in the United States. Why, you ask? Because the music has turned to the heinous guitar rock for most of its tunes. Guitar rock is fine in moderation, but it now is used in, what it seems like, every video game, and I completely blame Rockman and Forte for that.

The sound effects are quite nice though. I have always been impressed with the Mega Man series’ sound effects, and number nine is no exception. I especially am fond of the jumping/falling noises that happen when you jump down one of those vertical passageways. The sound effects for your M. Buster have also been substantially cleaned up and they are even less annoying than before.

CONTROL--8
The button settings are set up perfectly for Rockman and Forte. It seems like the Super Nintendo’s controller was designed specifically for usage with Rockman and Forte. The buttons are all aligned easily for the quickest and easiest possible play time. The buttons that are used for each action are quite easy to figure out without reading the instruction manual as well.

FUN--8
You would think the Mega Man series would not be fun anymore, as it seems to have been done so many times before. Well, you would be wholly wrong. Rockman and Forte brings back memories of Mega Man 5, which was by far the best game in the series. It brings back those memories by keeping some of the nostalgia from Mega Man 5. By brining back some of your favorite weapons, and some bits and pieces of popular levels. And it did not all turn out as rehash. It turned out beautifully. If there only was a multiplayer mode, Rockman and Forte would have easily snagged a nine in this category.

CHALLENGE--MEDIUM TO HIGH
As usual, one of the best features of the Mega Man series is its high difficulty level. At times, when you have been trying to finish the same puzzle for three hours, it can get to be a little bit of a pain. But, usually it is a very, very good thing, as it keeps you from blowing through the game in an hour.

REPLAY VALUE--MEDIUM
I played through Rockman and Forte a few times. I did not play it constantly, but every few months, I spent a day or so just playing through the levels, especially my favorites more than once. Playing it at these extended intervals assures the fact that you will never get tired of Rockman and Forte.

CLOSING STATEMENT
Unfortunately, Rockman and Forte was never released for the Super Nintendo in the United States of America. Capcom deprived us of the second best Mega Man game around. Importing it is not all that difficult, though. The menus are all in English, and the only thing you will not be able to figure out is the story, which is not all that important because Rockman and Forte is yet another wonderful blend of action and shooting.

OVERALL--8

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/21/00, Updated 07/18/01