Mega Man 7

"The blue bomber is at it again!"

Megaman hits for the first time on SNES and does it in fashion once more ! Dr Wily is set loose again and our blue hero must once more fight against his robots before taking on the mad scientist himself.

This new Megaman title comes forward with a lot of nice ideas which are a change from the usual series (not taking into account the X titles). He's still accompanied by Rush and this time Rush can help you in more than one ways. Use Rush to reach higher platforms, to go quicker or even to search around for all types of items including the rarer ones. Of course, getting these possibilities is difficult but the gameplay really changes once you've managed to get all of them. Once again, the game comes packed with cool secrets like the proto shield which you'll get from Protoman if you manage to beat him - and you can bet all your money he's damn hard !

Another nice feature is the ability to buy power-ups and items in Auto's shop. You collect bolt throughout the game and then use this to buy lives, energy tanks and lots more which you'll need for the final part of the game ! Heck, going in Wily's fortress with only 2 lives and no energy tanks is just suicide, so don't just skip this important feature of this new Megaman title. Beat also comes hidden this time but once you manage to find him, you'll be really glad when he appears to prevent you from falling stupidly in a hole !

Just like in all the Megaman series (and God knows how many titles there are…), you need to fight 8 robots but this time, you only meet 4 the first way round. The other 4 appear once you've destroyed those available at the start and after you've met Wily and he's left a little surprise for you (now, doesn't that sound familiar…). Once you've beat all of them, you're in for the bad guy's fortress but you'll have to challenge a tough robot named Bass who's a bit just like you. And for once, there is a good plot but I won't be talking about it here so as not to spoil your fun.

GRAPHICS : 8

Megaman 7 actually has the best graphics in the series. The designers seem to have realized that the 'small' Megaman of the previous titles were a bad idea and this time, he just looks fine ! And the animation remains smooth at all times despite the size of certain enemies like the dinosaur which follows you in Slashman's stage. The background are very colorful and seems to pack much better details now. Most enemies are well-drawn as well as the bosses. The intro is very good too with a quick cinema which shows why this game exists and a very funny scene at the beginning of the game which I'll let you discover by yourself !

SOUND : 7

There are some good themes like Shade Man's stage which I consider the best music in the entire series but overall, Capcom still has a lot way to go. There are some old tunes from the first NES games and they're still pretty fantastic. However, some themes haven't been worked out well and anybody with half an ear can tell that Capcom didn't put much effort here. The other sound effects are also edgy and you'll no doubt be tired with Megaman's sounds as he fires or charges up for the Mega Buster. Some noises made by certain enemies are just pathetic and may get on your nerves.

GAMEPLAY : 8

The principle hasn't changed in the least and if you've played a Megaman title before (and I'm pretty sure you have !), you'll take no time to grasp the game and will love every instant of it. And for once, the game is actually difficult, something unheard of in the Megaman series. You'll actually die a few times during the early stages and a lot of times in the final stages, something which had been sadly missing in the series but thankfully, Megaman 7 is set to change things. Of course, those Megaman experts will just go on without ever hesitating but everyone else will now have to think a little before just moving on and shooting like a maniac. Fiding all the weapons, bonuses and items will keep you busy for a while and replaying the game even after beating it completely once or twice is still a pleasure !

OVERALL : 8

Megaman 7 is slightly better than the other titles available on SNES and its cool features make this a must-buy whether you're a fan or not. The dozens of secrets and bosses you'll have to fight make this worth your bucks and this time, don't even think of beating the whole game in just one day ! At last, Capcom has corrected the biggest flaw in the Megaman series…We can just rejoice and thank them !

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/01, Updated 11/09/02