Mega Man ZX

"Solid as a Rock"

The good people at Inticreates and Capcom have finally brought a new Mega Man game to the Nintendo DS. ZX marks the beginning of a new story arc in this long-lasting legacy, and with it comes some fresh new ideas which work quite well in some cases, not so much in others. But overall, it is a Mega Man action game, and a damn fine one at that.

The graphics engine and style is very similar to that seen in the GBA's Mega Man Zero quadrilogy. By no means is this bad per se, but apart from a larger variety of colours and a couple of neat environmental effects, it looks just like a GBA+ game. The second screen is used for displaying radars, information etc... but not a lot goes on down there; it is disappointing that the main screen does not squeeze out more splendour, but at least the framerate is blistering fast to keep up with the madness that can ensue at times. The few anime cutscenes look great too.

When it comes to the sound of ZX, there will inevitably be some comparison made to the Japanese version, Rockman ZX. Full voiceovers were originally present, but now all dialogue (except for cutscenes which are voiced in Japanese, subtitled in English) lies speechless. A product of localisation, but it doesn't detract what I consider to be one of the top aural experiences for an action game, especially for a portable.

The classic sound effects are all there, but the music has a more fresher take on the usual techno-beats. All areas have their own unique themes, but some especially stand out, such as Area A and X which will make you feel good everytime you enter them. (Ah fresh air!) Surround sound is the only option, which contributes to high quality, but battery life does take a hit.

In classic Mega Man style, you play out levels, making your way through hordes of robot baddies, fighting a sub-boss halfway, before finally duelling with one of eight main Mavericks (robot masters). But wait, there's more! Taking a leaf out of Castlevania (which originally took one from the Metroid games), ZX introduces an explorative element.

Gone are the days where you simply select your level and go with the flow. Now you select a mission, and then have to find a way to make it to the destination at hand, provided you have the required keycard or ability. It sounds good on paper, but it doesn't work out that smoothly here. It is much too easy in the first half of the game to become lost. The areas follow an alphabetical order, but they don't necessarily link that way. Added to that, it is usually a single colour-coded door providing the path to the next area, so it can be hard to remember where you passed by that red door a couple of hours ago. As you go on and unlock more areas, it does get easier, with guesstimates possible based on the expanding map you develop. Transportation via teleporters helps a lot too to reduce the monotony of having to backtrack too much. There are sidequests to complete, but most are fetch quests which reward you minimally. It's great to see this new take on a tired formula, and I can only see it get more refined in future titles.

As for core element of the series, action-platforming, well if you like these kind of games, you'll no doubt love this one. If you don't like Mega Man, this will probably not change your mind. There is plenty of thrills here with a good variety of enemies to shoot up, and some great looking bosses; I particular adore the giant Mettaur :P However, perhaps taking a step back from the rather difficult Zero games, Capcom has decided to tone down the difficulty somewhat. With an easy mode available from the outset, ZX is a game striving to cater for a larger audience. For the experienced gamer, normal mode is reasonable, and there is a harder setting available upon completion. It's good that there are less instant death traps, but it is sad to see no ranking system employed to really test the might of true Mega Men.

With the new storyline comes a new way to manage abilities. We previously had enemy weapons to steal; now we have whole suits of power which confer a very impressive range of offensive, defensive and supportive techniques! Termed biometals, these suits are the essences of the legendary Mega Men seen in the GBA games. Each plays with very different styles, ranging from the agile Model Hx to the rapid-fire Model Px. In all there are 7 different suits which does add a lot of variety when playing. Plus I can finally play as Harpuia :) You obtain the suits by defeating boss characters; aim too much for their weakpoint thought, and you'll end up with a weaker suit which will need some costly repairs to realise it's full potential - a nice twist on the usual beat 'em all up into a pulp style. There is also a human form too, where you can finally crouch, but apart from that it's nothing special.

So at the end of the day, Mega Man ZX continues the tradition of solid action gaming. It is a shame there weren't more extras, especially as the item system of old (ie. the Cyber Elves) has been virtually abolished. With the new suits there is quite a bit of fanservice (see also the remade MMX stage!) plus more special moves than ever seen before. The game is of the standard length, about 5-8 hours (probably more if you get lost too frequently or stop to play the simple, yet addictive mini-games). The save system works well, although it does annoy at first with the final hurrah of the game having no rest points (but this is typical Mega Man eh?) There is no new game + to go and own all with your powerful suits (especially Ox's). But as I said, it's still a damn fine Mega Man game. And this is no remake: go experience the evolution now!

8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/18/06