Mega Man IV

"An great and intresting turn in the series"

One day I decided to go to GameStop, hoping that maybe they'd have some Mega Man games for Game Boy. And that they did. One of the ones I got was Mega Man IV, and I had heard great things about it and all, but when I started to play, I fell back in love with Mega Man. Now on to the review part of the review.

Graphics
The graphics are simply terrific for the regular Game Boy. Its a wonder how Capcom actually was able to pull it off, but they did. There is a greater detail to the just about everything than what was in Mega Man III (GB), and there isn't as much slowdown. I can't believe this is the same company who makes moronic decisions like re-releasing Resident Evil 2 19 times (actually, RE is stupid altogether, but whatever) or re-releasing NES Mega Man games for the PSX all separately. I suppose Capcom just started getting lazy around the PSX era, because these graphics are pretty well-done.

Music/Sound
There isn't much to say here, really. And maybe that's a good thing, considering how primitive the GB is. Almost a direct port from Mega Man 4 and 5 from the NES, the music is pretty good. The sound doesn't get annoying, which is also good. Its pretty decent throughout, though I wish there was more original-sounding music. But that's just me.

Play Control
Everything is just fine, except the Mega Buster: apparently its suddenly so awesome it pushes you back...back in a pit, where you'll die your last life and join the masses that curse Capcom. You'll eventually get used to it. After dying a lot.

Challenge
In my opinion, I thought the game was slightly above average, difficulty wise. There is no real hard part that sticks out, except for after the fight with Ballade and you have to go through the destructing stage. That was stupid on so many levels it made my head spin. I'm glad the passwords actually keep track of your e-tanks and lives, though. That was a step in the right direction.

All in all, this game is very good. Good choice of Mega Man 5 robot masters, Ballade, the new robot in this game, is actually relevant to the story. The game did some new things, such as a store, hidden passages, and a real story as I said before. If you can get this game, get it now. The only Mega Man game better than this one is Mega Man V (GB). So if you happen to walk into a store with this game, be sure to get it. You won't regret it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/11/03, Updated 05/11/03