Mega Man Zero 4

"A high-speed action adventure guaranteed to keep you on your toes."

Never judge a book by its cover. Such true words which apply to the Megaman Zero series as a whole. Why? First off, the series already has four installments. A common thought by people is “all sequels are worse than the original”. This is not true. Megaman Zero 4 breaks barriers and manages to deliver high quality sequel after sequel. And people aren't sick of it! Megaman Zero 4 give the player a wonderful plat forming adventure - this time for pros and newcomers alike.

Once again, you control Zero - the hero of the series. This time, the area “Neo Arcadia” has been taken over by the evil Dr. Weil. Eventually you find out his plan to take over and destroy the world with his “Ragnarok” plan. As expected, certain events eventually lead you up to giving you the task of stopping him.

The main reason you often find Megaman Zero games in a used game store is because of the absurd difficulty. Often you will find yourself throwing your game at the wall in frustration because of the difficulty. Thankfully, newcomers to the series can play the “easy” mode (which changes many aspects of the game to make the game…well…easy). Others can start on normal and even work their way up to hard. The difficulty levels are not just stronger enemies like usual - gameplay as a whole is changed.

Gameplay

For example, if you chose easy mode, you'd be able to kill everything with ease, but you would never be able to receive certain “EX” skills from bosses. Even so, normal mode can be made easy with certain items. However, if you choose to mindlessly rush through everything, it will ultimately hurt your ranking - a system which ranks how well you passed a mission (16 missions in all). Factors range from speed to damage taken, and ranks S-F.

Ranks also tend to add some sort of replay value to the game. Say you finish with a D rank average - well, you can play the game again and try to go for a C rank, and so on. This ensures you won't be bored of the game fast. To make your job easier, you can also use a “Cyber-Elf” and “Chips”.

Cyber-Elves have been a staple in the Megaman Zero series. If you use the elves, you gain temporary or permanent abilities. The only downfall is overuse affects your ranking. Megaman Zero 4 was given an easier system - you get one elf with 3 sets of 7 abilities. Each level of a set you use uses one point. You have a max point limit which is raised by defeating bosses or being in certain modes. If you go over, your ranking is negatively effected. This helps ensure the game will not be too easy - or too hard.

The gimmick of this game? The Z-knuckle. In my opinion, it's pretty lame. You get to punch an enemy to death for its weapon. Only about 3-5 of these weapons are ever useful (about 50+ enemies in the game). The true value of the Z-knuckle shines in Hard mode, due to the fact your main weapons will not be as powerful…

New to this installment in the series is the Chip system. Nearly all normal monsters killed have chances of dropping parts. Certain combinations of different parts can create “Chips”. These chips will enhance Zero at no cost. Abilities range from increased speed to a double-jump ability. These make progress through stages and bosses easier.

The main stages of the game have two different weather conditions (and a few gimmicks…an annoying sun stage where you can take heat damage, or a magnetic stage where jumping height changes), easy or hard which change aspects of the stage (such as environmental reactions, increased wind pushing you back).Before the boss, you fight a mini-boss. Generally they tend to be a little easier than the bosses themselves (it really just depends on the player). Once you reach the boss, the harder weather condition will enable their “EX” attack (A special attack which you can receive once the boss dies).

As usual, bosses in this game will deliver. Hard. Most of the time if you're going for a good ranking you'll have to study the attacks and learn how to dodge them. If you attack blindly, you may be obliterated within seconds. Strategy and speed are key to winning in this game.

Graphics

Graphics for Megaman Zero 4 are pretty much the same as its predecessors. Somewhat anime-like, and very clear. Just check out one screenshot to get the idea. For a GBA platformer game, the graphics satisfy the mood and feel of the game. At rare times in the game you are treated to a still manga-like image (hand-drawn).

Music/Sound

While music in this game is not memorable, you will enjoy it anyways as music is rarely (if ever) reused for a stage. Every level has its own music which is often upbeat and gets you into the right mindset for playing. At times you may even want to stop for a while and just listen to the music.

Obviously you WILL be hearing the same sounds over and over and over again. For some reason, the sounds do not get annoying. This may be due to the fact your attention is usually focused on making it through the game without being killed. Sounds range from the great Japanese voices of bosses to the annoying “Ping-ping-ping!” of your Z-buster.

Replay Value

Replay value in Megaman Zero 4 is medium. You'll want to play through again to unlock modes and gain all the items. After a point, you may stop because the requirements to unlock some features are only for the best of the best. This game will last from a week to a month on average depending on your skill.

Overall, I'd say you should definitely buy it. It's one of the most underrated games by average gamers, so you can easily find it for 15-20 bucks at a store. If you're looking for some high-speed thrills, go pick up a copy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/06