Mega Man Battle Network 2

"Forget all others, this is all you need!"

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Megaman Battle Network 2 proves to be the best GBA title to date. Far better than all of it's sequals. BN3 comes close, but not close enough. In the second instalment of the Battle Network series, you can do far more than in the first. Instead of armors, you get style changes with different elemental advantages. You also get subchips and no longer recover HP after battles. Panels now also can have grass, lava, ice, magnetic fields, poison, and in the third game, metal and sand. Each has there own advantage (or disadvantage, depending on what style you have), and the menu now tells what area you are in and the viruses you face now have names.

Story: 10/10

It had a pretty good story that kept you going all the way. I this game, you control a fifth grade boy named Lan Hikari and his Net Navi, MegaMan.exe. as you venture through different countries and the dark corners of the undernet, you must face a new threat called the etMafias Gospel, which sprang up after you destroyed the terrorists of the WWW. Although it was pretty much the same basic idea as the first game, the scenarios, levels, and navis were all unique.

Graphics: 10/10
The graphics are top notch for GBA (okay, it's not xbox 360 or anything here, but it's very good graphics for GBA). They make it look realistic and they add more life to the game itself. The sprites are pretty much the same as the first game, but they're still pretty good. The portrait arts are also somewhat updated. MegaMan's a little less red in the face and Lan doesn't look so pale anymore. Also, the net's been updated since the last game. It's probaby THE best version of the net in all of the games. It's got lots of items, netdealers, and the new edition of Netsquares make the net a fun place to search and buy things.

Polish: 9/10
I didn't give this a nine because I think they didn't try, but because I thought that Battle Network 3 far surpassed in thay area. While this game DID have a nice polish to it in such areas as the net (nentioned above) and ACDC Town. For example, ACDC Town looks more sunny and happy than in the first one. They use lighter colors on the grass and such. Also, you can now explore more of Yai's m ansion and not just her room. To me, it just looks better. Like I said though, the best game in that area is 3.

Music/Sound: 10/10
Well, in the first game, there was only one theme music for the entire real world, and it got boring. In this game, there is a different theme for each place you visit (besides the Net, which only have three main themes). The main theme when you start the game has a new techno beat to it also. It is by far the best music for the main menu for a Battle Network game (again, BN3 comes real close to this one too). But, some themes either stay the same, or have a new sound to them (ACDC theme is a remix, and the home and school theme is the same).

Scenarios, Levels, and Bosses: 10/10
The scenarios in this game are not too hard, but just enough to keep you playing. There are a couple of moments where it has you wondering what to do sometimes, but it's still pretty good in that area. The levels are okay too. Some can be fun to go through and are pretty unique, but there's just one (FreezeMan's scenario), which keeps you running back and forth, which can get pretty anoying. The Navis are the best in this game. They are uniquely designed and they keep you on your toes at all times (with the exception of AirMan and GutsMan). They also drop the strongest chips in this game. Battle Network 2 has the best and strongest battle chips in the series.

Overall: 10/10
I think this has got to be the best GBA game I own or have ever played. If you really want to fully enjoy this game, I would buy it right away instead of renting it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/07