Mega Man Zero

"Zero."

Introduction
I bought MegaMan Zero just the other day. I was not sure what to expect. A classic old school MegaMan game or a whole new look with Zero. Well, whatever the case is, Capcom did something very good.

Story: 10/10
It is 100 years after the last X game. Zero, MegaMan's old buddy is helped by a scientist, Ciel. Zero cannot remember anything in his past. He has tremendous skill but is not sure what to use it for. The woman that Zero has saved recruits him to bring back peace in the world. Zero's long time friend is actually the cause of all evil. Zero must use his powers to save people and places one by one. He goes on many different missons with new enemies and bosses. The story is really great, and is not what I expected.

Graphics: 9/10
The graphics look alot like old Super Nintendo MegaMan games. Zero looks really cool, and so does everything else. The Z Saber looks awesome. When characters talk, it closes up on their face. The graphics are very detailed, there is really nothing wrong with them.

Music: 6/10
The music in the game is not very good. The opening theme starts off rocking but it only lasts for about 5 seconds. The music in the levels is nothing to get excited about. I was disappointed by the music, especially since most other MegaMan games have great music. This is probably the only large flaw in the game.

Sound: 9/10
Much different than the music, the sound is great. The Z Saber sounds really cool, as well as the blast of Zero's gun. The explosions are nice, and the music is rocking hard using all of the GameBoy Advance's capabilities. The sound is excellent.

Gameplay: 9/10
Ahh, the gameplay, the most important part of a game. MegaMan Zero comes with cool side-scrollin action. There are new added features that really make it more fun. Zero's Z Saber is one of the coolest weapons in video games. The extremly powerful sword can get upgrades and do plenty of new things. There are also the many elves you can collect. Yes you read right, Elves. Some must be fed and grown until they are old enough to help you. Each elf has a special power that will help you in the levels. Some heal, some boost your ability, and some change data. MegaMan Zero is everything the old MegaMan's had to offer except much much more. You have much more freedom. You can choose from several different missions to accept or abort. It is a very fun game that is very challenging. Hard core gamers will really love this one.

Difficulty: 10/10
Ouch! This is a very hard game to beat. Only really good gamers should be able to say they beaten it. The first boss took me about 6 or 7 times until I finally killed it. MegaMan Zero is an challenging game the the video game masta's will really enjoy.

Replay Value: 8/10
With the tons of levels that you could have passed and might want to try out, the replay value is very good. I do not have much to say except that this game could easily be fun the second time around.

Buy or Rent:
If you are not a stranger to MegaMan games, and are good at them, you should buy. If you are not so sure, then you should rent. You could see what it is like and find out if it is too hard. Buying it is a great idea because you might not be able to beat it in rental time.

Overall: 8/10
MegaMan Zero is an good game. It is not for everyone, but you should at least try it out. With the tons of extra features, this blows all the MegaMan X games away. Try it out, you'll be glad you did. Zero did a very good job on his first big adventure.

Pros:
-New weapons improve gameplay
-New characters and unique story
-Sound and Graphics are excellent

Cons:
-Bad Soundtrack
-Possibly too hard for some people

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/15/02, Updated 02/16/03