Mega Man Zero 2

"Zero returns for an incredible sequal to a brilliant original"

When the original MMZ was released, it was claimed to be the hardest Megaman game ever. After playing it however, I was disappointed. Sure, it presented a challenge, but it was in no way the hardest Megaman game I had ever played. With the release of MMZ2, I really hoped that the difficulty would be increased, and despite how strange it sounds, I was delighted when the introduction boss killed me. Yes, MMZ2 is more difficult than the original, but how does it compare in other categories?

Gameplay-The game plays very similar to the original, with some excellent additions. All four of Zero’s weapons are back, but the triple rod has been modified into a grappling hook! Definitely an improvement, although I don’t like how the charged attack is the same. So basically you can use a sword, a buster, a shield that you can throw when charged, and a grappling hook you can use to pull certain objects towards you, grapple onto ledges, and of course attack enemies. There’s also the EX skills and forms. EX skills are obtained by defeating a boss while you have an A or S rank. These improve one of your many attacks. For example, one EX skill turns a charged buster shot with no element into a piercing laser that can penetrate armor! Then there are forms. Most of these are obtained by going through a level using a certain strategy, but a couple of them are acquired through other methods. For example, using your buster as your primary weapon throughout a stage will get you the X form. This form makes your buster charge faster and the shots are more powerful, but your other weapons are less useful. Of course the cyber elves are back too. Incase you don’t know how they work, here’s a quick lesson: You can grab these during a mission and then download them to use. They do all kinds of stuff from increasing your maximum health to removing spikes! So overall the gameplay is fun and exciting. I really don’t have any complaints about it! 10/10

Story-Since I can’t read what the characters are saying, I don’t know too much about the story. I have heard a lot of things about it though, and I can pretty much piece it together. The game starts with Zero in a dessert after escaping Neo Arcadia. After the intro stage Zero collapses and is recovered by the Resistance. They’ve moved into a new, very nice looking base, and have a new leader. There’s still a lot of work to do though, and Zero soon sets out to combat Neo Arcadia’s forces once again. So, the story sounds pretty good, but as you should know, Megaman games are known for their lack of plotlines and abundance of plot holes. I do know more about the story, but I don’t want to spoil it for you guys. Let’s just say that X makes more appearances than the last game, which is a very good thing. 8/10

Graphics/Sound-MMZ was a very nice looking and sounding game, and MMZ2 is no different. The graphics seem a little improved from the last one, especially the mug shots (is that one word?). I does seem like they reused a few backgrounds though. Still, the graphics are very smooth and look nice. Sounds effects are pretty much the same, but there is some new catchy background music. 9/10

Play Time/Replayability-The game is a long one for a Megaman game, with more bosses than most Megaman games. There’s also a hard and ultimate mode, plus the EX skills, forms, and Cyber elves to collect! As for replay value, I just beat the final boss, and I’ve still got to collect the entire set of EX skills, forms, and cyber elves! Plus there’s still hard and ultimate mode! The game has tons of replay value! The only complaint that I can think of is that playing the same levels in Hard and Ultimate mode could get repetitive. 9/10

Overall-Overall this game is exciting, looks nice, and lasts a long time! What more could you ask for? If you’re a Megaman fan, BUY THIS GAME! If you aren’t, you should try it out and see if you like it, I bet you will. 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/12/03, Updated 06/12/03