Mega Man Zero 2

"The Megaman Zero series is looking better by the day!"

Megaman Zero 2 (MMZ2) features the exploits of Megaman X's long time partner Zero. Taking place in 22XX (100 years after the Megaman X series) Zero still fights for justice and tries to maintain peace. Zero fights against Neo Arcadia which is an organization of Reploids dedicated to exterminating Reploids.

Story 10/10
The story is very basic, as with all Megaman games. However, Capcom decided to throw in a twist with this one. Zero is on the side of good throughout the entire game so you will not have to worry about that. You will be fighting against Neo Arcadia again for the main part of the game. You will see almost every character present in the original Megaman Zero, and as such their characters are expanded upon.

Gameplay 9/10
The gameplay of this game is almost exactly the same as that of Megaman Zero, in that you are controlling Zero for the entire game. The only slight difference in the gameplay is seen when you acquire the chain rod which allows you to cling to walls and swing to further parts of levels. The gameplay is pretty fast paced, and can be rather difficult to new players who are not used to controlling Zero.
The Cyber-elf system is back and is pretty much exactly the same as it was in the original. For those of you who don't know, you find cyber-elves and you use some of them when you first acquire them but you must feed some of them to make them grow up also. The best elves require the most energy crystals to raise. They give you access to certain abilities like an increased health bar, more immunity to spikes and various other beneficial things!
Another addition to the gameplay is the Forms and the EX. Skills section. If you play levels in a specific fashion, you can unlock special forms for Zero to play as. For instance if you primarily use your buster to kill off enemies you can unlock the X-Form which turns Zero blue in color and increases the power of his buster. Consequently if you prefer blocking things with your shield you can unlock the Erase form which allows you to block projectiles with your Saber.
The EX. Skills is a bonus for the players who can finish the game with A and S ranks on the levels. It requires a lot of skill to achieve these high ranks and unlock them. They allow you to perform certain button combinations that allow you to pull off special moves that make the game easier.

Graphics 8/10
The graphics in this game are pretty crisp and clear. It is very obvious what is trying to be conveyed by the artist. The cut-scenes are excellently drawn (they are done with still images) and very detailed. Most of the old characters use the same sprites as seen in the older games but I don't see any problems with that. New images were given to all the characters for the text boxes which are in much greater detail when compared to those of the original.

Sound 8/10
Sound is sound... The music in this game is excellent. The music from the first level in the game is very catchy and I replay the level all the time just to hear it! The sound effects are very similar to that of the first game, in fact most of them are exactly the same, but new effects have been added here and there to allow Zero to perform his new moves and such.

Difficulty 6/10 10/10
I had to give this game two difficulty rankings because if you go through the game without bothering with EX. Skills or Forms the game is much easier. If you are going for a 100% perfect file you are going to be very satisfied once you complete your goal. But for the lightweights who just want to complete the game, there is a challenge present even when you use a lot of cyber-elves

Buy or Rent
I don't like people telling me how to spend my money so I won't tell you, but I strongly recommend that you purchase this game. The story is very involved and complex enough to keep you interested in it. Go for it!!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/19/03