Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge

"It's nice... But I'd rather take the normal games."

Megaman Battle Chip Challenge, the most recent addition to the Battle Network Series. It had a drastic change on the gameplay that has been repeated in all the past Battle Network games, becoming a simple Strategy game.

Removing both Action and RPG genres from the game may not have been the best idea, as that's exactly what gamers are looking for nowadays. But Strategy lovers will be somewhat pleased by this game. Don't expect heavy Strategy like in Advance Wars, as this game also has elements like Luck. But it is still worth the shot.

First of all, as the game starts, you can play as six different characters. Some of the past games, like Lan or Dex, and a couple of new characters. Different characters means different stories, and that's a very good addition to the series. Each character has different powers, so this adds to the strategy department. Picking your favorite character might actually help.

Graphically, the game is very similar to the past games. Sometimes you can see some nice effects, but nothing really special. Same goes for the sound. The very same sprites, sound effects, and all the stuff from the past games. It would be nice to see some improvement, but I guess it's OK.

Story-wise, the past games had been very basic. Well, this is even more basic. Although the fact there are different characters helps, it's still very simple and shallow, so don't expect much. It's just a reason for you to actually do something.

The Gameplay actually is pretty nice, at least for Strategy lovers like me. First, you can't move manually. You just see some text, make a couple of choices, and move along. As for battles, you program your Battle Deck, and the game simply plays while you look at it. It's more fun than it sounds. The Battle deck has spots you fill in with Battlechips, that then play in a random way in the battle. Random is the word, but you can actually have your order, by programming your Battle deck correctly. It's just a matter of Strategy.

While you damage your opponent with your chips, big part of the chips also damage your opponent's chips. If enough damage is done, the foe's chip is deleted, so it can't be used at all during that battle. It definitely adds a twist to the battle mode.

Also, there's one single move you can do during battle. When a chip is used in battle, a bar at the bottom screen builds up. That bar measures the chance of success of a move called ''Slot in''. In this move, you use a special chip placed in a spot that never appears in the random orders of the Battle deck, and therefore is safe from harm. That way you can use special chips with the surprise element, or to save them from your foe's chips.

The game has a decent replay value, even if it doesn't look like at first. Why? Well, when you configure your Battle deck, you also get a code, a unique code for your Battle deck. That code can be inserted at any copy of this game, and that means you can battle people from the other side of the world. You can even make tournaments of 128 persons! Definitely good for online sites or friends.

In conclusion, Megaman Battle Chip Challenge is a nice addition to the series, but sincerely, I'd take one of the others over it. Still, Definitely worth a look.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/04/04