Mega Man Battle Network 4 Red Sun

"Capcom continues to butcher what could possibly be one of the BEST video game series."

Megaman Battle Network 4, the long-awaited sequel to a spectacular series. It's been about a year since Megaman Battle Network 3, which had some innovative new changes and fresh characters. Did Megaman Battle Network 4 Red Sun/Blue Moon stack up to its predecessors? Well,

Gameplay - 4/10 - Of course, the RPG-Card style battle that made Megaman Battle Network famous returns. Enemies prove less of a challenge than Megaman Battle Network 3, which is a good thing; it was so difficult that even pros found themselves at the Game Over screen every ten minutes or so. However, the balance in difficulty is Megaman Battle Network 4's only saving grace. The semi-random Style Change system has been replaced with the Soul Unison system that requires you to permanently lose a BattleChip just for a Navi-related "Change" that only lasts for three turns. The alternatives aren't much better. You can either try Cross Fusion, which doubles the next BattleChip's attack if you've had very good timing with enemy attacks, or go Dark Soul, a mode that lets you use extremely powerful Dark Chips and other things at the permanent cost of 1 HP per usage.

Story - 5/10 - The usual Megaman Battle Network fare. NetCrime is on the rise, some shadowy figure or organization attempts to destroy the world, and Lan and Megaman are forced to stop them while trying to maintain their own social life. Megaman fans are used to repetitive storylines, but not childish ones. A good storyline balances wit, humor, and drama. Megaman Battle Network 2 and 3 had very decent balances with life-lessons and classic gags such as making fun of Higsby's "huh." Megaman Battle Network 4 has only ironic humor and a little wit.

Graphics/Sound - 7/10 - As you may or may not have known, Megaman Battle Network 4 was graphically revamped. Brighter colors, rounded layouts, easier navigation, and outlined character sprites. The changes were okay, but gave the series a more childish feel that it really didn't need (at least from an aesthetic standpoint). Capcom's demographics are tricky. The music is also has a bit more jump; nothing very memorable or catchy, but pleasant to hear. It also goes back to the series' roots. The music, especially during the boss battles, reminds me of something from Megaman 7. It's solid, to say the least.

Replay Value - 6/10 - Because of the excessive virus battles, Megaman Battle Network games never had replay value except for fighting the secret bosses, which easily makes up for the lack of replay. Of course, Megaman Battle Network 4 has shortened the gameplay, finding all of the secrets in one mode, from 60 hours to 35 hours because there are three increasing modes of difficulty rather than two. The game is not as tedious, but the higher difficulties don't improve replay value.

Overall Review - 4/10

Final Recommendation - Rent It - Normally, I would suggest a definite purchase for any Megaman Battle Network game, especially because of its link-up abilities, but this game is just not cut out for $30. Rent it, beat it once, and get all of the game's good points for a fraction of the cost.

Good Alternative: If you need a Megaman Battle Network game, buy Megaman Battle Network 2. That game was a classic; it's as high on my list of favorites as Final Fantasy VII.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 07/06/04