Mega Man Zero

"Zero is making sure to show the world he's anything but a zero."

Mega Man Zero

What do you get when you take Zero from the Mega Man X series and put him into his own world 100 years in the future? You get Mega Man Zero, of course. That's right, Capcom has decided to put the Blue Bomber aside for one game and instead gives up Zero's first starring role that will leave your jaw open after completion. The game takes place in the year 22XX, one hundred years after the Mega Man X series, in which Ciel and a group of soldiers from the Resistance Base are out to find a legendary reploid who fought along side X during the war, his name? Zero. Upon finding him, they see he's been locked away by an energy force so Ciel's Cyber-elf uses her power to unlock the seal. The basic storyline of the game is very, very good. Though that only touches the surface, there is much more to this game than any other platformer out there.

Like I said before, this game revolves around Zero. All of his abilities from the prior game are back such as using the Z-Saber, Buster, etc. but what makes this game totally different is the ability to increase your weapon's strength. Every time you kill an enemy you'll gain EXP for that weapon, once you get enough EXP your weapon will increase in level and let you learn a new ability. This could be anything from allowing for a faster charge to letting you use a mid-air spin. To go along with gaining levels for weapons Zero also can gain a level by how fast he completed a level, how much damage he took, how many enemies he killed, etc. and by this he'll get a title such as "C - Warrior". It's really nice RPG-esque touch.

One of the biggest things about Mega Man Zero is the Cyber-Elves, these flying little creatures can be found in any level through killing an enemy, opening a container, or beating a boss. These Cyber-Elves can help you gain access to an item, save you from a pit, reduce the damage of bosses, increase your health, etc. Most of their effects are only for a one time use, but others are able to stay around for a long period of time. They are a new addition to the series and a welcome one at that. In a game that is already filled to the brim in difficulty, having one of these little guys come and rescue you from a pit when you have it activated is some nice reassurance.

Aside from the new additions to the game, the core game play is pretty much the same as any Mega Man fan would come to expect. You'll run through many different levels jumping from area to area, off the walls and shooting/slashing at everything that comes your way. One of the major annoyances I found in Mega Man Zero was the reoccurring enemies, now the Mega Man series has always had these but they seem to be so abundant and coupled with how much damage they do to you per hit makes this game quite a challenge. In fact, if the Mega Man Zero series should be known for anything it's the difficulty. You will die many times before completing one level of the game simply because of trial and error. This is one of the main formula's for Mega Man games and MMZ is no different. Other than that the main thing that separates this game from the Mega Man X series is the mission based way of going about choosing your level. Most of the time you can access only four missions at a time, and each one has a different objective you must complete in order to gain access to more missions and progress through the storyline.

Visually is one of the areas where this game excels. The mixture of bright and dark colors on very detailed stages and backgrounds make it very impressive. What's more is the foreground, many times you'll feel as though you aren't in front of the screen at all times. There will be bars, robotic garbage, etc. crossing your view sometimes to give make the game feel as if it has more depth to it. What I really enjoyed seeing was the amount of detail that was put into the areas. It gave it a sense that something definitely was wrong in the world, that the future didn't look as populated and upbeat as it once was. Between broken down facilities, buildings on the verge of collapsing, and a whole other mess of junk you get more feeling from playing it. To compliment the levels are the character sprites, most of them having a futuristic and sleek look to them. Zero and the rest of the cast look great sporting their new designs that fit well into the 22XX world. Looking at the audio portion of the game, your getting plenty of songs that will fit within the world around you. Most of them are dreary sounding to give a more dramatic effect while some are have a rockish sound to them when things get more action oriented. There is enough variety in the music to please fans, and contains all new tracks. No old, remixed tracks to find here.

All in all, I'd say Mega Man Zero is a must buy for anyone who has a Game Boy Advance. The game has plenty to deliver after the first completion, whether it be collecting all of the Cyber-Elves or trying to obtain a higher rank. A forewarning, this game doesn't provide you with plenty of challenge. If your expecting a cakewalk you aren't going to find it here, but with the solid game play, great looking graphics, and a killer storyline this is just one of the best GBA games I've managed to play.

Final Score: 9.8

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/12/04