Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Protoman

"A LOT closer this time, Capcom, but still room to improve"

Ahh, another year, another Battle Network game. But this one could be bad. Remember Battle Network 4? Yeah, I'm sure you do. But rejoice, Battle Network vets! The fifth game is BETTER! There are still improvements to be made, for sure, but things are improving.

Story - 7/10
Leaps and bounds ahead of BN4 in this department. You could sum up the storyline of the fourth game in six words: "a meteor is heading for earth." Yeah, that was about it. The fifth game actually introduces a more intriguing storyline, which the first through third games used so well. This time, the Dark Chip syndicate Nebula is back, and they've kidnapped Lan's father! And to make things even grander, they've taken over areas of the Net! This time around, MegaMan.EXE can't handle them alone, so he joins an official team of NetNavis devoted to taking the fight to Nebula. Overall, the story is pretty good, though still lacking in comparison to Battle Network 2 or 3. But then, the whole game is lacking in comparison to 2 or 3.

Gameplay - 5/10
OK, the gameplay was definitely improved from 4. The tournaments have been ditched (thank God), and gameplay now revolves around puzzles and crises again. HOWEVER, the rating here takes a SERIOUS hit, because the levels are SOO repetitive. One level in particular comes to mind. The premise is that there are different traps strewn throughout the level, and you have to collect ninja programs of the right color to disarm the trap. However, to get the right number of the right color programs involves a LOT of walking in frustrating circles, probably with much starting over, in an area with a high encounter rate and a grand total of three different virii to fight. If the puzzles were less repetitive, it would be a great rating. But there's promise! Some of the levels are not repetitive. The drill level, for example (you'll understand once you have the game), is quite intuitive without becoming annoying. Capcom is showing signs of improvement!

And, of course, there is a new gameplay feature: the liberation mission. The premise of this new feature is that Nebula has taken over an area of the Net, and you and your team of Navis have to liberate it by beating a boss. If you've played Fire Emblem, or any other turn-based strategy game, it's a lot like that. There are Dark Panels strewn about on a map, and you have to command your team to liberate these panels. To go about liberating a panel, you must win a virus battle in three turns or less. In the later missions, this can get quite challenging. Another cool feature of this is that you actually get to play as the Navis on your team. Not the souls, the actual Navis. This feature is ALMOST perfectly executed, except they comprise a lot of the game's actual play time, and are similar to the tournaments of 4, in some respects. But they're pretty fun, and are mostly well-executed.

Sound and Music - 8/10
Do you remember that catchy main theme from the start screen (the screen you see when you turn the game on)? Yeah, that theme is still MIA. That rating would be darn perfect if that theme returned. But, it hasn't. The only other gripe I have is that the crisis music gets old really fast. Other than that, the tunes can be catchy, and sound effects fit the moments well.

Graphics - 7.5/10
OK, so we still have the smaller sprites and semi-goofy text pics from BN4. But I can live with that, because the super-happy colorful environments are gone. The sprites don't subtract anything from the game either, and somehow fit the game a little better. And with less mega-happy Net areas, the game has lost the childish feel of the previous game. Better, no doubt.

Rent or buy - For the veteran Battle Network fan, or the gamer that liked any of the first three games, it's improved enough to justify the thirty dollars. For the gamer that's just getting into the series, rent it first and decide for yourself. But it really is leaps and bounds beyond BN4.

Overall - 6.5/10
I can't explain how much this game improves on Battle Network 4. But there's still a lot of room to improve, and that room needs to be filled by Battle Network 6. Overall, the level design needs to be less repetitive, as does the structure of the game altogether. Capcom, look to Battle Network 3 for a model. Use 3 as a model, and 6 will be perfect.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/18/05