Mega Man Powered Up

"Just another remake?"

I've been playing Mega Man games since perhaps the first grade, maybe earlier. I remember going to my neighbor's house and he would bust out Mega Man 2 and kick Woodman's butt. However, this isn't Mega Man 2 and this sure isn't the Mega Man we know and love, or is it?

One day Mega and Roll are walking through town when Dr. Wily appears and announces that he has taken all of Dr. Light's robots and turned them to his side. While it is still the same story as the original Mega Man, things are slightly different. The other robots have personalities now and even dialog! Hell, they even explain the robots thought process of thinking they are the good guys and Mega man is the bad guy. Sure it isn't the best plot but it does work and for some odd reason the game is full of its own charm.

Graphic wise I found Mega Man Powered Up to be odd. The screenshots had turned me off. Mega and pals are now super deformed (think midgets) and have large bobble-esq. heads. Is this a bad thing? No! It just adds to the charm and perhaps that why I enjoyed the game. Levels are bright and vibrant. Enemies are the same as the old game but slightly redone and new ones await you. The whole game really feels like a playable cartoon.

The game features the same music but some of it seems remixed. I actually found myself humming these songs while walking down stairs, doing yard work ect. That doesn't happen often. Voice acting is in full force in this game, every line is spoken. While it isn't as bad as Mega Man 8's voice acting, it is still kind of bad. But it's a cheesy kind of bad, so silly that it fits with this over the top character designs and colors. Sound effects are what you would expect. Nothing amazing.

Some times the PSP doesn't have the best control but I must say that Powered Up has solid control. It's tight and responsive. I was able to use the D-pad and the analog stick to move around without fail. Jumping wasn't hard, switching weapons is very easy due to it using the L and R buttons and a tiny window at the top shows what is selected and what's coming up next.

Game play wise this is the same game we played in the 80's but things have changed. Now you can choose between Easy, normal and hard. I started the game on easy since it would gently bring me into the game. Easy mode causes enemies to only use one attack, or fire fewer bullets. it also adds safety blocks in on the harder jumps. This was PERFECT because it helped you get use to how the game plays. You also unlock a secret character per difficulty with Mega Man. Now the game also has a catch. Beat it on Easy and you can access the other difficulties on any stage so it doesn't force you to redo everything per say.

Oddly enough I wrote most of this review and was about to post it when I realized I fought to talk about the actual game play despite rambling on about the special features. The game plays like any other 2D platformer. Spikes are instant death, as are falls into pits. The levels are fairly long but Oilman and Timeman seem to have weaker levels. The game can be played in new style and old style, so again it's like two games in one. The game has a lot of jumping, ladders, and vanishing platforms. Enemies are placed just right to cause you to interact with them to be able to advance in the level but it never feels like it. A number of enemies can be passed over.

Now, things are truly different this time around. While you still gain a power up from each boss you defeat (8 robot master wise) you get a special reward if you defeat them with just your buster. Can we say "all eight robot masters are now playable"? That's right, defeat them with only the buster and you get to play as them. They play just like Mega but instead of a Buster their main weapon is whatever Mega would get from beating them. This makes some guys easier to beat the game with than others. However, you do need to beat the entire game once with each boss, so to get everything you need to play through the game 8 total times and beat the last boss 24 times.

Do you want more? How can you possibly want more? Well, on any mode but easy you can find a number of construction packs. These add more things to work with in the stage creator. The catch is you need to play through with different characters to get them because their powers are the only way to reach them and it can't be Mega Man using their powers. Say there is a pack you can clearly see but it's on an edge under a cracked pathway. Now, if you were Gutsman you would jump and it would break, allowing you to get it.

Now, I did mention stage creating. I normally don't mess with this kind of thing because it tends to be limited and/or hard to do. I found the interface to be very easy and within minutes I was able to create a section of a stage, with enemies, spikes, holes, ladders ect. It's a great feature. What makes it better is that with a wifi signal you can download other stages that people have posted online. Think of the endless possibilities. Now Capcom is also releasing old themes every once in awhile and holiday themes.

As for replay value, does the game need anything else to make it worth buying? It has enough secrets already mentioned, 2 robot masters never seen before (Timeman and Oilman), downloadable content, downloadable stages, stage creation ect. Okay, there is one more bonus in the game. Challenge mode has 100 challenges to beat. Different types of stages and a reward for those who finish all 100.

So, is Mega Man Powered Up worth buying? I really think it is. it has so much to offer that it's countless hours of fun. The game does have a few flaws. Some may find the graphics generic, I didn't but I've heard some people say they looked that way. The game also has small bouts of slowdown. It's always in the same exact spot but it happens at least twice in the game, maybe three times. Nothing to really worry about. Fans of mega Man will love this title and I can't wait for Powered Up 2 if it's going to be anything like this one.

Story - 7/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound - 8/10
Control - 9/10
Game Play - 9/10
Replay value - 10/10

Final Score - 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/30/06