Mega Man Powered Up

"One of my best handheld gaming experiences."

Ok, to start this off, I have never been a big fan of Mega Man games. The only one I have really played to the finish was Megaman X, and that was because I slept over a friends house, and the only Mega Man game I have owned up until this was Mega man 64(ya, that explains why I haven't beaten anything). Well, this game has gotten me REALLY interested in the series, and since I beat this, my Mega Man collection has expanded. Now lets get this review underway.

Story: 7/10: The story is a little bit corny, and barely existent. I wouldn't really expect too much story from a side-scroller anyways because the story is almost always "Go after the last boss while defeating his minions along the way." Which is what the story of this game is, but with a small twist. This game is about a robot kid named Mega. He was created by Dr. Light. Dr. Light has also created 8 "brothers" for Mega. When a man named Dr. Wily turns evil and controls Mega's brothers, Mega is modified to become a fighting robot. He then sets off on a quest to defeat Dr. Wily and save his brothers. That's about it.

Graphics: 9/10: Basically, these graphics are either supremely hated, or loved beyond belief. I really liked these graphics. The chibi-style characters look suprisingly good. Everything about the graphics, including the background is all nearly perfect. The only problem is that the heads are far too big. I understand that chibi characters usually have big heads, but it really sucks when you think you are going to dodge an attack, but because of your enormous head you get hit. Other than that, the graphics are as good as you will find on a handheld system.

Gameplay: 10/10: The gameplay is EXCELLENT. This is where the game shines. In the game, you control Mega Man, who has a blaster weapon on his arm. You then use this blaster to defeat enemies and bosses. When you defeat the bosses, they pass on abilities to Mega Man that he can use. These abilities include shooting a fireball, slowing down time, picking up giant blocks, and more. Each time you defeat a boss using only your blaster, you get to use them as a playable character.

Music: 8/10: The music is good enough to a point that it's pretty catchy when you listen to it, but you probably won't be humming it all day. Nothing bad I can say about it.

Replay Value: 7/10: Although you can unlock many new characters, you will probably have unlocked, or gone back to unlock all of them on your first play through. In a couple of months, if you are bored, you might find yourself picking this up for some fun.

Rent or Buy? BUY. This is one of my favorite PSP games, and it sold terribly. I'm sure Capcom would enjoy some extra cash to work on their new great(hopefully) game. You will not regret buying this. I guarantee it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/30/08

Game Release: Mega Man Powered Up (US, 03/14/06)