Mega Man Maverick Hunter X

"THIS is how you restore a classic!"

Last night, I had picked up my copy of Mega Man Maverick Hunter X for the PSP, after I was SUPPOSED to have it on Wednesday, but the shipments were delayed for EB games stores nationwide. EB is in the process of merging with GameStop, and as a result, there's some corporate restructuring going on. That could very well have something to do with it. But enough about that.

For the uninitiated, this is a completely re-vamped version of Mega Man X on the Super Nintendo from 1994. It was the first Mega Man game to be released on said system. This incarnation has the honor of being the first Mega Man game on PSP.

The basic story of the game is this:
In the year 21XX (Honestly Capcom.... why don't you just pick a friggin year?? It's not like anyone's gonna know!), there are free-thinking robots known as Reploids.One such Reploid was Mega Man X. Unlike other Reploids, X was capable of much deeper human thought and emotion. This gave him limitless potential, hence the name X, which is a variable. However, at the time of his creation, Dr. Light (who created the original Mega Man) felt the world wasn't ready for one such as X, and sealed him away. During X's time, there has been an increasing number of Reploids that have gone Maverick. This essentially makes them a threat to other Reploids and yes, even humans. Alongside his friend Zero, X is a part of a group known as the Maverick Hunters, whose mission is to subdue the Maverick insurgency. Kind of a counter terrorism force if you will.

Gameplay is almost identical to the original right down to the stage layouts. If you remember the original, there were capsules that contained upgrades for X, such as body armor. The locations of these parts has been shuffled around. However, pretty much everything else is the same. This time, the bosses have a more personality. They don't just arbitrarily appear. It really adds new depth to the game.

The game has received a complete graphical overhaul. Everything is given a beautiful 3D facelift.

Every music track from the original has been remixed. Some tracks are very well done, whereas others leave much to be desired. Another thing to note is the addition of voice acting. This too is very well done. Each voice fits each character quite well.

Mega Man games (pretty much all platform games) are known to be quite short. This one's no exception. However, the PSP incarnation adds a new degree of replay value. In addition to a hard mode, you get to play as Vile, who is one of the villains. In contrast to X's game, you can't just muscle your way through Vile's. Surviving requires a bit more strategy and finesse on the player's part. As you beat the bosses, Vile becomes a walking armory, but you can't take them all with you on your travels.

In summary, THIS is how you remake a classic game! Other companies should be taking notes here. If you have a PSP and have never played a Mega Man game before, or are looking for a nostalgia trip, then by all means pick this up. You won't regret it!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/06/06