Review

“Fight Mega Man, For Everlasting Peace!”  

Publisher: Capcom + Mega Man’s ability to absorb powers
+ Great Music
+ Tricky Platforming
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Platformer
Released: 12/17/87  
ESRB: NA - Mega Man can’t duck
- Getting knocked back when hit.
- Dr. Wily’s bosses are really difficult
Platforms: NES

 

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Throughout the years the name Capcom has symbolized excellence in gaming, being behind some of the biggest titles in gaming history. Early on was no exception. Way back in 1987 Capcom brought Mega Man to the U.S.. Titled Rock Man in Japan, Mega Man was a giant leap forward in the action/platforming genre. Capcom introduced elements in Mega Man that would revolutionize the genre and begin what would be another gaming legacy.

bombman_stage.jpg In the future robots would do everything for humans. They were utilized in all facets of industry as well as domestic tasks. An evil scientist called Dr. Wily reprogrammed some of these robots and tries to use them to take over the world. A brilliant scientist named Dr. Light decides to alter the programming of his robot “Rock” to stop Dr. Wily and his robots. So begins the story of Mega Man.

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Six super robots are what Mega Man must get through to reach Dr. Wily. Each one of these robots has a special ability that suits there names. Cutman for instance is a logging robot with a giant scissor blade for cutting and Bombman as his name implies is the demolitions expert. Before reaching one of these bosses, Mega Man must first navigate through a stage filled with enemies and some tricky platforming.

boss_power.jpg all_powers.jpg To help Mega Man on his journey Dr. Light has given him a blaster arm and the amazing ability to learn the powers of a defeated boss robot. This is the first time gamers were able to take on the super move of a defeated boss. After blasting Gutsman for instance, Mega Man will now have his strength to lift boulders in his path. This power can be used to access certain items in the stages that were previously unattainable. Unlike his arm blaster, Mega Man’s new weapons can run out of energy. To replenish his powers, Mega Man must collect blue power ups dropped from enemies or placed within the stages. Along with the power to defeat common enemies easier, the super robots have serious weaknesses against these weapons. Finding out which robot to defeat first to start the chain, has been the backbone to these games. This trend will continue on to be the basis of almost all the Mega Man games.

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Outside of the action in Mega Man, there is some serious platforming sections. From moving and disappearing platforms, to enemies who seem to appear always at the wrong time, Mega Man has driven me to break many controllers. Capcom seems to always include the hit knockback, which drives me insane. If Mega Man gets hit in the air, he falls out of his jump, and if he gets hit on the end of a platform, he will fall off backwards. This is absolutely gamers torture. Not to mention I first played this game when I was nine so it was even more ruthless. Now check out the video below to see what started the gaming juggernaut known as Mega Man:

Score
Overall

Mega Man is unique blend of action and platforming. The idea of learning your enemies super power was even more astonishing at the time. But Mega Man still wasn’t quite perfect. He cannot duck to evade enemy fire, and falls off ladders if he changes powers while on one. Also, the difficulty at the end of Dr. Wily’s stage can sometimes get really frustrating. Outside of these minor flaws Mega Man is a classic that no gamer should miss.
User Score: [ratings]

   

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