Going back to video games for a change of pace, I'm going to do my first retro review and I'm going with the NES classic, Mega Man 2. If you have not read my 15 most influential games list, go ahead and do so. If you have, then you will know my personal thoughts of this game and why I am fond of it.
Story:
As simple as it can be, Dr. Wily is back to cause more trouble with eight new robot masters to serve him. Mega Man is sent back out by Dr. Light to stop them and Wily. It goes without saying that you don't buy this game due to the story, but the gameplay itself. That's how the early ages of games were, so in cases like this I won't penalize the game if it has a plot that lacks content. This is one of those cases.
N/A
Gameplay:
If you haven't played any of the games, they go as followed. There are eight robot masters (six in the original) that you must defeat. You can defeat them in any order, but depending on the order could affect the ease of completion. You are first equipped with the default mega buster, but after you defeat a robot master you gain a new weapon with a special ability. Certain bosses are weak against specific weapons, it's you job to figure it out (unless you just look it up). Obviously, you have to defeat one on your own. After defeating all the robot masters, you must defeat a series of extra stages designed as Wily's fortress and the mad doctor himself.
All of the games for the NES are practically the same save for small but useful additions in the proceeding titles. I find them to be one of the finest 2D platformers only perhaps behind Mario. The stages are well designed and provide some clever hazards, at least for novice players. Besides the addition of two extra robot masters, this game added some tweaks. The main and most important was the addition of a password system. It also added three upgrades acquired after certain bosses, that aren't weapons but rather are aides. The other notable addition is the E-Tanks, which you can gather in stages. They will refill your health, certain boss fights they can really be a life saver. It didn't fix that wasn't broken, but rather just improved it. The game also isn't terribly difficult, and compared to the original it's actually rather easy.
8.5
Presentation:
When I say the games are practically the same, that goes with the presentation too. The game sprites have been the same for Mega Man in all six, along with several enemies. It doesn't mean they recycle everything, as the robot masters are always new, but it creates some consistency. It's not a bad thing either, although by the time 6 came around it was stale, but still good. But this is number 2 and it's still relatively fresh. Keep in mind being the NES, I'm going to base this graphically on it's level, obviously the visuals don't hold up to today's standards. The background visuals are more detailed and quite fun to look at. The sprites designs look like what they were intended to look like, which is always a good thing. I'd say for it's time, the visuals were pretty good. Detailed and colorful. Most of the sound effects remain the same. The music in this game is one of the best ever in my opinion. Bubble Man, Air Man, Metal Man are all classics. Hell, it's hard to just single those out, they are all a delight to listen too. Wily's Fortress 1 and 2 is just epic. I'd award this section an 8 or 8.5, but because I think the soundtrack is 8-bits of bliss, I'm going with a 9.
9
Replay Value:
NES had a different definition of replay value than it does today, and that's the literal sense of it. Did you want to replay this game after you finished it? Today it involves extras, multiplayers, and side assignments on top of wanting to replay it. Because NES games were significantly shorter, it's easier to replay these games and set personal goals. Can you finish without losing a continue or perhaps a life? Can you finish in a record time? Or was it just a fun time that you want to play it through again. I always enjoy playing through this game every time I play. At this point, I know it on the insides and out. This game is a charmer and along with it's sequel are considered the elite of the series. I don't expect people to play it every day, but it's always fun to fire up for a quick fix.
8
Overall: 8.5
It may not be perfect or have the fanfare that the Mario series has, but it's still an NES classic. There is a reason why Capcom made the recently released 9th and 10th games of the series back to the 8 bit format and it's because it's the most cherished and the best games of the series are in such a style. If you haven't played the original Mega Man series, I suggest you give them a try. If you are lucky you can find the Anniversary Collection at a Gamestop and if not, online. That would fill 1-8 in the series. The first four are also available for the Wii's Virtual Console service for $5 per game, not a terrible deal.
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