I loved Mega Man games when I was
younger, and I have fond memories of playing Mega Man X in particular. Even
though I recently reviewed the
Mega Man
X Collection, I was ecstatic to try out Mega Man Maverick Hunter X for the
PlayStation Portable. The reason for this is to see what new changes were made
to this classic game. Even with the changes, updated graphics, and anime
cutscenes, this game is still as fun as the original. Read on to find more
information about Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, and why you should purchase this
game if you are a Mega Man fan or just enjoy good games.
The story takes place in the future
where Reploids (robots with advanced AI) and humans have lived together
peacefully until recently. One day the Reploids started attacking humans and
they were given the name “Mavericks.” In order to contain the Maverick threat
the Maverick Hunters were formed with Sigma leading them. One day Sigma went
Maverick, and he now leads all of the other Maverick Reploids into a huge war
against the humans. It is now up to X and his best friend Zero to put a stop to
Sigma. Are you up to the challenge?
One thing that makes this game truly
different from the original game is that players will get to play the game as
either X or Vile. Players know exactly what it is like playing through X so I
will explain some of the differences as playing through the game with Vile.
Unlike X, Vile has a lot more weapons at his disposal and you will have to play
a lot more strategically with him.
Before each level players will have
to choose which weapons they want to stock Vile with. Even though Vile has a ton
of weapons at his disposal, he can only equip one of each type on his shoulder,
leg, and arms. The total resource cost can not exceed what his resource level
allots to him. This means that players will have to really know the lay of the
land before going into any level to pick what weapons will be best to use
against the enemies and the boss of that level.
One thing that players will
immediately notice about the game when they first load it up is how much better
the game looks. The original game was released over 10 years ago so it really
looks dated by today’s standards, but the developers really took their time and
completely overhauled the game. The game still retains the 2D perspective, but
it is now set in a 3D world. The levels are way more detailed and have a lot of
things going on in them. The various special effects that the developers used
really show off the power of the PlayStation Portable.
The biggest addition to the sound
department is that the developers added voice acting to all of the characters.
Players will find it interesting to hear the dialog spoken between X and the
boss before each fight. While the voice acting is not wonderful it still works
pretty well. The remixed music tracks are hit and miss for the most part.
Sometimes they are better then the original and other times they are just not as
good.
Another special treat for gamers is
that once they beat the game they will be treated with an unlockable anime
movie. This movie is a prequel to the events that occurred to the start of the
game and give players a little more perspective to why Sigma went Maverick and
really helps tie the game in that much more.
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X is rated
everyone for violence. It will take up to 512KB for game saves.
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Gameplay: 8.1
If you have played the original Mega Man X games
then you will know the basics of the game, such as each boss’s weakness. All of
the challenges remain the same, but the good thing about this game is that the
developers tweaked some of the levels so while everything looks familiar you
will still run into some new challenges.
Also getting to play as Vile through
this game makes it even better. Playing as him requires a different strategy,
but it gives the game some new life after you beat it.
Graphics: 8.5
The graphical overhaul that Mega Man Maverick Hunter X was given is truly
impressive. Even though this game is still in the 2D perspective that gamers
have become accustomed to, the developers rendered everything around X as 3D.
This means that all of the levels have received a really nice overall and are
more interactive. When the original game was first released on the SNES it was a
graphical wonder, and once again Capcom redid the graphics engine and made a
truly impressive game for the PlayStation Portable.
Sound: 7.9
The music for this game is a mixed bag, some of the music sounds better
then the original game and at times the original music sounded better. The
voiceovers for the various enemies are good enough and get the job done.
Difficulty: Medium
If you play the game on normal mode and are a veteran of the series the
game will be a breeze. Once you put the game on hard mode you will find yourself
in for some really tough challenges that will remind you that this is a Mega Man
game through and through.
Concept: 8.5
I really like all of the changes that were made to this game, plus
getting to play as Vile was also a really nice addition. To make matters better
the developers threw in a demo of Mega Man Powered Up, which seems to be a
remake of the original Mega Man game, with super-deformed characters.
Overall: 8.3
I really enjoyed this remade/remixed Mega Man X game. With the special
containers hidden on other levels, new anime cutscenes, and various other
additions make this game a worthy purchase for anyone who is a fan of the Mega
Man X series. If you are looking for a new game for your shiny PlayStation
Portable then look no further and pick up a copy of Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
and embrace the fun that you are about to be inundated with.
