I have enjoyed the classic Mega Man
series ever since I was little. Mega Man 2 was one of my favorite games for the
regular Nintendo. When the Super Nintendo came out I fell in love with Mega Man
X as it took the series to the “next level” in many regards. Since that time
many more Mega Man games have been released and in various genres, while some
have done well others have failed. With the Nintendo DS, Capcom has brought back
the classic Mega Man style gameplay with their latest game: Mega Man ZX. If you
have ever enjoyed playing a Mega Man game in the past then you will want to
check this game out as soon as possible. Read on to find out more.
In Mega Man ZX you can choose to
play as a young boy named Vent or a girl named Aile. There are slight
differences between the two stories, which helps some replay value, but they are
basically the same. Both of these kids work for the Giro Express delivery
company and are in the middle of transporting an item known as biometal.
Biometal is a unique substance that grants humans the abilities of the famous
Maverick hunters in the last war. Pretty soon you are attacked by a group of
Mavericks and you come in contact with the biometal allowing you to transform
into Model X (think of Mega Man X) with all the powers of Mega Man X (dash,
blaster, jump higher, etc).
What I liked about the game is that
you can switch between the robot forms and human forms at will and you will need
to do this to gain access to various levels in the game. For instance, there are
places where you have to crawl and only the human form will allow that. Also
many humans will be afraid of you if you are in your robot form, so in order to
talk to them and find out more information, you will have to be in your human
form. Many times you will find some hints about what to do next. I really liked
this interesting feature that forces you to go into human mode, since the
majority of the game you will be in robot mode expecting a fight.
One thing that is always great about
the Mega Man games is that you can take the powers of your defeated enemies and
this game takes it one step further. This time you will gain the abilities of
other hunters to use in each level and there are five different models. First is
the ZX which is a combination of X and Zero, which is really balanced out. Then
there is the HX which has duel sabers which makes it great for close combat as
well as allows you to fly for short distances. Model FX is great for longer
range battles. If you need to fight underwater then you will want LX since it
has great marine capabilities. The last one is PX, which is like a ninja with tons of
stealth as well as allowing you to throw many deadly projectiles at your enemies.
Using all of these forms is one of the fun parts of the game since it allows you
to play the levels differently.
This game is just like the classic
Mega Man games of the past so that means that there will be plenty of side
scrolling, shooting, jumping, and boss battle action going on throughout the
entire game. Also just like all other games in the series each level that you
visit will have a theme such as a theme park, human city, forest, and many
others.
Even though this is a Nintendo DS
game, Mega Man ZX doesn’t really take advantage of the system’s unique features.
All in all, I think that this is a really good thing that the developers opted
for this. This is a very fast side-scrolling game and I think it would
have been difficult to put some touch-screen features in there. The action of
the game always takes place on the top screen while the bottom screen is
regulated for information that will help you out as the game progresses.
The graphics for this game are
really well done. When makes it look really nice is how crisp it looks on the
screen while you are going through the levels, and see various effects such as
rain or lightening. The color palette used really helps give the world a very
alive feeling. The special weapon effects are also nicely done. The animation
for the characters is “spot on” and looks great in action.
Mega Man ZX is rated everyone and
contains cartoon violence.
|
|
Gameplay: 8.4
I love the gameplay mechanics of this game
and it controls wonderfully. The level designs are perfect and remind me of the
games in the past. The only thing that I was not to fond of is how the world map
pans out, as it can be confusing to many players.
Graphics: 8.5
The graphics are very crisp on the Nintendo DS screen. The anime cutscenes
also look really nice and help give the story a little more oomph.
Sound: 8.6
Just like all of the games in the past, the music and sound effects for
this game are really well done. What really makes it stand out is that each
level has its own music theme that really fits well with the level design.
Difficulty: Medium
Mega Man ZX brings back the challenge that was in Mega Man games in the
past and I love it. No longer can you be confident that you can go into every
level and just know you can beat it just because you have a certain power level.
You have to use your wits and button-hitting skills to survive, which gives you a
sense of urgency that the games in the past had as well.
Concept: 8.5
Mega Man franchise has been resurrected by this game. The Biometal suit
are very useful in all of the various powers they have, it makes a nice addition
to the game.
Overall: 8.5
Mega Man ZX is a game that Mega Man fans have been waiting for. You can
forget many of the lackluster Mega Man X sequels that have not lived up to their
predecessors. If you enjoy the gameplay of Mega Man and are looking for a nice
challenge then you will want to pick this game up.
