Review Date: April 13, 2021
Release Date: June 1, 1989
Platform: NES
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Linear Platformer
Anecdotes: It’s time to revisit the Mega Man series. At this point, Mega Man really didn’t make a huge splash, nor did anything Capcom did. Their biggest hit at this point was probably Ghosts ‘N Goblins. Capcom saw something in Mega Man, though, so they wisely greenlit a sequel. The Mega Man team was given a second chance. They made a few changes to the formula, but the basic gameplay remains in tact.
Description: Mega Man is on another quest to defeat Dr. Wily. Mega Man has to defeat eight robots masters in their lairs before going up Dr. Wily’s castle. Let’s take a look at the robot masters:
-Air Man: This stage, like the others, is themed after the boss. It takes place in the clouds. It’s generally easy and I usually like to take him on first. Air Man himself is basically a giant fan. The guy really blows. He attacks using wind and tornados, neither of which are huge threats. Jump over the tornados and fire away with the Plasma Beam.
-Bubble Man: Bubble Man lives in a real dive. His lair involves going in and out of the water and fighting frogs and shrimp. It’s also lined with spikes. Players battle Bubble Man in a giant pool. The Metal Blades will cut him down in seconds.
-Crash Man: I’m not sure if it’s Clash or Crash, but Crash fits better, so I’m going with that. Crash Man’s stage is a climb into space. Players will have to deal with lots of Hard Hats and Huevo Droppers, but nothing too serious. I didn’t see Crash Man long because he can’t handle tornados in his face.
-Flash Man: Welcome to the freezer. Ice physics are everywhere here. Mega Man will be sliding all over the floors and controlling him isn’t as easy. Flash Man is equipped with a Time Stopper, but it doesn’t help him much. Just go in and shoot away with the Plasma Beam.
-Heat Man: Mega Man has to run the inferno, yet somehow never melts. I save this stage for last because the Quick Boomerangs and Item 2 help out in here. Item 2 is essential to making this stage much easier, so make sure Air Man is done before this one. Heat Man is a giant lighter. The battle ends quickly if players make him eat Bubble Lead. I never once used the Atomic Fire he leaves behind.
-Metal Man: His stage is full of conveyor belts, but it’s really easy. This stage shouldn’t give players much trouble, nor should Metal Man himself. Many guides suggest to do this stage first, but I did it second, although the Air Shooter is no help here. The basic weapon handles Metal Man with no problem.
-Quick Man: The worst thing about Quick Man’s stage are the death beams that emerge from the sides of the screen. There are two areas where they come out, so resist the urge to use the Time Stopper until the second wave of them. The Time Stopper also removes half of Quick Man’s health (14 bars), but it is required to finish the stage.
-Wood Man: Wood Man hangs out in the forests. The stage is full of various things one would find in the woods, but eventually, players will face off with the giant tree. I blasted him with the Air Shooter, but there are several ways to do it.
Positives:
-The music is absolutely amazing. I really like the Flash Man and Crash Man themes, and somehow, Bubble Man’s theme gets stuck in my head, too. While not nearly as catchy, the later levels of the castle have some creepy music, but Capcom did a marvelous job of making things creepy in the final level by omitting background music entirely. I should mention that my screenshots are actually from the PS4 port of the game and that version has a feature where players can play any song they wish at any time.
-Among the changes made from the first game are the increase from 6 to 8 robot masters and removal of enemies in the pre-boss corridors. This prevents Mega Man from taking cheap shots on the way back to a boss after losing a boss battle.
Negatives:
-Let’s talk about the Boobeam Trap. The game decides to whip out fake floor in the second to last level of the game after not using them at all in the entire game. Then, after a cheap trap comes a cheap boss, the Boobeam Trap. There are 5 traps. The only way to defeat them is with the Crash Bombs. Mega Man only has 7, though, with a fully charged bar, and he must use ALL 7 because two of them are behind barriers. One miss is a loss. A less than fully charged bar is a loss. And, even worse, the game doesn’t place Mega Man outside the door if he loses. He has to repeat the second half of the stage again, but if the Crash Bombs aren’t refilled to at least 20 bars, the boss can’t be beaten.
More Screenshots:
Final Opinion: The first half of the game is excellent, but then some flaws show up in the final levels. Between the surprise fake floors that serve no good purpose, the lack of weapon refills in the final level, and the 100% terrible Boobeam Trap, I have to knock the game down to a B.
Grade: B