Game Data:
- Review Date: June 12, 2021
- Release Date: March 1, 1994
- Platform: NES
- Publisher: Capcom
- Developer: Capcom
- Genre: Linear Platformers
Anecdotes: After so many Mega Man games, I’m getting a bit burnt out. This just isn’t the kind of series where I can play game after game. These games are just too difficult and too similar. I’m still planning on doing posts on all 11 games, plus X and ZX, but it’s really starting to feel like a chore at this point.
Description: It’s all the same as before. Mega Man plays through 8 stages in any order before heading toward Dr. Wily for one more showdown.
Blizzard Man: They seriously aren’t even trying anymore. They reused this idea from Ice Man back at the series start. At least the boss has a logical weakness; fire and ice are opposing elements.
Centaur Man: Here’s that water stage that’s in nearly every Mega Man game. Unfortunately, they used Minnesota Viking colors for the stage, so it’s an automatic fail. Oh, and it also has conveniently placed ceiling spikes for players that forget that water physics are in use.
Flame Man: There’s already been Heat Man and Fire Man, so this is more of the same. The only new trick is that some places are safe to walk on until a flame hits them, and then they’re instant death.
Knight Man: Ok, I enjoyed this stage. It had a nice theme to it. Interestingly, Knight Man doesn’t use spears; instead, he is vulnerable to them.
Plant Man: Capcom saved up a bunch of hatred and misery for the players, and the result was this stage. This was absolutely horrible. Between a terrible miniboss that I couldn’t figure out how to push back, springs that need precise timing to use correctly, enemies that are tough to hit, and platforms that need to be shot to open (which isn’t made clear), this was the worst stage in the game.
Tomahawk Man: Just think Hard Man’s stage all over again.
Wind Man: This guy blows. The stage, though, is mostly a breeze. The exceptions are those fans that raise and lower Mega Man in midair. It’s somewhat like jumping, but with no vertical control.
Yamato Man: Remember Dirty Dozens on In Living Color? Yamato so ugly…that show was hilarious! There was a stage here, but I forgot to hit the Share button while playing on my PS4 during it.
Positives:
- I’m going to have to check on Mega Man 5, but I noticed 6 has a slimmed down collection quest in the game similar to 5. Capcom thankfully realized that first time players are likely to miss them, so robot master stages can be replayed to find the letters. I had E and T (which really should mean I can summon an alien with a phone) and those letters appeared on the stage select screen inside the defeated master’s box. There were also Mega Man heads in some boxes, so I assume that’s where the B and A are.
Negatives:
- This is exclusive to this game, but why do I have to battle the same minibosses twice? I had a tough enough time beating the first one, and the game says “hey, do it again!”
- I found the Plant Man stage to be infuriating. There are “closed” platforms jut hanging in the air. Mega Man has to shoot them to open them, but there is absolutely nothing hinting at the idea that it’s necessary. The springs don’t work automatically; I had to hit the jump button. It makes sense, but the jump button didn’t boost him half the time. The miniboss was quite annoying as it just closed in on me, but then I figured out how to push it back. It was just mildly annoying after that. Add in the usual enemy placement for the purpose of knocking Mega Man into holes, and “uh oh.”
Screenshots:
Final Opinion: As I was writing this, I realized this game isn’t as bad as I initially thought, but it’s not quite at the level of its predecessors.
Grade: C
With this game, it is time to end this chapter of gaming history and the era I grew up with. The NES continued the 8 bit era, taking over from the Atari 800. The NES made gaming mainstream and it brought the whole industry back to life. The memories will always stay with me, for both personal reasons and its importance in gaming history.
Best Game: Legend of Zelda
Personal Favorite: Section Z
Worst Game: Ikari Warriors