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The blue bomber is back in more than one way and I'm happy to announce that after almost two decades of service, Mega Man still rules.
July 15, 2004 | 10:00 PM PSTby: Ken Cauley
So I’m in one of my favorite restaurants sporting my new Mega Man Anniversary Collection t-shirt. Standing there, a girl came up to me and commented on my t-shirt, specifically at the picture of Wood Man, asking if I knew what his “special power was.” Well, from there the rest is just history, but it dawned upon me just how cool Mega Man really is. It is no wonder why Capcom’s 15 year old franchise is still present in the hearts of millions. Anybody who calls him/herself a gamer owns or has owned at least one Mega Man title, and now for the low price of $29.99, you can own a benchmark in Video Game history.
Features
What makes Mega Man Anniversary Collection so unique? What sets it apart from the plethora of other recent compilation game sets? In my opinion, the biggest difference of separation is the fact that unlike other compilations, Mega Man Anniversary Collection only offers games featuring the blue bomber. Much like SEGA’s Sonic Mega Collection, you won’t be playing yet another version of Frogger, Space Invaders, Pong, Pac-Man, or PaperBoy – this one is all Mega Man, and that by itself is an amazing thing. How many publishers can release a collection with 15 years of history on just one video game franchise? Another great feature that we don’t see too often is a collection of games ranging from the NES days all the way to the PSX generation. Capcom even took it two steps further by including the previously unreleased Power Battle and Power Fighters – a more than welcome addition.
So how do the games themselves hold up? For starters, all of the ports play extremely nice. Developer Atomic Planet did an excellent job in maintaining the original experience we’ve felt years ago, while still re-working certain aspects of the game. Capcom had to make a difficult decision on what to change and what not to change regarding gameplay attributes. Overall, all eight versions have remained virtually untouched with minor tweaks here and there. For example, some noticeable changes include: consistent navigational menu systems across eight titles, increased gameplay speed and a newly added “Navi Mode” that offers players the ability to change the user interface on Mega Man 1-7 to match that of Mega Man 8. Other minor changes include button configuration tweaks, optional rapid fire shooting for the NES versions and adjustable difficulty setting and starting lives for all eight versions. While these changes might seem significant on paper, the truth of the matter is they are barely noticeable when actually playing, even to the most hardcore of Mega Man fans. The goal of developer Atomic Planet was not to change the games, but to simply offer a better overall package by using good judgment.
Capcom made sure that the graphic and audio department has been kept relatively untouched. All ports have received virtually no graphical additions leaving them as is. The overall scoring in the graphics department will be a reflection of how visually impressive the individual games are when they were first released, not as compared to today’s standards. The same goes for the audio and sound effects during gameplay, except for sounding a little clearer due to GameCube’s enhanced sound capabilities. Also, you may be relieved to know that there is virtually zero loading time.
So what’s the incentive to beat each of the Mega Man games? Capcom and Atomic Planet made sure you get your just rewards with a decent sized collection of un-lockable bonus content, including the two never before released arcade fighting games. Capcom has also decided to include console specific unlockables – producer interviews for the GameCube version and an animated episode of Mega Man for the PlayStation 2.
Closing Comments
Just like Nintendo’s most beloved franchise characters, you can’t help but love the blue bomber. It’s one of those franchises where even if you have never played a Mega Man game, you certainly know who Mega Man is, and you know that the franchise has been around for quite some time. This is an opportunity for casual gamers to introduce themselves to what the pinnacle of Videogame quality used to be, and at the same time better appreciate the games we have available to play today. While Mega Man has never been impressive in the show and tell department, it has always offered that special experience – and it feels incredibly great to once again tap into that excitement.
I would say at least give Mega Man Anniversary Collection a rental. If you have never played a Mega Man game before, please do so, you will thank me later. As for Mega Man fans, I don’t think I need to tell you what you already know. If you can fit this title into your budget (I know it is hard when trying to save for the rest of GCN amazing 2004 lineup), wait no longer to throw yourself back in time for worth while blast from the past.
Features
- 10 Mega Man games on one disc
- Unlockable interview with Mega Man’s creator
- History of Mega Man
- Over 30 original artwork selections
What makes Mega Man Anniversary Collection so unique? What sets it apart from the plethora of other recent compilation game sets? In my opinion, the biggest difference of separation is the fact that unlike other compilations, Mega Man Anniversary Collection only offers games featuring the blue bomber. Much like SEGA’s Sonic Mega Collection, you won’t be playing yet another version of Frogger, Space Invaders, Pong, Pac-Man, or PaperBoy – this one is all Mega Man, and that by itself is an amazing thing. How many publishers can release a collection with 15 years of history on just one video game franchise? Another great feature that we don’t see too often is a collection of games ranging from the NES days all the way to the PSX generation. Capcom even took it two steps further by including the previously unreleased Power Battle and Power Fighters – a more than welcome addition.
So how do the games themselves hold up? For starters, all of the ports play extremely nice. Developer Atomic Planet did an excellent job in maintaining the original experience we’ve felt years ago, while still re-working certain aspects of the game. Capcom had to make a difficult decision on what to change and what not to change regarding gameplay attributes. Overall, all eight versions have remained virtually untouched with minor tweaks here and there. For example, some noticeable changes include: consistent navigational menu systems across eight titles, increased gameplay speed and a newly added “Navi Mode” that offers players the ability to change the user interface on Mega Man 1-7 to match that of Mega Man 8. Other minor changes include button configuration tweaks, optional rapid fire shooting for the NES versions and adjustable difficulty setting and starting lives for all eight versions. While these changes might seem significant on paper, the truth of the matter is they are barely noticeable when actually playing, even to the most hardcore of Mega Man fans. The goal of developer Atomic Planet was not to change the games, but to simply offer a better overall package by using good judgment.
Capcom made sure that the graphic and audio department has been kept relatively untouched. All ports have received virtually no graphical additions leaving them as is. The overall scoring in the graphics department will be a reflection of how visually impressive the individual games are when they were first released, not as compared to today’s standards. The same goes for the audio and sound effects during gameplay, except for sounding a little clearer due to GameCube’s enhanced sound capabilities. Also, you may be relieved to know that there is virtually zero loading time.
So what’s the incentive to beat each of the Mega Man games? Capcom and Atomic Planet made sure you get your just rewards with a decent sized collection of un-lockable bonus content, including the two never before released arcade fighting games. Capcom has also decided to include console specific unlockables – producer interviews for the GameCube version and an animated episode of Mega Man for the PlayStation 2.
Closing Comments
Just like Nintendo’s most beloved franchise characters, you can’t help but love the blue bomber. It’s one of those franchises where even if you have never played a Mega Man game, you certainly know who Mega Man is, and you know that the franchise has been around for quite some time. This is an opportunity for casual gamers to introduce themselves to what the pinnacle of Videogame quality used to be, and at the same time better appreciate the games we have available to play today. While Mega Man has never been impressive in the show and tell department, it has always offered that special experience – and it feels incredibly great to once again tap into that excitement.
I would say at least give Mega Man Anniversary Collection a rental. If you have never played a Mega Man game before, please do so, you will thank me later. As for Mega Man fans, I don’t think I need to tell you what you already know. If you can fit this title into your budget (I know it is hard when trying to save for the rest of GCN amazing 2004 lineup), wait no longer to throw yourself back in time for worth while blast from the past.
-- Ken Cauley
November 20, 2009
