Mega Games for a Mega System
By:Bahamut Dragons
 
 
 
    Anyone here remembers the… NES? That's right, the system you used to play with when you were younger. The system that "started it all". What was there not to like? Great graphics, great sounds, multiple gadgets… and a ton of companies. The NES started a whole bunch of series that last even today (sadly most of them on the Playstation): Super Mario Bros., Castlevania, Metroid, and, of course, the famous Mega Man, the series of a thousand faces.
 
    It all started in 1987, when a video game company released a game called Mega Man. It was da bomb! Concepts no one had ever thought of before. You could choose your level, win the bosses weapons…
    Then, in 1988, a new game made it's appearance: Mega Man II. From that point on, it was easy to guess that the series would continue for a looong time. In all, Mega Man made his appearance in: 6 NES games, 3 SNES games, 5 GB games, 2 Arcades, 1 Playstation game and 1 genesis game. This is, of course, with out counting the X series and the other different that appeared on Playstation. Here is a list of the points of the NES games, good and bad, and an overall rating of them.
 
    Mega Man was the first game, released in 1987. It had a lot of good points, like being able to choose your level and boss. You could then choose the easiest, win their weapon, and battle other robots afterwards which was weak to the weapon you had just won and easily enough complete the first six bosses. After the initial six, you then had to battle your way through Dr. Wily's lair, facing even more bots, as well as the ones you just had beaten. Another good thing was the infinite continues, making the game easier. The down side of the game was that some monsters were EXTREMELY hard to destroy. I am thinking about the first "Rock Man" monster, the first boss of Wily's lair. Also, stumpers (robots with one eye that jumped) were almost invincible. The best tactic was to freeze them in the air with Ice Man's weapon, to walk under them. I actually never completed this game without the help of a game genie, always being stuck at the rock monster.
Overall rating: 5 on 10.

    Mega Man II must be the game that had the most differences with it's predecessor. Many things were added to make the game easier. It was now password enabled, up to Wily's first level. E-Batteries were also invented. That meant that you could replenish all your energy anytime. But beware, because you only had a maximum of four. Other noticeable points were 8 robots instead of 6, heads of the robots instead of the actual sprite, you could see your progression through Wily's lair, and helping items. (cleverly named Item-1, Item-2 and Item-3). As for the bad points, there aren't much, compared to the infamous first game. Metal Man's metal blade was too powerful. It was the weapon of choice against almost all the robot masters, and could even kill Metal Man in one hit!
Overall rating: 8 on 10.
 
    Mega Man III, my all time favourite. I think it had the best robot masters of Mega Man history, Magnet Man and Shadow Man. Of course, Mega Man III had the good points of his previous counterpart, but also managed to insert a lot of other ones. Mega Man could now slide under stuff, being some walls or bullets, allowing a better control, since he could not, or never will be able to duck. He now had the help of his all time buddy, his robotic dog, Rush, who could become a spring jump, a jet or a submarine. You could now transport up to 9 E-batteries, making the game easier. After defeating the initial 8 robots, you had to fight Doc Man. Note: Not many people know Doc Man under this name (I used to call him Skull Man, before MM4). Doc Man had the ability to take the weapons of all the old Mega Man II robots, only stronger, making his a valuable foe. Also, you had to return to the corner levels of MM3 to get to Doc Man (two by level). Only the levels were "destroyed" and much harder. This made the game longer and more fun. On the dark side, the final last boss was too easy. I usually beat him with one hit of my top spin. There was also that red bot with a shield that blocked nothing that appeared randomly. Later known as Proto/Break Man, he was, I think, an important point of the game. You hoped to know who he was… Sadly, Capcom didn't say. That alone takes out the perfect score.
Overall rating: 9 on 10.
 
    Could Mega Man IV bring as much new elements as the third game? Yes! Mega Man IV, although not as good as the third one, brought us many classics of the Mega Man series. You could now charge your Mega Buster for a more powerful blast of energy. Also, the final enemy was not Wily but Dr. Cossack. Or so you thought. You didn't have one but two lairs to pass before completing the game! Bad points: no noticeable points. I didn't think it had the charm of MM3 though.
Overall: 8 on 10.
 
    Mega Man V, the black sheep of the Mega Mans. For some reason, I've never liked this game. Even if there was a few good points: new and better looking fireball, letters you must find to get a secret weapon, new W-Batteries and M-Battery, a vehicle (the jet ski of wave man's stage)… Still, for some reason I didn't get as much of a kick of this one as the other games (except the dreadful MM1). I never got pass the false Proto Man without a game genie.
Overall Rating: 7 on 10.
 
    Mega Man VI was the only other Mega Man that took me where III had. New rush adaptors, jet Mega Man and power Mega Man, a good selection of baddies (Yamato Man is with my all time favourites). Some bad point I found though was the idea of Mr. X. After two Mega Mans where Wily is disguised, I think he should of admitted it was him… A minor counterpart though because it is a excellent game.
Overall: 9 on 10
 
Now, here is a list of all the caracteristics from the NES Mega Mans.

    To conclude, I would like to give a word about genesis's "Mega Man: The Wily wars". For those who don't know, it's Mega Man I, II, III, remapped in 16 bits, in one cartridge. Tell me tell you: it's bad. I actually preferred the NES version more, because I thought it had more quality. In Gemini's stage, MM3, at the start, you are in front of a starred sky. In the Genesis version, there are two layers, and let me tell you: it looks soooo fake. Other transitions are also bad, but if you really want to know, I suggest you check it out by yourself. This is Bahamut Dragons… signing off.