GRAPHICS SOUND CONTROL FRUSTRATION FUN FACTOR OVERALL

NES Action/Platformer 1 Player Password AlThis game is the 2nd of many many Mega Man games to be released by Capcom. Many people regard this game as the best in the original series, and some even think it's the best NES game of all time. I, however, disagree. The game did introduce some very innovative things, but I don't find it to be as polished as the others in the series. I did enjoy it, but not as much as the others. This time around, you're out to stop Dr. Wily again. He's manufactured 8 evil robots to do his bidding: Flash Man, Quick Man, Metal Man, Air Man, Crash Man, Bubble Man, Heat Man, and Wood Man. As usual, each one has their own strengths/weaknesses/immunities, and you can obtain a boss's weapon by defeating him. After defeating all 8 robots in whatever order you wish, you have to storm Dr. Wily's castle to defeat him. That's basically the plot of the game (and every other game in the series), and it never gets old. There are numerous ways to defeat each boss/stage, so people can actually develop their own methods for getting through the game. This adds to the replay value somewhat, since you can try defeating bosses with weapons that they're strong against, or what-not. There are also two difficulty levels to choose from: Normal and Difficult. The only difference between the two is the amount of damage you and your enemies can take, and a few added enemies here and there (though not many at all). Controls are exceptional. Mega Man can be controlled with ease, though there is a bit of slipping and sliding that occurs and can take some time to get used to. Every one of the boss' weapons is unique and easy to use as well. Using the Metal Blade to rip through all of your enemies is fun, albeit a bit easy. After beating a boss stage or dying, you obtain a password. The passwords are laid out on a five-by-five grid, and are easy to read and input. Also, there are energy tanks found throughout the game that can be used to fill your life meter to 100% at any time. Unfortunately, you lose all of them if you run out of lives, so be sure not to do that! Graphics: The graphics in the game are nicely done. You can tell what everything is, and the characters all animate well. The colors seem bland in some parts of Wily's castle, and there is some drastic slowdown in many parts of the game. Also, the screen tends to flicker (which is usually coupled with the aforementioned slowdown), which can make parts of the game a pain in the neck. Not bad at all, though. Sound & Music: I hear lots of people ranting and raving about how MM2 the best music ever composed on the NES; I disagree. I think many of the tunes in MM3 are better, but MM2 comes in a close second. I especially like Wood Man's theme, particularly because of Jason's cover. The tunes in Wily's castle are also very well done. I can recall every single stage's theme from the game and hum it the whole way through, so you know Capcom did something right. Gameplay: Pick a level, beat the boss, lather, rinse, repeat. The formula doesn't get old, and it leaves room for experimentation. The addition of the 3 Items was a nice touch, as well, though they seemed kind of iffy. There's one room in Wily's castle that requires you to use your Crash Bombs, and if you mess up, you're stuck. Not very pleasant. Oh, and you have to fight ALL OF THE BOSSES again, too. Traditional Mega Man fare, there. Replay Value: I played the game through 3 times in 2 days, so that has to say something about its replay value. The difficulty levels add a bit of a challenge, but not too much. The reason to come back isn't because of those, but because of how many different ways you can go about beating the game. Try beating every boss with the Mega Buster, now THAT'S difficult. Nostalgia Value: I rented this game countless times as a kid, and I could beat every stage but Quick Man's. My dad and I played it for a whole week (lotsa late charges) and couldn't beat it. But, I do remember that week. We even drew the grids for the passwords and everything. Ah yes, those were the days.... Learning Curve: The learning curve of the game is perfect. The individual stages get progressively difficult as you go through them, though Quick Man's is insanely hard from the start. There's plenty of room to practice using weapons and items. No complaints, really. ......BOTTOM LINE: When comparing the game to the others in the series, it doesn't quite stand up as high as Mega Man 3. There were so many changes made between the two games that I can't help but say the third in the series is superior-- though not by much. After playing 3, it's hard to go back to 2 and look at it in the same light. Even the option of making the game harder doesn't really add much in the end: it seems that it was added as an afterthought. All in all, Mega Man 2 is a great game that many people love, and for good reason. I just don't find it as enjoyable as its successor. -FlowingMindspin