When the popular developer Capcom first introduced Mega Man in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, it was... different from other games on the system, but would start an entire genre, dare I say, of platform shooter games. The first thing that struck me about Mega Man was the story. There was almost an absence of one. Just a small cut-scene about how Dr. Wily creates 6 Robot Masters to take over the world int the year 20XX. After just shrugging it off and thinking, "Well, maybe it's just a casual game that isn't big on story, that's all." Then I realized how hard this game was. However, this game actually taught you so well, you could become a master at this game almost immediately! The game has 6 levels, 6 bosses, and then the big ending battle with Dr. Wily, yet still could last for hours even due to the limited space on a cartridge. The games teaching tools were visual. Rush in, and you learn the hard way. Be careful, and you would see what obstructed your path, what challenged and how to beat it. You learned by playing. The graphics and sprites were superior, with Mega Man 2 and up boasting amazing visuals for games of its system. And I'm not saying NES games were typically ugly, the were appealing and worked well with what they had. The music was brilliant, an so were the sound effects, not just a catchy tune being played on a loop, but fully original chip tune songs that you would find yourself humming for days after being immersed in this masterpiece.This game was a blast to play, with many different strategies depending on which Robot Maters you beat first and which powers you used on them. (Yes, Mega Man was the game with the genius mechanic of letting the player learn and use the weapon of past-defeated Robot Masters and using them against others.) Each robot had a weakness, so choosing which one to fight first was important. Using others weapons had certain advantages not just against Robot Master, but normal enemies as well, for example, Bomb Man's weapon was slow firing but packed heavy damage. Elecman's weapon went multiple directions and could hit enemies directly above your head, and Gutsman's weapon could destroy certain blocks allowing you to progress further and to alternate paths. Use an ability too much, and you run out requiring you to get V-Tanks, which could refill weapon energy. The game offered an incredible amount, short puzzles that also involved shooting, just to keeps things exciting, and many different enemy types to keep you on your toes and establish the sense that you never knew everything there was about Mega Man. The advanced learning system and difficulty are what make this game a gem in today's modern world. When the popular developer Capcom first introduced Mega Man in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, it was... different from other games on the system, but would start an entire genre, dare I say, of platform shooter games. The first thing that struck me about Mega Man was the story. There was almost an absence of one. Just a small cut-scene about how Dr. Wily creates 6 Robot Masters to take over the world int the year 20XX. After just shrugging it off and thinking, "Well, maybe it's just a casual game that isn't big on story, that's all." Then I realized how hard this game was. However, this game actually taught you so well, you could become a master at this game almost immediately! The game has 6 levels, 6 bosses, and then the big ending battle with Dr. Wily, yet still could last for hours even due to the limited space on a cartridge. The games teaching tools were visual. Rush in, and you learn the hard way. Be careful, and you would see what obstructed your path, what challenged and how to beat it. You learned by playing. The graphics and sprites were superior, with Mega Man 2 and up boasting amazing visuals for games of its system. And I'm not saying NES games were typically ugly, the were appealing and worked well with what they had. The music was brilliant, an so were the sound effects, not just a catchy tune being played on a loop, but fully original chip tune songs that you would find yourself humming for days after being immersed in this masterpiece.This game was a blast to play, with many different strategies depending on which Robot Maters you beat first and which powers you used on them. (Yes, Mega Man was the game with the genius mechanic of letting the player learn and use the weapon of past-defeated Robot Masters and using them against others.) Each robot had a weakness, so choosing which one to fight first was important. Using others weapons had certain advantages not just against Robot Master, but normal enemies as well, for example, Bomb Man's weapon was slow firing but packed heavy damage. Elecman's weapon went multiple directions and could hit enemies directly above your head, and Gutsman's weapon could destroy certain blocks allowing you to progress further and to alternate paths. Use an ability too much, and you run out requiring you to get V-Tanks, which could refill weapon energy. The game offered an incredible amount, short puzzles that also involved shooting, just to keeps things exciting, and many different enemy types to keep you on your toes and establish the sense that you never knew everything there was about Mega Man. The advanced learning system and difficulty are what make this game a gem in today's modern world. |