Mega Man Zero 4: Weil-ended Conclusion?

08-05-16 03:53 AM

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Hello everyone! This review is, as you probably guessed by where this post is and what it's titled, on Mega Man Zero 4, the final entry in Capcom's Mega Man Zero franchise. This game picks up a little bit after the events of Mega Man Zero 3, and also modifies and adds a few elements from previous entries in the franchise. Considering this game is the first in the Mega Man Multiverse to be a conclusion to a series, how did it pull off its curtain call? Did it fall face-first compared to its predecessors, or is a "Weil" deserved finale to the series? Without further ado, let's start the review!

---Gameplay---

This game, as with most Mega Man games, is a platformer requiring you to get from Point A to Point B, with "B" standing for "Boss." Zero's twist on the formula is that you get the Buster Shot and Z-Saber, and those instead get different attributes and techniques if conditions are met after each boss. Also, in between Point A and B, there is usually some other task you need to do to get a higher rating on the level, such as locating and destroying hidden generators in a stage. There are a few changes that help you complete the game and give a better experience overall. For one, EX Skills (techniques and attributes mentioned earlier) from the previous entries are now much easier to gain; you only need to complete a level with the weather giving you harder time, which leads me to a new mechanic introduced: weather. Now, a level will become easier or harder depending on the weather, which you can alter before entering the level. These changes range from providing a method a kill an enemy or two, to adding a storm that pushes you back in the air for nearly the entire level. "Hard" weather also allows one extra attack for the boss at the end. While you may want to take the easier route, you won't gain the EX Skill if you do so, so pick wisely. Another change to the formula is how Cyber Elves are used. Or in this case, how the Cyber Elf is used. For this game, Zero uses an experimental Cyber Elf that can utilize all kinds of abilities, but with restrictions. This Cyber Elf, who's default name is Croire, will level up every time you beat one of the main 8 bosses, and by feeding Croire e-crystals, Croire will be able to use more of the abilities it unlocked by leveling up. However, you can go over the limit, but you will have a reduced ranking at the end. It's a bit confusing to explain, so I recommend you play the game if you want more information. Anyhow, these two changes, along with an easy mode, allow more players to enjoy the Zero series, as now you don't have to play pixel perfectly if you want to enjoy the game to its fullest. Overall, Zero 4 allows more players to enjoy the game thanks to its changes.

---Graphics---

The graphics haven't changed too much from Zero 3 to 4, but that's okay. The game's sprites and colors not only look good for their time, but they still stand the test of time and don't appear ugly at all. While the complex designs of the bosses and enemies admittingly look a bit... weird, they certainly don't look bad at all. The game doesn't try to be advanced for its time, and they still stand up with their good choice of color palette and detail to the sprites. In fact, they kind of remind me of the GBA Fire Emblem games in this matter, which is a good thing considering that Fire Emblem is one my favorite games that I have played (I'll probably cover it in a future review)! There isn't much left to say about graphics, but it's standing in the test of time allows me to give Graphics an 8.

---Sound---

The quality of Zero 4's soundtrack is very similar to its Graphics; they were good for its time and still good to this day (now that I think about it, Capcom did a really good job on sprited visuals that stand the test of time, just look at the Mega Man Classic games if you need proof). While the soundtrack doesn't have as many memorable tracks as I would have liked, I can still jam out to the 2 intro stage themes and boss themes. And while the other tracks aren't exactly... memorable, the tracks that were good in that area were REALLY GOOD in that area. Just listen to the boss theme, Nothing Beats (look it up on Youtube)! The way the track manages keep an action paced theme that reminds what kind of threat you're facing is something the game does GOOD! At that's taken to 11,000 in the Final Boss theme, but [SPAELORS] prevents me from talking anymore. While there weren't too many memorable tracks, the tracks that were good made up for that, so I can safely give Sound a 7.

---Addictivesness---

The game does give you some incentive to replay the game: Hard Mode and Ultimate Mode. After you beat the game, you'll unlock Hard Mode, for extra challenge... but if you want to screw around with the game, then max out your cyber elf in a game file, beat the game, and you'll unlock Ultimate Mode, which gives you all the cyber elf abilities in the game once you obtain Croire. Combine this with the EX Skills being much easier to obtain consistently, and alternate paths hidden in the game that encourage at least one more time. Overall, Addictiveness gets a 9.

---Story---

If you ask me, the Mega Man GBA games have the best storylines in the series. Without spoiling anything from previous games, Mega Man Zero 4 picks up right after Zero defeats Dr. Weil, who is a madman that basically started the series and did some very inhumane crimes. Not to mention that he's the current dictator of Neo Arcadia. Let's see here, we have a crazed psycopath who rules the only utopia left in the world after World War III. I wonder why people are trying to leave. And because of that, Weil wants to make sure his subjects stay in the one place he can torture them with an iron fist and bronze knuckles. The game starts with some runaway citizens of Neo Arcadia trying to escape Weil's control, but they are attacked by the mad doctor's robotic army. Thankfully, convenient timing allows Zero to free the escapees. After finding out that there is a settlement where nature flourishes and Weil doesn't rule, Zero and Ciel decide to check it out. After some interactions, we find out something about Neo Arcadian culture: reploids are looked down upon by humans as inferior and responsible for the power struggle that has been going on since the first Mega Man Zero game. This actually can come as a shock because we didn't really know what the average Neo Arcadian thought of reploids until now! After that, we learn about Dr. Weil's scheme; send out 8 reploids to destroy/take over certain area that will very negatively affect the environment of Area Zero, forcing its settlers to die or come back to Neo Arcadia. Because of these things, you will have to defeat the 8 Einhajar and stop Weil! The story does a good job of wrapping up the story, tying up loose plot points, and adding more perspectives to the story. Because of this, I give story a 9.

---Depth---

The game does offer quite a bit to do. For one, the game allows you to net EX Skills by beating the game's stages on a harder difficulty, which add replayability as mentioned earlier, and the ultimate mode allows you to just have fun with the game. There are a few things I need to mention. For one, there are parts that you can collect from the remains of defeated enemies, and those can be turned into equipment, such as super armor to prevent knockback, extra invincibility frames, double jumping, extra healing, or an extra use of the Zero Knuckle weapon. Which brings me to one of the games' weapons that adds a whole new level of depth itself. At first glance, the Zero Knuckle is a short range, multi-directional weapon that doubles as the games' gimmick. However, if you defeat certain enemies with it, you'll gain the enemies' weapon. These range from incineration cannons, to shields, to rapid fire buster shots, to lasers, to lightbulbs, to bombs, to hammers, to water guns, to giant axes! Sure, the weapons aren't exactly reliable 100%, but they allow people to play Zero 4 how they want? Do you want to use the EX Skills? Z-Saber and Buster Shot? One or the other? Only use the Zero Knuckle and it's extra abilities that come with it? The game gives you plenty of ways to progress through the level. Finally, there are the mini games I have to talk about. Mini-games are, as the name implies, little challenges usually centered around the use of Z-Knuckle weapons to add a little more fun. What more, you have to unlock these games through playing the main game and doing certain objective, such as keeping a consistent S rank through the game, beating the game in under an hour, beating hard mode, etc. This game has quite a bit of meat to it, so I feel comfortable enough to give Depth a 9.

---Difficulty---

This game is pretty hard... on its own. When compared to the first 3 Zero games, this game is almost a walk in the park. This game does offer quite a bit of challenge, ranging from sneakily placed enemies and obstacles, to gimmicks that force you to race to clock. Thankfully, this game does only damage you for your mistakes, not outright kill you for them. And considering that the game gives you quite a few opportunities to heal right back up, the punishment for mistakes aren't that bad overall. However, the boss patterns are quite tricky and WILL give you a hard time if you're not prepared. However, considering that you've probably already played 3 games similar to this game prior (assuming you played the games in chronological order) to playing this game, you should have all the practice you need when firing up this game. However, on its own, Zero 4's level design, enemy placement, and boss challenge is obviously there, so I'm give Zero 4's Difficulty a 7.

---OVERALL---

Mega Man Zero 4 is a game that rightfully sits in the throne of "finale" of this game franchise. I've seen a couple of reviews on this game, and it does appear that most people would consider it the best in the franchise, and that's for good reason. The adjustments to the gameplay were needed and helped make the game more accessible, the graphics and sound were good for its time and still stand to this day, the game is addictive and has tons of depth that will have you coming back for more, the difficulty is fair and very rarely too challenging, and the narrative of the game does a great job at giving the story a nice conclusion that answers almost every question we had about the series. There aren't many flaws about the game; if I had to give one, it would be the somewhat unmemorable background music and the difficulty can seem a little unfair at times, but that itself is a rarity. I would recommend Mega Man Zero 4 to:

- People who enjoy platformers
- People who played the first 3 Zero games
- People who are fans of the Mega Man series
- People who can appreciate a challenge
- People who are completionists
- People who can get the hang of things after their first playthrough; even if it's on easy

So what recommendation level do I give Mega Man Zero 4? Considering that lacks many flaws, I think I can give Mega Man Zero 4 a 9.5 out of 10. Very few flaws, but I recommend you play the first 3 games in the series before playing this game. And with that, one last Pros and Cons!

Pros
- Fun!
- Challenging, but not too much
- Graphics and Music that stand the test of time
- An engaging and completing storyline
- Quite a few things to do

Cons
- You enjoy the game the most if you've played the first 3 games... no easy task
- Music can be forgettable at times
- A few parts that feel a bit unfair compared to the rest of the game.

Thank you for your time, and have a good day!

Hello everyone! This review is, as you probably guessed by where this post is and what it's titled, on Mega Man Zero 4, the final entry in Capcom's Mega Man Zero franchise. This game picks up a little bit after the events of Mega Man Zero 3, and also modifies and adds a few elements from previous entries in the franchise. Considering this game is the first in the Mega Man Multiverse to be a conclusion to a series, how did it pull off its curtain call? Did it fall face-first compared to its predecessors, or is a "Weil" deserved finale to the series? Without further ado, let's start the review!

---Gameplay---

This game, as with most Mega Man games, is a platformer requiring you to get from Point A to Point B, with "B" standing for "Boss." Zero's twist on the formula is that you get the Buster Shot and Z-Saber, and those instead get different attributes and techniques if conditions are met after each boss. Also, in between Point A and B, there is usually some other task you need to do to get a higher rating on the level, such as locating and destroying hidden generators in a stage. There are a few changes that help you complete the game and give a better experience overall. For one, EX Skills (techniques and attributes mentioned earlier) from the previous entries are now much easier to gain; you only need to complete a level with the weather giving you harder time, which leads me to a new mechanic introduced: weather. Now, a level will become easier or harder depending on the weather, which you can alter before entering the level. These changes range from providing a method a kill an enemy or two, to adding a storm that pushes you back in the air for nearly the entire level. "Hard" weather also allows one extra attack for the boss at the end. While you may want to take the easier route, you won't gain the EX Skill if you do so, so pick wisely. Another change to the formula is how Cyber Elves are used. Or in this case, how the Cyber Elf is used. For this game, Zero uses an experimental Cyber Elf that can utilize all kinds of abilities, but with restrictions. This Cyber Elf, who's default name is Croire, will level up every time you beat one of the main 8 bosses, and by feeding Croire e-crystals, Croire will be able to use more of the abilities it unlocked by leveling up. However, you can go over the limit, but you will have a reduced ranking at the end. It's a bit confusing to explain, so I recommend you play the game if you want more information. Anyhow, these two changes, along with an easy mode, allow more players to enjoy the Zero series, as now you don't have to play pixel perfectly if you want to enjoy the game to its fullest. Overall, Zero 4 allows more players to enjoy the game thanks to its changes.

---Graphics---

The graphics haven't changed too much from Zero 3 to 4, but that's okay. The game's sprites and colors not only look good for their time, but they still stand the test of time and don't appear ugly at all. While the complex designs of the bosses and enemies admittingly look a bit... weird, they certainly don't look bad at all. The game doesn't try to be advanced for its time, and they still stand up with their good choice of color palette and detail to the sprites. In fact, they kind of remind me of the GBA Fire Emblem games in this matter, which is a good thing considering that Fire Emblem is one my favorite games that I have played (I'll probably cover it in a future review)! There isn't much left to say about graphics, but it's standing in the test of time allows me to give Graphics an 8.

---Sound---

The quality of Zero 4's soundtrack is very similar to its Graphics; they were good for its time and still good to this day (now that I think about it, Capcom did a really good job on sprited visuals that stand the test of time, just look at the Mega Man Classic games if you need proof). While the soundtrack doesn't have as many memorable tracks as I would have liked, I can still jam out to the 2 intro stage themes and boss themes. And while the other tracks aren't exactly... memorable, the tracks that were good in that area were REALLY GOOD in that area. Just listen to the boss theme, Nothing Beats (look it up on Youtube)! The way the track manages keep an action paced theme that reminds what kind of threat you're facing is something the game does GOOD! At that's taken to 11,000 in the Final Boss theme, but [SPAELORS] prevents me from talking anymore. While there weren't too many memorable tracks, the tracks that were good made up for that, so I can safely give Sound a 7.

---Addictivesness---

The game does give you some incentive to replay the game: Hard Mode and Ultimate Mode. After you beat the game, you'll unlock Hard Mode, for extra challenge... but if you want to screw around with the game, then max out your cyber elf in a game file, beat the game, and you'll unlock Ultimate Mode, which gives you all the cyber elf abilities in the game once you obtain Croire. Combine this with the EX Skills being much easier to obtain consistently, and alternate paths hidden in the game that encourage at least one more time. Overall, Addictiveness gets a 9.

---Story---

If you ask me, the Mega Man GBA games have the best storylines in the series. Without spoiling anything from previous games, Mega Man Zero 4 picks up right after Zero defeats Dr. Weil, who is a madman that basically started the series and did some very inhumane crimes. Not to mention that he's the current dictator of Neo Arcadia. Let's see here, we have a crazed psycopath who rules the only utopia left in the world after World War III. I wonder why people are trying to leave. And because of that, Weil wants to make sure his subjects stay in the one place he can torture them with an iron fist and bronze knuckles. The game starts with some runaway citizens of Neo Arcadia trying to escape Weil's control, but they are attacked by the mad doctor's robotic army. Thankfully, convenient timing allows Zero to free the escapees. After finding out that there is a settlement where nature flourishes and Weil doesn't rule, Zero and Ciel decide to check it out. After some interactions, we find out something about Neo Arcadian culture: reploids are looked down upon by humans as inferior and responsible for the power struggle that has been going on since the first Mega Man Zero game. This actually can come as a shock because we didn't really know what the average Neo Arcadian thought of reploids until now! After that, we learn about Dr. Weil's scheme; send out 8 reploids to destroy/take over certain area that will very negatively affect the environment of Area Zero, forcing its settlers to die or come back to Neo Arcadia. Because of these things, you will have to defeat the 8 Einhajar and stop Weil! The story does a good job of wrapping up the story, tying up loose plot points, and adding more perspectives to the story. Because of this, I give story a 9.

---Depth---

The game does offer quite a bit to do. For one, the game allows you to net EX Skills by beating the game's stages on a harder difficulty, which add replayability as mentioned earlier, and the ultimate mode allows you to just have fun with the game. There are a few things I need to mention. For one, there are parts that you can collect from the remains of defeated enemies, and those can be turned into equipment, such as super armor to prevent knockback, extra invincibility frames, double jumping, extra healing, or an extra use of the Zero Knuckle weapon. Which brings me to one of the games' weapons that adds a whole new level of depth itself. At first glance, the Zero Knuckle is a short range, multi-directional weapon that doubles as the games' gimmick. However, if you defeat certain enemies with it, you'll gain the enemies' weapon. These range from incineration cannons, to shields, to rapid fire buster shots, to lasers, to lightbulbs, to bombs, to hammers, to water guns, to giant axes! Sure, the weapons aren't exactly reliable 100%, but they allow people to play Zero 4 how they want? Do you want to use the EX Skills? Z-Saber and Buster Shot? One or the other? Only use the Zero Knuckle and it's extra abilities that come with it? The game gives you plenty of ways to progress through the level. Finally, there are the mini games I have to talk about. Mini-games are, as the name implies, little challenges usually centered around the use of Z-Knuckle weapons to add a little more fun. What more, you have to unlock these games through playing the main game and doing certain objective, such as keeping a consistent S rank through the game, beating the game in under an hour, beating hard mode, etc. This game has quite a bit of meat to it, so I feel comfortable enough to give Depth a 9.

---Difficulty---

This game is pretty hard... on its own. When compared to the first 3 Zero games, this game is almost a walk in the park. This game does offer quite a bit of challenge, ranging from sneakily placed enemies and obstacles, to gimmicks that force you to race to clock. Thankfully, this game does only damage you for your mistakes, not outright kill you for them. And considering that the game gives you quite a few opportunities to heal right back up, the punishment for mistakes aren't that bad overall. However, the boss patterns are quite tricky and WILL give you a hard time if you're not prepared. However, considering that you've probably already played 3 games similar to this game prior (assuming you played the games in chronological order) to playing this game, you should have all the practice you need when firing up this game. However, on its own, Zero 4's level design, enemy placement, and boss challenge is obviously there, so I'm give Zero 4's Difficulty a 7.

---OVERALL---

Mega Man Zero 4 is a game that rightfully sits in the throne of "finale" of this game franchise. I've seen a couple of reviews on this game, and it does appear that most people would consider it the best in the franchise, and that's for good reason. The adjustments to the gameplay were needed and helped make the game more accessible, the graphics and sound were good for its time and still stand to this day, the game is addictive and has tons of depth that will have you coming back for more, the difficulty is fair and very rarely too challenging, and the narrative of the game does a great job at giving the story a nice conclusion that answers almost every question we had about the series. There aren't many flaws about the game; if I had to give one, it would be the somewhat unmemorable background music and the difficulty can seem a little unfair at times, but that itself is a rarity. I would recommend Mega Man Zero 4 to:

- People who enjoy platformers
- People who played the first 3 Zero games
- People who are fans of the Mega Man series
- People who can appreciate a challenge
- People who are completionists
- People who can get the hang of things after their first playthrough; even if it's on easy

So what recommendation level do I give Mega Man Zero 4? Considering that lacks many flaws, I think I can give Mega Man Zero 4 a 9.5 out of 10. Very few flaws, but I recommend you play the first 3 games in the series before playing this game. And with that, one last Pros and Cons!

Pros
- Fun!
- Challenging, but not too much
- Graphics and Music that stand the test of time
- An engaging and completing storyline
- Quite a few things to do

Cons
- You enjoy the game the most if you've played the first 3 games... no easy task
- Music can be forgettable at times
- A few parts that feel a bit unfair compared to the rest of the game.

Thank you for your time, and have a good day!

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08-05-16 12:00 PM

tornadocam is Offline

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Yeah Mega Man Zero 4 had a nice conclusion to it. I liked how you tied in the previous 3 games. I also think this game did a good job telling and concluding the story of Zero the legendary Maverick Hunter.