Retro game review: Mega Man 2 (Nintendo Entertainment System)

in #gaming7 years ago (edited)

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The original Mega Man is inarguably a classic, kicking off a series that’s 30 years strong and has racked up dozens of games, lots of merchandise and even a cartoon series. Mega Man was even only one of the only real characters to be featured on the infamous Captain N The Game Master cartoon series from the late 90’s.

The original, while not massively successful, was popular enough to warrant a sequel. What the developers created is a game that’s superior to the original on every level.

Gameplay


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Anyone who’s played the first Mega Man game will be instantly at home with the gameplay of Mega Man 2. In fact, every Mega Man game on the NES feels like DLC for the first game, with new levels, enemies, powers, music and abilities.

From the title screen, you know you’re in for something special. A short recap leads into the title theme as the screen scrolls vertically along a skyscraper until it reaches the top to show Mega Man standing on the top as the music hits the peak of its crescendo.

Gameplay-wise, Mega Man 2 plays nearly identically to the original. This time, you have 8 stages and robot masters to defeat compared to the six from the first game. After selecting where you want to begin at the stage select screen (cough, Metal Man, cough), you’re thrown into the level of your choice.

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Just as the first game, when you defeat a robot master you gain a weapon based off their ability. Some are extremely useful, like Metal Man’s saw blades you can throw in 8 directions. Others are less so, like Wood Man’s rotating leaf shield or Bubble Man’s lead bubble.

In addition to creative new weapons, in this game you gain additional abilities to aid your mission. Energy canisters are scattered sparsely through the levels and once acquired, its added to your inventory and lets you completely refill your health. You also will be accompanied by your robot dog Rush, who gains transformation abilities that let him turn into various forms that help you traverse harder parts of the game’s platforming sections.

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All said, Mega Man 2 is a better game than the original on every level. If you’re new to the series, this is a great place to begin. Its still a challenging game, but its nowhere nearly as difficult as the first game and the addition of passwords let you save your progress so you don’t have to beat the game in a single sitting.

Presentation


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Visually, Mega Man 2 is wonderfully designed. The game is colorful and full of well-drawn sprites. Enemies are the perfect size to represent clear, cartoony characters full of personality, but not so big that they become hard to dodge (aside from some bosses like the massive Guts Dozer pictured above).

Levels are all distinct, from the industrial theme of the Metal Man stage the the jungle-inspired Wood Man area. Some are even blessed with clever animation, like the pulsing lights of the Crash Man stage.

And while the sound effects are spot on, punchy and clear, the standout here is the music. Mega Man 2 might be the most covered NES game by rock and metal video game cover bands, and for good reason. This game is filled with some of the best music on the NES, from high octane tracks to slower, more melodic songs, the music would make this game memorable even if the gameplay sucked.

Verdict


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For a series that just turned 30, I would say that Mega Man 2 is likely the most beloved game in the franchise. It takes everything the original established and kicked it up a notch. This is a must-own game for anyone with a NESin their home next to titles like Super Mario Bros 3, Contra and Zelda.

Score 9/10

Current value:

Loose: $21.16 | Complete: $79.41


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Nice post and review. Totally agree with the score.

Here is the game in action:

https://d.tube/v/gamerandgamer/gl70mq7a

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The first Mega Man game I ever played and the only one I have beaten. Still love this one. I remember trying to figure out the order to beat the bosses and how cool it was that I even had that opportunity.

Great write up and thanks for the nostalgia trip!

I own them all now, but Mega Man 2 was the only one I had as a kid. The only game I had that I played as much as this was either Contra or Metroid.

My favorite as well, probably because it was easier than the rest.

It really was. It feels like the perfect amount of challenge, while the other games in the series are just a bit too hard.

This is a great post! I usually don't see such detsiled posts about the blue bomber but im very intruiged now.