MEGA MAN ZERO/ZX LEGACY COLLECTION
These blasts from the past still pack a punch
Stronger than Superman, but not quite as strong as Ultraman (we assume), Mega Man isn’t actually a single chap. It’s more of a title, like James Bond. Therefore, four of the games in this six-title collection concern Zero from the Mega Man X series, while the other two introduce a new protagonist, male or female according to your choice.
Originally released on Nintendo handhelds, the art design has stood the test of time with only a minimum of (optional) polish. Even the first Zero game, despite being old enough to buy its own alcohol next month, looks great and crystalclear. And that’s just as well, because the series’ notorious difficulty is in full effect here. This collection offers optional help such as regular save points and in-game tweaks for each game to make things easier (if you need it), but even with this modern-day assistance you’ll need to be on your toes.
The Zero games are traditional Mega Man fare, which stand up extremely well in 2020. While the inability to duck or aim your Buster at an angle feels slightly odd today, it somehow smoothly melts into the retro charm afforded by the art, music, and slightly silly dialogue. Jumping and movement are every bit as sharp and responsive as the levels demand.
LET’S TALK ABOUT ZX
A Nintendo DS touchscreen is emulated for the ZX games, which means that there’s no full-screen display option, though you soon get used to this. While ZX’s reliance on open-world style gameplay results in confusion and frustration, killing the pace, the sequel, ZX Advent, learns from the mistakes of its predecessor, and is in fact probably the best game here. It even has (hilariously cheesy) voice acting and anime cutscenes.
One constant across all six games in the bundle – and a staple of Mega Man games in general – is the boss fight experience. Bosses are unforgiving, and often frustrating at first. However, working out what to do and how to do it is part of the
Mega Man joy, and each victory is fist-pump-tastic. It’s great to see Capcom preserving its back catalogue, especially when the games are as good as this.
VERDICT
A great collection of retro platform shooter action. If you’re wondering what all the Mega Man fuss is about, this is a good place to start. Luke Kemp