Pictures courtesy of Amazon and Gamespot
Welcome to my first article on the site. This one being a review on the recently released game "Megaman Anniversary Collection" on Gamecube and PS2. Bare in mind I only purchased the Gamecube version of the game, but I did research on the game obviously, so I know what I'm talking about.
Around 15 years ago, Megaman was created. And ever since then, the video game industry has never been the same. The Megaman series was so revolutionary for a bunch of reasons. First off, you could choose which boss you wanted to fight. Then, the rock-paper-scissors style weakness system for bosses kept players playing, trying to figure out every weakness, and various tricks using the weapons you acquired during your adventures.
Whether it had been the X series, the classic series, the Battle Network series, or the Legends series, Megaman is a staple in the video game industry. Being one of the most famous characters of all time, and spawning tons of games, there is no shortage of reasons why the series is so popular.
So, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Megaman, Megaman Anniversary Collection was made. Is this game a godsend, or just another milking of the cow for the illustrious series of Megaman games? Read this review, and soon you will know.
First off, Capcom didn't make this game. They hired Atomic Planet to develop it. This was the first in a long line of mistakes for this game. Megaman Anniversary Collection is basically a collection, obviously, of the first eight Megaman games, plus the two arcade games all on one disc. The first 6 NES games, the SNES game, and the PSX game.
At first glance, this sounds too good to be true. And maybe it is. Along with the game are extras including remixed music, unlockable videos, and artwork slideshows. The more of the MegaMan games you complete, the more you unlock.
Let's talk about the differences between the two versions of the games. First off, the PS2 version features remixed music tracks for the games when Navi mode is turned on. Along with that, several minor changes occur, such as different loading screens, and whatnot. The PS2 version also features an unlockable episode of the old Megaman TV show. Unfortunately, I've heard there are a few minor graphical glitches in the PS2 version. On the gamecube version there is no remixed music during gameplay. You can unlock some remixed music by completing parts of the game, but it can only be heard in the Secrets mode. The controls are changed around in the Gamecube Version. Instead of the traditional B to fire, A to jump platform, it is now reversed. Yes, A to fire, and B to jump.
Why this was done is anyone's guess. It's the stupidest decision I've ever heard of. Sure, you can get used to the switch, but it just isn't worth it. Now it is harder to jump due to the button being smaller. Not only that, but I wanted to play Megaman And Bass on my Gameboy Player the other day. But I've gotten used to MMAC's control scheme, so I got destroyed in a matter of seconds due to the switch. This is a major turn-off to fans of the series. They don't even provide you with the option of changing to the controls to your liking (why is beyond me).
The Gamecube version features an unlockable interview. It's basically a segment from G4, featuring Keiji Inafune, Megaman's creator, and it goes through the history of the series. Now, here is what gets me. This video is roughly 10 minutes long. And the TV episode on the PS2 version has got to be at least 20 minutes long. What the hell is with that? It seems that right and left Gamecube owners are getting screwed. What was Capcom thinking hiring others to do their work for them? What was Atomic Planet thinking?
Overall, the game seems rushed, and sloppily put together. If you are going to get it, many people may opt to get the PS2 version. I think the PS2 version may be the better choice, although the Gamecube version is still very fun to play. It all comes down to how much of a fan you are to the series. This game, when you look past it's many, many flaws, is excellent. Old-school Megaman action at it's finest. 10 games on one disc can't be bad, can it?
Probably not, but I'd like to address a few minor flaws. I've noticed the sound in the game is looped horribly. You can hear it fade out, and everything. It's just not right. In MegaMan 7 it seems the music fluctuates in volume from track to track. This pissed me off for certain sections, as well as trying to set my game to the perfect volume. Another thing that pissed me off was that some of the voices for the bosses in Megaman 8 had been changed. Noteably Aquaman, Search Man, and Sword man, that I had noticed anyways. Overall, those were probably the worst of what I've experienced with the game.
But like I said before, if you look past the flaws, the game features excellent old-school action, and is a challenge to complete, while being fun as well. If you never got the chance to play the games on this Collection, I'd suggest buying it. Remember, an investment in Megaman Anniversary Collection is an investment in Megaman 9. So all in all, I'd say that Megaman Anniversary Collection deserves an above average rating. Very fun despite all the flaws, but not the most fun I've had with a Megaman game. That's all for now. See you next time.
~Geosaur