Retro Review: Mega Man 2

Player(s): 1
Platforms: NES, Android, iOS, PS3, PSP, Wii, 3DS PS2/GCN/Xbox (via Anniversary Collection), PS4/NS/3DS/X1/Windows (via Legacy Collection)

Sequels are a great opportunity for a developer to create the definitive experience they may not have been able to accomplish in their first foray. This is exactly what Capcom managed with the sequel to the original Mega Man.

The 8 Robot Masters.

Mega Man 2 did little to change the formula of its predecessor, but it does refine almost every single thing about it, as well as establish the factors that would become a standard for almost every game to come. One of the biggest and most important changes to come was the axing of the character’s sliding. While there is a slight slide that still persists when you stop moving, it is nowhere near as exaggerated as it was before, allowing for plenty of precision platforming and allowing the player to feel more in control. This alone makes the game immensely more enjoyable to play. To add to that, Capcom also managed to redo the game’s code a bit, causing the slowdown to be far less than what it was in the first game.

Robot fish and robot shrimp. Yum.

Ridding themselves of the majority of the slowdown that plagued the original game was opportune, since this game has a lot of clever level design that forces more coordination and skill from the player. Speaking of which, the level design in this game is some of the best you’ll be likely to see in a platformer, especially of that era. Most of the game relies more on your reaction speed, coordination and on-the-fly thinking than it does on memorization, something that wasn’t always the case in the first game. There is one major exception to this: Quick Man’s stage. While most of his stage follows these same principals, there is one section that has a series of one-hit-kill beams that come out of the walls. To make matters worse, you have to navigate this section while in free fall, meaning you have no room for error. Unless you know the section inside and out, you’re likely to die many times before finally overcoming that section. It’s an extremely frustrating and unforgiving section to an otherwise extremely fair (albeit challenging) game. Beyond that, the level design is fun, creative and themed appropriately for each Robot Master.

These things hurt when they step on you.

Speaking of Robot Masters, this is the first game to feature 8 of them, unlike the 6 in the original game. That 8 boss design ended up becoming the standard template for the majority of the games in the series and in its sequel series: Mega Man X. This also sets the groundwork for having a set of bosses that follows a set theme. Most of the bosses are based on the original 6 Robot Masters, modified to be presented in a new way. This ends up keeping the game feeling familiar and new at the same time. The boss battles all have their own quirks that make them unique and fun, and aside from Air Man’s randomized attacks (which can sometimes be impossible to dodge), it never feels like it’s difficult to the point of being unreasonable.

Why are there robot roadrunners?

As with the first game, Mega Man 2 allows you to copy the power of a Robot Master after you defeat them. There is a good variety of weapons that are immensely useful throughout the whole game; something I didn’t feel was the case in the original. The more exciting part, and another standard builder, is the addition of the ‘Items.’ As you progress through the game, Dr. Light will give you these things called ‘Items’, which are designed to help you navigate the levels better. For example, one of the items will create a floating platform that will slowly rise. These items are the early basis for Rush, a standard character who’s abilities are a staple of the Mega Man franchise. Beyond that, they allow you to be even more creative with how you approach progressing. To help make the game a little more forgiving, there are also items called E-Tanks you can collect, which you can use on the fly to restore your health.

Metal Man seems overwhelming, but is one of the easiest to fight.

The fantastic game design doesn’t stop there. The music is masterfully composed, and one-ups the original game in every way you could imagine. The art is also more detailed and far more stylistic, making the game stand the test of time with far more ease than the first game. While not necessarily the most visually complex, it’s certainly one of the most visually appealing games on the NES.

Some sections require precise timing.

I have had the opportunity to play every version of this game that’s been released. The versions that play the best are the ones that have minimal changes done to the game: the original and the Legacy Collection versions. The mobile versions also run well, though the nature of touch screen controls makes it tough to play. Every version of the game aside from the original has the option to utilize save states, making progression far more manageable. To add to that, this is the first time the series utilizes a password system to save your progress, meaning you don’t have to beat the entire game in one sitting.

The Crash Man fight is explosive.

Though Mega Man 2 offers very little story beyond ‘the bad guy is at it again you better go beat him’, you’ll find yourself invested in the game from the moment you see the heart-racing skyscraper scene in the beginning to the moment you defeat the final boss. This is one of the best shooter/platformers you will be able to find, and has helped define the entire genre. For the US versions of the game, you even have the option of selecting the difficulty, catering to how challenging you would like the game to be. With the game available on many platforms, you can’t go wrong with Mega Man 2, there’s a good reason why it remains as one of the most beloved games in my library.

- Teepu

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Gameplay: A
Graphics: A+
Sound: A+
Value: A

OVERALL: A+

Pros:
+ Fantastic level design makes the player feel accomplished.
+ Bosses are all different, forcing the player to make use of different strategies.
+ The tunes are unforgettable.

Cons:
- Part of Quick Man’s stage forces memorization, causing immense frustration.
- Slight slowdown can occasionally mess up the flow.
- Air Man’s attacks are randomized to the point of being impossible to dodge sometimes, causing forced deaths.

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