What is the big deal with MegaMan?
What is the big deal with MegaMan?
Ahh, MegaMan. The game I’ve always wanted to like. With 6 of the classic games available for less than a fiver, it seemed the perfect time to finally “get” this game. Would I finally get along with this seemingly un-hatable game? Would I, feck.
You see, my biggest problem with this game is the difficulty. I’m sure this is the point I ignite some form of backlash for nostalgia lovers, heralding a time of precision controls and not requiring tutorial messages to instruct you how to jump, how to shoot, or how to breathe every 5 seconds. Believe me, I’m completely with you on that.
It is more that is hasn’t aged well.
I think of games like Sonic, Mario… Even something like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Master System, I can stick in to this day and enjoy. Any difficulty is loaded towards the end. The exception is maybe if you’re hunting chaos emeralds- but then this is purely optional for progression through the majority of the game. I can sit down and have fun for a few hours… Something even modern games can have a problem with.
Then I go to something like MegaMan. For full disclosure, I never played it as a kid. Played it once or twice as a teenager. Then pressed play on “MegaMan Legacy Collection”. It is like, to even so much as progress through the game you need surgical precision and god-like premonition from the very beginning. Enemies which are purposely placed unavoidably in a screen you’re falling to. Blocks that fall within seconds of landing on them with no warning. An annoying, uncontrollable jump a few paces back every time you get hit (usually ending up in you falling off the platform). Bosses that literally spam the screen with unavoidable death rays. Angry Video Game Nerd and Zero Punctuation have given games a hundred lashes for less.
While we are on the subject of bosses, you have barely any opportunity to learn any kind of strategy, seeing as if you are lucky you have one life left to observe their behaviour with and if you are unlucky you are already on your last unit of health on your last life when you meet them.
“But Glitch Walker” I hear the fans say, with pitchforks and shotguns on standby “, You clearly don’t understand that this is a game that rewards that perfect timing. You need skill to learn how to dodge those weapons, you need to carefully manage your resources. You are clearly shit at platform games and are just bashing this critically acclaimed series because of it”.
The thing is, I already get this. If you can dodge all of those lasers, dodge those wasp-bombs that always land in front of you, have the dexterity and precision in those bosses then well done to you. However, for a new player, it is nothing but frustration and PC-out-of-the-window time.
“But you see, that is where you are stupid. You need to keep playing again and again to memorise it, for which you are rewarded through multiple playthroughs with new weapons and the overwhelming sense of achievement”.
I’m sorry but this is exactly the same argument people use when they say “Final Fantasy XIII is actually a good game 40 hours in, you clearly are just hating on it because you haven’t put the 100 hours in that I have to realise it is actually a work of art; therefore your opinion is invalid because you could only put a couple of hours into it”. No, being able to succeed in a game’s first level (whichever it is) only after spending 10 hours memorising and pre-empting every move doesn’t a good game make.
The thing is, I can see how a game like this could succeed. I can imagine even myself, if born with a different game upbringing, talking with friends in the playground. Hearing the new weapons they unlocked as well as the password to unlock it. Being in awe of their greatness, and spending time trying to be the only one to defeat TurdMan’s level so I can be smug when I get back to school after the weekend. In those days where you could only afford a game every few months, I can see it really being a genuine and enjoyable challenge. I mean, the controls aren’t bad. And the graphics and sound are brilliant. I had similar feelings of accomplishment when I finished one of the levels, ande was rewarded with the ability to blow bubbles out of my arse.
“Glitch Walker, you’re just butthurt because you can barely finish one level in a franchise so highly regarded. Clearly you have no idea how a controller works, and not only are you wrong but you are stupid too”.
In which case, for entirely misunderstanding my arguments and being unable to accept any criticism on things you like, I am going to say that no.
MegaMan is shit.
And just for you, Mister Pedantic Fanboy, I’m not even going to follow that up by being diplomatic and saying “…In my opinion!”
If you happen to disagree with my stupid opinion, Megaman Legacy Collection is available for PS4 as well as for the Xbox One thanks to the lovely people at Amazon.
