Mega Man Zero
Score: 95% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Media: cart/1 Players: 1 Genre: Platformer/ Shooter
Graphics & Sound: It's been close to 20 years since Capcom made a little came called Mega Man. In that time it has become one of the largest and longest running series in video game history. That series now continues in it's newest incarnation in Capcom's Mega Man Zero. The biggest shock? You no longer play as Mega Man, but rather as the character Zero from the Mega Man X series. So where's Mega Man? Well, it would appear the Blue Bomber has taken up the mantle of villain. The Mega Man series' have always been at the forefront of graphics and sound and Mega Man Zero is no exception. The Game Boy Advance has shown that it can do some pretty impressive things with 2-D graphics, and MMZ pushes past the current limits. The characters, environments, and backgrounds are handcrafted pixel-by-pixel and look phenomenal. The graphics are crisp, clean, and detailed. Everything is easily seen and it does not suffer from the 'darkness' problem seen in some games like Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. For those of you who played the Japanese version you will only notice one difference, the blood has been removed. I was a little disappointed with this decision since it definitely helped the game retain a very dark atmosphere. The sound effects are pretty much standard for a Mega Man game. You have your typical robot battling sounds. The only really prominent thing to mention would have been the voices, but it seems Capcom chose not to translate the voice acting for our version, and the original Japanese voices have been removed. The music in Mega Man games has ranged from stellar to average and Mega Man Zero finds itself in between. There are 2-3 remixed songs from past games, such as Zero's theme from Mega Man X, and the rest are typical Mega Man fare.
Gameplay: While the core platform/shooter mentality of all Mega Man games has remained intact, the presentation of the game has changed dramatically with Mega Man Zero. Instead of the usually present 'robot selection screen' in all Mega Man games, the levels of MMZ flow together in a surprisingly natural way. While there is still a 'level selection' element present, it consists of choosing from 1-3 missions. Even should you fail these missions, the game continues. However, completing missions is critical in acquiring useful items and abilities. The only mission that you 'have' to complete would be, of course, the final assault on Mega Man X's fortress in Neo Arcadia. Also, the 'rock-paper-scissors' element (some robots' weapons worked better on different enemies) of the Mega Man series is also present, albeit a little simpler than usual. Instead of acquiring his enemies' weapon when he beats them, Zero will come across three element chips. These add an element to his attacks, and some enemies are more vulnerable or immune to certain elements. Zero is also given access to four very different weapons and you can have two up for use whenever you want. Everyone is bound to find a pair they are comfortable with. As for me, being a Mega Man vet, I was already comfortable with Zero's staple Z-saber and Z-buster combination. The Mega Man X series introduced an element of adventure and exploration to the series. 'X' could find items that would increase his health and armor. This element has been retained in the form of creatures called cyber elves. Zero will come across up to 70+ of these little critters during his stages. Some of the more powerful ones reside in specific locations, or are received by completing a mission. Cyber elves pretty much amount to items Zero can use once for various results. There are essentially two types of cyber elves. There are small ones which can be used immediately for one-time effects, such as more time or restored health. Then there are larger ones that must be fed energy crystals before they can be used. These have more permanent effects such as an increased health bar, or improved defense. The more impressive the effect, the more crystals they need. Completists will have quite a little chore in rounding up all of the little guys.
Difficulty: Many people have said that Mega Man Zero is the hardest Mega Man game to date. I disagree. While the game is definitely very difficult, the permanent upgrades available through the cyber elves can make this the easiest Mega Man game to date. While it would be extremely time consuming, the elves allow you to more than triple your initial health, more than double your defense, and gain the ability to restore that tripled health up to 6 times during a stage. Even novices to Mega Man games should be able to beat the game with that kind of help.
Game Mechanics: Mega Man Zero's level structure is a tad odd. You have the 'main base' from which you select missions, and then as you complete missions you are able to access the level that mission took place in from the main base whenever you want. This way you can find missed cyber-elves, collect energy crystals, or power up your weapon skills. The controls are also very important to an action game as intense as MMZ. The digital pad controls Zero's movement, shocking isn't it? Start brings up the weapon menu, while A and B jump and fire Zero's primary weapon, respectively. You can also dash by hitting 'L' or double tapping left or right. You can fire Zero's secondary weapon by holding down 'R' while you press B. This seemed a tad cumbersome to me. Luckily the controls have some options and I preferred to just have the 'L' button fire by itself. Recent Mega Man games have catered towards veterans of the series, and Mega Man Zero is no exception. Luckily, the ability to power up with the cyber elves should allow beginners to finish the game also. Unless you have some moral or ethical objection to robots who can think and talk, just about everyone should enjoy Mega Man Zero.
-Alucard, GameVortex Communications AKA Stephen Triche
Lufia: The Legend Returns Pinball of the Dead