Mega Man Anniversary Collection
From Capcom
Mega Man Compilation disc, put together in celebration of Mega Man's 15th birthday. Paying tribute to Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, Capcom's Mega Man Anniversary Collection anthology set will collect Mega Man 1 through 8 in a single package in addition to two arcade titles never before released in the U.S., Mega Man: The Power Battle and Mega Man: The Power Fighters. In addition to an updated soundtrack, fans of the blue hero will also find a cache of unlockable bonus features that include 30 minutes of anime (PlayStation 2 version), producer interviews (GameCube version) and a history of the series.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #3303 in Video Games
- Brand: Capcom
- Model: 20014
- Released on: 2004-06-03
- ESRB Rating: Everyone
- Platform: GameCube
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .75" h x 5.25" w x 7.25" l, .25 pounds
One of the Better Compilations
NOTE - I have not played much of the PS2 version of "Mega Man Anniversary Collection", but I have noticed the controller is much easier to use than the GameCube's. If you're interested in this title, the technical aspects of both versions should be identical.
REVIEW
Just how much fun is it to play that old-school, side-scrolling, blue bomber anyway? These games have not lost their touch at all. Both gamers who suffer from incurable nostalgia (like me) and those of the next-gen consoles (like most of today's generation) can enjoy this compilation.
The basic premise for this series is that as Mega Man, you will complete from 4-to-8 stages (depending on the game), each with plenty of side-scrolling shooting your way through robot enemies and jumping exercises, and each ending with a Boss battle. You must choose wisely, though, because although you can finish them in any order, certain bosses' weapons have a distinct advantage over another. After defeating these foes, Dr. Wily awaits Mega Man at his castle, which will require every weapon you've just gained to progress. It is this freedom-of-choice that gives the "Mega Man" franchise such a proud place in gaming history.
What Capcom did right with this series is not incorporate too many new features that weren't already in the games. For example, you won't be able to Slide until the 3rd game, nor will you charge up your Mega Buster until the 4th game. These games are properly ported form their original versions.
Sure, there are a few touches here and there. There isn't as much framerate slowdown as before, a useless map is now added to the PAUSE Menu, and the timeline references ("20XX") match today's timeline ("2004"). The best addition is a SAVE feature, that allows you to avoid those annoying Passwords, and just jump right where you left off. You'll lose you acquired Lives and E-Tanks, but the level-and-weapon status remains intact.
Many consider the first 3 games to be the classic titles.
The first "Mega Man" is still the hardest of them all. The enemies are unrelenting, and I've read that there used to be a Boss glitch that Capcom removed, forcing you to use your skills even more. Although basic in concept, the challenge is very unforgiving in some levels. This game is hard.
"Mega Man 2" is my favorite of them all, because the music is catchy as hell, plus the bosses and levels are expertly designed. For those who've played this game before, the fourth Dr. Wily boss is still a pain-in-the-ass though.
"Mega Man 3" is by far the longest in the series, as you'll battle 8 original bosses, then the 8 from "Mega Man 2", then tackle Dr. Wily's 6 stages of combat. This entry is also a little tough, because you're gonna have to be extra-smart to make it through this one.
Most fans consider the next three games ("Mega Man" 4,5,6) to be the money-making sequels. Back in the day, I would agree, but since the price of this disc is less than these 3 titles combined at original price, I won't complain. Also, they're so much fun that how can you resist the technical improvements.
The 4th game is when the powers and upgrades become more plentiful. Eight more levels await, and this time there are actually 2 castles to shoot your way through. This one holds a special place in my heart, as it was the first one I ever beat.
"Mega Man 5" and "Mega Man 6" share many similiarities. Both games start off with 8 robot bosses, then reveal the supposed enemy's castle of 4 stages, only to expose that Dr. Wily was behind it all, and give us a few more stages to battle through. The stories are a joke, but who's reading anyway. But neither of these games are bad at all, and proudly earn their spots in the classic NES sextilogy.
"Mega Man 7" was the SNES game that reinvigorated the franchise for many fans. Better graphics and sound quality, not to mention some unique bosses, gave this series some more life. To be honest, I think this game runs a little slower than my taste, as the NES games are much more faster-paced. Still, a worthy entry,
The 8th game was released on the PS-one, and to be honest, I haven't beaten it yet because the stages are truly mind-boggling in puzzles and challenging with their platforming sections. I'm having a great time with it, though, and eagerly await the concluding obstacles...
There are even two bonus fighting games that aren't too bad. They're both themed after the 8 previous games, and allow Mega Man, his brother Proto Man, and newfound ally Bass, to face off in classic Capcom 2D fighting. Think "Street Fighter" with "Mega Man" weapons.
Included on this disc are some bogus extra features that I could do without, but that's not why you buy collections like this. "Mega Man Anniversary Collection" is all about the evolution of gaming. The action of these titles was deceptively simple, and I have no problem recommending this disc to anybody. My minor quibble with this game is that the GameCube controller's D-Pad is too damn small, but that's a problem I can overlook. I'm recommending people buy this collection of titles because they are all about gaming. You won't find "Metal Gear Solid"-like complicated stories, or "Final Fantasy"-like levelling up, or "Resident Evil"-like puzzles. All of those are great titles, but "Mega Man" is much simpler. All you need are two hands, keen eyes, and a hunger to execute these commands..."Run---Jump---Shoot". Can you do that? Good, now stop reading my review and buy this already!
Button configuration makes sense, if you think about it
Like 99% of the reviewers below, I was at first stymied and annoyed by Capcom's choice to make the A button shoot and the B button jump, a set-up that goes against the last 20 years of video gaming.
However, I started to think of the alternative: Since the rapid-fire button is above the fire button, that means if B fired, you'd have to switch fingers to go from single shot to rapid fire. Capcom simply was trying to keep the two fire buttons together, and it works, after a few minutes to get used to it.
Now that that's out of the way, the game: I believe that the first three Mega Man games are three of the best video games of all time, and certainly three of the top 20 platform games ever. The quality starts to slide after that (sometimes in graphics, always in playability), but this disc is worth having for the first three games alone.
The variety is the reason Mega Man is so fun. One screen might be filled with small enemies to attack; scroll over and there's a jumping challenge with disappearing platforms; the next screen has a large mini-boss; then there's a tall obstacle you have to find a way to get over, etc. It's not just mindless, dull jumping and shooting - the levels are expertly designed. The sound and music also stands out. The tunes are insanely catchy, and I love the chirping sound Mega Man makes when he lands after a jump.
Of course the novel idea behind Mega Man is choosing the order of the bosses you fight and using their own weapons against the next boss. Finding out that one weapon that destroys a certain boss when nothing else makes a dent is hugely satisfying.
Overall, this is an awesome package, and it's PRICED RIGHT (see Nintendo's current GameBoy Advance Classics series for an example of how not to price 20-year-old games). (...)
Great idea, poor execution
For those who grew up with Mega Man on the NES, like me, you were probably ecstatic when you heard that this game was coming out. No more flashing LED's by the power button, no more midgame system crashes, just pure, uninterrupted Mega Man action. Not to mention two cool new arcade games and lots of other neat little features (like remixed music and artwork).
Unfortunately, the actual gameplay is subpar at best. Anyone who played the original games for even 5 minutes knows that B means fire and A means jump. Apparently Capcom forget this fundamental principle when designing the game. To make matters worse, there is no way to change the control configuration in the options menu. It took me about an hour to get used to the backwards controls, and I still screw them up when I get into boss battles. Also, many of the sound effects within the game sound muffled or distorted compared to those of the originals.
Ultimately, this collection would have been a dream come true for any Mega Man fan, but poor game development leaves the player unsatisfied, like getting a broken bike for christmas. Do yourself a favor: Use your $30 to buy a good gamepad for your computer, get a NES emulator, and download the ROMs of the games.
