Mega Man 2 (1989)

Platform:

NES version.

Graphics/Sound:

The graphics are outstanding and today look as good as they looked back then imo, the comic style ages well, the character designs are timeless. The music is also outstanding, so the presentation for the time it was released must have been pretty impressive.

If you don't know the Mega Man Series, it's a platformer with a lot of shooting, some would call it a run & gun, although I personally think there is a little much actual platforming involved to be classified together with Contra or Metal Slug, and your weapons don't seem to be that overpowered. I like how you can choose the stage instead of a fixed order of levels, and how robot masters have a weakness, which is always a weapon you can get by beating a different robot master.

Difficulty:

If you don't play this using hints from the internet, then you'll be trying a lot to figure out if you can beat a certain robot master. I remember beating Mega Man 3 as a child on the NES, back in the day not having internet, nor anyone I could ask how to beat it, but somehow managed to figure out an order in which to beat the Masters. This game is a lot harder than the third though. If you get into a Mega Man game you never expect an easy game. But this one has some brutal parts, the worst being of course the second last boss, the turret room, where any single mistake you make will set you back about half an hour of grinding your crash bomb energy up again.

Conclusion:

It's certainly a great entry in the series, the stages are varied, the weapons distinct. My prize for the best Mega Man game would go to the third however, since I find this one too bland and frustrating in the final parts of the game. Nevertheless, a classic that shouldn't be missed.

What a fantastic game in the series to begin with! For reasons beyond my current understanding, beginning with the second game in the series was a perplexing request from the course. After watching Teens React, my best guess is that this decision stems from Mega Man 2’s comparative difficulty to its predecessor. Regardless, I enjoyed my experience, and even managed to beat the entire game while traveling several weeks ago.

The first thing that struck me upon beginning the game was the story provided before the events of the game. Players are given the suspenseful statement beginning with the famous, “In the year of 200X…”, introduced to Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Dr. Wily, and immediately launched into the game. The formula is standard by Mega Man standards, providing a screen with the eight robot masters that – I assume – Wily created to stop Mega Man. The early decision, “build your own adventure” element to the game was ahead of its times.[1] With each defeat and attained power up, the player feels like he or she is making progress, making the overall experience a rewarding one. Each weapon gave variety – with each boss defeat, I earned a new ability to kill enemies.

The soundtrack was ultimately the reasoning I played the game in the first place, so I have nothing but praise to sing. From my understanding, Mega Man 2 is one of the best soundtracks featured on the NES. Even though this play through was my first, the songs were familiar, leaving me with a smile in my finally understanding their context. My favorite songs were Title Screen, Wood Man, and, of course, Dr. Wily’s Castle. Shoutouts to Jirard Khalil on introducing me to that last one.

The game had its difficult moments, but nothing that laid beyond my personal ability. I’d be interested to see more difficult boss orders, as I assume the community has developed some interesting paths and boundaries that make replayability compelling. Never once did I feel the mechanics or controls sold me out to death. Each time I died, it was because of my error – and I was drawn again and again to correct it with another “continue” selection.

If there were one ugly side to Mega Man room, the ugliness lies in one room: the “Turret Room” in Wily Castle’s stage four.[2] This room was horribly designed, expected far too much from its players, and took my emotional experience from enjoyment to downright frustration and fatigue. For a game that is famous for its design and planning, I think it’s embarrassing the Turret Room made it into the final product. I couldn’t defeat the room without the Crash Bomb glitch. Thank goodness there was a glitch.[3]

All in all, the game was fantastic and helped me understanding Mega Man as a series just a tiny bit more. I’m glad I can finally mark this one off my list of games I want to play. Mega Man 2 was an absolute joy to control, play, and defeat. I can’t wait to see what happens with its sequel!

[1] For reference, I played Mega Man 2 in Mega Man Knowledge Base’s Suggested Order: Air Man, Crash Man, Flash Man, Quick Man, Metal Man, Bubble Man, Heat Man, and Wood Man. "Mega Man 2 Walkthrough." MMKB. Accessed July 04, 2016. http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/Mega_Man_2_Walkthrough.

[2] I’m not alone in this! A quick google search of “Mega Man 2 Turret Room” reveals much frustration and critique from the community. This makes me feel a bit better.

[3] I understand that this may discredit me as a gamer. I will gladly accept the penalty here. The turret room felt silly and pointless, especially from the viewpoint of one simply wanting to enjoy the Mega Man experience.