History:

I've played Mega Man 5 on the NES, but I understand this is a completely different game. I actually haven't played any of the Mega Man games on the Gameboy.

Expectations:

I'll probably have to throw this one up on the Super Gameboy as well, but I don't see how an 8-Bit Mega Man game could go wrong!

Day 1:

Played on and off over the evening for a combined 30 minutes or so and can NOT beat the first stage! I don't know if it's just from playing on the Gameboy or what but I'm definitely struggling. Mega Man V GB is definitely slower than I'm used to, and actually feels pretty close to the original Mega Man in terms of handling.

I am undeterred though! I'll try to get some lunchtime play in tomorrow and throw it on the Super Gameboy in the evening.

Day 2:

This game... I think I used three continues on the first stage during my lunch break today before I finally make it through. After that something must have clicked, as the game began to feel easier from that point on.

I want to blame this game's difficulty on the fact that it's being played on a tiny cramped device, yet still demanding Mega Man precision, but I think obstacle is really unfamiliarity.

I've played so much Mega Man 2 and 3 that even after 20 something years, I can still comfortably play those games. This is still something of an alien experience for me... and I really like that!

After a couple tries I was able to take down the second boss, then it was off to Mars' stage.

I don't know if I'm imagining things, but levels in this game feel very long. Longer than stages in the NES games felt. It may be because they're demanding more focus, but I feel like I'm spending a lot of time in them. Mars' level was really interesting, and a lot of fun. There were platforms that would launch you into spikes, large mini-bosses and a water section.

Also new (to me) was that there were sections of the stage, like cracked pipes, where if you shot them you'd cause eruptions of steam, or rushing water that would push you around. I'm not used to these kind of environmental hazards in Mega Man, and I thought they were pretty cool!

I beat Mars just in time to have to pack up. Definitely looking forward to giving it another shot tonight though!

Later...

Or not. This game is every bit as difficult on the SNES as it is on the Gameboy! I can also confirm the levels are definitely on the longer side as compared to the console games, allowing you plenty more opportunities to die horribly. After a good while of playing I managed to get to the same point I did earlier in the day.

Day 3:

I can't decide whether this is the best translation ever, or the worst. Going with best.

Mega Man V is turning into quite the marathon game! Even with passwords, learning the stages and dying repeatedly eats a ton of time, and for a portable game it feels like something you really need to set aside a solid chunk of time for.

I was able to beat all four of the first robot masters and was greeted with a classic styled mid-boss. Took me a while to take it down, until I realized his weakness was my generic attack...

After that it was off to the next four stages. After dying a few times in Jupiter's level, it was time to pack it up again.

I'll decide tonight whether or not I take this game to a Day 4. I'm finding the longer it goes on, the less fun I'm actually having playing it.

Later...

I decided to punch in my password and pick up from where I left off earlier in the day. The first fight with Terra was a lot easier after playing through it once, and I was quickly back to Jupiter's stage.

Just as much of a pain as last time, but after using a continue I was able to reach the boss and take him out. Then it was off to Saturn.

Saturn's stage was mechanically interesting if not somewhat sadistic... The gravity manipulation segments were cool, and often lined with either cheap enemy placements or instant death spikes, making them borderline unfair. Regardless, I eventually made it through, then took down Pluto and Uranus shortly after.

The first Wily stage was awesome! I did not expect to get to play schmup in Mega Man but here it is. The stage was a bit short, and the boss was too easy, but it was fun while it lasted.

After that I found myself in Dr. Wily's space lab in space.

This section had me fighting super easy versions of bosses from previous Gameboy Mega Man games, none of whome I recognized having not played any of them. The end of that stage brought me to my favorite portion of any Mega man game...

The boss tube room!

After clearing through all the game's bosses a second time and meeting up with Proto Man, it was time to fight a couple of sub-bosses, then Wily himself. After beating Wily, it was the final showdown with Sunpot (checks translation) Sunstar!

Fun fight, but with a full set of E Tanks and W Tanks it wasn't too difficult. Ended with a big bang...

Conclusion:

I'm not really sure how I feel about this Mega Man entry. For starters I think it was a bit too long for a portable platformer. While I appreciate the difficulty there were times I wanted to throw my Gameboy. I also didn't really love my magical space adventure.

Still, in true Mega Man fashion, overcoming the difficulty was rewarding, and there were genuinely fun platforming moments. The robot masters were interesting and unique, even if they didn't all feel particularly balanced. The controls felt slow and floaty, but you ended up more or less getting used to it. There was a Gradius level!

I have a lot of mixed feeling on this game and by extension the rest of the Gameboy Mega Man games, but I think we're better off having them than not. There's nothing truly offensive about Mega Man V, but nothing that really makes me want to come back and play it again either.

Liked:

- When the difficulty wasn't cheap, it was rewarding.
- Interesting and varied stages, with some great level design.
- Same great Mega Man formula never really disappoints.

Disliked:

- Music, for a Mega Man game, was lackluster. Can't remember a single track.
- Difficulty often felt a bit cheap. Problem was exemplified by playing on a small screen.
- For a portable game, levels seemed to run way too long. Issue may have been better with battery saves.

Personal Score: