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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: Mega Man Legacy Collection 2
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Mega Man 7 still uses passwords, so if you want you can write them down and enter them again later. In the meantime, every game in this collection uses a checkpoint based autosave feature, allowing you to easily continue where you left off. You can pause any of the games by bringing up the main menu or by viewing the weapon select screen. Time needed per session:These games are longer then original six, but it's still possible to play through them in a single long session. Otherwise, you can utilize their ability to save your progress to pick them up and play them whenever you want.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | No - this is a great game for Christians The Mega Man games are about good robots fighting evil or corrupted robots. No humans are ever harmed, and some of the games show the corrupted robots after they've been repaired. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/mega_man_legacy_collection_2_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/mega_man_legacy_collection_2_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/mega_man_legacy_collection_2_2.jpg)
Game Overview
The original Mega Man Legacy Collection gave us access to the first six games in the Mega Man franchise, and this was a wonderful thing for fans of the series. However, it didn't include the next four console games, leaving a gap between the NES titles and the newly released Mega Man 11. This second collection provides the missing titles, but I suspect that many fans aren't thrilled with having to purchase two games in order to have all of the old games.
I suspect that the main reason for this division is a technical one. The first six games were all originally released within a short span of time, and thus were all for the NES. This means that the developers only needed to create one engine to port them all over to Windows. The remaining four games were released over a longer stretch of time, which meant that Capcom had to keep changing what consoles they were targeting in order to keep up with the market. Thus, you need several different engines to run these games on Windows. Because of this, packaging the first six games together and releasing them as "volume 1" would get the product out and build interest in the series while the developers worked on getting the remaining titles working.
Another likely reason has to do with the reception the newer Mega Man games received when they initially arrived on the scene, and the reputation they've held since in the fandom. Put simply, while the first six games in the franchise are considered nostalgic gems, Mega Man 7 and 8, well, aren't.
I wouldn't call them bad games per se, but they aren't up to the franchise's standards. Mind you, a bad Mega Man game is still an excellent game -- these two games just don't have the polish the franchise is known for, and as a result, they drag down the overall value of this collection.
As for Mega Man 9 and 10, these were released in the late 2000s as downloadable titles for the Wii. They were generally well received, as they were designed after the NES Mega Man games people had come to love.
This leads us to the dirty truth about this collection: for many gamers, this is their first time having access to Mega Man 9 and 10. Mega Man 7 and 8 are simply part of the deal, much like the vegetables your mother insists you eat before you can have dessert.
If you're new to the Mega Man franchise, get the first Legacy Collection and try that out before spending your money on this one. If the first collection doesn't fully quench your thirst for the Blue Bomber, there are at least two more titles here that you'll enjoy and can't get anywhere else.
I suspect that the main reason for this division is a technical one. The first six games were all originally released within a short span of time, and thus were all for the NES. This means that the developers only needed to create one engine to port them all over to Windows. The remaining four games were released over a longer stretch of time, which meant that Capcom had to keep changing what consoles they were targeting in order to keep up with the market. Thus, you need several different engines to run these games on Windows. Because of this, packaging the first six games together and releasing them as "volume 1" would get the product out and build interest in the series while the developers worked on getting the remaining titles working.
Another likely reason has to do with the reception the newer Mega Man games received when they initially arrived on the scene, and the reputation they've held since in the fandom. Put simply, while the first six games in the franchise are considered nostalgic gems, Mega Man 7 and 8, well, aren't.
I wouldn't call them bad games per se, but they aren't up to the franchise's standards. Mind you, a bad Mega Man game is still an excellent game -- these two games just don't have the polish the franchise is known for, and as a result, they drag down the overall value of this collection.
As for Mega Man 9 and 10, these were released in the late 2000s as downloadable titles for the Wii. They were generally well received, as they were designed after the NES Mega Man games people had come to love.
This leads us to the dirty truth about this collection: for many gamers, this is their first time having access to Mega Man 9 and 10. Mega Man 7 and 8 are simply part of the deal, much like the vegetables your mother insists you eat before you can have dessert.
If you're new to the Mega Man franchise, get the first Legacy Collection and try that out before spending your money on this one. If the first collection doesn't fully quench your thirst for the Blue Bomber, there are at least two more titles here that you'll enjoy and can't get anywhere else.
Points of Interest
For more Mega Man games
While Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 has the six games everybody grew up loving, this volume provides the next four games for everybody that wants them. In particular, this is the first time most of us have had access to Mega Man 9 and 10. That said, having both collections won't actually give you the entire Mega Man Classic series. Mega Man 11 is also part of this series, and it's sold separately. There were also several side games and an entire secondary series on the Gameboy that have yet to be released in a collection like this.
Reduced difficulty option
If you're new to these games or just not very good at them, there's an optional setting called Extra Armor mode. While enabled, any damage inflicted on your character is reduced by 50%. This can give you a much needed edge in the various boss fights, but there is a penalty: an icon indicating that the Extra Armor mode is on will appear in the upper left corner of your screen. Thus, any screenshots you take will expose that you're using a crutch.
DLC included
When Mega Man 9 and 10 were released on the Wii, they also had some DLC packages available. Fortunately for us, these DLCs are included free of charge in this collection. The catch is that you'll need to unlock these extra features by playing their respective games, though if you're a fan of the series, this isn't going to be too much trouble.
Additional challenges
Just like the first Mega Man Legacy Collection, there are special challenges for fans to attempt. The difference here is that these challenges are grouped by game. All four games feature stage remix and boss fight challenges, but Mega Man 9 and 10 also feature two additional ways to test your skills. One set of challenges uses custom levels, while the other challenges need to be completed by playing the game (much like achievements).
Steam community features
For those who want to show off their mega-skills, there are a number of achievements that you can earn while playing the games in this collection. Most of the achievements revolve around completing the challenges, but there are also the standard achievements for completing each game using a different playable character. Steam trading cards are also available, if you're interested in those.
Amusingly, playing the games with the Extra Armor mode on still grants you the achievements.
Amusingly, playing the games with the Extra Armor mode on still grants you the achievements.
The less said about Mega Man 8's voice acting, the better
To make a long story short, this was the first time the Mega Man Classic series featured animated cutscenes and voice acting. Exactly what went wrong depends on what rumors you choose to believe, but the net result is that Dr. Light sounds like Elmer Fudd, Mega Man sounds more like a girl than his sister, and the dialogue used for the bosses will make you uncomfortable with playing this game. There's a reason Mega Man 8 lands on every Top 10 Bad Voice Overs list.
Saves don't work like they did in MMLC1
In the first collection, you had all of the benefits of emulation. This included the ability to freeze the game at any point and resume it later using save states. This time around, things are different; saving is done using a checkpoint system instead of a pure save state. This means that when you resume the game, you'll be sent back to the last checkpoint rather than the location where you saved.
Concerns and Issues
Humanlike robots fighting each other
Just like the previous six games in the series, these games feature robots fighting each other. The main difference between these games and the earlier titles is that they were now on systems that could show the damaged pieces fall away when the robot was destroyed. As before, none of the robots are "persons", and destroying them is not considered to be particularly serious. During their end credits, both Mega Man 9 and 10 also show the evil robots going about their day after they've been repaired and rebuilt.
Keep in mind that Dr. Wily, one of the two humans in these four games, fights Mega Man from inside various vehicles. Once the vehicles are disabled, Mega Man stops fighting, as the Three Laws of Robotics are alive and well in this series' universe.
Keep in mind that Dr. Wily, one of the two humans in these four games, fights Mega Man from inside various vehicles. Once the vehicles are disabled, Mega Man stops fighting, as the Three Laws of Robotics are alive and well in this series' universe.
Mega Man 8's bosses have unsettling comments and reactions
One of the many downsides of Mega Man 8 having voice acting is that the bosses can do or say things that might make parents uncomfortable. Frost Man, for example, often opens his boss fight saying "I will crush you; I will beat you". But, when attacked with a specific weapon, he'll say "Dat hurt!" and cover his face as if he's crying.
Other examples include Clown Man, who has lines can come off as flirtatious or seductive, and Grenade Man, who actively enjoys being hurt and exploding.
Other examples include Clown Man, who has lines can come off as flirtatious or seductive, and Grenade Man, who actively enjoys being hurt and exploding.
Several enemies are based on mythological creatures
This was also true in the past, as various enemies were based on various types of fantasy creatures (eg, Centaur Man was obviously made to resemble a centaur). This trend became more common over time, and it's particularly noticeable in Mega Man 7, which features a level themed around zombie and vampire robots, as well as various enemies based on a type of Japanese spirit called an oni. Tengu Man and Splash Woman are two more examples, as they were also designed after mythological creatures.
The key thing to remember though is that all of these characters are robots that were designed to look like these fantasy creatures, making them less magical than what you'd find in a Disney theme park. The closest thing you'll find to actual magic in the Mega Man Classic series is the Evil Energy discovered in Mega Man 8, and even though it plays a big role in the story, it's little more than the gimmick of the day.
The key thing to remember though is that all of these characters are robots that were designed to look like these fantasy creatures, making them less magical than what you'd find in a Disney theme park. The closest thing you'll find to actual magic in the Mega Man Classic series is the Evil Energy discovered in Mega Man 8, and even though it plays a big role in the story, it's little more than the gimmick of the day.