The BN series actually got two side scrolling games - the second is an exclusive platformer on the Wonderswan Colour. Its quite a low key release. It was Japan only and I never really see it get talked about. Its a pity as I quite like it - its got branching levels (different bosses on each path) and there are extra hidden bosses that you can reach if certain conditions are met. Its one I recommend you give a shot at some stage, just stay away from the other two Wonderswan titles (N1 Grand Prix and Rockman & Forte). Those two are pretty bad.
This is really nice, as while I got a lot of help with my Sonic Threads (thank you Village and Yoshi !) I already got so many of you offering to help me with this retrospective .
You guys rock, man XD! Lets all have fun making this Retrospective together to honor this amazing franchise .
No problem . Planed for this latter down the line but wanted to do this alongside my Ratchet Retrospective, considering how nicely if fits alongside that series .
This is really nice, as while I got a lot of help with my Sonic Threads (thank you Village and Yoshi !) I already got so many of you offering to help me with this retrospective .
You guys rock, man XD! Lets all have fun making this Retrospective together to honor this amazing franchise .
Are you also talking about the non released games ? I mean like the metroid Prime like game and megaman universe , also did you have in that list rockboard for famicom? There is also the battle power game for Neo geo pocket and the rockman and forte ( megaman and bass) for wonderswan that is different to the others.
This is really nice, as while I got a lot of help with my Sonic Threads (thank you Village and Yoshi !) I already got so many of you offering to help me with this retrospective .
You guys rock, man XD! Lets all have fun making this Retrospective together to honor this amazing franchise .
Are you also talking about the non released games ? I mean like the metroid Prime like game and megaman universe , also did you have in that list rockboard for famicom? There is also the battle power game for Neo geo pocket and the rockman and forte ( megaman and bass) for wonderswan that is different to the others.
Oh great also you should talk about the súper adventure rockman , that is a psx hidden rockman game in fmv ala dragon's lair. As you can be a big fan of sonic im also a big rockman/megaman fan so im looking forward for this.
Oh great also you should talk about the súper adventure rockman , that is a psx hidden rockman game in fmv ala dragon's lair. As you can be a big fan of sonic im also a big rockman/megaman fan so im looking forward for this.
It got a Saturn port as well (not sure if there are any actual differences between the two). Its not a great game (Inafune himself really hates it) but I thought it was ok, solely just because it used the bosses from 2 and 3 as adversaries.
I really liked the hidden/optional scene where you run into the family of
metool enemies
The comic company Archie sure liked it, as the general story got adapted in the Mega Man series around about the time the first Sonic crossover took place.
Oh great also you should talk about the súper adventure rockman , that is a psx hidden rockman game in fmv ala dragon's lair. As you can be a big fan of sonic im also a big rockman/megaman fan so im looking forward for this.
It got a Saturn port as well (not sure if there are any actual differences between the two). Its not a great game (Inafune himself really hates it) but I thought it was ok, solely just because it used the bosses from 2 and 3 as adversaries.
I really liked the hidden/optional scene where you run into the family of
metool enemies
The comic company Archie sure liked it, as the general story got adapted in the Mega Man series around about the time the first Sonic crossover took place.
Even if Inafune hates Super Adventure Rockman, someone at Capcom must have liked it, since something very similar to Super Adventure Rockman's main villain later appears in one of the Mega Man Star Force games.
Even if Inafune hates Super Adventure Rockman, someone at Capcom must have liked it, since something very similar to Super Adventure Rockman's main villain later appears in one of the Mega Man Star Force games.
Hello everyone! To celebrate Tuesdays release of Mega Man Legends 2 on North American PlayStation Network, going to be making a little retrospective covering the original Mega Man Legends! This is a real shining gem, with this title being the first for a lot of things. Lock-On Systems in Action/Adventure games, hub worlds that have a lot of life in them, gameplay mechanics that would come back in future games like Ratchet & Clank and Legend of Zelda: OoT and more! Mega Man Legends is an impressive game, so lets dive into this lost legend to see what makes it so special.
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Mega Man Legend's birth was in some respects, forced to happen by Sony. Around the time of the PlayStation's launch in 1995, they wanted ONLY 3D games, no 2D titles. Capcom was angered by this, as one of their flagship IP, Mega Man, was a 2D game. So they were quite bitter with Sony over this news and they ended up working things out; they still made their 2D Mega Man games (Mega Man 8 and Mega Man X4), but they had to make a 3D Mega Man game for the PS1.
This sparked a new sub-series for Mega Man, dubbed 'Legends'. This takes place at the end of the Mega Man timeline. Long after the X, Zero, ZX, Battle Network and Star Force series; the very end of the Mega Man series.
So, what is the origins of this world? Everything is covered by water and people are divided into islands. People hear about this legend, the Motherload, a great treasure that holds a lot of power. This sparks the creation of people called 'Diggers', people who hunt for treasure across caverns and dungeons to try and find refactors, and maybe, the Motherload. They also hunt for refractors to power objects in the world, more or less being the energy powering everything. But one day, a old man and his daughter find this boy with a robotic body in some ruins and take him in as their own.........
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I mixed the story and the development history into one section, as they are very closely connected. This game thrives on its characters, writing and wold building to be so special.
Everyone has a voice and a lot of dialog that changes as you go through the game. But you keep seeing the same people over and over again. Its sorta like Majora's Mask, where you are interacting with the same people again and again.....but you don't have to worry about any moons . Well......you do, but that is for a later game. We well get someone off the moon some day.
Anyway! That is what is most impressive about the game to me, the characters. They are so full of life and I love all of them. Roll is a great support character to Mega Man, as she talks to him when exploring dungeons and you can have optional interactions with her at different points in the game.
But by far my favorite characters are the Bonne Family, as they are just.....gold.
Trone Bone is a girl on a mission to get what she wants, but also has a soft spot for the Blue Bomber after him saving her from a dog early in the game. The Serv-Bots are priceless and they are really funny XD! They are all different, despite looking the same. A later game, Misadventures of Trone Bone, runs with this and its just as amazing as it sounds :').
Teasel Bonne is a great character too, as he is loud, childish and unlike Wily is a bit of a goof ball. These are fun foes to fight and you fight them at every turn across the game through different mechs they make.
I love these guys and they are so great, we got a whole game starting them alone!
So the characters are great, but what about the games setting? That is important for adventure games after all.
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The setting for Legends 1 is Kattelox Island, a small location with a lot to do. Tons of shops to visit, buildings to go into and a full destruction set up in place that has buildings stay destroyed if they are, well, damaged and stuff. You can pay to fix that but that is really impressive for an early-PS1 title.
Various mini games are fun to complete, with you kicking the can to get an extra 1000 Zenny (money in the game) if it lands in the Flower Shop display, kicking balls to attack a dog chasing a mail man, and popping balloons with odd faces on them. You can get items from completing the mini games, which can help you craft items, more on that later. The city is split into five sectors; Shopping District, Main Town, City Hall, Industrial District and Media District. Each one has a lot do and see, alongside having you interact with the town's people. If you help them out (like giving an artist red dye for her painting), you can get rewards too. ......Does this game sound a bit familiar? Almost.....Zelda-ish yet? No? Okay, so its just me then.
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The core gameplay is where this game really impressed me when I first played it last year on my Vita. You can jump and shoot, like all Mega Men can, but you also have a dodge roll and an extra 'arm' attack, allowing you to equip yourself with different weapons usable with the Triangle Button.
You can make these weapons from finding items inside the various dungeons and other spots in the game world, leading you to craft some awesome gear. Found a worn out drill? Visit Roll and she can make it into a powerful Drill to break through tough walls. Find a flash light and a toy sword? You get a lightsaber.....wait a minute, how is THAT possible O_O!
You can make all kinds fun weapons and its a great reward for hunting through the world. But you might be wondering about those 'dungeons' I mentioned before. Now this is when the Zelda comparison should ring a few bells; this was OoT before that game even came out! Mega Man can also lock on to foes (though his lock-on isn't as good compared to Links, which Legends 2 seems to fix) and like a specific Lombax you can strafe using the L/R buttons on the controller (or the right stick if you configured things right on the PS Vita PS1 Emulator). This allows the combat to have more depth compared to the original 2D Mega Man games, where you have to really be smart with your positioning and fully use the 3D world around you.
The dungeons themselves are a bit drab though, but hunting through them is almost.....zen like. Just running through, shooting every Reverbot in sight and finding rare items by solving puzzle; you get that "I got it!" feeling the best Zelda and Metroid games tend to offer.
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The presentation here is strong, as the cut-scenes have proper lip-syncing, expressive facial animations and great character animations. Shows how well done the cut-scenes were and how the developers spent time ensuring they were well done.
The music is more atmospheric compared to other Mega Man titles, but it as a number of enjoyable tracks .
Very nice selection of music that does a good job setting up the games tone .
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Overall, I really enjoyed my time playing Legends and I can't wait to play more of the series! It really is a special franchise and one of the better sub-series of Mega Man on the market. I can see why so many wanted a Legends 3 to happen; this world is too great for it to be lost to the PS1 Era.
I've had sealed copies of Mega Man Battle Network 4-6 for about 4 years now. It's about time I played them I think, despite what people say about 4. That series, as well as the original games were a huge part of my childhood.
First of all, good luck with covering all that. It looks to be a doozy.
And, pointing towards my avatar, I'm looking forward to your retrospective. I know the little guy has gone through some rough times, but I'm sure Classic Mega Man will "Rock" everyone's shit up n' down the block in the near future. :,)
EDIT: Since you are playing through the major Classic Mega Man games, you should check out the fan game, Rokko Chan.
First of all, good luck with covering all that. It looks to be a doozy.
And, pointing towards my avatar, I'm looking forward to your retrospective. I know the little guy has gone through some rough times, but I'm sure Classic Mega Man will "Rock" everyone's shit up n' down the block in the near future. :,)
I will have no issue covering a lot of games. I mean, did you SEE how much I covered with the Sonic Retrospective XD! Well over 50 games :').
And I'm happy you are excited ! I am too, as a good amount of these I never played. Should be a lot of fun .
I too expect Mega Man to rock hard soon, as a lot points to 2017 being a massive year for the Blue Bomber.
....Never heard of Rooko Chan, but will consider covering that alongside Street Fighter X Mega Man for the Fan Game section of the retrospective (like I did with Sonic via Sonic Before/After the Sequel).
I will have no issue covering a lot of games. I mean, did you SEE how much I covered with the Sonic Retrospective XD! Well over 50 games :').
And I'm happy you are excited ! I am too, as a good amount of these I never played. Should be a lot of fun .
I too expect Mega Man to rock hard soon, as a lot points to 2017 being a massive year for the Blue Bomber.
....Never heard of Rooko Chan, but will consider covering that alongside Street Fighter X Mega Man for the Fan Game section of the retrospective (like I did with Sonic via Sonic Before/After the Sequel).
But with how much love had gone towards Mega Man in SSB4, along with the solid release of MMLC for the 3DS, I remain hopeful that things will get better.
But with how much love had gone towards Mega Man in SSB4, along with the solid release of MMLC for the 3DS, I remain hopeful that things will get better.
Me too man, as Capcom knows the series is greatly valued by many. I expect them to cut-back on the sub-series when they return making games with the franchise (only Classic, Legends and maybe Battle Network/X) but they will come back to making more games soon enough.
Demand is present and with Inafune fumbling up at every turn, I'm sure Capcom will want to capitalize on that with a grand return of Mega Man!
Me too man, as Capcom knows the series is greatly valued by many. I expect them to cut-back on the sub-series when they return making games with the franchise (only Classic, Legends and maybe Battle Network/X) but they will come back to making more games soon enough.
Demand is present and with Inafune fumbling up at every turn, I'm sure Capcom will want to capitalize on that with a grand return of Mega Man!
It would definitely be a wise decision for Capcom to focus on the Classic Mega Man series, as far as rebooting the IP is concerned. The way I see it, Mega Man has been suffering from an identity crisis for sometime, along with being archaic. (I personally felt MM 9 & 10 were regressive than progressive, and it worked against the games on the long-run.)
Edit: I made a post that was a bit out of line, so sorry everyone . Will make sure I complete more of the Retrospective before commenting about the various sub series, as my main experience with Mega Man does not count the Battle Network, Zero, ZX and Battle Network series. Sorry everyone.
I agree; just look at the OP! Games across so many sub-series and that muddles the messaging the series got.
I think it was good back in the day when it was just Classic, X and Legends; Classic for pure Mega Man, X for more Xtreme Mega Man, and Legends for 3D Mega Man.
Battle Network was RPG Mega Man and Zero was the X Series sequel.
Everything else was very confused though many of the games in the OP are really great titles .
Focusing on Classic and maybe Legends/Battle Network for the anniversary in terms of rebooting the Mega Man brand would be a very strong move I feel.
All the different series have something unique to bring to the player.
Classic is basic run and gun action with amazing level design all the way through.
X has dashing, armor capsules, wall jumping, a heavier soundtrack, and a darker story. All AMAZING improvements over classic, IMO.
Zero has RPG elements, harder difficulty, a serialized narrative across four games, the cyber elf system, an even heavier soundtrack and story, and different weapons for Zero to use. The fastest paced series, and also the hardest. Fitting for Zero's character.
ZX is less different than the transition from X -> Zero, but the biometals were really fun. The lighthearted tone was a nice shift from the increasingly dark atmosphere of the other series, as well.
Battle Network is a complete spin-off. It's even a parallel universe. Amazing series to come out at the dawn of the internet, though, as it really played with the concept of digital information in a way that was super fascinating to us at the time. The chip system and the RPG battle mechanics make this game stand out as unique even to this day. PERFECT game design for a handheld.
Star Force is garbage, and I say this as a HUGE Mega Man fan who tried to love it, or even like it.
All the different series have something unique to bring to the player.
Classic is basic run and gun action with amazing level design all the way through.
X has dashing, armor capsules, wall jumping, a heavier soundtrack, and a darker story. All AMAZING improvements over classic, IMO.
Zero has RPG elements, harder difficulty, a serialized narrative across four games, the cyber elf system, an even heavier soundtrack and story, and different weapons for Zero to use. The fastest paced series, and also the hardest. Fitting for Zero's character.
ZX is less different than the transition from X -> Zero, but the biometals were really fun. The lighthearted tone was a nice shift from the increasingly dark atmosphere of the other series, as well.
Battle Network is a complete spin-off. It's even a parallel universe. Amazing series to come out at the dawn of the internet, though, as it really played with the concept of digital information in a way that was super fascinating to us at the time. The chip system and the RPG battle mechanics make this game stand out as unique even to this day. PERFECT game design for a handheld.
Star Force is garbage, and I say this as a HUGE Mega Man fan who tried to love it, or even like it.
Battle and Chase is ok. Not as bad as some of the scathing reviews make it sound, but compared to the good cart racing titles (your Mario Karts, Crash Team Racing, Diddy Kong Racing) its average at best. What I did like about the game was that you could mix and match the parts you acquire from foes as you defeat them (so keeping the whole "get weapon from enemy" mechanic from other MM games). Its got a butt load of secrets as well, defeating the hidden "shadow" boss characters to finally unlock Wily and Duo was a pretty cool motivation for me to play the heck out of the game, its pretty challenging late in the game (verging on cheap).
Get the X collection on the Gamecube or PS2 and give it a try from there, or maybe import the UK version of the Playstation game if you can get it cheap (Japan doesn't have Duo as an unlockable character normally, you need a special memory card from Capcom to unlock him in Japan).
I agree; just look at the OP! Games across so many sub-series and that muddles the messaging the series got.
I think it was good back in the day when it was just Classic, X and Legends; Classic for pure Mega Man, X for more Xtreme Mega Man, and Legends for 3D Mega Man.
Battle Network was RPG Mega Man and Zero was the X Series sequel.
Everything else was very confused though many of the games in the OP are really great titles .
Focusing on Classic and maybe Legends/Battle Network for the anniversary in terms of rebooting the Mega Man brand would be a very strong move I feel.
I strongly disagree on many of your points here. I would be highly disappointed with a reboot that was nothing but a focus on classic Mega Man, since I think that classic Mega Man is the most limited. It has a severe lack of characters, most of the classic games are stuck repeating the same basic storyline over and over again, and classic Mega Man has my least favorite overall gameplay. I love the ability to dash and wall cling.
It doesn't even lay sole claim to "most successful Mega Man"; it has to share that crown with the Battle Network series, which matched it in sales and visibility. The Battle Network games were enormously successful. Mega Man Battle Network 4 was the second best-selling Mega Man game, just behind Mega Man 2. Too bad BN4 was such a bad game, that was probably the blow that mortally wounded the entire franchise. If Mega Man Battle Network 4 was as good as Battle Network 3 was, then the later Battle Network games could easily have claimed the top spot of the franchise.
I think that Mega Man 10 shows that you can't just rely on people's love for the classic game to carry an entire franchise. If you want to reboot the Mega Man series, you need to create something new that includes what people loved about the X, Zero, ZX, Legends, Battle Network, and Star Force games. Clinging to NES nostalgia hasn't gotten them any further than the success of one game.
What the Battle Network games did right was to take familiar and recognizable characters such as Roll and Guts Man and reinvent them. But it didn't limit itself to classic stuff, either. The Battle Network games created tons of original characters and bosses, as well as adapting characters and ideas from the X and Legends games. The Mega Man series has a huge pool of recognizable and loved characters and gameplay elements. A good reboot would focus on building a single game series, but that series would have to be inclusive of the entire history of the Mega Man franchise.
I strongly disagree on many of your points here. I would be highly disappointed with a reboot that was nothing but a focus on classic Mega Man, since I think that classic Mega Man is the most limited. It has a severe lack of characters, most of the classic games are stuck repeating the same basic storyline over and over again, and classic Mega Man has my least favorite overall gameplay. I love the ability to dash and wall cling.
It doesn't even lay sole claim to "most successful Mega Man"; it has to share that crown with the Battle Network series, which matched it in sales and visibility. The Battle Network games were enormously successful. Mega Man Battle Network 4 was the second best-selling Mega Man game, just behind Mega Man 2. Too bad BN4 was such a bad game, that was probably the blow that mortally wounded the entire franchise. If Mega Man Battle Network 4 was as good as Battle Network 3 was, then the later Battle Network games could easily have claimed the top spot of the franchise.
I think that Mega Man 10 shows that you can't just rely on people's love for the classic game to carry an entire franchise. If you want to reboot the Mega Man series, you need to create something new that includes what people loved about the X, Zero, ZX, Legends, Battle Network, and Star Force games. Clinging to NES nostalgia hasn't gotten them any further than the success of one game.
What the Battle Network games did right was to take familiar and recognizable characters such as Roll and Guts Man and reinvent them. But it didn't limit itself to classic stuff, either. The Battle Network games created tons of original characters and bosses, as well as adapting characters and ideas from the X and Legends games. The Mega Man series has a huge pool of recognizable and loved characters and gameplay elements. A good reboot would focus on building a single game series, but that series would have to be inclusive of the entire history of the Mega Man franchise.
I'm willing to admit I'm wrong when I'm out of line, and I'm wrong in this case. The Mega Man series has all those sub-series for a reason; playing with the IP and going in various different directions that best fit new gameplay styles they go with.
The question then comes to this; how are they going to combine the best elements of each sub-series into one core foundation for a possible reboot?
I suppose that they could do the following:
-Core level structure of the Classic Series (series of main robots to take down)
-Navigation abilities that the MMX and MM Zero series introduced (wall jumping, double jumping, sliding on walls, air dashing, ride armors, ect) + the armor system from the X series
-Basic controls and mechanics that the Legends series has (in terms of general controls for Mega Man in 3D) + large hub worlds to explore (at least three/four)
-Metroidvanna elements that allow you to use the abilities you get form each Robot Master (Mega Man ZX Series)
-Chip system that allows you to offer custom moves for Mega Man as you play the game (Battle Network)
Sounds a bit clustered but just some ideas on how using every bit of the series sub-franchises within one game.
Again, I was wrong with that post and will get rid of it now.
Just a heads up for plans for the games:
-Mega Man 1's post & thread will be up by late tonight (4/11)
-Mega Man X's post & thread will be up by Wednesday (4/13)
-Mega Man Legends 2's post & thread will be up by Friday/Saturday (4/15 or 4/16)
Going to bounce between the Classic and X Series to keep things interesting . Both are so different, so it should be fun to mix & match the games in each series as I cover them .
Will post another update once Legends 2's thread and post is up .
I guess I can't be of much help because I'm still a junior; but I love the BN series in all it's forms, except maybe the anime(which isn't great) and I've even researched a bit into the backround of the series.
The game I have the most experience in is BN5 Double Team so if you need any help on that I'd love contribute!
I guess I can't be of much help because I'm still a junior; but I love the BN series in all it's forms, except maybe the anime(which isn't great) and I've even researched a bit into the backround of the series.
The game I have the most experience in is BN5 Double Team so if you need any help on that I'd love contribute!
Of course you can help if you want ! When I get to BN5, will PM you with a draft of the thread and you can add whatever you want to it. Did this with Village and Yoshi for the Sonic Threads and it worked out great.
I strongly disagree on many of your points here. I would be highly disappointed with a reboot that was nothing but a focus on classic Mega Man, since I think that classic Mega Man is the most limited. It has a severe lack of characters, most of the classic games are stuck repeating the same basic storyline over and over again, and classic Mega Man has my least favorite overall gameplay. I love the ability to dash and wall cling.
While I agree with a number of your points from your post, I have to disagree here. To start, I wouldn't say that OG MM series has the problem of not having characters to use. What IS the problem, is that the series (at the least the games themselves) has never really used its wealth of characters to great effect. Duo, Cossack and Kalinka are pretty much no shows for the rest of the series, barring dotted cameos here and there. King (MM & B) was definitely never seen or referenced again. A lot of comics/manga (and Super Adventure Rockman) loved to toy around with the idea of making "The Original 6 Robot Masters" into Rock's supporting cast. But unless we count MMPU, it's never been something actually explored in a game.
And as far as the storytelling goes, it, too, has been pigeonholed into a certain niche, even though the potential was always there. For example: everything pertaining to the "Robots from Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaace" backdrop that was introduced with Shadow Man in MM3, played around with in MMV(GB), and seemed to be coming to a head with Duo and his rival in MM8, has just never been explored, since. And obviously, completely dropped by X on down.
So, all that to say...I would hope that a re-envisioned/revamped Mega Man, even one that utilizes the classic series as a base, would still have the potential to do some new things, both gameplay-wise and story-wise. If nothing else, I'm still fully expecting a new game in the series to finally push the series (and its fanbase) into a 3D gameplay style that actually works and helps put the series back into the mainstream.
The first game in the series I played was actually the Gameboy Mega Man 3. It was ridiculously hard as a kid and kinda still is mostly due to the weird floaty controls which made it really hard to evade attacks. Nevertheless I loved the design of stage selects and getting weapons from bosses.
Favorite game is of course X1, it's just pure perfection. First time I played it... holy shit. No other game will ever impress me as much as X1 did.
So glad the X/Zero/ZX gameplay style lives on in Gunvolt. Love that game, can't wait for the sequel.
Mega Man 1 established a lot for the series and action games in general during the late 1980's, with its creative progression system and rock-paper-scissors ability system. Many jumped into the series with Mega Man 2, but this game started it all.
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So, the origins of Mega Man started in the late 80's with Capcom trying to make a game that would work well on consoles. They wanted to make a big game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that would fit the console, so they got some of their developers to put something together.
A man named Inafune designed the character and was inspired by the anime character Astro Boy when designing him.
With him designing the robot masters alongside Yasuaki Kishimoto, Naoya Tomit & Akira Kitamura. Akira Kitamura also was directing the game, Takashi Nishiyama produced the game & Nobuyuki Matsushima programmed the game. Between this six person team, the game released in Dec. 1987 in both NA and Japan for the NES.
It did well critically but did not set the sales charts on fire, so when work began on Mega Man 2, it was a side project while the team worked on various other projects such as Ducktails, Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers and Tailspin for Disney.
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The story behind the game is that a kind scientist Dr. Light and his two creations Rock & Roll are living in peace, with Dr. Light going to show the world his six robotic creations. They would help with important jobs such as construction, powering cities and other such jobs; they would better mankind.
Dr. Wily, a scientist that was working with Light during their college years got jealous of his success and high-jacked his robot masters, having them unleash havoc across the land. Rock sees this and volunteers himself to undergo rebuilding to become he super fighting robot, MEGA MAN!
So, he goes out to take out his robotic brothers and take out Dr. Wily for good.
Simple set up and it works wonders for the core game.
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The core gameplay of Mega Man is very simple, you can jump, shoot and use robot powers you gain from defeating the six robot masters across the six levels. However, the game does a lot of interesting things to stand out from other platformers.
Instead of having a linear level progression, you can select which level you want to go to first. What does this mean? You can tackle any level in whatever order you see fit. This was huge during the late 80's, as very few games even attempted to do this. That design choice carried over to many other platformers post Mega Man, even other Capcom games like Ducktails.
The other interesting element is how the robot masters work, as instead of just being bosses that you can only take out with your basic shooting, you can use other robot master powers that they are weak against to make the fight easier. So, a rock-paper-scissors system is in place here and this carries over to many, many other Mega Man games.
(Time Man and Oil Man were in the MM1 PSP remake, Powered Up; will cover that on its own in due time)
With all of this in place, how does the core gameplay work? Like I said, you can jump, and shoot. But what makes this so special, is that the game is hard.....but in a fair way.
Okay, what I mean is, every situation you face is something you learn naturally as you play. Example, Gutsman has his stage open up with platforms that go in-and-out on a track. So, you hop on the first one, and you see a little gap, so you jump over it.
This happens with the other ones under you and you learn this, avoiding the issue. This type of level design echos across the entire game, making a very hard title have enough fairness that you never feel like the game is being cheap on you.
The game even gives you a bone; you can find the Magnet Beam in Elecman's stage once you get the Mega Arm (Gutsman's ability) and find it during the middle section of the stage. This allows you to make platforms using the beam, making other platforming challenges (flashing blocks) something you can avoid if you can't deal with them.
Boss fights in the game are also very enjoyable too, as every one can be taken out with just your Mega Buster (basic attack) but like I mentioned before, you an use the bosses weakness to make the fight easier.
Here is the weakness order; going to spoiler tag it so that way if you want the challenge for yourself, then you can learn it on your own ! ......But I'm sure most of you know this anyway XD!
Cutman: Super Arm
Elecman: Rolling Cutter
Iceman: Thunder Beam
Fireman: Ice Slasher
Bombman: Fire Storm
Gutsman: Hyper Bomb
Before I close this section, have to talk about Wily Fortress. This place is where you fight the robot masters again in a boss rush and face some really tough platforming sections. And.....fight this.....thing:
Please use the pause glitch when fighting the Yellow Devil (press pause when shooting an elec-beam).
Otherwise, this is a nice idea that only got better as the series went on. The Wily Fortress is an idea that Mega Man X continued in the future, but we will get too it soon enough.
Overall, I really enjoyed the gameplay here and it only gets better & better as the series goes on.
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Presentation is strong, as the sprite work is very nice and detailed, with everything looking expressive. The levels can look a bit space, but overall, its a nice looking game.
Musically, Mega Man is called ROCK for a reason; the music rocks hard, man!
The soundtracks only get better as the series goes on but the very first game has a lot of great tunes. Manami Matsumae is the composer for the game and she makes many more tracks for the series as time went on. Recently she composed a few tracks for the indie hit Shovel Knight .
Overall, Mega Man 1 is a strong way to kick off the series and while its not perfect (Mega Man's control could of been a bit better honestly and the flashing blocks are not a fun level gimmick sometimes ), its a great foundation that other games built off of.
This starts a very long, grand series of games in just one era of Mega Man. And it continues with Mega Man 2 not long after.
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Also, to lead in to covering Mega Man 2 in the not to distant future, here is a great Smash Brothers remix of Wily Castle 1&2!
!) I already got so many of you offering to help me with this retrospective 
