This is a halfway-through-the-game LTTP, since I don't want to continue cluttering the Smash Bros. thread with my constant why-can't-Samus-crawl inquiries of "HOW I DO DAT." I think I'm in deep enough to have a sense of this game's appeal.
Yes, I can see why Mega Man 2 is a CLASSIC. It's my first foray into the series. I picked it up for $5 on the 3DS eShop, because Mega Man looks so scrum-diddly-umptious in Smash, and because I recently finished another punishing portable platformer, DKCR3D (which I also played on Wii -- amazing game, highly recommended).
Back to MM2... From afar, I thought it would've been one of those NES games that controlled all stiff and clunky-like, better in people's memories than a newcomer would find it in the here and now... But I'm happy to say it's quite the contrary -- this game is EXCELLENT, just constant rewarding action/reaction.
Like the NES Mario games, MM has a remarkable amount of air control when he jumps: You can make corrections mid-air, leaping farther or stopping yourself short... sailing over obstacles, or reigning yourself in before you hit a spiked ceiling. But unlike Mario, MM has built-in PEW-PEW -- it's a lot of fun peppering enemies, many of which are small targets to hit and come at you rather relentlessly (I.E. the mini-frogs spat out by the bigger frogs in Bubble Man's stage).
Speaking of stages, right from the get-go, you're given a menu with all of the bosses. You choose which one you want to attempt, and can tackle them in any order. The stages are very approachable in length; I can see someone knocking out the whole game in one fell swoop if they're up to it. Excellent platforming and twitch-action shoot-outs with all sorts of enemies, some neat gimmicks like falling platforms, conveyor belts and underwater, and moving obstacles like arcing fire breath from badass blue robo-dogs (inexplicably in Woodman's stage -- WHAT UP WIT DAT).
Metal Man, Bubble Man, Flash Man, Wood Man... I started out in that order. The game is immediately enjoyable, quick and snappy to control, with infectious music and solid, colorful sprites. But Air Man is where the game's appeal truly *clicked* for me. I was atop a Thwomp-ish-looking thing, waiting for its horns to lower so I could hop to the next one; I was hopping up and down, pivoting mid-air, shooting down the drones it sent after me, MM striking a "HEY-OOO!" pose as he pew-pew'd with wild abandon. When I'd land, I'd do a quick little shuffle in rhythm with the music, like an 8-bit Patrick Swayze. SO FUN.
And that's where I'm at now. Not done with the game yet, but halfway through. Maybe I'll hate it next level... I doubt it, though. I'm just amused at how strong the appeal is. I usually find NES-era games to be a bit... inaccessible, as someone who started gaming with the late SNES titles and really cut his gamer teeth on the N64. But here I am, loving MM2 on 3DS. For $5, it's a worthwhile experiment I'd recommend for others who, like me, didn't grow up with MM. And apparently, most of his moves in Smash reference this game, so it's a great learning experience, too!
And oh, DAT TITLE SCREEN. Soooooo COOL!
11/10 tits
Yes, I can see why Mega Man 2 is a CLASSIC. It's my first foray into the series. I picked it up for $5 on the 3DS eShop, because Mega Man looks so scrum-diddly-umptious in Smash, and because I recently finished another punishing portable platformer, DKCR3D (which I also played on Wii -- amazing game, highly recommended).
Back to MM2... From afar, I thought it would've been one of those NES games that controlled all stiff and clunky-like, better in people's memories than a newcomer would find it in the here and now... But I'm happy to say it's quite the contrary -- this game is EXCELLENT, just constant rewarding action/reaction.
Like the NES Mario games, MM has a remarkable amount of air control when he jumps: You can make corrections mid-air, leaping farther or stopping yourself short... sailing over obstacles, or reigning yourself in before you hit a spiked ceiling. But unlike Mario, MM has built-in PEW-PEW -- it's a lot of fun peppering enemies, many of which are small targets to hit and come at you rather relentlessly (I.E. the mini-frogs spat out by the bigger frogs in Bubble Man's stage).
Speaking of stages, right from the get-go, you're given a menu with all of the bosses. You choose which one you want to attempt, and can tackle them in any order. The stages are very approachable in length; I can see someone knocking out the whole game in one fell swoop if they're up to it. Excellent platforming and twitch-action shoot-outs with all sorts of enemies, some neat gimmicks like falling platforms, conveyor belts and underwater, and moving obstacles like arcing fire breath from badass blue robo-dogs (inexplicably in Woodman's stage -- WHAT UP WIT DAT).
Metal Man, Bubble Man, Flash Man, Wood Man... I started out in that order. The game is immediately enjoyable, quick and snappy to control, with infectious music and solid, colorful sprites. But Air Man is where the game's appeal truly *clicked* for me. I was atop a Thwomp-ish-looking thing, waiting for its horns to lower so I could hop to the next one; I was hopping up and down, pivoting mid-air, shooting down the drones it sent after me, MM striking a "HEY-OOO!" pose as he pew-pew'd with wild abandon. When I'd land, I'd do a quick little shuffle in rhythm with the music, like an 8-bit Patrick Swayze. SO FUN.
And that's where I'm at now. Not done with the game yet, but halfway through. Maybe I'll hate it next level... I doubt it, though. I'm just amused at how strong the appeal is. I usually find NES-era games to be a bit... inaccessible, as someone who started gaming with the late SNES titles and really cut his gamer teeth on the N64. But here I am, loving MM2 on 3DS. For $5, it's a worthwhile experiment I'd recommend for others who, like me, didn't grow up with MM. And apparently, most of his moves in Smash reference this game, so it's a great learning experience, too!
And oh, DAT TITLE SCREEN. Soooooo COOL!
11/10 tits
