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Games You May Have Missed: Mega Man Zero Collection
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on 2011-08-15 at 10:55 (10322 Views)
Everyone has their summer traditions. Some people go fishing or camping. Others go on family trips. Me, I beat Mega Man X-X5. This summer I decided to do something new, and after completing my yearly ritual, picked up the Mega Man Zero Collection for the DS. That coupled with the recent announcement of the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3 inspired me to show the Mega Man universe some love.
It has been one-hundred years since the Maverick Wars of Mega Man X concluded, and Neo Arcadia, a perfect utopia for the humans and reploids (humanoid robots) who survived, has risen up in the aftermath as the dominant power in the world. However, when an energy crisis threatens their paradise, innocent reploids are declared Maverick (evil) and hunted down. Mega Man Zero puts players in control of Mega Man X’s sidekick, Zero. After placing himself in suspended animation for one-hundred years, Zero is awoken when members of the Reploid Resistance who are attempting to escape Neo Arcadia’s unwarranted judgment stumble upon his body. Without any memories of who he is, Zero agrees to help Ciel, the human researcher who found him, in her fight against the oppressive Neo Arcadia and joins the Resistance. As the storyline progresses, Zero’s memories and the darker hero aspects of the Mega Man X games return. Throughout the series, Zero fights to protect Ciel and her ideals. Similar to X, Zero never believes himself to be a hero. Rather, he believes in his principles and friends and chooses to stand by them. Whenever Ciel expresses her doubts about their mission, similar to the doubts X often expressed at the end of the Mega Man X games, it is Zero who reassures her and convinces her to believe in herself and their cause.
Those who have played a Mega Man game before will find the Mega Man Zero series very familiar. The game sticks to its side-scroller roots while continuing to expand on the advances and improvements made by the Mega Man X games. Differing from his predecessors, Zero is not limited to only a buster and charge shot. Zero always stood out thanks to his trusty saber which is returned to him early in the first game and remains with him throughout the series. Additionally, Zero eventually receives a shield that can be used as a boomerang in the first three games as well as an additional weapon that varies in each game. While these weapons do add new elements to each game (such as being able to grapple with the Chain Rod) it is unfortunate that the weapons and gameplay elements associated with each aren’t expanded and used in different games. Another major difference between Zero and his predecessors is that Zero is not rewarded with the abilities of the bosses he defeats as easily. While this might seem like it would make the games significantly harder, the system is actually simplified (at least in the first three games) by the incorporation of three elemental chips which allow Zero to exploit the weaknesses of the bosses. Starting in the second game, Zero also gains the ability to earn the special abilities of the bosses he defeats. Unfortunately, in the second and third game this requires players to maintain an A or S ranking which is so freakishly hard that I didn’t gain a single ability. The system receives an overhaul in the fourth game and players are given a choice to make the levels and bosses harder in exchange for their abilities. Personally I felt this was a great decision and wish all the games had incorporated this element for players who were up for the extra challenge since becoming expert enough on every level to perform a no-damage speed run was not happening.
The parts system from the Mega Man X games also returns starting in the second game, although in a highly modified format. In Mega Man Zero 2, completing missions while meeting specific criteria (which are never specified so it comes as a surprise whenever you meet one) results in Zero acquiring a new form set with differing enhancements. In Mega Man Zero 3, the system is altered to more closely resemble the upgrades for X. Zero acquires chips which are used to provide additional abilities to his head, body, and feet. These chips are interchangeable and can be swapped out based on a player’s needs or play-style. These offer various useful enhancements, such as double jumps, the ability not to die from spikes, automatic weapon charging, and various other benefits. In Mega Man Zero 4, the chip system returns but requires players to build the different components based on parts acquired from defeating enemies.
The other major way Zero augments himself is through the use of Cyber-Elves. In the first three games, these small but very useful creatures can be found by defeating enemies and scattered around the world. Unfortunately many of the most beneficial elves require the use of E-crystals before they can be utilized. While the later games decreased the required E-crystal totals, the first one was a painful chore to fully upgrade. Mega Man Zero 3 also modifies the system by allowing Zero to equip two elves that float around him to provide benefits. In Mega Man Zero 4 the system is revised and condensed down to a single elf. Acquired early in the story, Zero must feed the baby elf E-crystals to grow and develop its abilities. This provides access to many of the abilities that required hunting down numerous elves in the early games. Combined with the various gear options, these modifications compensate for the simplified system. Another nice aspect about this change to the system is that there’s no guilt trip. In the first three games, using the Cyber-Elves meant sacrificing them to augment yourself (it literally says they’re resting in peace if you check on one you’ve used) so it was kinda depressing to upgrade Zero -- or maybe that’s just me...
As is often the case in Mega Man games, the difficulty curve isn’t so much a curve as it is the apex of a roller-coaster waiting to plummet. What I mean is, in the first three games (and I probably just got lucky in the fourth) I had to attempt every initially available level, figure out which ones I could reach the boss of, and then repeatedly attempt those bosses in hopes of beating one and gaining their chip so I could start the sequence. The first game made this process more annoying by not allowing you to repeat missions you had failed without loading a save, but luckily that feature was dropped from the rest of the games. I’m not saying these games were on a Demon Souls level of punishment, but they certainly brought back memories from being an inexperienced gamer (minus the Mecha Dragon).
For anyone who has enjoyed a Mega Man game before, I strongly recommend the Mega Man Zero Collection. The Zero series honors the franchise’s gameplay roots while continuing to develop and attempt new things. While the story in the original Mega Man games was essentially nonexistent (you were always hunting down Dr. Willy, regardless of how they started), the X games managed to develop the story beyond a simple battle of good versus evil and attempted to delve into the motivations and inner thoughts of the heroes who were constantly drawn into battle. The Zero games have improved this storytelling ability even more, expanding the character development beyond the closing sequence in the games. Of course, there were a number of loose ends that I wish had been answered better and all the games had gameplay aspects I would have changed (although I’m willing to concede that others with different preferences would feel differently). That said, playing these games this summer has made me want to pick up the continuation of the franchise, the Mega Man ZX games. Honestly, selling me on its successor is more than I could have expected from a series that drew to a close over six years ago. If the fate of the Mega Man franchise is to be carried on by Inti Creates, I think the franchise is in good hands.
http://images.bluegartr.com/bucket/g...ed609003f1.jpg
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us ~ Gandalf the Grey
All images are owned by Capcom.
Apologies for the lack of gameplay images -- it’s apparently impossible to find good gameplay images of this game...
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