Rockman Anniversary Collection (2004) (VG)

Release Date:

22 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action

Plot:

Cast

Jon M. Gibson	...	Himself
Lynn Harris	...	Roll (voice)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:E

Company:

Atomic Planet Entertainment Ltd.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Rockman 6 (1993) (VG)

Sweet 16 (PS2 Version)

I just finished playing the entire series on this disc recently, and thought I'd start some reviews here. Now, I'm a HUGE fan of the MegaMan series, and I was practically dying to get my hands on this. This is probably one of the passable MegaMan releases since this whole "16th Anniversary" thing began. And the breakdown, though there shouldn't be much to say...

GRAPHICS: All of the games get their own slot here, but one thing can be said about all of them...all the games keep their original graphics. No graphical enhancements here, and if you really liked MegaMan, you could care less. MegaMans 1-6 maintain their 8-bit style, and MegaMans 7 and 8 maintain their 16-bit style. The two bonus MegaMan games (MegaMan: The Power Fighters/MegaMan 2: The Power Battles), have those PS1 16-bit graphics. The anime intermissions in MegaMan 8 have been kept (though there is that DVD "grain" that you see on low-quality DVD videos), too.

SOUND: Most of the music for MegaMans 1-6 have been remixed, using the mixes from the second MegaMan fighter game. MegaMans 1-3 only have some of their music remixed, but MegaMans 4-6 had ALL their music remixed...probably to drop the drab music they used back in the NES days. However, MegaMans 7 and 8 maintain their original music with no remixes involved.

GAMEPLAY: The same type goes throughout all the games...shoot, jump, slide.

However, some things have been added to MegaMans 1-6...you can press Triangle to rapidly fire 3 Mega Busters, and you can use L1 and R1 to switch between weapons. Same goes for the other games, really. You can also unlock extra bonuses, like unlocking a cartoon episode from the MegaMan cartoon series, and listening to special music for some of the game characters. You can also receive help tips during gameplay to help you overcome traps and obstacles. They probably won't help out a lot in the first few games, but in MegaMans 4-6, you'll be glad those help tips are around.

STORY: All games are the same...fight 8 Robot Masters till reaching Dr. Wily. The first MegaMan game is the most original...Wily's Castle is not map-oriented, and the 6 Robot Masters there will be confronted as you make your way through the fortress. From MegaMan 2 and beyond, the castle is map-oriented, and you must first the 8 Robot Masters by moving through a teleportal room. From MegaMan 4-6, there are new "final" enemies, but it always turns out to be Dr. Wily's doing. From MegaMans 7 and 8, it goes back to battling 8 Robot Masters until ultimately reaching Dr. Wily, but in each game, you start off on a disturbance mission before being thrown into official battle. In the MegaMan fighters, you basically select a course and fight Robot Masters until reaching Dr. Wily.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a must-have for MegaMan fans alike. I've only checked out the PS2 version, so I have no idea what you'll find out on the GC version. I give MMAC 9/10.