Megaman 10 brings fans new experiences
Allen ARIAS, Gaming Editor
April 19, 2010
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Gaming
The download only release Megaman 10 was received with some skepticism by its fanbase and newcomers, alike. Most were pretty scared when they found out Dr. Wily, the classic Megaman villain, wasn’t behind everything.
Some even theorized it was a trick like before, which inevitably, it was. Wily was behind it all along, so Megaman must go forth and defeat eight robot masters before fighting Dr. Wily himself, once again.
This time around Megaman is faced with the masters: Blade Man, Chill Man, Commando, Nitro Man, Pump Man, Sheep Man, Solar Man, and Strike Man. Each master has a level that corresponds to his power. For example, Blade Man has a castle filled with sharp edges and slashing robots, Strike Man has an athletic field with sports themed robots, and Sheep Man has a power plant style level with plenty of electrifying puzzles.
The music is 8-bit originals from Capcom to fit the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment system graphics. Each stage also has its own custom soundtrack that some might call catchy at best. The work in this one, however, is nothing compared to Megaman 9.
Ryan Kolnicki, 9, said, “It’s really cool how they returned to the original style, but I like Megaman 9 better.”
Like in Megaman 9, Megaman cannot use a charge blast or a dash allowing for some classic Megaman action. If that’s too hard, then gamers will appreciate the newly added “Easy mode” that removes some of the pitfalls and enemies.
Megaman does not simply cater to new gamers though, hardcore fans will have a blast with the “Super Hard” mode available for download. Super hard mode pits players against an onslaught of super juiced enemy robots and bosses that are sure to do more than cause a few broken controllers.
Tommy Bui, 10, said, “There is no way to beat it; I’ve been trying since it came out and I keep dying not even half-way through the level. I mean, it’s ridiculous, I can destroy the game on normal mode, why can’t I even touch it on super hard?”
Previously only available through download, Protoman comes as a standard character. However, he faces the same fault as before, as well although he has the ability to charge his arm cannon, dash, and deflect small bullets with a shield. He takes double damage from everything.
Between Megaman, and his brother Protoman, this game was sure to be a blast, but still Capcom added more.
Bass, the dark creation turned good of Dr. Wily, previously only playable in Megaman and Bass, also joins in the fight. Like the other two, Bass has his pros and cons, as well. Bass can shoot in any direction, at 45 degree angles, except straight down. He can use his robot dog, Treble, to fly around and gain bonus armor. However, Bass cannot shoot while running, and his shots are only one-fourth as powerful as Megaman’s.
Aside from the downloadable character and difficulty, endless mode returns.
Megaman 10 offers some fun, but not as much as hoped for. The bosses, themselves, are not as creative as they could be, and each has a single pattern instead of at least three allowing them to easily be abused and defeated.
The levels are somewhat monotonous in a few areas, the enemies seem a bit cruel until their locations are memorized, and the victory over Wily just isn’t as satisfying as it should be. Aside from normal mode being too easy, super hard mode is questionably too hard.
With every enemy killing half of Megaman and Bass’ life, or 3/4 of Protoman’s, it’s almost impossible to complete a level, let alone the game.
Attila Juhasz, 11, said, “Blade Man is so easy, all you have to do is walk towards him. I mean, I would suggest Sheep Man, Blade Man, or Pump Man to start with, but Blade Man is just pathetic.”
Overall, for about $20 the game is a decent buy, but fails to deliver everything asked. Megaman 9 would be a much better investment for one-shot thrill seekers, but Megaman 10 has its bonuses for die-hards and newcomers, alike.
Although it has improved a lot, it also fell back, leaving this game ranked a 7 out of 10.
This is a nice one to try at a friend’s house, but don’t bother buying it unless it is to complete the collection.