Will Mega Man defeat Mr. X?
Written: Jan 07 '04 (Updated Jan 08 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Usual Mega Man fun and great technical achievement for the NES.
Cons: Wanted: Some imagination and creativity!
The Bottom Line: Mega Man's final adventure for the NES is only marginal at best.
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| thepremier's Full Review: Mega Man 6 for Nintendo |
Mega Man VI
Designed by Capcom
Released: 1993
Players: 1
Mega Man VI marks the end of Mega Man's series for the 8-bit NES. While many regard II and III as the series best and IV and V as something left to be desired, the sixth in the series is a rehash of similar themes while showing off the best of 8-bit programming.
The Story
The mysterious Mr. X has hosted a robot building convention. When the top 8 robots are selected, he seized control of them and unleashed them for his own evil plans. Mega Man is once again rushed into action to stop them and Mr. X (Just who could be behind Mr. X anyway??)
Gameplay
Mega Man VI like all its predecessors are sidescrolling shoot-em-ups. Mega Man only has his trusty blaster at first, which he can charge by holding B button. He can jump (A) and slide (down + A). As he goes through the levels, he can find power-ups that replenish his life energy, his weapons' energy, extra lives, and energy tanks (which you can store for later use) to restore all his health.
A boss robot controls each of the first 8 stages. Half of the eight boss robots are some kind of revamp of bosses seen in previous games, while the other half are fairly creative. Mega Man must face Plant Man, Wind Man, Blizzard Man, Flame Man - the knockoffs, and Yamato Man, Tomahawk Man, Knight Man, and Centaur Man - the more creative robots. Tackle them in this order – Flame, Blizzard, Plant, Tomahawk, Centaur, Yamato, Knight, and Wind. If you start with Wind, use it on Flame.
As Mega Man defeats these bosses, he acquires the weapon of said boss. You can only use each weapon so many times before its energy is drained. (Weapon energy can be replenished with energy pellets.) Sad to say I was mostly unimpressed with the weapons Mega Man acquires in this game, for me it is very low point of this game. Almost all of the weapons are revamped from older versions.
As Mega Man progresses through the stages, there are special items that he can acquire. Most importantly are the 2 modes of his faithful canine companion Rush. Rush works a little differently in this game. Rush and Mega Man fuse together to form 2 new forms of Mega Man. Rush Jet Mega Man can temporarily fly. Power Mega Man sends out powerful, short-range blasts that can destroy some walls. The two Rush components are earned with the defeat of 2 specific bosses. They also make Mega Man too bulky to slide so be careful. Also, in one stage, Mega Man can find a room and rendezvous with Proto Man, who will give him the ever-useful Energy Converter. This little beauty automatically distributes the energy from pellets he collects to the weakest weapon Mega Man has without the need to have that weapon activated. Finally, hidden in 4 of the first stages are the four parts to Mega Man’s cute avian avatar, Beat.
The four stages of Mr. X are appropriately long and challenging, including the last four stages after that for none other than Dr. Wily. Also, they come with characteristically difficult bosses in Mr. X’s stages and huge mechanical bosses in the Wily stages. The ending credits to Mega Man games feature a lively music theme.
As always, the game has passwords that allow you to pick up where you left off after defeating a boss, as well as taking you to directly to Mr. X's stage.
Technical
Capcom has always taken great pride in their Mega Man series. Mega Man VI stands as a crowning testament to all that the little 8-bit NES could do. Several stages feature backgrounds and foregrounds that move at different speeds, the characters are sharp and clear, and the bosses seem to have a tad more detail than in previous games. The music is wonderfully diverse – Flame Man’s stage has an Arabian pizzazz to it and Knight Man’s music is appropriately techno-medieval.
The Rest
There is simply nothing terribly new in this final incarnation of Mega Man for the NES. Only half of the bosses show any new creativity (despite the contest Capcom had at the time for players and fans to draw and submit their own boss robot creations) and the weapons that Mega Man uses reflect either the limits that can be achieved with the NES or the game designers’ imaginations. This may simultaneously be the most technologically advanced of the NES Mega Man series and the one most lacking in creativity.
If you're looking for this cartridge used, you can find it relatively easy since it was a late NES release. But, be prepared to spend upwards of $15 - $20 for it. How badly do you want to own it?
The Premier
Epinions - January 2004
Recommended:
Yes
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thepremier
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Member: Constantinos Kolios
Location: Rochester, New York
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