[ Retro Scan of the Week ] Mega Man 8
February 16th, 2015 by Benj Edwards
You are getting sleeeeepy
Mega Man 8 remains notable in my mind for its resistance to polygonal 3D graphics at a time when the media perceived that as a requirement for sales success (in the PlayStation-dominated console era). I remember renting it and being impressed by its fluidity and gameplay, although it was too difficult and frustrating for me to play for more than ten minutes in a sitting.
But then again, all the side-scrolling Mega Man games have been that way for me. I’m still partial to Mega Man 2, 3, and X, though.
Discussion Topic of the Week: What’s your favorite entry in the main-line Mega Man (1-10) series?
February 17th, 2015 at 12:51 pm
#2. Definitely Mega Man 2. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s the first one I played in the whole series. I played the first one afterwards and felt it was a good start, but #2 seemed to perfect the formula. #3 was more of the same. #4 made me feel that the formula was getting stale.
If OCRemix’s archive is any indication, Mega Man 2 also has one of the most memorable game soundtracks of all time. Their charts indicate that they host 73 alternate arrangements/remixes of Mega Man 2 songs, more than any other game:
http://ocremix.org/system/nes
February 17th, 2015 at 12:52 pm
(Oops, more than any other *NES* game; there are 3 Square games that each have more remixes total.)
February 17th, 2015 at 7:29 pm
I used to play Megaman X for the Supernintendo, I still have the cart today.
February 17th, 2015 at 7:49 pm
Probably Mega Man 1 or 2. I’ve played 1 significantly more than 2, simply because of how long I’ve had my copy. The whole classic Mega Man game series is fantastic.
February 17th, 2015 at 9:27 pm
Difficult to choose between 2 and 3. 2 was perhaps the first NES game I remember buying entirely on my own, a gut purchase based solely on its Nintendo Power review… a purchase I have never once regretted. It took me years to beat it, and it remains an absolute masterwork.
I love 3 as well, despite its faults. I loved the challenge of the extra levels and it seemed to have the most interesting premise and design (most of the childish designs I invented in my mind for future MM games were based on the 3 style). 3’s problem is that it has an unfinished feel, which seems to be backed up by some of Inafune’s comments on it. It’s a shame he didn’t get to deliver on its fullest vision; it would have been the best without question.
And yes, all MM games have phenomenal music, 2 especially. Nobody did NES music like Capcom, and Quick Man’s theme stands alongside DuckTales’ Moon theme as the greatest achievements of 8-bit sound chips known to humankind.
Never played 8 until I picked up the Anniversary Collection for the PS2; hard to get past the awful dubbed anime cutscenes.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:28 am
Mega Man 2 by far, great game…
February 18th, 2015 at 4:35 pm
I’d have to go with 2 also, though I’m with you on the series being very hard (then again, NES games were really tough in general; I still can’t beat the first Super Mario Bros. – 26 years after first playing it – and not for lack of trying!)