Topic: Super Sonic Boom Reviews #1:Mega Man II

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IMPORTANT:I have Corbie's permission to post reviews on the Nintendo Life forums.
SPECIAL THANKS:Thanks Corbie for allowing me to post reviews on the forums and for the awesome banner! Thanks Tails86 for inspiring me to review video games,. If it were not for your reviews,I would not have started mine own reviews.
This is my first review,it might be a little long. Enjoy!

Mega Man II
Platform:Virtual Console [Wii,originally on NES]. There are also numerous ports of Mega Man II on various platforms.
Gerne:Platformer,shooter.
Controllers:Wii Remote,Classic Controller,and the Gamecube controller.
Points:500

Today,some gamers prefer the latest graphics and technology in video games,and do not care about whether the gameplay is good or not. It seems that today,game devolopers care more about devoloping video games with awesome graphics or great storyline and do not put the gameplay above those things. In fact,some video games feel more like interactive movies then actual games. Which is really sad and a shame!

But in 1988-1989,video games were a lot different back then. Because of the NES's limitations,video game devolopers could not make games with awesome graphics or great storyline. But,game devolopers could make video games with awesome gameplay.
During the 8-bit era,many great 8-bit platformers were made. Even today,some of those platformers are still being played today.

One of these games is Mega Man II. Even though Mega Man II is about 20 years old and has outdated graphics and sounds,it has one thing that will always stand the test of time,which is it's gameplay.

Mega Man II is a platformer,but it is different from other platformers. Most platformers are linear,but Mega Man II is a somewhat non-linear platformer for the first half of the game. When you begin playing,you will have a choice of 8 stages. You can playthrough the stages in any order. But,having certain items will make some of the stages easier. For example,having Flash Man's Time Stopper on Quick Man's stage will make that stage much easier.

The gameplay controls are simple. You use the D-Pad to move and you use one button to jump,and another button to fire your weapon. You can press the pause button to bring up the pause menu. When the game is paused,you can change Mega Man's weapons or use an E-Tank if you collected one. E-Tanks are items that will allow you to refill Mega Man's health anytime when the game is paused,Mega Man can carry up to 4 E-Tanks. While the E-Tanks may seem like an minor addition,it will help you out countless times in this game.

Mega Man II is not as difficult as Mega Man I,but Mega Man II is still very difficult. Thankfully,you can choose between Easy mode and Difficult mode. The Difficult mode is actually the only difficulty in the Japanese version of Mega Man 2.
The American and Europeans versions added the Easy mode. The Easy mode allows Mega Man to hit enemies with twice the damage,and Mega Man recieves a lot less damage. The easy mode is recommended for beginners.
But if you want a true challenge,play Difficult mode.

The design of the stages is nearly perfect. The only stages that has design flaws is Dr. Wily's Castle:Stage 4. While I won't say what the design flaw is,I think most Mega Man fans know what it is. The stages are not very long,but they are fun and challenging.

The 8 Robot Masters are the bosses of the first 8 stages. Unlike Mega Man I where each Robot Master only had one weakness,most of the Robot Masters in Mega Man 2 have more then one weakness. These bosses are some of the most fun and challenging parts of Mega Man II,because you will have fun trying to figure out the Robot Masters' weaknesses. Figuring out the Robot Masters' weaknesses is almost like Rock,Paper,and Scissors. Each weapon is unique. For example,the Time Stopper well,stops time for a limited time. There are 3 special items that you will recieve one at a time after completing a certain number of the Robot Masters' stages. These items,called 1-3,are transport items that can help Mega Man cross gaps and reach high areas.

After you complete the 8 stages,you will be allowed to playthrough the Dr.Wily Stages.
There are 6 stages,and unlike the Robot Master stages,you have to play these stages linearly. These stages are much more difficult then the Robot Masters' stages.
You can continue the game with the use of passwords. But,it's useless now thanks to the Virtual Console's suspend feature.

Mega Man II is so fun because the gameplay is so simple,but it is difficult. But the difficulty actually makes Mega Man II so much more fun,and the difficulty never feels unfair.
The music is some of the best 8-bit tunes you will ever hear. There is not one bad musical track in this game.
The graphics are nothing special by today's standards. But for a NES game,the graphics are amazing.
Mega Man II might be easier then Mega Man I,but it is more fun. I do not know what it is. I like Mega Man I a lot,but I love Mega Man II.
So the question is this:Is Mega Man II worth your 500 points? Yes,there is no question about it. You will have more fun with this game then some $50 games.
Even if you had already bought the Mega Man Anniversary Collection,you might want to buy the Virtual Console version just beacause of the superior Wii Remote's and Classic Controller's controls.
So,what are you waiting for? This is one of the greatest 8-bit platformers ever made,buy this game!!

Graphics:8/10. Even though the graphics are nothing like modern graphics,for an 8-bit video game they really are awesome.

Sound 10/10:You will have to hear the music to believe how awesome it is. Even today,it is a joy to listen to the music. The sound effects are very good also.

Gameplay 10/10:This is one of the best games I have ever played. The controls are perfect and simple,the difficulty makes the game so much fun I'em not even exaggerating.

Lasting Appeal 8/10:You can replay Mega Man II from time to time thanks to the non-linearity of this game. There are so many ways you can replay this platformer,so you will be coming back from time to time. Which is pretty impressive for an 8-bit platformer.

Overall Score:10/10 PERFECT!