Mega Man 10 is Less Punishing and More Fun
Mega Man 10 is another surprise from Capcom as they totally disregard next gen graphics escalation and roll things back to the days of the NES when 8-bit was the standard. And for 800 Microsoft Points, it can be yours. But first things first. If you've heard or seen or touched any Mega Man game you probably already know how things play out. This game is a 2D platformer with retro graphics, play mechanics as simple as jump and shoot, and plenty of difficulty. The game is self-aware enough so that story takes a back seat to beating levels and acquiring boss powers to use as you see fit. But unlike Mega Man 9 before it, Mega Man 10 scales back on nefarious level design and below-the-belt enemy placement to make a more accessible and enjoyable experience. Challenge junkies might be a bit put off, but you can unlock hard mode by beating the game once. So if you want the game to curb stomp you from start to finish you'll get that choice eventually. For everyone else, you might actually have time to admire the 8-bit graphics, music and boss design as you play through.
The story of Mega Man 10 is ridiculous in an amusing way and wastes no time in order to justify starting another game. Robofluenza, a robotic flu, is sweeping through the world turning robots crazy and putting a halt on day to day activities. As Mega Man, it's all on you to put a stop to this nonsense and get things back to normal. Protoman is also along for the ride (without being DLC), and you can choose to play as him if you want. Dr. Light, Dr. Wily, Roll, and a bunch of other characters you may or may not recognize will pop up now and then as you play through the game. Of course, story is not really the reason people come to Mega Man games. In a way, it's a homage to the kind of wacky stories NES games came packaged with to explain why you're jumping for mushrooms or storming a castle and other scenarios. All you need to know is that robots are going crazy, Dr. Wily is the last boss (like he always is) and you're probably going to die a bunch of times before you beat it.
There isn't a lot to say about game play. You move Mega Man with the control stick, jump with A, and shoot with X. That's all there is to it. A small change over MM9 is the ability to use the bumpers to quick switch between powers without having to press start and go into a menu. This is a case of "I don't know what took them so long" because I expected this in Mega Man 9 and they didn't have it. If you choose to play as Protoman, he handles a bit differently. He has a slide (down + A) and use of a charge shot. He also pulls a shield out while jumping. The downside is that he takes way more damage than Mega Man and will die in a couple of hits. While both characters start out with a simple weapon they can gain more powers and gadgets by defeating bosses. And the bosses you're going up against are a crazy set of enemies to be sure.
After you navigate a stage you can go up against the likes of Sheep Man, Pump Man, Solar Man, and more. It's actually kind of funny to watch what "Man" will jump into the boss chamber next. After ten of these games all the good and creative names have to be running up short. But even when they have a boss like Sheep Man in the game, somehow they pull it off. As soon as you're fighting them it's like it suddenly makes sense. The little sprites of each boss animate well, with the standout belonging to NItro Man. NItro Man can transform into a motorcycle who goes so fast he pulls a wheelie and drives straight up the wall. A lot of these bosses are frantic encounters as they jump around and launch tiny projectiles so that trying to avoid damage is a neat trick indeed. Bosses are the meat an potatoes of Mega Man 10, and there are plenty more surprises when you get to Dr. Wily's castle.
Once you're done playing the main game, there's Time Attack and the new Challenge Mode. Challenge mode has a bit of tutorial but is mostly about beating special stages under certain conditions. For example, reaching the end of a room with tons of spikes everywhere or jumping on disappearing and reappearing blocks. Some ask you to practice with the various boss powers or beat mini-bosses and bosses without being hit. Really, it's actually good practice for a few annoying mini-bosses like the Goal Keeper Robot. If you're not tired with Mega Man 10 by the time you've beaten it, Challenge Mode will keep you going a long while as you try to get gold crowns on every single one. But there's probably a better chance you'll go crazy before that happens considering the kind of game this is.
As a last note, the music of Mega Man 10 is completely awesome. To be honest, I've played Mega Man games for a long time, and the music in this game is a standout for the series. It probably depends if you like midi music but there are many great tunes from start to finish. It probably helps that you can actually enjoy it because this game isn't trying to be sadistically hard. There aren't tons of annoying jumps that mean instant death if you fail. The game relies less on cheap mini-bosses that drain half your life to beat. And if for some reason Normal Mode seems too tough, you can always use easy mode to enjoy the game without feeling like you're attempting the impossible. Mega Man 10 might seem like more of the same but it's far superior to 9 and offers much more to do once you're done with the main story.
