Mega Man Anniversary Collection

NOTE: This review was written by me years ago, but it's never been posted on GB, so enjoy!

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Mega Man is video gaming’s “other” Mario. Like the fat plumber, he has starred in many games, he has been in several spin-offs, and he has made a good number of cameos. Just like Mario, Mega Man won’t die. One can be certain that the Blue Bomber would be mentioned among gaming’s greatest mascots. Why else would Capcom release Mega Man Anniversary Collection? They know he’s a legend, so why not reward him as such?

MMAC celebrates Mega Man’s 15th anniversary since his debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System (actually, it’s been more than 15 years at the time of the game’s release). Capcom and Atomic Planet have produced a must-own compilation disc for MM fans. If you haven’t played a MM game before (perhaps you were too young at the time), now is a good time as any to jump right in and discover what made MM stand out from other 2D sidescrollers. Vets will appreciate the fact that Navi Mode does not break gameplay, and I recommend that it be turned on for some spectacular remixed music, especially in MM4-MM6. But if you like your games untouched, then simply turn off Navi Mode—Capcom, of all developers, knows not to mess with a good thing. The games are actually ports of the Rockman Complete Works discs that were released in Japan several years ago. The fact that Navi Mode doesn’t extend to MM7 (there’s no Complete Works disc for MM7) is sufficient proof. Still, having all the games on a single disc is quite convenient, and also less expensive. MMAC has some cool extras like artwork and original music tracks, but the best extra is the Mega Man episode from the old cartoon series. After watching it now, it’s decidedly cheesy, but it’s good times nonetheless.

Even though MMAC may be the best compilation disc in existence, it’s not a perfect one. First, the onscreen advice in Navi Mode was poorly translated. It’s a bit painful to see such broken English when all it takes is to have an extra person standing by to proofread the text and fix it accordingly. Second, the Navi Mode track selection in MM1-3 is inconsistent; some music is remixed, some aren’t, and a few were replaced with others that feel out of place (why did they remove the Magnet Man theme?). Third, MM7 has slowdown where the SNES version did not, and this likely due to the emulator’s lack of SNES graphical effects. Both MM7 and MM8 have a problem with transitioning between screens (watch the fade-out sequence in MM7). Fourth, the two arcade games, Power Fighters and Power Battles, aren’t that great. Fighting a series of boss battles isn’t that fun without the stages that come with them. Fifth, MM8’s voice acting is still as bad as ever. If one wants to look like an ungrateful S.O.B., then one could add that even more games would have been nice (Mega Man Soccer, Battle & Chase, among others). However, the whole point of the compilation disc was to celebrate Mega Man in his purest form—just the eight games alone would have sufficed.

MMAC is one game that should not be missed. You get ten classic games, plenty of bonus material, catchy MM music in remixed glory, and a low retail price. When you buy MMAC, you’re buying a part of history. MMAC is Capcom’s formal way of saying “thank you for playing!” after 15+ years. Here’s to another 15!