Fun, challenging gameplay + level editor = must-own.
NOTE: This review was written by me years ago, but it's never been posted on GB, so enjoy!
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You probably noticed already, but Capcom has been revisiting many of their classic games lately and updating them for the current generation. Capcom has put more effort into some remakes more than others, but so far they have been generally good. However, the one game that has arguably been given the most attention and care is Mega Man Powered Up, which is a complete--and I mean COMPLETE--remake of the original Mega Man. MMPU isn’t simply a pretty-looking game wrapped around a nearly 20-year old game engine.
When you begin a new game, you’re offered two different modes—new style and old-style. Old-style is simply the old Mega Man with 3D graphics. If you really know Mega Man inside-out, everything is intact—the enemy attack patterns and characteristics, the damage each boss takes from the weapon they’re weak against, right down to the placement of each platform. Also, the screen size is displayed to mirror the NES version exactly. Even the original 8-bit music is included, as if the point wasn’t clear enough. If one is anal about details, one could complain that the old NES “Select trick” didn’t make it. But if one won’t pick up MMPU because a game-breaking bug was removed, then one clearly has issues.
New style changes everything you knew about the old Mega Man. New style includes brand-new stages, remixed music, voice acting, two new robot masters, different difficulty levels for each stage, and playable boss characters (as well as some secret characters). The ability to play as the bosses is more than a novelty as each one has a unique weapon and special ability (Cut Man, for example, can perform wall kicks to reach higher areas). Boss characters only have their primary weapon and cannot obtain new weapons; this fact may make certain stages more challenging, since their only weapons may not be effective in a level or against certain bosses. In other words, the stages were designed primarily for Mega Man.
The neat thing about the various difficulty levels offered in new-style mode is that they affect the stages in significant ways. Enemies and bosses have altered attack patterns, as well as other properties that make them harder to destroy. The stages themselves are also changed, though you'll only notice the difference if you play the stages in easy mode. The difficulty can be changed for each individual stage as opposed to setting the difficulty before starting the game.
Outside of the main game, MMPU offers two excellent modes in Challenge and Construction. Challenge mode is a series of tough but incredibly fun tasks for Mega Man and the bosses. There are a total of 100 challenges, and they are pretty devious. Not only that, but they also help you think of some great ideas for your stage, which is what Construction mode is all about. Capcom scores major points for including a level editor, and it isn’t a half-baked one, either. Levels can be small or huge, and they can be uploaded to Capcom’s server to share with other designers. You can even download stages from Europe and Asia. Upon completing user-created stages, you can rate them so that the good levels always stand out from the rest. This encourages good level design, so don’t overuse spikes or bottomless pits, or your creation will be quickly forgotten. The only real issue with construction mode is that you have to collect enemy and scenery packs in the new-style game in order to have access to more enemies and objects, and many of these packs can only be obtained with the boss characters.
The graphics in MMPU look great, and there certainly is no shortage of cuteness, but then that only adds to its charm. Casual gamers might think that because MMPU looks the way it does, the game might be for kids, therefore it’s an easy game. But as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. After Mega Man 8, one would think that the English voice acting in MMPU is pretty bad, but somehow, it just works. Dr. Light no longer sounds like Elmer Fudd, Dr. Wily has a shrill voice (the German-sounding Wily will be missed), and the robot masters all have voices that are appropriate to their personalities. The remixed music is catchy, which is how Mega Man music is supposed to be.
MMPU has only minor flaws. There is some slowdown when there’s a certain amount of animation on the screen; otherwise, the frame rate is consistently high. Keep the slowdown in mind when creating levels, because a stage that’s full of slowdown isn’t worth playing. Another problem is you can’t just jump right into Construction mode. Well, you can, but there isn’t a whole lot to work with. That means multiple visits to the same stages with different characters. It’s not bad at all, though, because each character has something different to say to each boss, and playing as the other characters change the experience (for better or worse).
You owe it to yourself to buy Mega Man Powered Up. The fans most likely have the game already, but if you’re one of those people who are turned off by the graphics, you are robbing yourself of a satisfying, challenging game in a world of easy, “it’s about the experience” games. The inclusion of the level editor for a classic series like Mega Man is genius, and the challenge mode is devious and addictive. Now, let’s hope Capcom is hard at work on Mega Man 9…
