Exactly how many different Mega Man series are there? Let's see, the original which just saw a retro re-entry is up to 9, and the X series is past 7 right? I stopped paying attention after number 5. Then there's the Battle Network and Mega Man Zero, and ZX, and Star Force, and some fighting games and Soccer... Mega Man is a rather prolific character. Indeed many a lapsed fan, myself included, were burned out by the sheer weight of Mega Man sequels. And yet, there is one Mega Man series that seems to have died shortly after arrival, sporting only one sequel and one side story. Naturally, this is also the series that I most want to see more of: Mega Man Legends.
Set in an alternate universe from the original series, Mega Man Legends stepped away from the story of evil robots, reploids, mavericks and whatnot and created a whole new world to explore. Showcasing a free roaming 3-D environment on the original Playstation (with the first game also seeing an N64 version), MML is a third person shooter that also sports heavy adventure elements.
Mega Man seems to be some sort of organic android this time around, it's hard to tell if the characters in this game are humans, androids, cyborgs or what, but the cast is certainly colorful. The dialog and voice acting is mostly above average, with many character personalities coming off very strongly. The Bonne family of semi-villains is especially a hoot.
The actual game play suffers a little from clunky controls, but they get the job done. When not socializing with the locals and saving the city from pirates, the boy in blue delves into the vast buried complexes of some long forgotten civilization. Here the game reminds me quite a bit of a Legend of Zelda title, absent the puzzle aspect. Toss in a little Ratchet and Clank style arsenal and shooting action and you have a good idea what Legends has to offer. Sadly, in the visual department, these games show their age. The cartoon designs help to keep the game visually pleasing on the primitive Playstation architecture, but the environments are horribly drab. As much as I want to see this series continued, I'd be just as enthusiastic for remakes of the first two titles. A graphical overhaul coupled with improved controls would go far to enhancing the playability of these games and possibly draw in a bigger audience. Whadya' say, Capcom?
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