SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "Two in a Row? Why Not?" Edition

What? We're doing two of these SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs segments in two consecutive posts? Why, yes, we are!

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs are back on Mondays where they belong! This week we start out with a familiar boss theme from Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. Then we head to the resistance base with Mega Man Zero. Metroid Prime: Hunters delivers a sweet hunter theme while Viewtiful Joe 2 makes sure we don't go off-rails. Finally, Dynasty Warriors Gundam enters into the fray with an awesome theme to wrap things up.

As always, click on the VGM volume name to hear that song. Also, check out the VGM Database for past VGMs featured on this weekly-occurring segment! Now, let's get on to the music!

v1246. Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Wii) - Raffaello Battle

Clash on the Big Bridge is the classic Final Fantasy V song represented in the battle against Raffaello. The Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon soundtrack is choco-full of remixes of past Final Fantasy themes, focusing mostly on the first nine mainline Final Fantasy games. This wonderful piano-centric version of Clash on the Big Bridge makes it one of my favorite versions of Nobuo Uematsu's classic theme.

v1247. Mega Man Zero (GBA) - Resistance

With Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 out now on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, it makes sense to look back at one of that game's developer's earlier works. Mega Man Zero on the Game Boy Advance started a new Mega Man franchise, this time starring fan-favorite Zero, though in altered form. The theme Resistance plays at (to the surprise of no-one) the Resistance Base, housing the group that battles against Neo-Arcadia.

v1248. Metroid Prime: Hunters (DS) - Kanden Boss Theme

Metroid Prime: Hunters remains an enjoyable game to play, despite online no longer functioning. Even when it was available, you'd best play with a group of friends, or else suffer the fate of nonstop hackers cheating their way to victory. The single-player campaign wasn't the greatest the Metroid series has seen, but it did offer some practice for you to get used to the controls before hopping online. A fun aspect of this Nintendo DS classic was the various opposing hunters that Samus Aran crossed paths with, such as Kanden, for instance.

v1249. Viewtiful Joe 2 (PS2, GCN) - Railroad Battle

This rocking theme plays during a fast-paced pushcart section through a mine shaft in Viewtiful Joe 2's second level. While the overall game didn't quite hit the same highs that its predecessor did, Viewtiful Joe 2 remains a very fun character-driven action game worthy of your time. The soundtrack is almost as good as the original, which is a high compliment considering how good the first's soundtrack was!

v1250. Dynasty Warriors Gundam (PS3, 360) - Breakthrough in Your Fate

Tying together the mass slayings of enemies in the Dynasty Warriors series with the mecha magnificence of the Gundam anime series, Dynasty Warriors Gundam saw a mishmash of two iconic brands. The first game remains the one that I has the best soundtrack to me, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3's fantastic cel-shaded art style.

Azure Striker Gunvolt (3DS eShop) Review

We, as in all of this site's readers and myself, seldom get other people's opinions on games. I think it's an unspoken rule that if anyone posts an opinion that goes against mine, they are taken out. No, I'm kidding there!

In all seriousness, Bean, who has written content for SuperPhillip Central in the past, is back with a brand-new review to cap off this action-packed month of reviews. His contribution is Azure Striker Gunvolt, a game crafted by Inti Creates of Mega Man Zero and Mega Man 9/10 fame. Is Gunvolt a shocking success or a mighty number disappointment?

Gunvolt's Electrifying Entry

Mega Man games used to be a given no matter what traditional gaming platform you owned. Console owners received Mega Man 9 and 10, Nintendo handheld owners were given no less than four series, and even the PSP managed to sneak in Powered Up and Maverick Hunter X. Yes, you could always count on Capcom to take the series out for another spin... until Keiji Inafune and Capcom parted ways a few years ago, that was. With Mega Man now in hibernation, it's up to the company that used to make the Zero and ZX games in Inti Creates to create a spiritual successor to keep the run and gun gameplay going. With Azure Striker Gunvolt, I can safely say that they have done that and arguably more.

The art is amazing in Azure Striker Gunvolt.
Expected from Inti Creates, but still amazing.

Azure Striker Gunvolt definitely feels like it's another branch of the Mega Man family, most notably the aforementioned Zero and ZX series. Our hero is none other than a teen resistance fighter that goes by the name of, wait for it, Gunvolt. What is he fighting? Well, there is this group in his world named Sumeragi that are trying to both suppress and enslave psychic Adepts to control the world under the guise of peace. In fact, Gunvolt's first mission in the game is to find and eliminate an artificial life form that has the power to control other Adepts with music. As it turns out, said artificial life form named Lumen is the manifestation of another character named Joule. Seeing as how Gunvolt is not into the whole taking down an innocent character, he spares and saves both, effectively leaves his QUILL resistance group and making him the number one target of the Sumeragi.

Meanwhile, the dialogue doesn't mind
having a little fun at times.

If you're going to help Gunvolt hold his own and protect his newfound friend, you'll have to know how to do it. Sure, Gunvolt uses a blaster that isn't unlike the ones found in Mega Man Zero and ZX, but don't think shooting your enemies is the answer to everything because it's not. Instead, Gunvolt himself is an electrical Adept, and he puts his power into every bullet he shoots. When you are able to tag an enemy with a shot, a glowing-colored target will surround said foe. Said colors are blue (one tag), yellow (two), or a full-powered red (three). It's once they're tagged that you want to press the R button to fry those enemies with an electrically-charged current that also turns on a shield around our hero, and believe me, this deals damage way faster than your bullets ever could. Just make sure you keep an eye on how much juice you have left. If you are running low, you can double tap down on the D-Pad to restore your electrical power or EP quickly, but if you run out, you'll be forced to wait for a few seconds while enemies are trying to pick you off. Yikes.

In the beginning, you can only tag up to three enemies with a level one or blue charge, but you will gain guns over the course of your adventure just by completing stages that have different capabilities. Personally, my favorite gun was the one you unlock just two levels in called the Naga as it allows up to five tags. There aren't many opportunities to get that many enemies at once, but you'll be able to tag enemies with more than one shot apiece and get quite a few double or even triple takedowns to help your score out. I really didn't care for many of the other ones as more tags just seems to equal more power, but I bet there are some skilled players that could make good use of the other weapons Gunvolt can wield.

On top of just that, Gunvolt also has a skill set on the bottom screen that you can activate with the touch pad. These moves take special points or SP, and you only have three in the stage. For the most part, the only time you're really going to want to use things like an overly-powered sword stab or an instant heal are against bosses, but this power will recharge as you go along through levels. Basically, you have plenty of ways to put the hurt on your foes, and it's a good thing since some of the bosses in this game can be quite tough if you don't catch on to how their moves work and fast.

While boss battles start out simple...

The Sumeragai Adept fights are interesting in that they have a three-segment health bar. In the first phase of the fight, you'll see them perform basic attacks or weaker versions of what's to come. When they hit the second phase, this is when you'll start witnessing some of the more powerful strikes they have. Get them down to the final phase, and I guess they'll hit the bottom of their own 3DS touch screen to activate their super-powerful attack. In some cases, you'll want to go on the offensive right away and take down the boss or his hands before they try grow too big and crush you like a grape. In others, you'll be forced to stay on the defensive as lasers that are summoned through warp holes try to pick you off or you have to endure a bullet hell type scenario. What I like about these fights are just how many attacks these bosses have and how they build up to a finish. The better you play, the more likely you'll be able to bring a quick end to the fight, but you can always heal up if you have the SP to do so. It's your call!

...They quickly become quite hectic!

I think what makes the game more interesting is that Gunvolt's powers aren't just used for offense and defense. You can also activate the Flashfield with the R button to give you a pseudo-hover jump. In many stages, this can help you safely land on some jumps that would otherwise cause issues. In one particular stage, Gunvolt's shield is used as a magnet to cross up and over large spike beds looming below. That said, spikes aren't even lethal in the Azure Striker's world... barring you don't equip a very specific item that you can get from the shop. Yes, this game even has a Synth Shop that will allow you to equip items to give you abilities like a double jump, a mid-air dash, or a more powerful Flashfield ability. The way to get items to use for the shop is to go through and complete stages before partaking in a post-level card game. You can find medals in stages to give you extra tries as well as earning them by getting a higher grade in levels. Certain materials are specific to certain levels, so there is a bit of a grinding aspect that can come into play if you don't get what you want. It's one of the main gripes I have with this game, actually.

As for grading, the game wants you to basically do a speedy no-hit run while doing as many double and triple takedowns as you can throughout the course of a level. Sounds hard? Well, it is, but the good news is that you don't have to earn a super-high score to get all of the good stuff like you used to in Mega Man Zero. Throughout levels, you'll earn Kudos points which increase in the same fashion as your main score. Doing things like a full-powered tag will get you extra Kudos as well as triple tag takedowns or finishing off an enemy while in mid-air. If you get that Kudos score to 1000 in a level, you'll even have a song pop up from Lumen, and these are some of the better tracks in a game that admittedly has more songs that are just there than are stellar. The gameplay benefit from this is that you can have a chance to be resurrected should you fall in battle, but make sure you don't get hit or use a checkpoint while building your Kudos score up because you will see it drop right back down to zero then. You can increase said chances to be resurrected if you're not feeling confident by talking to Joule between stages at your base, and you'll be doing that anyway when you find seven magical Jewels that you'll want to give to her to help you eventually unlock the true ending. Yes, there's both a normal and true ending to this one. For a Mega Man-like game, there sure is a lot of content here!

Gunvolt asks the age old question,
"Which way is up?"

It wound up taking me over seven hours to get through Azure Striker Gunvolt, and I haven't even touched the bonus stages I unlocked after getting the true ending. So while the music might not be the greatest thing ever, the shop can lead to grinding, and the enemy types aren't all that varied, I had way more fun with this title than I thought I would. The gameplay is fast-paced and suits both newer players that just want to win and expert players that are seeking a true challenge. The dialogue is more hit than miss, and the gameplay definitely follows suit with some great levels that involve some neat little uses of Gunvolt's abilities.

It has been over seven years now since Nintendo handheld owners have received a game like this from Inti Creates. Obviously, Azure Striker Gunvolt isn't a part of the Mega Man franchise, but it certainly plays like it's one while also having its own unique touches to offer. I can't recommend this one enough to those that are seeking a 2D platformer that can either be a mostly fun romp or a highly challenging speed runner's paradise. I personally think is one of Inti's best games to date, and that's a pretty high compliment for a group that's made Mega Man 10, Zero 3, and ZX Advent. Yes, Azure Striker Gunvolt is a great new twist on a classic formula, but considering the developers, I guess it's not that shocking at all.

[Bean Says: 8.75/10]

Top Ten Mega Man Games

This week marks the 25th anniversary of Mega Man. Actually, Monday officially marked the 25h anniversary of Mega Man. Regardless, SuperPhillip Central is celebrating the Blue Bomber's birthday in style with a week of content. Today I have somehow managed to pick my ten favorite Mega Man games. There was a lot of them to thumb through, so this list was definitely a challenge to create. After you've read my picks, let your opinion be known in the comments section below.

10) Mega Man Legends (PS1)

Starring a character named Mega Man Volnutt, Mega Man Legends was a drastic departure from other Mega Man spinoffs. It was the first to feature fully three-dimensional areas and movement as well as many role-playing elements. The game contained towns for young Volnutt to converse with the citizens as well as dungeons for exploration and destroying enemies. I like Mega Man Legends because it was such a change in the series's normal structure. It was a bold new direction, and one that I wish would have continued with the now-cancelled Mega Man Legends 3.

9) Mega Man 8 (PS1, SAT)

Mega Man leaped into the 32-bit era and the PlayStation console with Mega Man 8, twhich would be the last mainline classic series Mega Man game for a decade. The art style was suitably colorful with vivid sprites and lovely detailed backgrounds. I enjoyed the hackneyed voice acting, which added to the charm of the game, in this writer's opinion. Furthermore, I loved collecting the hidden bolts that could be used to buy upgrades at Dr. Light's laboratory. The game could be as easy or as hard as the player wanted depending on which parts they purchased. Mega Man 8 stays in my memory not only because it's a competent classic Mega Man, but because of "Jump, jump. Slide, slide", which will stay ingrained in my memory as well.

8) Mega Man Battle Network 2 (GBA)

My favorite game of the Mega Man Battle Network franchise, Mega Man Battle Network 2 took the original formula MMBN 1 laid out and improved it exponentially. The same RPG, action-card game traits were still present, but new features like multiple chip folders for different battle occasions and the addition of Subchips made the game work more seamlessly. It is also the only Mega Man Battle Network game that I fully completed 100%, so to say that this fact didn't factor into my giving the game a spot on this list would be a lie.

7) Mega Man Zero 2 (GBA)

While the original Mega Man Zero had an immensely challenging difficulty, Mega Man Zero 2 brought it down to more reasonable levels. Speaking of levels of a different type, Mega Man Zero 2 shied away from the interconnected levels of the original. The structure was more traditional Mega Man with a level select menu. The new inclusions of EX Skills, won by completing missions with either an S or A ranking, and Forms, earned by accomplishing certain in-game goals, changed the gameplay well enough for Zero 2 to distinguish itself from its predecessor. What the game kept, however, was the fun challenge, the more serious story, and the engaging missions of the original Zero.

6) Mega Man 9 (WiiWare, XBLA, PSN)

After a decade of dormancy, classic Mega Man returned to the spotlight with Mega Man 9, available on all three of the major console downloadable services. Drawing huge inspiration from the original two Mega Man games, Mega Man in Mega Man 9 cannot slide or charge his Mega Buster. It was back to basics. Though the game used the old school 8-bit art style fans knew so well, the developers of the game have noted that as it is, Mega Man 9 would be much too large to fit on a traditional NES cartridge. The game was a breath of fresh air, retaining a lot from Mega Man's past while creating an entirely new experience, and finally, a woman was represented as a Robot Master in the form of Splash Woman. Now that's progress!

5) Mega Man 3 (NES)

In some ways I prefer Mega Man 3 to Mega Man 2. Perhaps it's because Mega Man 2 is so highly rated that I feel that Mega Man 3 is severely underrated. Perhaps it's the level design (no obnoxious Quick Man stage, for example). Or perhaps it's the introduction of Mega Man's trusty canine Rush, his three transformations, and Mega's ability to slide that form my opinion. Regardless, Mega Man 3 is series creator's Keiji Inafune's least favorite additions to the franchise. Most of that was due to development time restrictions that left a lot on the cutting room floor. Still, I am always impressed with what was put into the game despite these problems. 

4) Mega Man X4 (PS1, SAT)

Alongside the release of Mega Man 8 was Mega Man X's debut in the PlayStation era. For the first time in franchise history, Zero had his own separate story from X, meaning that players had two campaigns to run, gun, and jump through. The more detailed graphics meant that players would definitely get a visual delight with the more powerful PlayStation platform. The levels were killer too, featuring training tests in cyberspace, rumbles in the jungle, a ride aboard a military train, and a red hot trip through a volcano. Mega Man X4 is infamous for its atrociously acted cutscenes, but like Mega Man 8, I think that just adds to the charm. Mega Man X4 ranks right up there with the better Mega Man games. It's level design, visuals, and overall high octane package make it that.

3) Mega Man X2 (SNES)

Mega Man X2 continued the tradition of fast paced gameplay that its predecessor introduced to the Mega Man franchise. Indeed, Mega Man X2 was very much more of the same, but when "more of the same" means more Mega Man X action, you really can't go wrong. In fact, Mega Man X2 features some of my most favorite memories of the X series. Everything from the incredibly well done level design to the catchy soundtrack will forever be etched into my gamer mind. The addition of collecting all three of Zero's parts created even more replay value than its predecessor.

2) Mega Man 2 (NES)

The best-selling Mega Man game-- and for good reason-- Mega Man 2 is a trusty title to name as one's favorite classic Mega Man. It introduced concepts that would remain in the classic series such as eight Robot Masters to defeat as opposed to the original's mere six and one-time use Energy Tanks, that refill Mega Man's health when needed. It also featured some of most memorable 8-bit tunes in video game history. I don't think I even need to say Dr. Wily's stage theme. Well, I just did. Regardless, Mega Man 2 is usually listed as one of the greatest video games of all time on various sites. If you don't know why, playing this game for yourself will provide you with the answers.

1) Mega Man X (SNES)

If you have read any Mega Man articles from me in the past, then you know that my favorite Mega Man series is the X series. The addition of wall climbing and armor upgrades from Dr. Light capsules such as dashing and X-Buster charging made made for an entertaining time. Hidden heart tanks and subtanks meant the replay value of Mega Man X was much greater than that of the classic series on the NES. The 16-bit graphics meant more detail and more impressive visuals. Mega Man X delivered in spades on better action, more secrets, and a darker story. It not only remains my favorite Mega Man game (in any series), but it also remains one of my favorite video games of all time.

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This list of my top ten Mega Man games is complete. Do you have ten favorites that you'd like to share? If not, what is your favorite Mega Man game in general, with regard to any series? Let the community know in the comments section.

Rank Up! - Mega Man Franchises

This year marks the anniversary celebrations of a number of famous video game franchises: Ratchet & Clank is ten years young, Kingdom Hearts is the same age, Final Fantasy parties for its 25th, and so does a little-known blue bomber known as Mega Man. Rank Up! is where I take a popular series or line of products and list them from least liked to most liked (by me personally, of course). Our subject today is the various spinoffs and series of Mega Man. Before we can get to what spinoffs I like the best, we must see which ones will be ranked:

Mega Man (Classic)
Mega Man X
Mega Man Legends
Mega Man Battle Network
Mega Man Zero
Mega Man ZX
Mega Man Star Force

Mega Man celebrates his 25th anniversary this year. While Capcom commemorates the occasion with a whimper and not a bang, Mega's fans are there to pick up the slack, despite their deep depression when they finally came to the realization that Capcom no longer really cares about the blue bomber. As of the end of 2012, the Mega Man series (and its various spinoffs) have sold over 29 million copies worldwide. Now, to be fair, it is pretty hard not to sell that many copies when only a few years ago you couldn't turn around without seeing a new Mega Man game on store shelves.

7) Mega Man Star Force 

Mega Man Star Force as a series isn't necessarily bad, but the reason I don't really care for it is because it's essentially just Mega Man Battle Network with an over-the-shoulder point of view and dumbed down mechanics. I mean, didn't we just already have six similar titles already with Mega Man Battle Networks 1-6? Did we really need more of the same just on a new handheld platform? The same gameplay with less complexity, the same exploration with few changes, and the same battle mechanics but using Battle Cards instead of Battle Chips? Apparently not as sales spoke loudly. The series was put on hiatus after three successive middling titles in a row on the Nintendo DS (and various versions like a mainline Pokemon game). Regardless, like I said, the Mega Man Star Force series is not particularly awful. It is just uninspired compared to past Mega Man series.

6) Mega Man ZX

Taking place two hundred years after the finish of the Mega Man Zero series, Mega Man ZX brings for the first time the ability to choose between a male or a female hero. Through acquiring Biometals, players can change forms. Model H allows for the ability to air dash up, down, left or right, hover, and utilize two blades to assault enemies while Model L grants its wearer the powers of swift swimming and dashing underwater. Mega Man ZX has an open world map, though the first game in the series had an immensely confusing world map. Mega Man ZX Advent, the sequel, fixed this problem. It also added the ability to turn into defeated bosses and use the range of their powers to advance to new sections of the game, like greater eyesight in dark areas and increased underwater functionality. ZX Advent, unlike ZX, had a full English voice cast which added to the perceived value of the game. Both are capable Mega Man titles, but the backtracking and challenge might put some players off.

5) Mega Man Legends

Although there have been only three games in this spinoff series, two mainline games and a Tron Bonne side story, Mega Man Legends is one of Capcom's most requested games that fans clamor that they want a sequel from. Like pouring out a canteen of water in front of a man dying of thirst, Capcom shamelessly and cold-heartedly cancelled any further development of Mega Man Legends 3, a much-desired and anticipated game bound for the Nintendo 3DS, even after asking for fan input at multiple moments. This announcing from out of nowhere sent a ton of negative publicity and criticism to Capcom. There's even a (futile) Facebook campaign to resume development of the game. Regardless, unlike the majority of other Mega Man games, Legends was played in a fully three-dimensional world. Players assumed the role of a Digger named Mega Man Volnut in a world flooded by water. The Mega Man Legends series was originally made to show off the 3D capabilities of the PlayStation 1. It did that, but the game suffered by the lack of a second analog stick. I find going back to the game difficult as the combat is rather clunky, making it artificially challenging because of the controls.

4) Mega Man Battle Network

Ten years ago Mega Man Battle Network premiered on the Game Boy Advance in an attempt for Capcom to bring some role-playing game elements into the Mega Man series. Six games, an anime, and various spinoff titles later and you have a competent and addicting action-RPG full of collecting chips and defeating evil Net Navis, most of which based off Robot Masters from the Classic series. Players take on two roles during the game: while exploring the real world players control an elementary school student named Lan. When he connects to the Internet, players control his Net Navi, MegaMan.EXE. Lan's gameplay was mostly typical RPG fare -- moving around destinations and conversing with the locals. He could jack into numerous Internet-ready and electronic devices where MegaMan.EXE could explore, finding items and collectible chips, and battling computer viruses. Many times in the games MegaMan.EXE could help Lan advance. For example, if a floor was electrified in Lan's world, MegaMan.EXE could find a switch on the Internet to shut it down. Battles had the blue bomber moving across a 3X3 battlefield, having the player select from a random selection of attack chips, and using them on the various viruses Mega came across. I enjoyed mastering each game, but the spinoff series became a victim of sequelitis and many of these were too samey for my liking.

3) Mega Man Zero

What I would consider the hardest of the Mega Man line of games, Mega Man Zero is a series that quite obviously stars Zero. It is set many moons after the events of the Mega Man X franchise and begins with a girl named Ciel awakening a hibernating Zero. The story involves a resistance putting up a fight against a xenophobic Neo Arcadia. Throughout the plot and the Mega Man series as a whole, the common thread is if humans and robots can coexist. On an interesting note, Mega Man Zero marks the first time a Mega Man series has had a definitive conclusion. As for the gameplay, it isn't that much of a dramatic departure of the Classic and X series. It's your standard run and gun, but this time Zero's performance is critiqued at the end of each mission based on time completed, damage taken, and Cyber Elves used. Scoring excellent ranks gives Zero new abilities. Although the scoring system is pretty harsh (once you get a C, it's pretty hard to push it up to an A over the course of the game), the Mega Man Zero series actively rewards players for continuing to work hard and strive to be better. If you don't wish to track down all four original Game Boy Advance carts, you can grab the Mega Man Zero Collection on the Nintendo DS which has the series on one game card with extras, an easy mode, and the ability to play through all four games consecutively.

2) Mega Man X

Most definitely the Mega Man series that I like the gameplay most out of any other, Mega Man X continues the tale of the Classic franchise and gives it a darker theme and more complex story with Reploids raging war and lives being lost. Mega Man X was a character who had much more mobility than his predecessor. He could climb walls, charge his X-buster (as well as the weapons he picked up from defeated Maverick bosses), dash, and even equip upgrades from hidden away capsules by Dr. Light. Such helpful benefits from the good doctor could be a midair dash, the ability to headbutt blocks, armor that provided double the defensive capabilities, and charged shot upgrades. Instead of Robot Masters, animal and object-themed Mavericks took residence in each game's eight primary levels. The X games also possessed a lot of secret goodies to uncover such as the aforementioned Dr. Light capsules, health-increasing Heart Tanks, and Sub Tanks that allowed X, Zero or later Axl to restore their health in battle. Later Mega Man X games experimented with 2 1/2D and 3D gameplay to varying degrees of success.

1) Mega Man (Classic)

My mind was a battle zone between thoughts of Mega Man X prevailing and Classic Mega Man being listed as number one. While I do enjoy the gameplay of X over the Classic series, there really hasn't been a stinker in the mainline Classic Mega Man games while there has been with the Mega Man X games (notably Mega Man X6 and X7). The original Mega Man was an incredibly novel experience. Instead of playing through a linear order of levels, players are allowed to choose from one of six Robot Masters (all future installments would provide a choice of eight). Each Robot Master has its own weakness. By defeating the boss in a given stage, Mega Man would acquire their signature weapon to use in the other levels. For instance, Elec Man has a huge weakness against Cut Man's Rolling Cutter weapon. It would take much fewer Rolling Cutter attacks to defeat Elec Man than any other weapon. (In fact, the other Robot Master weapons would hardly put up much of a fight at all.) This rock-paper-scissors type gameplay makes the strategy of playing the levels in the correct order all the more important. Of course, expert players can opt to play through the game's levels in any order they want for added challenge. Even Mega Buster-only, Mega's primary weapon, runs are commonplace. The Mega Man series had a bit of a renaissance several years ago when Inti Creates developed a bit of a retro revival of the Classic games, releasing Mega Man 9 and later on Mega Man 10 on digital platforms. The games returned to the 8-bit style of the first six Mega Man titles (7 and 8 were more modern takes on the franchise).

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Are you a fan of Mega Man? What are you favorite Mega Man franchises/spinoffs? What do you think of Capcom's treatment of the franchise in recent years? Let the SPC community know in the comments section.