Recent reviews by Buzzsaw

** TL,DR: me gusta. **

I've been a huge fan of Mega Man since the NES era so I had high expectations for this game... and it didn't disappoint.

The graphics and overall aesthetic looks great. I used to think that 8-bit graphics was the only way to do Mega Man justice, but this game feels and looks like the perfect evolution to "modern" graphics. It doesn't have that annoying cartoon feel (complete with child voice acting) like Mega Man 8 did. The 2.5D is perfect. We saw what happened when they tried to switch to 3D platforming with a certain infamous "X" game years ago, so I'm glad they didn't try to go that route again. Unfortunately, the music is not up to Mega Man standards, but then again, the bar was set pretty high by previous Mega Man games so it didn't really bother me.

Play control is nice and tight, as it should be for any platformer. I recommend using an 8BitDo controller because they have a D-pad that perfectly recreates that of an old NES/SNES controller which is way better than the D-pad you get nowadays on controllers, imo.

The "Double Gear" system introduced in this game is a cool idea that allows you to temporarily increase your weapon power or slow down time and react quicker. Like all Mega Man games, the difficulty varies quite a bit based on the order you do the stages and how you use the weapons. Speed Gear is a huge benefit when used in the right situations, and understanding how/when to use various other weapons makes a big difference too. For example: you can use Tundra Man's weapon to freeze the firewall that chases you in Torch Man's stage). Not knowing the best order to do the stages and how/when to take advantage of Speed Gear can make the game seem much more difficult than it actually is for newcomers. Also, the item shop makes a world of difference. There's also 4 different difficulty modes.

Other than the music, my only gripe about the game is that it's a little too short. The Wily fortress in this one only has 2 full stages before the robot master rematches. The game does have an extensive challenge mode if you're into that, but I wish the base game was a little longer. Gone are the days of having 2 fortresses with 3-4 stages each, sadly. Plus there no items to collect in each stage (the items are all in the shop), so you don't have a reason to go back to stages you've already beaten.

...Also, it's way past time they retired Yellow Devil. It's become one of the biggest Mega Man cliches.

PROS:
Graphics look great
Play control is tight
Speed Gear is very useful and innovative (for a Mega Man game, at least)
Well balanced difficulty for experienced Mega Man players
Extensive item shop that makes it easier for new Mega Man players

CONS:
Music doesn't live up to Mega Man standards
The base game is a little short
They still haven't used my "Buttplug Man" idea

Got the game for free but I still want a refund.