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Mega Man Zero

by Andres Rojas - September 20, 2002, 11:57 pm EDT

9

X's pal Zero returns in his own series!

Nine years after the release of Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo, Capcom releases the first chapter in the third saga of the Blue Bomber’s universe, Mega Man Zero. Taking place over a hundred years after the events in MMX6, the story tells us that Zero, having decided to go into a deep slumber for 102 years, missed the entire end of the Reploid War against Sigma and the Mavericks. In the interim, Zero’s long time partner, X, has disappeared, and the city of Neo Arcadia was established in order to provide a place for reploids and humans to live peacefully. Unfortunately, soon after the completion of the city, the human government began arresting reploids with or without cause. Fearful that the reploids would once again become maverick, they drove them out of the city. A lone human scientist, Ciel, leading the last of the escaped reploids, seeks out the legendary warrior known as Zero. Thus, a new story unfolds.

Unlike the previous two series, Mega Man Zero focuses solely on the exploits of Zero, and does so with a slightly deeper emphasis on exploration and without the requisite eight selectable stages. In place of the standard stage select setup, Zero is given a multitude of missions he can complete in any order to further the reploid resistance’s cause. After a certain number of stages are completed, a mandatory mission may come up, and after being given a chance to save, Zero must complete it before continuing on with the others.

As for the missions, the level design is excellent. While some areas are initially blocked off, or cannot be accessed until a certain mission has been completed, ultimately every area can be re-visited to look for things missed the first time through. Also, some assignments force the player to return to a previously visited area, but nearly every time this is done, some new path is opened to the player, keeping the level fresh instead of forcing them to just trudge through beaten paths. Augmenting all this is the way many levels force the player to use the different weapons available to Zero.

Therein lies yet another quirk for this new entry in the series, as Zero starts the game off with a mere handheld blaster, but soon receives his customary Z-Saber. However, a few missions later, Zero is given two new weapons to use, giving the player four different weapons to master, and master them they should, as each weapon can be powered up. As Zero uses each weapon, he gains more and more experience with it, granting him new moves or abilities.

An all-new addition to the series is the inclusion of Cyber-Elves. These miniature digital entities can be found by completing certain objectives, or by finding them hidden away in small containers. Their effects range from permanent changes, such as increasing Zero’s vitality or his dashing speed, to temporary ones, like halving a boss’ energy or turning every enemy in the mission into a Met. Some of the more powerful Cyber-Elves must be raised to their full potential before they can be used. Raising them requires Zero to feed them Energy Crystals, which can be found by defeating enemies or finding canisters in special areas. It isn’t uncommon for the more powerful ones to necessitate over 1000 energy crystals before they reach their final usable state. This can get very annoying at times, but thanks to the way each area somehow connects to all the rest, tediousness is minimized.

Word has been going around that Mega Man Zero is much harder than previous games have been. While this is mostly true, as energy pellets are harder to come by and the bosses seem to be harder than ever, Capcom balances this out with the very Cyber-Elf system they’ve implemented. With the use of Cyber-Elves, Zero can lengthen his vitality, double his defense, and even cover all the spikes in the game with a sheet of ice. Although this could potentially make the game too easy for those patient enough to find, raise, and use all 60+ Cyber-Elves in the game, Capcom included a ranking system that rates your performance after every mission based on many factors including damage taken, enemies destroyed and time taken to complete it. Another factor that becomes very important is the number of Cyber-Elves used to complete the mission. Cyber-Elves with permanent effects are also added to this tally, and with only a few of those in use, the best ranking that the player can achieve can be as low as an F ranking.

It is with this combination of the inherent difficulty in the game, the Cyber-Elf system, and the ranking system that Capcom manages to create a game challenging (or easy) enough for everyone, yet also a game that challenges every player to improve their skill. With the complete collection of every Cyber-Elf, and the successful retention of a high ranking throughout the entire game, different modes of play are unlocked, each more challenging than the last, providing for possibly the most replayable Mega Man game ever crafted.

Graphically, the game really is a breath of fresh air for the series. The art style is very different from past games, yet suits the environment of the game perfectly. Complimenting the brand new art direction are crisp, detailed backgrounds and nicely animated sprites. Zero’s sprite in particular is nicely animated as every move is pulled off with a flair all his own. The major characters, including the main bosses, known as the Four Generals, are extremely well-designed, and coupled with the way the story plays out, manage to outdo nearly every antagonist Capcom has created for the earlier games.

Sound effects in Mega Man Zero are done just as they should be. Every move and explosion is accompanied by an equally satisfying sound. On top of that, voice samples are played on special occasions, and although they are few and far between, each one suits the character and the situation well. Music on the other hand is a mixed bag. The quality is more than adequate, and many of the songs are done well enough, but aside from the remix of Zero’s theme (previously heard in the X series), most of the songs are quickly forgotten.

Overall, this is definitely among the best efforts Capcom has ever made with a Mega Man game to date. Implementing an almost completely new game style, but retaining enough of the “old school” to keep the feel of the earlier installments alive, Mega Man Zero manages to breathe new life into a nearly two-decade-old game series. This is a no-brainer for all Mega Man fans, and definitely something everyone else out there should at least try.

Score

Graphics Sound Control Gameplay Lastability Final
8.5 7 9.5 9 8 9
Graphics
8.5

Mega Man Zero sports a brand new art direction that fits the Mega Man universe extremely well, and shows it off with style.

Sound
7

Although the remix of Zero’s theme is excellent, it is only played once in the entire game, and the rest of the game’s music ranges from merely good to bland. On the other hand, the sound effects and the voice samples that are there are extremely fitting.

Control
9.5

Par for the course for this series, MM Zero gives players nearly perfect controls, so that if the player screws up, they know its their fault, not the game’s.

Gameplay
9

Taking the series in a new direction, this game departs quite a bit from the tried and true formula seen in the last fifteen major installments, and it works nearly flawlessly.

Lastability
8

An extremely high score for an action game? Yes, but the inclusion of the ranking system to challenge players to master the game, extra modes to unlock on completion, and the search and raising of Cyber-Elves adds immensely to the lastability of the game.

Final
9

Easily the best addition to the series in years, Mega Man Zero is a game no Mega Man fan should be without, and all the ex-fans tired of the “same old same old” from the legendary blue bomber should definitely look into trying this one.

Summary

Pros
  • Art style
  • Character design
  • Cyber-Elf system
  • Far better storyline than usual for the series
  • Level design
  • Weapon system
Cons
  • Finding energy pellets for the Cyber-Elves can get very tedious at times
  • The default control layout is not really the most intuitive one available
  • The music could have been better
Review Page 2: Conclusion

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Genre Action
Developer Capcom
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: Mega Man Zero
Release Sep 09, 2002
PublisherCapcom
RatingEveryone
jpn: RockMan Zero
Release Apr 26, 2002
PublisherCapcom

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