03.12
This is going to sound contradictory after my previous post praising the Mega Man series for returning so exactly to its 8-bit roots, but after playing through Mega Man 10, I think I'm done with the 8-bit Mega Man revival.
Don't get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed it, even if it wasn't quite as nailed in as Mega Man 9 – or thankfully not nearly as difficult. There were inspired, imaginative stage in it, in particular Solar Man's and Strike Man's. I loved Strike Man's mid-level bosses, as pictured above – so funny, so creative. Both those stages offered the best music too, Solar Man's a particularly unusual but resoundingly triumphant piece of chiptune. It was all over the place, better than half the music you hear in modern games, and so full of pace that it really made the stage exciting.
I almost feel like I've defeated my own argument here. Yes, Capcom has proven that an 8-bit game can stand up in the modern era and be plenty of fun. And there's no doubt that fans will lap up further 8-bit releases. I'd just like to see Mega Man 11 follow the New Super Mario Bros. series formula now that Capcom has shown 8-bit still works. Keep the values and the presentation of the old Mega Man games, but do it with spruced up visuals on the DS. Yes, there's things like Mega Man ZX but it's just not the same, even if it is quite a good game.
Yeah I don't know, I feel like I've defeated my own argument again. Did anyone else play Mega Man 10? You looking forward to more of the same in Mega Man 11?
I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one – the visual style should remain. Capcom just needs to be willing to do more with the classic Mega Man universe, perhaps introduce a new villain or concepts like its 8-bit adventures of yesteryear.
I think what Capcom has to work on is not falling back into the same pitfall with the Mega Man series that lead them to take the 8-bit route in the first place. Basically to where they produce them in a cookie cutter fashion.
There needs to be more originality, and not the "oh there's a robot that shoots soccer balls, his name is Soccer Man, and you have to defeat him by kicking soccer balls at him" mentality.
I understand that this has been the way things have been done, and why the Mega Man series has become so loved, but there has to be something more than that. Anything.
I think that's where Mega Man 10 fails for the most part. It relies too, too much on the concept and doesn't deviate enough to stand on its own. Perhaps Capcom took the safest coarse of action with this game. Which is okay, but they can't depend on that again if they want to hold gamers' attention spans.
Frankly though, you are right, more of the same wouldn't be bad. Heck, despite all it's shortcomings, Mega Man 10 is still a very fun game. But after a while too much of a good thing can become quite stale.
But I'm going to hate to say it, I'll probably still buy it anyway because I love the Blue Bomber so much.