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Review by: Jake
Delfeir
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Reviewers Score:
8 / 10
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Posted: November 28, 2005
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Megaman Zero 2
System: GBA
Genre: Action/Side-scroller
Difficulty: Medium
Rating: 8/10
Once again, I find myself confronted with the review of a Megaman game.
Much like its predecessor, Megaman Zero 2 is a suitably fun game in the
newest branch of the Megaman series. Read on to get all the details.
Graphics (9/10)
Little has changed here since the previous game, though there have been
some touches. The character pictures, which looked somewhat rough in the
earlier game, have been improved upon slightly to make them look a
little better. The sprites are all fairly similar once again, with a few
extras here and there, and there's a slew of backgrounds both old and
new. Once again, the graphics are good stuff and suitable for the
situation, but there's nothing amazingly new or ground-breaking here.
Sound (8/10)
We have a new soundtrack here, though a few of the songs return or sound
similar to previous ones. Like before, these are pretty good songs, but
hearing them too much wears a bit thin. Also, the sound effects are
mostly carbon copies of the previous game, so that tends to annoy as
well. All in all, nothing has really changed here - you might like the
sound at first, but it doesn't last.
Storyline (8/10)
The storyline of Megaman Zero 2 takes off... well, not immediately after
the first. There's a year in between the two. The events between the two
are mentioned at the beginning, and it goes like this - Zero has left
the Reploid Resistance for the time being to search for himself. He's
still fighting Neo Arcadia, but he's understandably sick of these
meaningless battles, and he's pretty much worn down to exhaustion. He
uses the last of his strength to survive in the opening stage, but then
he is saved by none other than Harpuia, one of the Guardians of Neo
Arcadia from Zero 1. Hmm...
Anyway, he's dropped off at the new Resistance base. And here we find a
new leader - a weird Reploid called Elpizo. He's decided that the only
way to save Reploids is to destroy Neo Arcadia, rather than use
pacifistic methods that Ciel is working on making. In short, a new
energy source to end the energy crisis. Zero is found, fixed up and put
back on his feet - and now you're doing missions for Elpizo. You'll
assist their efforts to de-stabilise Neo Arcadia, as well as help Ciel's
research a bit. That's how the game starts, but more will unfold in just
a while. Like the previous game, the story is alright and is a little
more deep this time around, but it's hardly brilliant. Just typical
Megaman fare... which isn't a bad thing at all.
Gameplay (9/10)
Again, everything is pretty much taken directly from the predecessor.
There are a few changes, however. The basic gameplay remains the same -
you have to go through levels and do missions, while dispatching a boss
as well. You have a change in the basic arsenal of last game, however -
while the Z Saber, Buster, and Shield Boomerang all remain, the Triple
Rod has now been replaced with the Chain Rod. This alters things a
little, since the Chain Rod can pull things towards Zero, be it enemies
or dropped items. This makes it possible to get some tough-to-get items
that are scattered around, which are only collectible that way. Also,
the Chain Rod acts like a grappling rod, meaning that Zero can use it to
stick to walls and swing between big gaps, or catch himself against a
surface to make a jump to a higher place. It makes things a bit more
interesting.
The famous boss abilities now make their return to the franchise as
well, which is a welcome return. Beating a boss will net you an EX
Skill, which allows Zero to expand his repertoire of abilities. You can
turn them on or off at any time, depending on your play style. These
include things like an uppercut with the Z-Saber, or an exploding flame
shot with the Buster. Some of these need the Element Chips to use, which
make a return from Megaman Zero as well. The big catch with this,
however, is that you have to get a high score in the level to earn the
EX Skill. You must get an A or S rank in EVERY STAGE to get them all,
which can be pretty challenging for the average joe. Along with the EX
Skills, it's also possible to collect new Forms. Forms will change
Zero's colour and alter his stats a little bit, as well as alter the
play style for him considerably. These are achieved by using a certain
weapon or trick often, or by meeting certain conditions. These include
beating up lots of enemies in one stage with the Z-Saber, or pulling
lots of items and enemies to you with the Chain Rod, or deflecting a
certain amount of bullets with the Shield Boomerang. It's not much, but
it's something for the perfectionists to dig up. Though they're not
really well-documented... I didn't even know they existed until my
second playthrough.
The Cyber Elves are back, and they play exactly the same as they did the
first time. You feed them with Energy Crystals, then you equip a few and
let them loose to power you up. Aside from these little changes and new
features, the gameplay is pretty much exactly the same as the first.
This isn't such a bad thing, though, and it's good to have new bosses
and new stages to party on. The only real downside is that the bosses
are somewhat less difficult this time, especially the final one - the
easiest final boss in the series. Nonetheless, it's a good game for
those who are at least a little fond of the franchise or game style.
Replayability (5/10)
Once again, the replayability is minimal here. It's an improvement,
however, since getting all the Forms and EX Skills might draw a few
players back. Apart from that, though, there's only an extra difficulty
mode to unlock, and the game itself is fairly short. So this won't last
you long, and you won't be coming back unless you're like me and desire
a regular Megaman Zero fix.
Overall (8/10)
This was a new look and approach to the Megaman franchise, but since
it's the second game, that's not so true anymore. Instead, it's a solid
game that continues to provide plenty of entertainment for a series that
is well past its prime, but still going strong. If you liked the
previous one, or any Megaman game, or even any game of this type, then
you should like this one. Just be warned - like its predecessor, it
won't keep you captivated for too long. |
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