GAMER GALAXY: “Mega Man ZX”
By Dean Watana Leng Jr.
Sept. 23, 2006 9:00 p.m.
“Mega Man ZX”
Capcom
NINTENDO DS
(Out Of 5)
Who knew a little robot boy could be so successful? It’s
been over 15 years and 50-plus games and Mega Man is still going
strong. (Spielberg and Osment clearly didn’t do their
homework.)
The latest entry in the series, “Mega Man ZX,”
sticks with the series’ classic side-scrolling roots,
departing from the role-playing formula Capcom has clung to so
dearly in recent years with its portable titles.
And importantly, it is the first such game for Nintendo’s
latest handheld effort, the DS system.
In “ZX” the classic Blue Bomber appears for the
first time as a human empowered by the mysterious
“biometal.”
The player has the option to play as either Vent or Aile (male
or female). Their stories differ only slightly, but each is worth
playing.
Both are naïve young delivery people who suddenly find
themselves destined for greatness while caught in the middle of a
battle between man and machine in the far-flung future ““ with
all the melodrama such a conventional Japanese plot entails.
In addition, the publisher failed to bother dubbing the very
limited animated cutscenes into English, though they are
subtitled.
The Mega Man series, however, is not known for its plot. It is
the raw action that draws many a player to the franchise.
Fortunately, the game successfully nails the intensity of its
predecessors without hammering the player over the head with
difficulty, as some previous installments have.
And ultimately, “Mega Man ZX” stays true to its
roots while also bringing several new additions such as biometals
and the world map (new if you don’t count the RPGs).
Biometals are sets of abilities associated with new suits which
are unlocked as the player progressively defeats the varied
elemental and vaguely feral bosses scattered throughout the
game.
Each addition offers players several new attacks and ways to
navigate the game’s environment ““ handy given the
map.
However, while a good idea in theory, the map is poorly
executed.
“Mega Man ZX” eschews the series’ established
stage-by-stage gameplay to mimic the free-roaming world maps that
other former side-scrolling franchises such as
“Metroid” and “Castlevania” have already
progressed toward.
This works well in breaking up the traditionally linear gameplay
by letting players speak to townsfolk and seek out secrets
freely.
But, highly nonintuitive and difficult to navigate, the
game’s various sectors are given nondescript names.
Consequently, it can be a chore to figure out where you’re
heading next. Few would count wandering aimlessly toward enjoyable
gameplay hours.
And it doesn’t help that each bystander rarely offers more
than a bland statement.
Meanwhile, optional quests break up the action and give players
breathing room. However, why one would take the time to deliver
love letters in the midst of a struggle between man and machine is
a little baffling.
Though DS and its touch screen offer unique opportunities for
fresh gameplay, the game does not utilize touch; the second screen
is hardly used; and graphics are not substantially enhanced given
the system’s potential.
Overall, despite the unintelligible map, “Mega Man
ZX” is an entertaining and enjoyable addition to this
treasured series that doesn’t raise the bar, but manages to
somehow limbo just under it.
E-mail Leng at [email protected].
