29th May 2010 - Mega Man 10, what can you say about this timeless classic? 'Classic', Hard, Frustrating, Bringing back memories long sing forgotten. For the most part, such notions are what keep our beloved industry trucking forward, dropping jaws and bloodying thumbs in the process. But when you play a game like Mega Man 10, delivered by Capcom to its old-school fans as yet another offering following the 2008 release of Mega Man 9, you realise that stagnation and regression can be good things, too.
Gameplay
So, you grew up in the nineties. You played Mega Man. You beat Mega Man 9 last year. What's new this time round? Well, while MM10 is a very similar experience on the surface, there are some brand new additions to the age-old formula. First and foremost, there's a new plot to give all the running, shooting and dying a purpose. In a world that relies on machines, a disease known as Roboenza has caused robots to turn against their masters. The villain of the series, Dr. Wily (Mega Man's very own Dr. Robotnik) claims not to be behind the virus, and has even developed a cure. Mega Man runs off into certain death to try and retrieve this cure. If you're anything like me, however, you don't play the Mega Man series for its deep and rich narrative; you play it for the challenge.
And MM10 offers challenge in spades, not just in a difficulty sense, but in the sense of a whole new game mode exclusive to MM10. Whilst MM9 featured challenges much like achievements or trophies, MM10 turns the concept into individual, bite-sized levels. By playing through the main game, players will unlock levels for use in Challenge Mode, which can then be selected from the main menu. Say for example you reach a boss on normal difficulty, a challenge will unlock that might task you with defeating that boss without getting hit. There are 88 challenges in the same vein as this, ranging from the difficult, to the ludicrously difficult. Completing as many of these as possible will contribute to your overall rating, and rank on the all important leaderboard. The control here is spot-on for hardened gamers, the level design is ready to rip the ego from even a hardened gamer (especially the pixelated hell that is Hard mode), and the bolt collecting for assisting items is helpful throughout. But it's still getting... well, old.
Graphics
It hurts me to say it, but the retro veneer is wearing thin. No notable upgrades to either the look or play is keeping this from propagating a fully-fledged Mega Man revival. With simplistic, retro looking graphics, newcomers to the game will most likely be put off.
Conclusion
The price point is perfect for what it is, which is another fun entry in a classic franchise, but if Capcom truly wants to bring this back to the forefront, they've got to do something new.
AAG SCORE: 3/10
Pros:
- Evokes nostalgia
- New challenges and level design
- Very Challenging, which is a good or bad thing depending on the individual
Cons:
- Evokes nostalgia; and then rips it all away
- New challenges and level design
Reviewed & Written By Daniel Emmerson.