Nintendo Switch Online: Game Boy / Game Boy Color

[darksnowman]

On 14/06/2024 at 12:32 PM, Jonnas said:

Allow me to give you a more accurate answer: The first 4 titles have their own identity, though they take heavy inspiration (and reused assets) from the NES games. In that sense, it's fair to call them remixes. However, Mega Man V is 100% a standalone game, entirely original experience (and fun fact, the only classic MM title to not have Wily as the final boss).

@Dcubed claimed they aren't as good as the NES titles. I disagree. These games build upon the originals in interesting aspects, and in several points, surpass them. There's also plenty of original content in these GB titles.

More details about each one:

• Mega Man: Dr.Wily's Revenge - My first ever MM game, and first GB game I ever owned, so I'm biased. It is sadly quite short (only 6 levels total), but it's well polished. All of the levels are entirely new (Cut Man's stage actually has good design now, and conveyor belts, and new cut-themed enemies). The music from MM1 (NES) is much improved in both quality and arrangement, and the original tunes are bangers as well. I also really like the original enemies and bosses featured in this title.
• Mega Man II - Unlike the other four, this one was made by an entirely different team. This is the one I know about the least. Every time I tried to play it, I quit halfway through (I plan to rectify that soon). The music is entirely original, but it is awful (as in, poorly mixed, excessively high-pitched). From what little I remember, the levels were basically truncated versions of the NES titles, with nothing new in the way of assets, or even remixed concepts.
• Mega Man III - I did finish this one, but it's the only one I never replayed. It's a lot more polished than the previous title. The levels generally feel like their NES counterparts, but the specific designs are new. I'd say this is the most forgettable one (and the one that most feels like a fangame), even though it's quite solid. It doesn't help that it's in direct comparison to both MM3 (NES) and MM4 (NES). I ought to replay it.
• Mega Man IV - Considerable improvement! The levels are similar to the previous title (in the sense that they are similar-but-different to their NES counterparts), but there's plenty of original content this time around (including collectibles), and even new ways to use old weapons (Ring Man's weapon can now collect items like a boomerang, Charge Man's weapon can now break blocks and open secret passages, etc.). It's a definite improvement over everything that MM5 (NES) was trying to do. And the biggest feature yet: the shop! This is the first Mega Man game to feature a currency, and the option to purchase items from Dr.Light with it. If you thought Mega Man 7 (SNES) was the first game to have that feature, well, it wasn't, it was this one.
• Mega Man V - Like I said, entirely new game, entirely new levels, bosses, music, and weapons. It also features a shop, a new helper character (the robot cat Tango), and a new mechanic where a charged shot turns into a rocket punch (can be upgraded in the shop). Very much worth playing.

So yeah, give them a try! They're good even if you weren't familiar with NES Mega Man, and they're interesting even if you were!

Nice rundown. Was hoping to give them a try over the weekend but didn't get around to it. Definitely want a look at V based on what you've said.

The wiki's going to need updating because under Gameboy --> MM you're only down for Mole Mania. 

[Hero-of-Time]

21 minutes ago, darksnowman said:

Nice rundown. Was hoping to give them a try over the weekend but didn't get around to it. Definitely want a look at V based on what you've said.

 

I played the first one a few days ago. Difficulty was pretty brutal but manageable thanks to the rewind feature.

[Ike]

Aye, I beat the first one yesterday. Very difficult without rewind/save states. Funny how you get like 5 upgrades during the Dr Wily stages. At least they weren't re-fights.

My favourite enemy is the bacon dispenser(scworm).

 

[Jonnas]

On 17/06/2024 at 9:17 AM, darksnowman said:

The wiki's going to need updating because under Gameboy --> MM you're only down for Mole Mania. 

...We have a wiki?

On 17/06/2024 at 9:40 AM, Hero-of-Time said:

I played the first one a few days ago. Difficulty was pretty brutal but manageable thanks to the rewind feature.

12 hours ago, Ike said:

Aye, I beat the first one yesterday. Very difficult without rewind/save states. Funny how you get like 5 upgrades during the Dr Wily stages. At least they weren't re-fights.

My favourite enemy is the bacon dispenser(scworm).

Glad you gave it a try I suppose this is where my bias shows, since it's been a long time since I found the game difficult as well (and now I know the game like the back of my hand).

I know you already beat it, but for those starting out, I usually recommend starting with Elec Man in this game. Ice Man's is tricky (but can be learned), Cut Man's is hard but fair, and Fire Man's is the most difficult, could even be a Wily castle.

-------------------

As for myself, I gave the first three games a replay over the past few days. Wily's Revenge is exactly as I remember it (well, almost...the hitboxes on those electric beams are a smidge larger than I remember ), but I was surprised to see my opinions shift on MMII and MMIII:

• Mega Man II - Actually does remixed levels, yes, including adding water sections to levels (to make use of Rush Marine) and many sections that make good use of the slide. The issue is that, because it was made by a different developer, the physics feel oddly different with this game (Megaman's jump being the most notable example), but the level design was better than I remembered it, it's actually pretty decent. The music is still badly mixed and high-pitched, but if you turn your volume way down, you can still appreciate some decent compositions.
• Mega Man III - The MM3 (NES) based levels here don't feel remixed at all, in fact, they're surprisingly bland. The MM4 (NES) based levels feel more properly remixed. However, what I previously called a "solid" game... actually has so many moments of frustrating design. From having two distinct enemies that look exactly the same, to nigh-impossible "trap" platforms above spiked pits, to even enemies that feel unchanged from their NES counterparts (meaning they're way too fast or have too much range for the GB screen), it's shocking how much this game spikes its difficulty artificially. I didn't expect to say this, but this might actually be the worst of the 5 games.

[darksnowman]

Had a quick faff about in the two left levels of MM V. The TA rapid fire weapon seems to be the way to go. It's pretty supreme stuff—especially for a Game Boy game. Great job boiling it down from TV to dot matrix with stereo sound.