Mega Man Legends is a bit hard to review. It’s definitely one of the classics that you need to play, but it’s not without its faults or things that could have been done better. Especially if you play this on the PSP like I did. Still though, it’s probably asking too much from a PS1 game. In many respects, it’s ahead of its time. You can go to a save point, fast travel and skip cutscenes for instance. It’s like a mini open world game where you can explore to your heart’s content, do valuable side quests or completely ignore getting items that can be game changing. The amount of freedom is pretty crazy. It’s also a very charming game with many little details that make you appreciate what the devs did. The island is very impressive. You can visit most buildings and it’s pretty huge. The story is presented in a cute way with a good performance by the voice cast. Still, there could have been a better map that is less confusing, I’d have like to save everywhere instead of going to Roll and the fast travel option is also limited. It’s needed because the game has huge areas. Sometimes it’s annoying to return to the surface just to save. The reason I brought up the PSP is because of the controls. You’re going to need all the buttons from the DualShock controller that the PSP is missing. It makes for very awkward controls when you need to use the special weapons and need to aim properly. Customising the controls is not going to fix this because you need pretty much all the buttons that the PSP lacks. What I did is creating custom controls for 2 different situations. The default one when I’m playing normally and the other for boss fights when I need precise controls. MML1 has been an exciting journey that makes me look forward to MML2 even more.

For as graphically and especially mechanically superior the sequel is, this is the one I always go back to. I don't know if it's the more quaint setting or the fact that the game only has one main dungeon with an almost Metroidvania design to it, but it certainly has an "it" factor to make it such a comforting experience to replay over and over again, and there's always something new I discover with each playthrough, whether it's character interactions and side stories that can go largely ignored on a casual run but they all add up to something meaningful and really helps nail the small town feeling of the game that I love so much. I suppose the sequel is technically the better game but I really feel like the original offers the better experience overall.

For those used to more modern control schemes, I recommend mapping L1 and R1 to the respective directions on the right stick for a pseudo dual-analog scheme. It's not nearly as smooth as Legends 2 which is one of the few PS1 games to utilize a proper dual stick control option, but it helps the game feel a bit less dated if the controls are what keeps you from enjoying it.

god DAMN what a game. Aesthetically this is one of the best looking games on the PS1 and it has aged like a fine wine. Exploring kattelox island is fun, navigating in all the dungeons is a bit of an ordeal but is fun nonetheless. The characters are where it's AT though as both mega mans gang and the bonne family are incredibly entertaining and memorable. The english dub ain't even half bad either. WHY THE HELL DIDN'T THEY MAKE MORE GAMES LIKE THIS??? One of the most charming and stylish games I have ever played.