I think the most bewildered I've ever been about an average rating on this site is Mega Man 8 being .2 below Mega Man 7.
That might not seem like much but consider how vast the disparity is between these two games. One is this gorgeous, wonderful attempt at revitalizing classic Mega Man for a new generation without compromising on the key elements that made the series so beloved in the first place. The other is Mega Man 7, a game thrown together in three months that (while miraculously stable) was rendered dull and downright messy for it. At no point playing Mega Man 7 did I think Capcom was doing anything notable or worthwhile with the formula to justify it being an SNES game, not that rushing it to market would afford the team enough space to innovate anyway. Mega Man 8 has a soccer ball. You couldn't do that on old consoles!
Alright, I'm being somewhat facetious, but I'm not kidding when I say Mega Man 7 and Mega Man 8 represent the classic series at its wort and best, respectively. Not that I always felt that way. When I first played this game on the Mega Man Anniversary Collection way back in 2004, I hated it. I was filtered out by "jump jump, slide slide" and am adult enough now to admit it, but I was also one of those people who was very dismissive over the game due to its cutscenes. I was 16 and stuck in a sad state of mind where all the media I enjoyed - including Mega Man - had to be treated with enough self-seriousness as to not embarrass me by proxy. It's taken me almost 20 years, but I now find stuff like "doctah whywee" to be very silly and fun and part of the appeal of Mega Man 8, and to correct that with a more competent dub would be akin to stealing Mega Man's soul.
Even if you still hold some animosity towards the goofy cutscenes or the jump/slide levels (which I beat first try on four hours of sleep and energized by a single can of NOS, which means they can't be that bad), I still feel that the rest of the game is a brilliant refinement of what Mega Man was up to that point. Everything just feels better than it ever has here. You have more control over Mega Man, levels are intricate and their aesthetic design is vibrant and imaginative, and robot masters are at their peak both in terms of visual and mechanical design.
I think weapon powers in Mega Man games are at their best when they also provide distinct utility for navigation, and that basically describes every weapon in Mega Man 8. Flash Bombs can light up dark areas, Tornado Hold effectively replaces R. Coil, Thunder Claw can be used as a grappling hook, and Astro Crush serves as a powerful screen-clearer, to name a few. I paid some lip to it earlier, but I also love the soccer ball power-up. For the most part it's not terribly useful, which is kind of appropriate considering how soon you get it, but it's fun kicking that thing around and watching it ricochet all over a room and take out smaller enemies. In general, I think the weapon powers just feel really good to use against enemies, especially bosses. Tangling Clown Man up with his own limbs thanks to a well-timed Tornado Hold, or annihilatingDr.Wily's Dr. Whywee's ship with a cluster of Flash Bombs results in some pretty good feedback.
My only real complaint is with the item shop, and it's barely a complaint so much as it's a matter of personal preference. You can buy items between levels using bolts, which are few and far between and generally require some ingenuity to obtain, meaning you'll likely only be able to afford so much. Some of the ways you can augment your arm cannon are cool and upgrades to the amount of weapon energy and health you're able to recover are invaluable, but I find scouring levels for bolts to be less engaging than Mega Man X's system of locating armor parts. Not only do I feel Mega Man X is better about incentivizing exploration, but having the armor pieces reflect Mega Man's growth is more interesting visually than dropping a new icon on the second page of the inventory screen.
Honorable mention to the robot master contest submissions being shown during the end credits. It's really cute and something I wish was present in the other games, though hardware limitations understandably made that impossible or at least too difficult/compromised to be worth it. It's neat seeing them side-by-side with their final designs, which of course had to drop certain elements in order to achieve a more unified design, but they're still undeniably the same characters, and I can't imagine how cool it must've been for these kids to see their robot masters in the actual game. At the risk of treading old ground, I think it's such a shame you could never do a contest like this again.
My journey back through the classic Mega Man series is nearly over. I'm going to take a brief detour into the two fighting games included in the Anniversary collection and then wrap up with Mega Man 11, and I might give the Sega Saturn version of Mega Man 8 a shot at some point in the near future, too. I hear Tengu Man's stage is totally different and it adds two previous robot masters, and I just plain like MM8 enough to do a second playthrough just to experience those small changes.
Great game. Better than Mega Man 7. Shouldn't even be up for debate. I want to confiscate and immolate every copy of that game in existence and then subject everyone to the Mega Man 8 draft and force them to play this until they like it, and if they don't then it's straight to prison!
That might not seem like much but consider how vast the disparity is between these two games. One is this gorgeous, wonderful attempt at revitalizing classic Mega Man for a new generation without compromising on the key elements that made the series so beloved in the first place. The other is Mega Man 7, a game thrown together in three months that (while miraculously stable) was rendered dull and downright messy for it. At no point playing Mega Man 7 did I think Capcom was doing anything notable or worthwhile with the formula to justify it being an SNES game, not that rushing it to market would afford the team enough space to innovate anyway. Mega Man 8 has a soccer ball. You couldn't do that on old consoles!
Alright, I'm being somewhat facetious, but I'm not kidding when I say Mega Man 7 and Mega Man 8 represent the classic series at its wort and best, respectively. Not that I always felt that way. When I first played this game on the Mega Man Anniversary Collection way back in 2004, I hated it. I was filtered out by "jump jump, slide slide" and am adult enough now to admit it, but I was also one of those people who was very dismissive over the game due to its cutscenes. I was 16 and stuck in a sad state of mind where all the media I enjoyed - including Mega Man - had to be treated with enough self-seriousness as to not embarrass me by proxy. It's taken me almost 20 years, but I now find stuff like "doctah whywee" to be very silly and fun and part of the appeal of Mega Man 8, and to correct that with a more competent dub would be akin to stealing Mega Man's soul.
Even if you still hold some animosity towards the goofy cutscenes or the jump/slide levels (which I beat first try on four hours of sleep and energized by a single can of NOS, which means they can't be that bad), I still feel that the rest of the game is a brilliant refinement of what Mega Man was up to that point. Everything just feels better than it ever has here. You have more control over Mega Man, levels are intricate and their aesthetic design is vibrant and imaginative, and robot masters are at their peak both in terms of visual and mechanical design.
I think weapon powers in Mega Man games are at their best when they also provide distinct utility for navigation, and that basically describes every weapon in Mega Man 8. Flash Bombs can light up dark areas, Tornado Hold effectively replaces R. Coil, Thunder Claw can be used as a grappling hook, and Astro Crush serves as a powerful screen-clearer, to name a few. I paid some lip to it earlier, but I also love the soccer ball power-up. For the most part it's not terribly useful, which is kind of appropriate considering how soon you get it, but it's fun kicking that thing around and watching it ricochet all over a room and take out smaller enemies. In general, I think the weapon powers just feel really good to use against enemies, especially bosses. Tangling Clown Man up with his own limbs thanks to a well-timed Tornado Hold, or annihilating
My only real complaint is with the item shop, and it's barely a complaint so much as it's a matter of personal preference. You can buy items between levels using bolts, which are few and far between and generally require some ingenuity to obtain, meaning you'll likely only be able to afford so much. Some of the ways you can augment your arm cannon are cool and upgrades to the amount of weapon energy and health you're able to recover are invaluable, but I find scouring levels for bolts to be less engaging than Mega Man X's system of locating armor parts. Not only do I feel Mega Man X is better about incentivizing exploration, but having the armor pieces reflect Mega Man's growth is more interesting visually than dropping a new icon on the second page of the inventory screen.
Honorable mention to the robot master contest submissions being shown during the end credits. It's really cute and something I wish was present in the other games, though hardware limitations understandably made that impossible or at least too difficult/compromised to be worth it. It's neat seeing them side-by-side with their final designs, which of course had to drop certain elements in order to achieve a more unified design, but they're still undeniably the same characters, and I can't imagine how cool it must've been for these kids to see their robot masters in the actual game. At the risk of treading old ground, I think it's such a shame you could never do a contest like this again.
My journey back through the classic Mega Man series is nearly over. I'm going to take a brief detour into the two fighting games included in the Anniversary collection and then wrap up with Mega Man 11, and I might give the Sega Saturn version of Mega Man 8 a shot at some point in the near future, too. I hear Tengu Man's stage is totally different and it adds two previous robot masters, and I just plain like MM8 enough to do a second playthrough just to experience those small changes.
Great game. Better than Mega Man 7. Shouldn't even be up for debate. I want to confiscate and immolate every copy of that game in existence and then subject everyone to the Mega Man 8 draft and force them to play this until they like it, and if they don't then it's straight to prison!
its not bad but so many of the stages have gimmicks that aren't that fun or sections that are basically minigames. these sections of the game kinda suck which is sad because they are what usually comes to mind when i think about this game. its fun but definitely not as good as 7. also side note the voice acting makes me want to blow my ears out
The game that represents "The Mega Man Experience" to me. Diverse and interesting Robot Masters, probably the most robust special weapons, great presentation and drama. So what if Dr Light sounds like Elmer Fudds orthodontist? Theres like 50 seconds of cutscenes in the entire game, who cares?
jump jump slide slide aint even that bad, you guys just suck (its ok, i do too)
Even though it brought Astro mans' stage and Wily Stage 3 into existence, the game is still fantastic on most other factors, having banger's like Tengu man's stage and wily stage 2. The anime cut-scenes are iconic.
I wanted to give it two stars, but the funniest voice acting in the world elevates this game's entertainment value.
I don't think the game is too bad, but it's way too gimmicky for a Mega Man title. And while I think the graphics are better than 7's, they're still not what I'd call "good", and I can't remember a single track from this installment.
I don't think the game is too bad, but it's way too gimmicky for a Mega Man title. And while I think the graphics are better than 7's, they're still not what I'd call "good", and I can't remember a single track from this installment.
There's a couple different starting points I could recommend for the Mega Man newcomer, and they tend to vary based on your ability to adapt to antiquation. If starting from the beginning is ruled out, then I'd recommend Mega Man 3. If you don't want even a sliver of antiquation, then you could try 6. If the NES series as a whole is not your forte, I'd recommend 7- (bursts into laughter)
No, but seriously. Up until now, the series has had its share of good mixed with mid, and a rough difficulty that alienated those who don't have the patience required for it (or aren't using save states, anyway). And in the case of games like Mega Man 7 & Mega Man X3, if playing those caused you to say "fuck this" to the rest of the franchise, I wouldn't be surprised. But I think that'd also be an unfortunate shame. Because you would've been THIS close to the short-lived "PS1 Capcom reneissance", which bestowed upon us such classics as Resident Evil, alongside Mega Man X4, Mega Man Legends, and, our main subject for today: Mega Man 8. The first entry in the whole series that I would feel absolutely safe recommending not just to seasoned run 'n gun players, but to anybody.
However, this leads me into a thought that - while I generally do my best to avoid on Backloggd - I just couldn't help but think "How in the world do people think this is a 3/5?" I mean, look, if a person gave it a shot and all they got out of it is "average", I'll just have to respect that, we're all knocking heads about something as trite as game opinions anyway. And I ain't expecting a perfect score either, y'know. Still, here I am scratching my chin, and thinking to myself "Isn't this... what people trying to get into Mega Man wanted?"
It makes me wonder just how much of that opinion stems from a case of franchise burnout, combined with the expectation that the series will eventually innovate and modernize itself. Only for the disappointment to hit, when Mega Man 8 could be jadedly summed up as "just another one." "A prettier Mega Man 7." Well, I'll have to face the facts too. I don't think Mega Man 8 is ground breaking in any way. But comparing it to 7 - and every other prior game for that matter - the difference in accessibility is night and day.
You're not gonna hit the same levels of bullshit here that 7 threw at you, for one. The difficulty is lax enough, that if you wanted to, you could do the final boss without the need for recovery items, because guess what! The attack patterns are actually fair this time, whoOAOAOoaAOaoA! The same goes for every boss, which telegraph their attacks a lot better, making learning them a lot more fun. Bass's boss fight is such a huge glow-up from the one in 7, and goes down as one of my favorite boss encounters amongst the classic Mega Man series.
I even think that something like the snowboarding sequences are really not as bad as some people make it out to be, especially now that Mega Man 8 sports a "permanent checkpoint" feature. Reaching the halfway point of each stage allows you to always restart at that halfway point, even if you lose all your lifes. No more getting booted back to the very beginning, means that the challenge is more reasonable this time around. I don't think the Dr. Wily stages have those halfway checkpoints, but they tend to be half as short, with only one stage testing your limits. But even then, I really have to stress that nothing can reach the disaster that were 7's Dr. Wily stages, so, c'mon. You can do it!
The currency system has also been revamped, so that the bolts you need for the shop can only be found in specific nooks 'n crannies now, instead of being dropped by enemies. To compensate for the lesser quantity, the shop is now dedicated to purchasing permanent abilities. (E-Tanks have been replaced by your robot dog, who you can order to refill your health per every checkpoint, and every death too I think?) It's definitely worth going for them, they'll help you in the long run, but it's important to know that you will not be able to buy every ability in a single run. It's better to concentrate on a "build", by purchasing only the stuff that you think will appeal to your playstyle. Me personally, I've never understood the usefulness of stuff like the Laser & Arrow Shots, but being able to buy stuff like "Start the stage with 4 lifes instead of 2", or being able to recover more health from energy capsules helps tremendously.
Okay, so far my entire sales pitch has just been "It's good because it's easier", but that may not be enough to sway anybody from a 3/5 rating. And I suppose I'll have to accept that if you just don't have interest in the Mega Man formula as it currently stands, period, then... maybe this one ain't gonna do much for you. But right now, I'm focusing on that one guy that DOES see the fun in Mega Man's gameplay, they just don't jive with the difficulty. And if you are that person, then this is the earliest example of a Mega Man title you should be able to enjoy.
On top of the accessible difficulty, I also think the presentation here holds up pretty well. Just because the series didn't transition to 3D, doesn't mean it's not taking advantage of the PS1's capabilities. The spritework and backgrounds took a step-up in detail, and every stage sticks out in its vibrant and distinct choice of color. It's nice to stop and soak in the visuals once in a while. The soundtrack's up there as one of the series's chillest, but still manages to capture the essence of what these games are known for, while going for a unique sound that's difficult to find in other places. Both of these elements contribute to giving Mega Man 8 its own sense of identity. A stark contrast from the 6 NES Mega Mans that all felt like expansion packs to each other, Mega Man 8 toys around with presentation and mechanical variety in such a way that feels entirely familiar, yet suitable for a new generation of console.
I really like the cutscenes too, and I will die on this hill. Not that I'm blind to just how objectively terrible they are, but you're no fun if you think that's a detriment to the experience! The way the dubbing on this came out is its own miracle to appreciate, just so utterly "we don't give a fuck" in its energy that it goes back around to being just as entertaining as the Resident Evil 1 cutscenes. There ain't that many of them, but each one is unforgettable. Shoutouts to Wh- Mega Man's actress for tanking that 30-second scream. As a kid, it made me go "jesus christ." As an adult, it still makes me go "jesus christ", but now I'm more baffled than unsettled.
I don't know, man, this game just hits right. This is a properly polished Mega Man, right here. I could probably set my standards higher and ask for more, but considering that this would be the last classic Mega Man game for over a dozen years, I'd rather appreciate that the series managed to get a pretty pleasant one in before it got shelved in favor of its spinoffs. I'm not the type who needs innovation. I need heart. 8 has mine.
Now, if somebody could get Mega Man out of that recolored Looney Tunes background in the cover art, I would much appreciate it.
No, but seriously. Up until now, the series has had its share of good mixed with mid, and a rough difficulty that alienated those who don't have the patience required for it (or aren't using save states, anyway). And in the case of games like Mega Man 7 & Mega Man X3, if playing those caused you to say "fuck this" to the rest of the franchise, I wouldn't be surprised. But I think that'd also be an unfortunate shame. Because you would've been THIS close to the short-lived "PS1 Capcom reneissance", which bestowed upon us such classics as Resident Evil, alongside Mega Man X4, Mega Man Legends, and, our main subject for today: Mega Man 8. The first entry in the whole series that I would feel absolutely safe recommending not just to seasoned run 'n gun players, but to anybody.
However, this leads me into a thought that - while I generally do my best to avoid on Backloggd - I just couldn't help but think "How in the world do people think this is a 3/5?" I mean, look, if a person gave it a shot and all they got out of it is "average", I'll just have to respect that, we're all knocking heads about something as trite as game opinions anyway. And I ain't expecting a perfect score either, y'know. Still, here I am scratching my chin, and thinking to myself "Isn't this... what people trying to get into Mega Man wanted?"
It makes me wonder just how much of that opinion stems from a case of franchise burnout, combined with the expectation that the series will eventually innovate and modernize itself. Only for the disappointment to hit, when Mega Man 8 could be jadedly summed up as "just another one." "A prettier Mega Man 7." Well, I'll have to face the facts too. I don't think Mega Man 8 is ground breaking in any way. But comparing it to 7 - and every other prior game for that matter - the difference in accessibility is night and day.
You're not gonna hit the same levels of bullshit here that 7 threw at you, for one. The difficulty is lax enough, that if you wanted to, you could do the final boss without the need for recovery items, because guess what! The attack patterns are actually fair this time, whoOAOAOoaAOaoA! The same goes for every boss, which telegraph their attacks a lot better, making learning them a lot more fun. Bass's boss fight is such a huge glow-up from the one in 7, and goes down as one of my favorite boss encounters amongst the classic Mega Man series.
I even think that something like the snowboarding sequences are really not as bad as some people make it out to be, especially now that Mega Man 8 sports a "permanent checkpoint" feature. Reaching the halfway point of each stage allows you to always restart at that halfway point, even if you lose all your lifes. No more getting booted back to the very beginning, means that the challenge is more reasonable this time around. I don't think the Dr. Wily stages have those halfway checkpoints, but they tend to be half as short, with only one stage testing your limits. But even then, I really have to stress that nothing can reach the disaster that were 7's Dr. Wily stages, so, c'mon. You can do it!
The currency system has also been revamped, so that the bolts you need for the shop can only be found in specific nooks 'n crannies now, instead of being dropped by enemies. To compensate for the lesser quantity, the shop is now dedicated to purchasing permanent abilities. (E-Tanks have been replaced by your robot dog, who you can order to refill your health per every checkpoint, and every death too I think?) It's definitely worth going for them, they'll help you in the long run, but it's important to know that you will not be able to buy every ability in a single run. It's better to concentrate on a "build", by purchasing only the stuff that you think will appeal to your playstyle. Me personally, I've never understood the usefulness of stuff like the Laser & Arrow Shots, but being able to buy stuff like "Start the stage with 4 lifes instead of 2", or being able to recover more health from energy capsules helps tremendously.
Okay, so far my entire sales pitch has just been "It's good because it's easier", but that may not be enough to sway anybody from a 3/5 rating. And I suppose I'll have to accept that if you just don't have interest in the Mega Man formula as it currently stands, period, then... maybe this one ain't gonna do much for you. But right now, I'm focusing on that one guy that DOES see the fun in Mega Man's gameplay, they just don't jive with the difficulty. And if you are that person, then this is the earliest example of a Mega Man title you should be able to enjoy.
On top of the accessible difficulty, I also think the presentation here holds up pretty well. Just because the series didn't transition to 3D, doesn't mean it's not taking advantage of the PS1's capabilities. The spritework and backgrounds took a step-up in detail, and every stage sticks out in its vibrant and distinct choice of color. It's nice to stop and soak in the visuals once in a while. The soundtrack's up there as one of the series's chillest, but still manages to capture the essence of what these games are known for, while going for a unique sound that's difficult to find in other places. Both of these elements contribute to giving Mega Man 8 its own sense of identity. A stark contrast from the 6 NES Mega Mans that all felt like expansion packs to each other, Mega Man 8 toys around with presentation and mechanical variety in such a way that feels entirely familiar, yet suitable for a new generation of console.
I really like the cutscenes too, and I will die on this hill. Not that I'm blind to just how objectively terrible they are, but you're no fun if you think that's a detriment to the experience! The way the dubbing on this came out is its own miracle to appreciate, just so utterly "we don't give a fuck" in its energy that it goes back around to being just as entertaining as the Resident Evil 1 cutscenes. There ain't that many of them, but each one is unforgettable. Shoutouts to Wh- Mega Man's actress for tanking that 30-second scream. As a kid, it made me go "jesus christ." As an adult, it still makes me go "jesus christ", but now I'm more baffled than unsettled.
I don't know, man, this game just hits right. This is a properly polished Mega Man, right here. I could probably set my standards higher and ask for more, but considering that this would be the last classic Mega Man game for over a dozen years, I'd rather appreciate that the series managed to get a pretty pleasant one in before it got shelved in favor of its spinoffs. I'm not the type who needs innovation. I need heart. 8 has mine.
Now, if somebody could get Mega Man out of that recolored Looney Tunes background in the cover art, I would much appreciate it.
Did a buster only run and it's honestly way better than I remembered. Not abusing weaknesses really shows how well designed these bosses are and while the "jump jump slide slide" sections are still ballsy they're relatively doable if you know what to expect. Voice acting is funny, sprites are gorgeous and Electrical Communication is a banger.
O cara que reclama das sessões de 30 segundos de moto do megaman x, nunca jogou megaman 8, puta que pariu, tenho trauma até hoje do "jump jump" e do "slide slide", mas apenas ocorrem em duas fases do jogo, e botar ele completamente no lixo por causa disso é skill issue da sua parte. O jogo continua com as mesmas qualidades que megaman sempre teve.
Jump! Jump! Slide! Slide!
- Osama Bin Laden
- Osama Bin Laden
this game only getting a 3.3 proves to me that classic megaman fans only like games that play like megaman 2 and hate any sort of change
Putting collectibles just before a checkpoint-screen transition is more evil than whatever Evil Energy actually is
Input lag on that snowboard section in Frost Man is unacceptable. This problem seems to persist in the Legacy Collection 2.
Mega Man 8 is very disappointing in comparison to previous Mega Man titles. The game is filled with confusing choices and frustrating bosses/level segments. Through, despite being a large step down from the NES titles, this game is still pretty great. There's plenty to enjoy here from collecting the bolts and spending them on cool permanent upgrades to using a slew of neat weapons. Additionally, while the story is rather strange, it is pretty interesting. So, Mega Man 8 is not quite as excellent as most other Mega Man titles, but it's still worth playing.
Specifics:
- This English dub is horrible, but horrible in a funny way.
- There are plenty of great and useful weapons in this game, but plenty of them are rather situational. I got the most use out of Grenade Man, Sword Man, and Search Man's weapons, while occasionally using Tengu Man and Clown Man's weapons when they were necessary.
- Going back through the levels to collect all the secret bolts was a lot of fun, though it really dragged out the length of the playthrough as collecting them all meant a lot of replaying levels once you have the right weapons. I also like that you don't have enough to get everything in the shop. Even when you collect all the bolts you'll want to strategize and pick wisely.
- The game is structured a lot like Mega Man 7. An intro stage, 4 bosses, a middle stage, 4 bosses, Wily.
- The Robot Master fights are extremely thrilling. I found myself wanting to learn all the patterns and to fight with the Mega Buster, rather than just rushing in and spamming the weakness. I went through the refights with only the Mega Buster and really enjoyed myself.
- Most if not all of the Wily Levels were very annoying in some way. Most of the time it was because of the bosses. I do really like the Green Devil and the Bass fight though.
- Really hated the sled segments. I'd rather just have something like what Mega Man 5 did for Wave Man's stage.
- Rush confuses me. As far as I know, Rush coil and Rush jet are gone and are replaced with other abilities (which probably only appear here). I only ever used the Rush abilities sometimes. Nowhere near as useful as other iterations of Rush.
- I played through the Sega Saturn version because I heard it was the better version. I really enjoyed the version exclusive Cut Man and Wood Man fights.
7/10
Specifics:
- This English dub is horrible, but horrible in a funny way.
- There are plenty of great and useful weapons in this game, but plenty of them are rather situational. I got the most use out of Grenade Man, Sword Man, and Search Man's weapons, while occasionally using Tengu Man and Clown Man's weapons when they were necessary.
- Going back through the levels to collect all the secret bolts was a lot of fun, though it really dragged out the length of the playthrough as collecting them all meant a lot of replaying levels once you have the right weapons. I also like that you don't have enough to get everything in the shop. Even when you collect all the bolts you'll want to strategize and pick wisely.
- The game is structured a lot like Mega Man 7. An intro stage, 4 bosses, a middle stage, 4 bosses, Wily.
- The Robot Master fights are extremely thrilling. I found myself wanting to learn all the patterns and to fight with the Mega Buster, rather than just rushing in and spamming the weakness. I went through the refights with only the Mega Buster and really enjoyed myself.
- Most if not all of the Wily Levels were very annoying in some way. Most of the time it was because of the bosses. I do really like the Green Devil and the Bass fight though.
- Really hated the sled segments. I'd rather just have something like what Mega Man 5 did for Wave Man's stage.
- Rush confuses me. As far as I know, Rush coil and Rush jet are gone and are replaced with other abilities (which probably only appear here). I only ever used the Rush abilities sometimes. Nowhere near as useful as other iterations of Rush.
- I played through the Sega Saturn version because I heard it was the better version. I really enjoyed the version exclusive Cut Man and Wood Man fights.
7/10
First of all, the sprite work is amazing and animated to the minimun of details. So good. The animated cutscenes are a nice addition, but don't blend too well with Mega Man style of narrative as a whole. It could've been just made off sprites an text boxes with VA. But they needed to fill and use the megabytes of that CD, isn't it?
Second, this game isn't that great. The level design can strech too much for it's own good and it's for the most part flat. Mega Man itself can be very annoying with it's voice. I seriously doubt anyone in the team wanted it to make this way. It follows the childish vibe from Mega Man 7, it's annoying.
Nothing remarkable outside of that. It's still, more Mega Man. Duo was a nice addition while it lasted.
Second, this game isn't that great. The level design can strech too much for it's own good and it's for the most part flat. Mega Man itself can be very annoying with it's voice. I seriously doubt anyone in the team wanted it to make this way. It follows the childish vibe from Mega Man 7, it's annoying.
Nothing remarkable outside of that. It's still, more Mega Man. Duo was a nice addition while it lasted.
I played 8 on Anniversary Collection as a kid with no real understanding it was a port of an old game, but it had a huge effect on me. Felt so beautiful and brimming with life, I distinctly remember being taken aback when I got to X4-6 in my middle school years and the animation and polish was so stilted by comparison.
Mega Man always strived for the playable shonen experience but they really hit the nail on the head here imo, maybe because it leans into the more eclectic side of the series' vibe. Excellent house-synth soundtrack, great gamefeel, very strong stage and boss designs, you can feasibly beat everyone with a buster - everything '& Bass' wishes it could be. And the best Roll design!
You all know the weakpoints, nobody wants to deal with Wily stage 1 or the capsule, but that's mostly it. I guess the situation also feels underdeveloped, but it's hard to notice through the bad dub. For being last mainline entry for a little over a decade, its setup feels very weekly, like it's just an isolated event that comes and goes. 7's introduction of Bass is really strong, as-is the whole 'I am more than a robot' shtick at the end (with burning Wily castle!!); Duo's place in the story really can't compare, you could remove him and nothing about the conflict would change.
I wish 9 and 10 continued elaborating on this gorgeous 2D artstyle and further innovation of mechanics and incidental quirks instead of regressing to the NES era. Even 11, for as good as its 3D art is, doesn't have the emotional resonance this game has.
You better have something cooking Capcom, 11's been a half-decade old now!
Mega Man always strived for the playable shonen experience but they really hit the nail on the head here imo, maybe because it leans into the more eclectic side of the series' vibe. Excellent house-synth soundtrack, great gamefeel, very strong stage and boss designs, you can feasibly beat everyone with a buster - everything '& Bass' wishes it could be. And the best Roll design!
You all know the weakpoints, nobody wants to deal with Wily stage 1 or the capsule, but that's mostly it. I guess the situation also feels underdeveloped, but it's hard to notice through the bad dub. For being last mainline entry for a little over a decade, its setup feels very weekly, like it's just an isolated event that comes and goes. 7's introduction of Bass is really strong, as-is the whole 'I am more than a robot' shtick at the end (with burning Wily castle!!); Duo's place in the story really can't compare, you could remove him and nothing about the conflict would change.
I wish 9 and 10 continued elaborating on this gorgeous 2D artstyle and further innovation of mechanics and incidental quirks instead of regressing to the NES era. Even 11, for as good as its 3D art is, doesn't have the emotional resonance this game has.
You better have something cooking Capcom, 11's been a half-decade old now!
That long anime opening isn't just for show - this was the series' big anniversary release! 10 years, internationally! Somehow, this translated to Mega Man 8 being the least-traditional entry in the series.
It's not a bad game by any means. Actually, I might even prefer it to a decent chunk of its predecessors. But it is very different in its overarching philosophies. If Rock himself wasn't the main character, and we were instead playing as... oh, I dunno... a robot named Beck, or something like that... then I wouldn't even register this as a Mega Man game, just something drawing influence from it. But stuff like the Mega Ball, the JUMP JUMP SLIDE SLIDE segments, the three-act structure carried over from MM7, the swimming - wildly different from the cadence that the cozily repetitive previous games fell into.
But like I said, I don't think it's a bad thing. The JUMP JUMP SLIDE SLIDE twitch reflex tests notwithstanding, most of the design choices here make the game feel more puzzle-oriented. The Mega Ball is a weird but honestly fun idea, leading to a very disjointed projectile with lots of angled application. There's actually some really neat mechanical challenges to some of the more high-concept stages, like Sword Man's and IM CLOWN MAN's (and, as a result of swimming, Aqua Man's).
There's also the story. Where Mega Man 7 flirts ever-so-briefly with complex themes about autonomy and transhumanism, Mega Man 8 has an alien robot coming to Earth to track down "Evil Energy". Sorta speaks for itself. But it's funny, and the anime cutscenes and dub voice actors are fun, and you're not really here for all that anyway.
I think if you're looking for a more traditional take on Mega Man as an eighth entry in the series, you're better off looking into Mega Man & Bass (well, I think you are, anyway; still on my to-do list). But as its own one-off experiment, Mega Man 8 is a decent enough time. Sort of a weird capstone to the series, at least from 1996 to 2008, but that's not really a concern anymore with subsequent entries.
It's not a bad game by any means. Actually, I might even prefer it to a decent chunk of its predecessors. But it is very different in its overarching philosophies. If Rock himself wasn't the main character, and we were instead playing as... oh, I dunno... a robot named Beck, or something like that... then I wouldn't even register this as a Mega Man game, just something drawing influence from it. But stuff like the Mega Ball, the JUMP JUMP SLIDE SLIDE segments, the three-act structure carried over from MM7, the swimming - wildly different from the cadence that the cozily repetitive previous games fell into.
But like I said, I don't think it's a bad thing. The JUMP JUMP SLIDE SLIDE twitch reflex tests notwithstanding, most of the design choices here make the game feel more puzzle-oriented. The Mega Ball is a weird but honestly fun idea, leading to a very disjointed projectile with lots of angled application. There's actually some really neat mechanical challenges to some of the more high-concept stages, like Sword Man's and IM CLOWN MAN's (and, as a result of swimming, Aqua Man's).
There's also the story. Where Mega Man 7 flirts ever-so-briefly with complex themes about autonomy and transhumanism, Mega Man 8 has an alien robot coming to Earth to track down "Evil Energy". Sorta speaks for itself. But it's funny, and the anime cutscenes and dub voice actors are fun, and you're not really here for all that anyway.
I think if you're looking for a more traditional take on Mega Man as an eighth entry in the series, you're better off looking into Mega Man & Bass (well, I think you are, anyway; still on my to-do list). But as its own one-off experiment, Mega Man 8 is a decent enough time. Sort of a weird capstone to the series, at least from 1996 to 2008, but that's not really a concern anymore with subsequent entries.
gostei muito do jogo, visual das fases e o level design são bons, a trilha sonora eu achei meio fraquinha comparada a outros jogos, gráficos são lindíssimos nem tem o que falar, dificuldade bem balanceada. acho que minha maior crítica ao jogo são as partes do maldito "slide-slide-jump-jump"
You must recover all the energy immediately w-Megaman
i was really surprised when i saw most mixed or negative reviews about this game. i can understand why, but to me this game is such a blast to return to every time. the artstyle in this one is such a pleasant vibe with the best robot master designs (and music) in the classic series the new action sections are hit and miss, but enjoyable for the most part and does wonders for the classic formula, which was getting stale since 4 on the NES. of course the bad voice acting is as bad as everyone says, but it's really funny and this game wouldn't be the same without them. additionally the weapons this time around are pretty fun to use, on top of them all having situational uses, weapons like the mega ball and the ice wave can be used to exploit the level design in some very cool ways, and it made me appreciate these levels a whole lot more, and motivated me to find all the bolts, which are well hidden for the most part.
my only real complaints are that mega man moves a lot slower than the NES games? this was a thing in 7, and it was made worse by the bigger sprites which fucked you over in some platforming sections - this game makes it a little easier with more forgiving jumps, but it's easy to get used to.
the level design in some stages are a bit off as well. they're fine for the most part, but search man's stage is such a clusterfuck to go through with its weird layout, and astro man's stage having TWO whole ass mazes inside it. I appreciate the variety, but man those stages could have had a lot more polishing. the item shop's cool in this one, but the fact that you can't even get all the powerups in one playthrough doesn't sit right with me.
apart from all that, it's a big breath of fresh air from the previous entries, and while not all of the new ideas hit the mark, it all culminates into a solid experience that's definitely worth a try.
my only real complaints are that mega man moves a lot slower than the NES games? this was a thing in 7, and it was made worse by the bigger sprites which fucked you over in some platforming sections - this game makes it a little easier with more forgiving jumps, but it's easy to get used to.
the level design in some stages are a bit off as well. they're fine for the most part, but search man's stage is such a clusterfuck to go through with its weird layout, and astro man's stage having TWO whole ass mazes inside it. I appreciate the variety, but man those stages could have had a lot more polishing. the item shop's cool in this one, but the fact that you can't even get all the powerups in one playthrough doesn't sit right with me.
apart from all that, it's a big breath of fresh air from the previous entries, and while not all of the new ideas hit the mark, it all culminates into a solid experience that's definitely worth a try.
>mfw Mega Man sounds more feminine in this game than Roll does
I'm Aqua Man, but you can call me "Handsome Guy"
Did you know? The title of this game is derived from the fact that there are 8 robot masters that must be defeated before entering Dr. Wily's domain.
I don't fully know how to feel about this game, I like the bosses, i like the music, I like the designs, the voice acting is cute if a little charming, and the anime cut-scenes are nice. That being said there are little gripes that just float to the surface, like the really bad skating parts and the final boss fight with Wily. I guess for now I'd rate this same as MM4, up until i decide to replay this and see if I change how I feel.
This game is really fun with the exception of some stages and that last snowboarding section.
if youre marathoning the mm games, i can see this entry being pretty weak, the burnout would have hit pretty hard by this point
it doesnt do much different or even necessarily better than previous games for the most part, but it does look and control damn fine while doing it. theres still plenty of classic mega man annoyance, and some very frustrating bosses, but i never found it enough to ruin the experience. the animated cutscenes are also quite the treat (with the undub hack)
after giving this game up for years, it finally grew on me
it doesnt do much different or even necessarily better than previous games for the most part, but it does look and control damn fine while doing it. theres still plenty of classic mega man annoyance, and some very frustrating bosses, but i never found it enough to ruin the experience. the animated cutscenes are also quite the treat (with the undub hack)
after giving this game up for years, it finally grew on me
This review contains spoilers
This game is a strange mixed bag that I can't help but appreciate. It does so many weird things and strays somewhat far from the more focused and concise design of the first 6 NES games, and then the evolution of that formula that 7 did. A lot of stages include crazy gimmicks, like snowboarding or flying shmup sections (I especially enjoyed the Wily Castle 1 snowboarding stage. Really difficult and took a lot of practice to nail!), and they sometimes go on for too long. But the stages are still fun even if they're not "traditional".
I'm conflicted on how I feel about them splitting the Robot Masters into two groups of four again. On one hand, this game does it even worse than 7, because the first four Robot Masters all have cyclical weaknesses only against each other (Tengu>Clown>Grenade>Frost), and then the second set also has cyclical weaknesses only against each other (Sword>Search>Astro>Aqua). This wasn't the case in 7, and nothing really made me think that this WOULD be the case. So I struggled for a while trying to logically figure out ANY of the weaknesses for the later bosses. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a bad design choice, but it's one I definitely disliked.
On the other hand, the benefit of this is that there are stages in the second half of the game, like Sword Man's stage, that take full advantage of the fact that you have a specific set of weapons. They run you through a gauntlet testing your skills with the first four weapons, and I thought that was awesome. The level design in this game had a fair mix of challenge and fun.
The Robot Masters in general were great this game. They were all extremely fun to fight, using weaknesses or not, and their personalities were really cool too. I like that Tengu Man spoke like a samurai, or how Search Man has two heads with two personalities and screams "WILY BANZAI!!!" when he gets killed, or how Astro Man just starts shrieking if you target him with Homing Sniper (Astro Man's VA, Issei Futamata also voices Web Spidus and Cyber Kujacker, two of my favorite bosses from X4). As I said with X4, giving the bosses voice acting and more dynamic animations really helps make them more fun characters. Even Cutman and Woodman got voices for the first time in this game. The Japanese voice acting for everyone else was pretty good.
The animated cutscenes were great, even if the story was a little lame. Forte hardly had anything to do. Considering how 7 cemented Forte as a new rival to Rock, I expected him to show up a little more often instead of just whining to fight Rock the whole time. Duo was a lot less important than I thought he'd be. I like him as a character though, and I'd love to see him return someday.
This game was neat, but it just makes me wish there was a genuine Rockman anime (Wishing Upon A Star doesn't really count lol) because the intro cinematic with Electrical Communication is the best part of the game.
I'm conflicted on how I feel about them splitting the Robot Masters into two groups of four again. On one hand, this game does it even worse than 7, because the first four Robot Masters all have cyclical weaknesses only against each other (Tengu>Clown>Grenade>Frost), and then the second set also has cyclical weaknesses only against each other (Sword>Search>Astro>Aqua). This wasn't the case in 7, and nothing really made me think that this WOULD be the case. So I struggled for a while trying to logically figure out ANY of the weaknesses for the later bosses. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a bad design choice, but it's one I definitely disliked.
On the other hand, the benefit of this is that there are stages in the second half of the game, like Sword Man's stage, that take full advantage of the fact that you have a specific set of weapons. They run you through a gauntlet testing your skills with the first four weapons, and I thought that was awesome. The level design in this game had a fair mix of challenge and fun.
The Robot Masters in general were great this game. They were all extremely fun to fight, using weaknesses or not, and their personalities were really cool too. I like that Tengu Man spoke like a samurai, or how Search Man has two heads with two personalities and screams "WILY BANZAI!!!" when he gets killed, or how Astro Man just starts shrieking if you target him with Homing Sniper (Astro Man's VA, Issei Futamata also voices Web Spidus and Cyber Kujacker, two of my favorite bosses from X4). As I said with X4, giving the bosses voice acting and more dynamic animations really helps make them more fun characters. Even Cutman and Woodman got voices for the first time in this game. The Japanese voice acting for everyone else was pretty good.
The animated cutscenes were great, even if the story was a little lame. Forte hardly had anything to do. Considering how 7 cemented Forte as a new rival to Rock, I expected him to show up a little more often instead of just whining to fight Rock the whole time. Duo was a lot less important than I thought he'd be. I like him as a character though, and I'd love to see him return someday.
This game was neat, but it just makes me wish there was a genuine Rockman anime (Wishing Upon A Star doesn't really count lol) because the intro cinematic with Electrical Communication is the best part of the game.
the crazy thing about classic MM is as iconic as it is it's one of those series where popular opinion is consistently off base
No es realmente fácil hablar de este juego. Pero haré mi mejor intento. Aprecio el nuevo estilo visual, le da un nuevo aire, aunque no muchos estén de acuerdo. El diseño de nivel de los 4 primeros robots esta bastante bien (y toma el concepto de dividir los niveles en 2 partes, ya antes visto en x4), pero en los siguientes 4, no se, siento que empeora. En donde mas se nota esto es en el nivel de astro man, sinceramente un nivel de laberinto no le queda al estilo de un megaman, que solo consiste en correr y matar enemigos.
Eso si, se aprecia que hayan intentado cosas nuevas, como nuevas mecánicas, niveles mas extensos, poderes mas utiles, entre otros. Y me parece una porquería que no deje guardar el progreso en el castillo de wily, no siempre se va a jugar todo de una sola partida. Del doblaje y las cinematicas pues sería repetir lo que todos han dicho. En cuanto a la tienda, me parece bonito que se puedan comprar mejoras para el buster, así como otras cosas que ayudan en los niveles. Lo molesto es que los tornillos son limitados, por lo que se tiene que escoger bien las mejoras que uno necesite.
Ya para concluir con esta biblia, megaman 8 no es mal juego. Es ese típico experimento que suele ocurrir con las secuelas, agregar cosas interesantes pero que al final no son muy bien aplicadas, por esa misma razón empeoro cosas que el 7 había hecho bien. Lo recomiendo, si, pero la paciencia necesaria para completarlo es suprema.
It's not really easy to talk about this game. But I'll do my best. I appreciate the new visual style, it gives it a new look, even if not many agree. The level design of the first 4 robots is quite good (and takes the concept of dividing the levels into 2 parts, already seen before in x4), but in the next 4, I don't know, I feel it gets worse. Where this is most noticeable is at the astro man level, honestly a labyrinth level does not fit in the style of a megaman, which only consists of running and killing enemies.
Of course, it is appreciated that they have tried new things, such as new mechanics, more extensive levels, more useful powers, among others. And I think it's crap that it doesn't let you save progress in Wily's castle, you're not always going to play everything in one game. From the dubbing and the cinematics, it would be repeating what everyone has said. As for the store, I think it's nice that you can buy improvements for the buster, as well as other things that help in the levels. The annoying thing is that the screws are limited, so you have to choose the improvements you need carefully.
To conclude with this bible, megaman 8 is not a bad game. It is that typical experiment that usually happens with sequels, adding interesting things but in the end they are not very well applied, for that same reason 8 worsened things that 7 had done well. I recommend it, yes, but the patience needed to complete it is too much.
Eso si, se aprecia que hayan intentado cosas nuevas, como nuevas mecánicas, niveles mas extensos, poderes mas utiles, entre otros. Y me parece una porquería que no deje guardar el progreso en el castillo de wily, no siempre se va a jugar todo de una sola partida. Del doblaje y las cinematicas pues sería repetir lo que todos han dicho. En cuanto a la tienda, me parece bonito que se puedan comprar mejoras para el buster, así como otras cosas que ayudan en los niveles. Lo molesto es que los tornillos son limitados, por lo que se tiene que escoger bien las mejoras que uno necesite.
Ya para concluir con esta biblia, megaman 8 no es mal juego. Es ese típico experimento que suele ocurrir con las secuelas, agregar cosas interesantes pero que al final no son muy bien aplicadas, por esa misma razón empeoro cosas que el 7 había hecho bien. Lo recomiendo, si, pero la paciencia necesaria para completarlo es suprema.
It's not really easy to talk about this game. But I'll do my best. I appreciate the new visual style, it gives it a new look, even if not many agree. The level design of the first 4 robots is quite good (and takes the concept of dividing the levels into 2 parts, already seen before in x4), but in the next 4, I don't know, I feel it gets worse. Where this is most noticeable is at the astro man level, honestly a labyrinth level does not fit in the style of a megaman, which only consists of running and killing enemies.
Of course, it is appreciated that they have tried new things, such as new mechanics, more extensive levels, more useful powers, among others. And I think it's crap that it doesn't let you save progress in Wily's castle, you're not always going to play everything in one game. From the dubbing and the cinematics, it would be repeating what everyone has said. As for the store, I think it's nice that you can buy improvements for the buster, as well as other things that help in the levels. The annoying thing is that the screws are limited, so you have to choose the improvements you need carefully.
To conclude with this bible, megaman 8 is not a bad game. It is that typical experiment that usually happens with sequels, adding interesting things but in the end they are not very well applied, for that same reason 8 worsened things that 7 had done well. I recommend it, yes, but the patience needed to complete it is too much.
it’s really a mixed bag. terrible story (english voice acting aside, we all know about that), weird sprites with a lanky, rubbery mega man and a perspective that doesn’t really make sense or look good, janky weapons and required segments with some, the list of flaws goes on. but with gorgeous backgrounds, good boss designs, and amazing music, it’s hard to call it the worst.