A sequel that takes one step forward and one step backwards. Zero 2 is a weird entry to talk about, it sure does feel more like a Mega Man game in comparison to its predecessor, but it falls short in many other areas. EX Skills are a nice addition that complement the combat in a non-intrusive manner, not interfering with the guaranteed Elemental Chip drops, being obtainable through high ranking, and coming in pretty handy in subsequent playthroughs, encouraging replayability. But maintaining high ranks in this game fucking sucks due to the level design somehow managing to contain even more bullshit moments than last time. The Form system is also a bit ass-backwards since most of them aren't useful at all, crippling your triple slashes for absolutely no reason in exchange for insanely minor buffs. If you want to use Forms, stick to Rise and Active. They're the easiest to obtain and actually improve something. Oh yeah, by the way, obtaining all of them is a terrible decision. Most require doing very specific and repetitive tasks for the very first time you enter a mission. Fun.
Let's see, what else? Cyber Elves are a bit cheaper, Bosses are quite boring, uhhh...
Yeah this game is kinda just supposed to be a prequel to Zero 3, isn't it? I told you it's a weird entry to talk about.

Ah yes, first game syndrome am I right?
Inti Creates did a fantastic job at inventing a new gameplay style for the Mega Man franchise, with a larger focus on speed, combat and storytelling. However, their future polish just wasn't present in this entry. My main gripe has to be the fact that the GBA screen size ruins most of the experience and makes bullshit sections even worse. There are also lots of smaller issues that when combined feel like a kick in the dick. Having to grind your weapons to max level, the limited retry chip system, revisiting boring stages for no reason, farming E-Crystals just to feed a single Cyber Elf, you name it. Still, I'd say this entry is worth any Mega Man fan's time. As a reminder, I can't stress enough how much I recommend using the Legacy Collection's Save Assist mode in your first playthrough. Go ahead, I won't judge.