I gotta say, this game is surprisingly fun, and holds up pretty damn well!
This game has always had my attention. A 3D Mega Man that's more of an adventure game? Sounds kinda weird, but pretty interesting. I then gave the game a shot, and I really do not regret doing so.
The game revolves around Mega Man Volnutt and his step-sister Roll, who crash-land onto an island in need to a power source for their house-plane-jet thingymabob, only to stop a much more sinister plot as they delve further underground. Along the way, they're interrupted by reaverbots and the Bonne family, a family of criminals who want to make them mad stacks. This game's story, characters, voice acting, and overall presentation is one of the most charming things I've ever seen in a video game. Contrary to the other games in the series at this point, the game actually has good voice acting. Or, good comparatively, anyway. The writing is super fun and entertaining as well. I struggle to put into words how the presentation feels, but play it for yourself, it's really good.
Graphically, the game looks rather nice. At this point in the PlayStation's life, most games looked on the simpler side, and when they didn't, they usually either relied on pre-rendered spites a lot or dated textures. This game, however, has a bright color pallet and pretty good textures, all while running at a mostly consistent 30 FPS. The art style does a pretty great job of masking how simple the visuals can actually be when you break it down, but with appealing graphics and an impressive draw distance, I'd say the game looks good anyway.
The soundtrack is rather forgettable, sadly. A lot of the time, the game forgoes music entirely, instead going for ambience. There isn't anything wrong with that, and the ambience is fitting and sounds good, but when there is music, it's usually nothing that'll stick in your head. That being said, when it's played during gameplay, it works really well with the bright visuals, as it's cheery and fun. I think the music works great in-game, but not so much outside.
Gameplay wise, this game is pretty fun too. Instead of a jump`n`shootin action game, it's more like an open adventure game like Zelda, but mixed with a third person shooter. Despite how much I hate backtracking, I never hated it in this game, partially because pretty early on you're able to fast-travel around. The game controls pretty good for the time. Yes, it's a bit clunky by today's standards, and it has no dual-analog/Dualshock support, but for the time it could be a HELL of a lot worse. Tank controls are optional and off by default, and generally you never think too much about them, which is a great thing for controls. I have some gripes, but they're very minor, like how you can't shoot while moving backwards, you're forced to stay still while you lock-on, and how the game can sometimes be vague on what to do. My biggest gripe is probably how you're unable to switch special weapons outside the van. Why they did this, I have no clue, but it restricts when you can use your special weapons and overall discourages experimentation.
Overall, this game was a surprise treat to play. It's a fun adventure game with one of the most charming presentations I've ever seen in a game. Sure, this game has aged in some aspects, but it's overall a great time. Solid 8.5/10.
As for what version you should play, the PS1 version's pretty good, and the N64 version's also solid, though inferior. If you can understand Japanese the PSP port is the best version, but if not, I'd advise against playing the PSX version on PSP, as the game uses 3 of the shoulder buttons regularly.
This game has always had my attention. A 3D Mega Man that's more of an adventure game? Sounds kinda weird, but pretty interesting. I then gave the game a shot, and I really do not regret doing so.
The game revolves around Mega Man Volnutt and his step-sister Roll, who crash-land onto an island in need to a power source for their house-plane-jet thingymabob, only to stop a much more sinister plot as they delve further underground. Along the way, they're interrupted by reaverbots and the Bonne family, a family of criminals who want to make them mad stacks. This game's story, characters, voice acting, and overall presentation is one of the most charming things I've ever seen in a video game. Contrary to the other games in the series at this point, the game actually has good voice acting. Or, good comparatively, anyway. The writing is super fun and entertaining as well. I struggle to put into words how the presentation feels, but play it for yourself, it's really good.
Graphically, the game looks rather nice. At this point in the PlayStation's life, most games looked on the simpler side, and when they didn't, they usually either relied on pre-rendered spites a lot or dated textures. This game, however, has a bright color pallet and pretty good textures, all while running at a mostly consistent 30 FPS. The art style does a pretty great job of masking how simple the visuals can actually be when you break it down, but with appealing graphics and an impressive draw distance, I'd say the game looks good anyway.
The soundtrack is rather forgettable, sadly. A lot of the time, the game forgoes music entirely, instead going for ambience. There isn't anything wrong with that, and the ambience is fitting and sounds good, but when there is music, it's usually nothing that'll stick in your head. That being said, when it's played during gameplay, it works really well with the bright visuals, as it's cheery and fun. I think the music works great in-game, but not so much outside.
Gameplay wise, this game is pretty fun too. Instead of a jump`n`shootin action game, it's more like an open adventure game like Zelda, but mixed with a third person shooter. Despite how much I hate backtracking, I never hated it in this game, partially because pretty early on you're able to fast-travel around. The game controls pretty good for the time. Yes, it's a bit clunky by today's standards, and it has no dual-analog/Dualshock support, but for the time it could be a HELL of a lot worse. Tank controls are optional and off by default, and generally you never think too much about them, which is a great thing for controls. I have some gripes, but they're very minor, like how you can't shoot while moving backwards, you're forced to stay still while you lock-on, and how the game can sometimes be vague on what to do. My biggest gripe is probably how you're unable to switch special weapons outside the van. Why they did this, I have no clue, but it restricts when you can use your special weapons and overall discourages experimentation.
Overall, this game was a surprise treat to play. It's a fun adventure game with one of the most charming presentations I've ever seen in a game. Sure, this game has aged in some aspects, but it's overall a great time. Solid 8.5/10.
As for what version you should play, the PS1 version's pretty good, and the N64 version's also solid, though inferior. If you can understand Japanese the PSP port is the best version, but if not, I'd advise against playing the PSX version on PSP, as the game uses 3 of the shoulder buttons regularly.
Reddish
1 year ago