... ... ... Megaman Zero 4... to live or die...? Hmm ..... ...

This is probably the MMZ game I have the most conflicted feelings over. 4 tries to set itself apart from previous entries a lot, and most of the time I just don't think it works out well.

The parts system is complicated enough to require a guide, the EX skills now have their elements tied directly to them which takes out a lot of potential application, the Elf system got completely reworked, and the Shield and Rod both got removed in place of... the pretty useless Z Knuckle. One new system I do think is cool though is the weather system, adding effectively a "hard mode" to the levels, which, even if it's not much, is appreciated for the bit of extra challenge. While I can respect the desire to stand out, I think this aspect of Zero 4 doesn't do it too many favors overall.

The level design of 4 is good, I'd say. It's better than 3's probably and more consistent than 1, but some levels I find to be pretty bland (Deep Sea, Hibernation Chamber, second half of Magnetic Field) though they're still enjoyable because you're playing as Zero of course it's fun. Bosses in Z4 are very not consistent however, sometimes they're the best the series has to offer like Fenri Lunaedge or Sol Titantion, and then other times you're fighting Mino Magnus or Heat Gemblem.

I don't really know how to wrap things up here, Zero 4 is still a Zero game so it's great but I just don't enjoy it as much as I do some of the previous games.

I don't have terribly much to say; core gameplay is the exact same as the last which is what made that game so enjoyable to play despite its design shortcomings. I feel like the bosses in this game are worse than the original, and a few levels can be kind of annoying (first elec, second elec and ice) but this is still MMZ, it's still great. I really enjoy the form system in this game, it's definitely better than both parts systems in 3 and 4, letting you choose what you want to focus on in the moment (my main is active, switching to rise for bosses while energy and x get used on occasion) which adds a bit more to the gameplay.

This game is probably the one you should start with if you want to get into MMZ, even ignoring plot reasons.

This game is really not polished and some levels are a bit meh-ugh (looking at you factory) but idk nothing really beats the feeling of dashing and slashing through this one. I could play MMZ all day and still not get bored, it's just really nice to play through every once and a while (especially with how short it is). I think this is the Zero game that fulfills that urge the most for me, which makes it, despite all of its flaws, the best to play in my personal opinion. Objectively though, I do feel like Z2 or Z3 will be a better experience for most people.

I don't get the hype on this one. Sure, it was pretty fun but game is short and the only real replay value is finding 6 rooms to unlock a final boss that should've just been available without going through that hassle. The main star mechanic does have depth but rarely will the game ever want you to tap into that potential, only needing to pull off fancy maneuvers with it like 5 times in the entire game. It is aesthetically very pleasing though, I'll give it that.

The game isn't bad, but it isn't particularly good either.
(Also, why is everyone saying this game is hard? It really isn't. I was able to beat it without continues directly after my first playthrough and on said playthrough I only got game over like 3 times while I didn't even know how to use items.)

It's fine to kill an hour or so but that's really it. I literally just finished the game and as I'm writing this I can't remember any stand out level or setpiece. With 9 levels, 8 of them feel like halfbaked versions of the levels the Robot Masters they're using originally had.

The reason I'm giving it a whole *1* is just that... I see no reason for this game to exist. It offers absolutely nothing that Megaman 2 will not give you by itself. As a handheld in 1991, I guess it was fine, but as it is now it is so entirely uninteresting that it gives no value.

Also what's up with some of the bosses doing literally one point of damage to you wtf?

It's a bit unfair at times but with how short it is I don't think that's a dealbreaker, the level design I find to be most of the time pretty nice and the weapon balancing is actually good here, the only weapon of the main 4 you get that I find to be underwhelming is Fire Storm, I used the other 3 multiple times. I definitely appreciate how this game actually had original levels when they definitely could've taken the easy way out and just remade the NES levels cough the sequel cough but they went out of their way to make this game something unique. Good game to play as a distraction but since it only has 6 levels it ends quickly and it doesn't feel quite as good as the other Megaman games.

It's hard to really say anything useful in the review without spoilering the game since, you know, visual novel, but I enjoyed it a lot. The story never gets boring but you also don't feel like you don't have enough time to take in what's happened (except for when you're supposed to not have enough time) and is a good incentive to keep going. The gameplay portions themselves are cool and feel engaging even if it's mostly just knowing what option to pick, which is pretty impressive. Though I will say the logic for some of them can be a bit iffy at times, and the difficulty was pretty easy except for a few random bits which took up most of my health. Overall though the gameplay is good and I think gives a good reason to play the game yourself instead of just watching some let's player do it (and probably is better than the anime, but since I haven't watched that I can't really say).

also makoto perfect twink bod