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.