After playing the other titles in the series, Mega Man 1 truly does feel like the first game of the series. This isn’t a knock towards the game, but it does give me some sense of perspective looking back.
Outside of that, well yeah, this is truly a game of all time. The concepts it establishes are really good, like being able to pick which stage to start with, boss weapons, and an extra (but in all honesty is required) item with the Magnet Beam.
The issue is that it’s also an 80’s arcade game in disguise. While it isn’t as obnoxious as games like Ghosts n’ Goblins (thank God), it will go out of its way to piss you off, whether it’s due to the annoying level design, certain enemies that will make your ass itch, or general NES jank. Mega Man himself feels heavy as hell while slippery, which is honestly impressive. There are a couple of segments in this game that feel worse than kidney stones, like the conveyor belts in Guts Man’s stage, the constant ladders in Elec Man’s stage, and the Wily Stages as a whole. And of course, there are bosses that suck ASS, like Fire Man, and of course, Yellow Dickhead.
But there’s some genuinely good stuff here too. The game itself looks pretty good, but the music is great. As much as I dislike Elec Man’s stage, the theme is great.
Overall, this game is the epitome of first game syndrome. While it’s a bit rough around the edges, there’s still a lot of good foundation for the rest of the series. If you really want to play this and not immediately skip to any of the other mainline games, play it with save states.
Oh yeah, Thunder Beam is great.
Outside of that, well yeah, this is truly a game of all time. The concepts it establishes are really good, like being able to pick which stage to start with, boss weapons, and an extra (but in all honesty is required) item with the Magnet Beam.
The issue is that it’s also an 80’s arcade game in disguise. While it isn’t as obnoxious as games like Ghosts n’ Goblins (thank God), it will go out of its way to piss you off, whether it’s due to the annoying level design, certain enemies that will make your ass itch, or general NES jank. Mega Man himself feels heavy as hell while slippery, which is honestly impressive. There are a couple of segments in this game that feel worse than kidney stones, like the conveyor belts in Guts Man’s stage, the constant ladders in Elec Man’s stage, and the Wily Stages as a whole. And of course, there are bosses that suck ASS, like Fire Man, and of course, Yellow Dickhead.
But there’s some genuinely good stuff here too. The game itself looks pretty good, but the music is great. As much as I dislike Elec Man’s stage, the theme is great.
Overall, this game is the epitome of first game syndrome. While it’s a bit rough around the edges, there’s still a lot of good foundation for the rest of the series. If you really want to play this and not immediately skip to any of the other mainline games, play it with save states.
Oh yeah, Thunder Beam is great.