Whew. Now up to the sixth (and final) NES installment. Megaman 6 has received quite a mixed response from the fans. Some welcome it to the series with open arms, while others say the game is a step down from previous games. Most likely due to the sub-par music and sound effects, the somewhat unimaginative Robot Master weapons, and the same old recycled “fake new villain” plot of MM4 & 5.
As for the plot, robots from all over the planet have gathered for the First Annual Robot Tournament. In this test of strength and skill, eight robots have been chosen to compete in the finals. But before the finale, the sponsor of the tournament, called Mr. X, announces that he has reprogrammed the robots to help him take over the world. In addition, he claims to be the true mastermind behind Dr. Wily’s nefarious plots. Megaman is called into action once more, hopefully to stop the source of evil for good.
All of Megaman’s helpers, Rush, Eddie, and Beat, are back, but Rush is quite different from before. After beating certain Robot Masters, you’ll receive a part that allows Megaman to fuse with Rush, giving him a special suit with new powers. An interesting idea, but it took a lot away from Rush’s “classic” feel of the last three games. Eddie is the same as before, and so is Beat, although you still must obtain circuit plates for obtain the latter, which are also acquired after defeating certain Robot Masters.
The sound seems to have taken a big hit in this game. While many of the tunes had potential, very few of them came out that great. Sound effects are a step down as well. Megaman’s charged buster makes the same sound as the standard shot, instead of the cool-sounding *whoosh*. Nearly all of his special weapons also make that same sound.
I figure the reason MM6 isn’t considered up to snuff by many players is a very simple one. When this game came out, the SNES had been out for quite some time, and the 8-bit NES was in its death throes. Capcom knew they had to hurry and get this game out before Nintendo scrapped the NES completely. This was one of the last games made for the NES, and while the series may not have gone out on its grandest note, I can still understand why it fell behind, and I still enjoy the game very much, despite its shortcomings.
