Title - "Rockman"
Alternative title(s) - "Mega Man"
Genre(s) - Platform action
Platform(s) - Famicom
First off, the "Rockman" series just turned 15 last year. Wow! I give my thanks to Capcom. ^_^
Now, what can I say about the "Rockman" series? A lot. I can say so much for the first game as well.
"Rockman" first came out late in 1987 in Japan and I think that it was released elsewhere shortly after. Anyway, two scientists who were good friends, Dr. Thomas Xavier Light (Right in Japan) and Dr. Albert Willy Wily (I think Willy is Wily's middle name), created six robots together to reshape the world. However, Dr. Wily would betray Dr. Light and make those six robots obey his orders. He wants to take over the world obviously.
This is where Rock comes in. What Dr. Wily doesn't know is that his former friend made a seventh robot and named him "Rockman". He is programed to be an all-around great robot and he is capable of capturing weapons of his enemy he defeats. It's a shame that Dr. Light has to send Rock to defeat the robots the two scientists made.
So, who are the six robots? There's Cut Man, the one who brings out mechanical scizzors to cut things, Guts Man, the robot who can lift heavy items, Ice Man, who uses cold shots to torture his enemies, Fire Man, who can burn his enemies, Elec Man (Electric Man), who uses electricity, and Bomb Man, who throws bombs. Those are the six you have to face.
Oh yeah. I better mention this. Rock has two siblings: an older brother named Blues/Proto Man and a younger sister named Roll and he has a dog named Rush. He also has friends named Beat, the bird, Rightot (or Lightot or Auto from some of you), the mechanical robot and Eddie (or Fliptop), the little robot that would give you items every now and then. Guess what? Blues and rock & roll are two music genres. Ha ha ha!
Fun - 8
Over the years, the games have always been challenging. This one is no exception. This game will push you to the limits, even if you were a teenager at the time. Now, it still provides a challenge, but it's a trait people like myself have been used to.
Anyway, this was one of the most innovative games at the time and you'd still have to say so today. You defeat a boss and you find the next boss that carries the weakness of your new weapon. This was real spiffy.
What's not so spiffy is the number of limitations. Obviously, you don't get many abilities until the later games. What I can say though is that there are some bosses that are flat out irritating. I believe that if you get zapped four times by Elec Man, you will die. Also, you see the pic above you? Yeah, that's one of the most irritating parts of the game; if not, change "game" to "gaming world".
Life - 8
Well, you have to beat the game in one sitting. There weren't many secrets, but this is Capcom's first try after all. It has some life because, well, it's the first game of the series.
Audio - 10
The sound effects are just there, but one of the parts that makes the game or the series for that matter special is the music. This has to be one of the better batches of songs during this time. It can still hold on its own to this day.
Control - 10
If you have never played a "Rockman" game, you have never experienced one of the greatest series in terms of control. What does that tell you? Huh?
Story - 10
Eh. So what if it's not the best story now? It was good back then.
Art - 7
Okay, the art can use help, but then again, this is a 1987 game. At least you can see the game clearly.
Overall - 9
Capcom has created a hit game back then. The series is still up and well today. So, if you have not played this game yet, stop what you're doing and play it. You can thank me later as well as blast me for putting you through a hard challenge. =P
+
Nice story, nice music, it has that nostalgic touch that feels good.
-
The art is okay, but it needs improvement and the challenge can turn off some people.
Date of creation - 12/12/03
Last update - 8/11/04