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»Megaman: Powered Up
"What more could you want?"
Ah, the original Mega Man. As one of the most recognized video games on
the Nintendo console, it spawned many sequels, spin-offs, and remakes.
Capcom believes that one must remember one’s roots. Lacking passwords
or any form of record keeping, I'll admit, the game was definitely due
for an update; however, a game of this caliber deserves more than your
standard graphical upgrade. Capcom saw this need and blessed us with a
complete overhaul to the engine and the graphics without detracting
from the original.
Set in the far-flung (and confusingly numbered) year of 20XX, Dr. Light
- the chief authority on robotics is ready to reveal his newest line of
humanoid service robots. Suddenly the evil Dr. Wily attacks Light's
lab, stealing 8 of his new robots, leaving behind only Mega (or Rock,
as he was originally known [¬_¬]), Light's assistant, and Roll, his
housekeeping robotic sister. Imbued with a strong sense of justice,
Mega pleads Light to transform him into a fighting robot so that he may
save mankind. Light reluctantly agrees and gives Mega a new name…Mega
Man. In this remake, the Blue Bomber faces off with old enemies and
new, including two new robot masters: Time Man and Oil Man.
For the most part Powered Up is classic Mega Man. You blast through
various stages with your mega buster in an attempt to defeat the robot
masters that inhabit them. There are two versions of the game:
The first is just like the original game, complete with a more classic
4:3 ratio and the original NES sound track. It also features the
updated graphics and minor use of the voice acting from the new
version. In classic mode, Mega Man is on a much smaller scale, just
like the original
Second is the new "Powered Up" version, which takes full advantage of
the PSP's widescreen and sound capabilities, including a remixed
soundtrack. Storyline cut-scenes, two new stages complete with new
robot masters(Oil Man and Time Man), the ability to play as all of the
robot masters, and challenge modes for each just begins to crack the
surface.
Powered Up also includes many new elements and features, including
various blocks that can be destroyed by the different weapons (as
opposed to the one set from the original that could only be destroyed
by Super Arm or the Elec Beam). To unlock each of the bosses, you just
need to defeat them without using any special weapons. This is often
easier said than done, but you can obtain them through easy mode. Once
obtained, each boss can only use their own weapon, but they also have
special abilities. Cut Man can wall jump, Elec Man can manipulate elec
blocks, Gutsman can create blocks out of thin air and toss them at
opponents. There are others but I’ll leave that for you to figure out.
Interestingly enough, when you play the story mode with a boss
character, you’ll fight an especially sinister-looking Mega Man where
you would normally fight the character you’re using.
One of the most heralded modes is Construction Mode where you can
create your own stages and even upload them to Capcom’s servers via
Wi-Fi Infrastructure. Your created stages are then judged by others who
download and beat them. Likewise, you can download other player-made
stages, increasing the replayability almost indefinitely.
My only gripe here is that at times, there is a bit of minor slowdown.
You can notice this whenever there are a lot of environmental effects
happening such as when there are multiple enemies onscreen while fire
is spouting from the numerous torches strewn about on Fire Man’s stage.
The super-deformed look actually suits the classic Megaman games. The
graphics themselves are pretty much standard for 3D games on the PSP,
though the effects with the Yellow Devil are pretty awesome. However, I
do have a problem with the graphics in the old version. They're way too
small, and it's kind of unnerving when compared to the huge graphics in
the new version.
As for the sound, the rearrangements of the classic tunes are pretty
accurate and catchy, while the new music fits in well with the old. The
original NES songs are also recorded well, and the sound effects are
pretty good. Voice acting is a mixed bag though. Some are good (Mega
Man actually sounds like a boy for once), while some are annoying (Dr.
Wily's voice grate on my nerves, and he doesn't even really sound that
threatening). Other voice choices are downright strange (Fireman sounds
like a Southern minister with his accent and talk of using "the
purifying flames of justice").
Powered Up is just brimming with replay value. There are several
unlockable characters, the 100 challenges in Challenge Mode (which are
actually somewhat fun), as well as the infinite fun of building your
own stages through Construction Mode, and challenging your friends to
complete them. There's also the fact that there are two versions of the
game, and the fact that Mega Man games are just plain fun.
Article by: Wolfdogg
Posted on: Mar. 18th, 2006 |
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Review Recap |
| Gameplay |
| This game retains the classic fun of the NES classic, while adding in several new features. The minor slowdown's a bit of a hassle sometimes. |
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Graphics |
| The graphics are well-done, but the decreased scale in Classic Mode is somewhat annoying. |
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Sound |
| The remixed soundtrack retains the charm of the original, the sound effects are good, but some of the voices could use a little work. |
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Replay Value |
| Two versions of the game, unlockable characters, building and downloading custom stages, and Challenge Mode. What more could you want? |
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Comments |
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March 20, 2006 |
symphony1125 |
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So I bought this game last week when it came out, and I've gotta say, that this'll definetly keep me occupied for a long time to come. Challenge mode, classic mode, powered up mode, construction, three different difficulty levels, etc. I definetly could not ask for more from a remake of this beloved classic. The newly made graphics, and voice acting make this game everything that I imagined it would be when I vegged out on the couch as a kid playing this.
Kudos to Capcom!!!
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March 21, 2006 |
Bloodspoor |
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Yea, I have to agree. This game soars above just about every PSP game, but not everyone I know is a huge fan of the cuteness factor. Personally, I can't see a better way of doing it. Beat all the challenge levels and you unlock the cheesiest character, Proto Man. He jumps 1.5x higher than Mega, always shoots charged shots without the need to charge, and when standing still, he blocks frontal attacks. Not to mention that his voice acting is ball-kicking good. Also, if you beat hard mode, you unlock Mega (the opening stage version) who attacks with a simple kick. While Proto Man on easy mode is a cakewalk, Mega on hard mode in neigh impossible.
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March 29, 2006 |
Zeiros |
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I definitely agree here. This is most certainly a very good buy, especially in terms of replay value... I could sit there and make stages all day if I really wanted to, heh. Other than that, I'd be pretty much echoing everyone else, so I'll leave it at that.
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