With so many terrible tryhard 2D indie platformers on Xbox
One it is useful sometimes to take a trip back to the past and visit the games
they’re so desperately trying (and failing) to emulate. We can’t play Super Mario Bros. on Xbox One,
unfortunately, but we can play another slice of 80’s 2D platforming heaven in
the Mega Man series with the Mega Man Legacy Collection. Mega Man Legacy Collection features the six
classic Mega Man games released for NES just like you remember them, but with
some modern features like save states and practice modes to make them even
better. This is 2D platforming at its
absolute best. See our full Mega Man
Legacy review for details.Game Details
- Publisher: Capcom
- Developer: Digital Eclipse
- ESRB Rating: “E” for Everyone
- Genre: 2D Platformer
- Pros: 6 great games; boss practice mode; save states; music is still amazing
- Cons: Doesn’t have MM 7-10; bland menus; no rewind
- MSRP: $15
The Mega Man Legacy Collection includes the six original NES
Mega Man games perfectly emulated to match their original gameplay and
performance. Any glitches and exploits
you may remember, as well as framerate issues, are present and accounted for
here. Your old passwords also still
work, of course, as well. The games are
presented in 1080p and the edges of the 8-bit pixels are sharp enough you could
cut yourself on them. There are also
graphical filter options to smooth things out and add scanlines if you want a
truly retro experience.
It is somewhat disappointing that this only includes the
first 6 Mega Man games even though the PS2 / Xbox Mega Man Anniversary
Collection included more titles. I’m
sure most folks would have been fine with paying an extra $5 for Mega Mans 7-10,
but this is an NES collection so it’s fine.
I guess.
One advantage the Mega Man Legacy Collection has over
previous collections, however, is the addition of modern features like save
states, challenge modes, and practice modes along with a museum of artwork for
each game and you can listen to any song in any game via the menus. The save states and practice modes in
particular are fantastic additions to the experience because they make these
extremely difficult games ever so slightly easier. Setting a save state right before a tough section of a level (or
a boss fight) will save you a ton of frustration later on. Likewise, being able to practice boss fights
and learn their patterns make these encounters much more enjoyable than having
to replay through a level over and over to get back to a boss when you die
repeatedly.
And you will die repeatedly because Mega Man games are some
of the most notoriously difficult games around. Being able to use save states and stuff isn’t an authentic
experience, but boy do they make the games more enjoyable. Not that the games aren’t already great –
they are considered classics for a reason and have held up extremely well,
particularly compared to modern indie 2D platformers – but getting a little
(totally optional) assistance to help players actually get through the games
can only be considered a good thing.
The only missing assist feature I’d like to see here is a rewind
function like in Rare Replay.
My only real complaint with Mega Man Legacy Collection is
that the menus are pretty barren and bland.
The presentation in the games themselves is totally fine, but the menus
could be better. Compared to Rare
Replay, which had a lot of love and attention given even to the menus, Mega Man
Legacy Collection is sorta lame.
All in all, though, you really can’t beat what Mega Man
Legacy Collection offers for its extremely reasonable $15 price point. Six great games just like they were when
then originally released, modern quality of life features, a museum mode full of
music and artwork, and a whole lot of nostalgia are well worth the asking
price. Buy it.
Disclosure: A review code was provided by the publisher.
