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This is starting to get a little old, right? Well, think again! The fourth of six Mega Man games for the NES is a definite sign that the series is still going very strong into the 1990's, and it shows with some of the new additions they have made. The newest and most valuable one is the Mega Buster, which is a cannon that is able to charge up. Rush continues to play an active role in the gameplay, and the levels are much deeper than they were before, balancing out the challenge just a touch. Overall, this is weaker than the first three Mega Mans, but it still provides a lot of thrills and fun.
The story is not different at all. Dr. Wily is still trying to rule the world with a bunch of maniacal robots, and he is still being pursued by that persistent Dr. Light and Mega Man. (Don't they have anything better to do with their time? Probably not.) So, there really is nothing much to say except that the story is a little deeper in terms of content, but that doesn't really save it that much.
The graphics are much better this time around, and they have a lot of detail to show for it. You wonder if this is to compensate for the fact that the Mega Man series is now on an inferior system. The SNES had been released around the time this game was, by the way. They don't match 16-bit quality levels, but they sure as hell beat the 8-bit quality.
The controls are becoming more and more smooth as time goes by. The hit detection is less of a nuisance and jumping is much more managable. It seems that Capcom has learned their lessons quite well, it would seem.
The music hasn't improved much over the last one. There are more easy-listening tunes out there, but the other games released for the NES in 1991 could generally do better.
The overall gameplay is starting to weaken, and that is a pity. The challenge of the levels is starting to rise, but the fights against the bosses are starting to become much easier now. That doesn't mean there aren't a couple to give you headaches. Ring Man is very tough to beat and Pharaoh Man isn't very managable either. So, you'll get your money worth, that much you do know, but only about half the time on the boss front.
Overall, this game isn't the best of the Mega Man series, but it still packs a wallop with its nice, flowing longevity and some of that same ol' gameplay that really needs no introduction by this point, which is encouraging as Mega Man prepares to enter the new era. -- Chris Vavra, PGNx Media
---- Jan 3, 2003
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