y

Title: MegaMan Legends Genre: Action Number of players: 1 Memory space: 1 block Release date: 9/10/98 Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Compatible peripherals: Standard controller

OVERVIEW:
Capcom's largest game series gets even bigger by the year. First there was MegaMan 1-8, then MegaMan X 1-4, and even MegaMan Soccer! But now comes the greatest endeavor of the MegaMan series. MegaMan Legends! Capcom's Blue Bomber is back in this awesome 3D adventure.

STORYLINE:
A brand new story, for a brand new MegaMan. In a world covered by endless water, people are forced to eke out living on what land still remains. However, they are not primitive people, they have a somewhat advanced grasp on technology. A powerful energy source known as Quantum Refractors are the main base of energy in the world. These refractors are located in deep underground tunnels and are sought out by Diggers. As time progressed, Diggers started to whisper about a legendary refractor known as the Mother Lode. A refractor so grand, that the citizen's of the world would never fear running out of energy. 14 years ago, famed scientist/digger Barrel Casket found a baby named MegaMan Volnutt. Just an abandoned child and a monkey named Data. Barrel took the boy and raised him as a son. MegaMan grew up to become a Digger at an early age. MegaMan's best friend was Barrel's granddaughter, Roll. After a routine dig, your airship, the Flutter, malfunctions and you crash land on Kattelox Island. No sooner do you finally make yourself at home, the a pirate group known as the Bonnes attack. After a very impressive display of heroics, MegaMan is sent on a journey to unlock the multiple mysteries of Kattelox. Including unlocking the mystery of the "Legendary Disaster" that occurs if the "Treasure Of Kattelox" is found. And as if that weren't enough, those Pirates are trying to knock you off in the process. Its a roller coaster of MegaMan fun. For those of you who love the original MegaMan games, and its format. Its gone. You don't fight bosses to get new weapons, you find them and have them built by Roll. And you can use combinations of "Buster Parts" to make your normal gun better. And you cam equip one Special Weapon at a time, allowing you to use two weapons at once.

GRAPHICS:
The game's graphics aren't bad. But they aren't the best I've ever seen. Its like a bunch of 3D models covered in bitmaps. The animation isn't bad. And its perhaps the one the only real let downs of the game. But remember, graphics don't make a game good, they just help.

"Capcom's Blue Bomber is back in this awesome 3D adventure."

SOUND:
MegaMan X4 introduced the Blue Bomber to Digital Speech. In Legends, there is over 30 minutes of raw digital speech. For the game's genre, Action/RPG (like Legend Of Zelda), it is first step into making a better RPG. I've had multiple people complain about reading the annoying boxes of text. But the whole game isn't covered with digital speech. You still have some reading to do. The music is rather cheesy and simplistic, probably to make room for the speech.

PLAYABILITY:
OK, for the way the game is designed to play in a 3D world, the game is better suited to the N64. It will probably take you a good 30 minutes to figure how to control MegaMan, and then trying to equip the right combos of buster parts for your gun, and all this crap which just makes it harder than it should be. This is the true, ultimate let down of MegaMan Legends.

FUN/REPLAY VALUE:
Its fun, believe me. I had a blast playing this game. Even though the pirates are a real nuisance, they are the real comic relief in the game. Its a short game, just playing straight through, you can beat it in 8 hours. But wait, there is more. Once you beat it, a new difficulty level appears. You can now replay the game on "Normal" or "Hard," and once you beat "Hard," you get "Easy." Which definitely adds on to the Replay Value. One last thing. For you RPG fans out there, ever wonder what people would say AFTER you beat the game and saved their lives? Well, guess what, this is the first game I played that allows you to do that! Once you beat the final boss, you can go and talk to people.

"Its fun, believe me. I had a blast playing this game."

WORTH BUYING: MAYBE
This is a great game. But I think that buying it should be a matter of personal taste. MegaMan fans should buy it. But its a game better renting before buying. Give it whirl and see what you think.

OVERALL: 8.75
MegaMan is a classic through and through. For over a DECADE, Capcom's MegaMan games have been fun and exciting. MegaMan Legends holds a place in the series history as perhaps one of the most awesome MegaMan games yet!

To order MegaMan Legends, click the button