Since then, there's been a total of four Zero titles hitting the GBA, each getting progressively deeper and a bit more simple to manage. Despite its fury educing difficulty that used to be commonplace in all gaming, the series has undeniably flourished on the GBA. It follows the same evolution as the Castlevania series in using the GBA's Super NES-like quality to deliver classic 2D gameplay while consoles rule the 3D realm.
So what happens when the DS comes around? So far on Nintendo's newest handheld we've seen Mega in only one form; the Battle Network Series. More like an introductory action-role playing game than old-school shooter, the Battle Network Series continues to spew iteration after iteration onto the shelves, waiting to either be crowned a legend like its 80's character basis, or thrown to the wayside like so many other melancholy games before it.
Unfortunately we know we're not alone when we side with the second choice, as the series continues to wear itself thin, adding very little to each continuing version. Luckily Capcom has us more hardcore gamers covered, as the Zero franchise is morphing into a new form on Nintendo DS, titled Mega Man ZX.
Mega Man ZX is set in the world of the Zero/X franchises, existing in a world where man and reploid are in a constant struggle against "Maverick" robo-units. These robo-units have revolted and separated the world's areas into overrun territories with pockets of secure sectors sprinkled in the mix. As either a male or female main character, players will be thrown into the life of a maverick hunter, taking biometals which allow them to form into robot "models". At the beginning of the game, players will make contact with the X model, later combining X's power with an assortment of other biometals to create more models to morph into. Confused? Aside from the story, the gameplay is still relatively the same as it has always been. Find the baddies, kill them, take their power. What's interesting though, is that defeated enemies no longer add an element to the original X or Z character. Instead they actually change the character from being Mega Man X or Zero into all-new units. These "Mega Men" each have their own powers, mobility, strengths, and weaknesses.
Aside from the additions to the formula, the gameplay is still basically a Mega Man Zero game, though there's a bit more depth in mission selection and exploration. Since the world is essentially divided between human and machine, players will not only have to use the Mega Men models, but also navigate neutral towns in human form. There's far more general exploration in the game (almost like Metroid: Fusion for GBA or Castlevania II: Simon's Quest for NES), so those looking specifically for hardcore "punish or be punished" gameplay may have to learn to cool their jets for pockets of 20 minutes or so at a time. Even still, once you're used to the new pacing of the game, it really does add an extra layer to the somewhat compressed style of the Zero franchise. And believe us, when the battles begin, they are still just as insane as ever.
So with Mega Man stepping up his firepower, it's only fair that the enemies do the same, right? ZX may not be as challenging as the original Zero was on GBA, but it's definitely still got its moments. The game offers a deceptively difficult easy mode, as well as a normal mode for those that think they can hang with the big boys. In reality, these modes should really be labeled normal and hard, as even the simpler version still packs a pretty big punch. Anyone looking for the true Zero experience will want to go with normal mode, but trust us when we say temper-tantrums are included free with that selection. Bosses are ruthless, level design is difficult (but unrivaled for the Zero franchise), and the overall gameplay is definitely no walk in the park.
The mission selection works very similar to previous Zero games, as missions can be failed, but allow you to restart them at any time. As the game continues players will increase the amount of lives X has, and the ever-popular subtanks are back as well, letting you cash in extra health energy at crucial moments. One area that has been replaced though (drum roll for all the hardcore fans…) is the Cyberelves. That's right ladies and gents, no more cyberelf management here. Instead, players collect E-Crystals that can be used to upgrade the different X Models. We couldn't be happier with the move to ditch the pokemon aspect of the game, as the multiple X Models is more than enough management to look after, and it actually makes the overall game feel more like something from the Super NES era rather than some evolved mess of a game that just doesn't play like it should.
Speaking of Super NES, Mega Man ZX actually makes a few awesome references to the original X series during the adventure. Not only is the entire intro level included (lengthened and reworked a bit though), some of the actual characters made a comeback as well. Every true Mega Man fan remembers the gigantic bumblebee robot that fights you in that first level of Mega Man X, right? Well, he's back, and when you lay the smackdown on him this time he'll fall to the ground and break away the floor just like in the old game. Likewise, characters make constant references to the X world, as they refer to their red hotrod cars (again, from the intro level of Mega Man X) as "classics" from the old days. It's great to see a franchise remember where it came from, and the small cameos scattered throughout the game won't get in the way, but they will add some moments of nostalgia as players trek through old areas now ransacked and left in rubble.
That being said, there are still some awesome backgrounds and parallax going on, as well as a ton of overall visual effects. Key moments of the game will actually bring up single-screen animated shorts as well, filled with a ton of solid animation and character art that really adds serious strength to the package. These sequences are still voice-acted in Japanese, but they do contain English subtitles, which we can only assume was an attempt to capitalize on the anime style of the game while simultaneously saving cash on re-recording voice segments. Even still, the animated shorts give off the same vibe as the intro to Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, and anyone that played through that instant classics knows the joy of seeing stylized intros on DS games that, quite frankly, deserve the extra production value.
We'll have more on Mega Man ZX in the next few days, including a model profile for each of the X Models and an exclusive review coming to you the weekend before release. Still want more? Be sure to check out the new videos taken directly from the final English version in our media section below. Mega Man ZX hits store shelves on September 12th.