The original Mega Man was a smash hit worldwide. Back in this time Capcom wasn’t known as the king of sequels as they are now, but due to the game’s success a sequel was all but guaranteed, and happened only a few years later. Mega Man is different from your typical mascot based side scrolling game like Mario or Sonic because the style of play veers more toward being a run and gun in the vein of Contra. Platforming is still an integral part of gameplay, but the weaponry is the main focus between each sequel. Mega Man 2 improves upon the original formula in almost every way. There are still a few issues, but these are extremely minor. This is easily the best game in the original series, and also one of the very best side scrollers on the NES. That’s a tall bill for sure, but Capcom really outdid themselves with this one.
After being defeated in the original Mega Man title Dr. Wily gets back in the saddle again and tries once more to take over the world. Since all of the robot masters in the last game were defeated he has used his own designs this time around and has created eight new ones all designed around taking down Mega Man. Dr. Light calls the blue bomber into action once more, and it’s up to him to defeat all eight of the evil robots and then blast through several stages in Dr. Wily’s new fortress. The scenario isn’t particularly creative and is basically a retread of the original, but it’s not a big deal. It wasn’t until the next game that Capcom actually tried something different, but for now it’s acceptable. Like the previous title this is a side scrolling action platformer game. As Mega Man you can walk, jump, climb ladders etc. as well as fire your projectile based weapon. Your character comes equipped with a life bar on the left hand side of the screen, and by default a single weapon called the mega buster which fires pellet shaped projectiles.
All of the robot masters in this game are new, and Capcom created a total of eight for this game which is two more than were in the original. You can tackle them in any order that you choose from the stage select screen right at the beginning. There is some strategy involved in this because defeating the boss at the end of a level grants you their weapon for use in gameplay, and each of the robot masters are weak against the item you gain from another. When you begin you start with only the mega buster which has unlimited firepower, but the other tools have an energy bar that depletes with use. Despite being my favorite game in the series in my opinion the robot masters aren’t as interesting as in the later games. This time you’ll be dealing with the likes of Bubble Man, Air Man, Quick Man, Heat Man, Wood Man, Metal Man, Flash Man, and Crash Man. The designs are a little on the weak side with somewhat generic looking characters. Bubble Man, Heat Man, and Crash Man are my least favorites, but on the other hand Air Man with his fan body and Wood Man who is shaped like a tree are fairly inspired and are the best ones in this game.
The weapons and their functionality are a pretty big upgrade in my opinion. The leaf shield surrounds Mega Man with leafs, and you can send them in any direction by tapping the directional pad after activation. The crash bombs are explosives, but they stick to walls and can be surprisingly useful when well placed. The time stopper is a little weird in my opinion because it freezes all enemies, but it only serves limited uses because its energy drains quickly. Others such as the boomerangs, saws, and tornadoes are pretty standard, but their movement patterns are unique and are extremely useful. The bubble shot is my least favorite simply because the projectiles are weighted and fall to the ground. What’s cool is the fact that specific robot masters also leave behind special items in addition to their primary weapon. There are three of these and they create a variety of different platforms. One floats automatically upward, the other flies on a horizontal plane, and shots from the third soar gently to the ground. These are rarely required, and are most useful in avoiding obstacles and using them as makeshift shortcuts.
Gameplay is improved from the original mostly because this title features better level designs. These are more complex and build nicely upon the fundamentals introduced last time with more diversity. Air Man’s sky based stage is more focused upon intricate platforming than the others while Bubble Man’s stage takes place underwater which makes Mega Man lighter and affects his jumps. In addition specific areas in Quick Man’s level features screen filling laser shots that kill Mega Man instantly if they make contact. There’s a higher focus in this game on making blind falls into spike laden rooms, and the more significant instant death elements are well placed. Mega Man 2 is more difficult than the original and the additional challenge is welcome. Success is based just as much on skill as it is on memorizing enemy placement, attack patterns, and item locations. Mega Man 2 is the high point in the series as far as level design is concerned.
Mega Man 2 isn’t a huge upgrade over the original in terms of graphics, but there are some nice effects added and the cartoon styled mechanical future is just as charming as it ever was. There are a lot more subtle effects included here with the fluctuating clouds in Air Man’s stage and the small bubbles that come off of Mega Man when underwater in Bubble Man’s level. In the Wily stages you’ll notice some really interesting background elements. Stuff appears on the monitors, and despite being pixelated the text is perfectly readable. While the game looks good overall it’s not a huge upgrade from the last title. Unfortunately Mega Man 2 suffers from the technical problems that were present in the original. Sprites flicker so badly that entire characters briefly disappear. In addition there’s a lot of slowdown when the gameplay gets hectic.
The soundtrack is absolutely amazing. The wizards at Capcom were able to push the NES sound chip harder than any other developer ever has, and even manage to use the hardware’s weaknesses in a way that benefits the compositions. The first theme of Wily’s Castle is absolutely incredible with a real sense of fantasy and urgency, and this song hits notes I’ve never heard any other NES title hit. Each of the stage themes are really well done, but my favorite among the bunch is the music that accompanies Bubble Man’s level. It’s a very lazy piece that perfectly fits the aquatic theme here. The sound effects are ripped mostly from the previous game, but each of the weapons feature their own unique and new sound sample. Mega Man 2 is an awesome game in the sound department, and it features one of my overall favorite soundtracks on the platform.
Mega Man 2 is easily one of the very best platformers on the system, and even of all time. Capcom really hit a home run with tighter level designs and a wider variety of interesting themes. The lineup of robot masters is a little disappointing, but this is made up for with great weapons that are fun to use and functionally different from one another. The soundtrack is also one of the best of all time. If you’re only going to play one title in the original series then this is it.
