MEGA MAN: THE POWER BATTLE
Original Release: Capcom, 1995, Arcade
Other Releases: PS2/Gamecube/Xbox (in Mega Man Anniversary Collection, 2004), PC/PS4/Switch/Xbox (in Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, 2022)
Capcom dabbled with a Mega Man sorta-fighting-game that's more like a "boss rush" mode
Mega Man: The Power Battle (Arcade, Capcom, 1995)
Where to Buy: eBay
How to Emulate: Arcade Emulation Guide
Review by: C. M0use
My first thought upon playing Mega Man: The Power Battle - why couldn't they make a regular full-length Mega Man game with this quality level of art and smoothness of gameplay?
My second thought - why not make a game like this where you can control any robot, and fight against each other in fighting game style?
Well, the Power Battle isn't the Mega Man fighting game that many of us were hoping for, but still for what it is, it is fairly fun. Mega Man, Proto Man and Bass battle through a selection of robot masters from Mega Man 1-7, culminating in a boss fight against Dr. Wily and one of his badder beasts from the final levels of the aforementioned Mega Man games.
The robot masters have the same powers as they usually do, but they are given some new moves here and there, and all of the sprites have received a lovely and colorful graphical upgrade. The music is a sampling of tunes from the various games, given a "grade-up" treatment with new instrument samples (though the change might not suit all tastes, it's a little more relaxed and loungey than the originals).
The game is actually shockingly easy for both a Mega Man game and an arcade game. If you are familiar with the Mega Man gameplay style, you'll likely complete it on only two or three credits on your first run, and subsequently will probably get all the way through on a credit without dying. It could stand a bit more (optional) challenge, but it is also a nice break from arcade games that are made artificially difficult so as to intentionally bleed you of quarters.
The best bonus is that up to three players can play simultaneously, which can get a little confusing but makes for some frantic fun. The boss difficulty scales up for each additional player to keep your group from trashing them too fast.
The game doesn't have a huge amount of replayability, but it is a nice little curiosity for Mega Man fans.
Comments
Post a Comment