Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Review – A Great Package
[ad_1]
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Review
- Story and setting
- Gameplay
- Visuals and performance
Decision
The Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is one of the greatest ports ever, and it brings a beloved series to a modern audience.
Occupation
- Unique combat system
- Diversity of strategies
- Online mode
- Amazing visual upgrades
- Amazing soundtrack
The Mega Man Battle Network games were the talk of the town when they were released on the Game Boy Advance in the early 2000s. People were just discovering the wonders of portable consoles, and these titles were a mainstay during the early Nintendo handheld era.
And the Legacy Collection includes all 6 mainline games in the series, including two different versions of 4 titles, for a total of 10 games. Each of these has been rearranged and added to the collection with a bunch of additions.
So with our Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection review, we aim to tell you whether or not this collection is worth your time and money. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
Story and setting
The narratives of each of the 10 titles in the Mega Man Battle series can be a bit difficult to understand individually, but the overall story of each of these games focuses on a group of young children and their digital companions.
Players are introduced to a world where the Net has been integrated into every aspect of daily life, and most people have access to their own personal PETs. These PETs are powerful handheld devices that let them interact with the Net and navigate it with the help of NetNavis, which are essentially sentient beings that exist only digitally.
The games then take place in the year 20XX, with each entry featuring young Len Hikari and his Net Navy Mega Man as the main characters. And while the individual plots are slightly different, they more or less follow the duo as they try to take down the evil forces that are trying to mess with Nate.
This is a series primarily designed to appeal to children, so the format of each story is a little simpler. The characters get little to no character development over the course of these games, but the cast of characters is still very likable, and Lane’s friends and enemies make for interesting contrasting personalities throughout the experience.
Gameplay
The Mega Man Battle Network series has always been known for its interesting take on turn-based gameplay. To begin with, Len can go into any terminal he can find in the world, and Mega Man can then explore the virtual world inside that terminal. Exploring them is like a dungeon crawl, as you encounter various puzzles to solve, consumables to collect, and enemies to fight.
Most battles will start as random encounters as you explore, much like traversing tall grass in the Pokemon games. These battles take place on a grid and are organized using chips, which are the actions that Mega Man can perform. You start out with some basic chips and a standard buster shot, giving you a limited battle plan in the early stages of the games. Buster Shot does very little damage, so it’s important to complement it with a decent set of chips.
Each turn, you get a choice of chips from your loadout, and you get to use them as the battle unfolds in real time. Mega Man can freely move to his part of the grid and choose to attack or dodge enemy attacks, depending on what the player picks up during the chip selection phases of the encounter. This adds an interesting layer of depth to combat, making for some really fun game plans that reward proper planning.
As you progress, you’ll get new chips, and you’ll also have the ability to buy them from different merchants. These chips vary in power and rarity, and making the perfect set to take part in battle is where half the fun is. You can build a lot of synergy with the chips and implement different battle plans as your portfolio grows. For example, one of my favorite combos was using BlkBomb and HeatShot, finishing off enemies in one hit.
The Legacy Collection comes with a number of quality-of-life changes, such as giving players the ability to play online right from the start. The online system adds a lot of value to these already content-rich games, as players in this mode have the ability to trade chips with each other and battle each other with their NetNavis. Fighting against another person is a completely unique experience as you have to use different strategies to get the best out of each other.
Another new mode that has been added is the Buster Max mode. This is basically an easy mod for players who want to get up to speed on the games, especially if you are new to the genre and playing these games for the first time. With this mode, Buster Shot deals a lot of damage, making most combat encounters trivial even without using any chips. Having this mode is the saving grace for the early parts of the game, where combat feels like a slog without access to any strong chips.
The Legacy Collection also added a bunch of other cool stuff, including some content that was region-locked to Japan in the original games. This includes things like loading chip data, as well as patch cards that players can go through.
Visuals and performance
The games have also received a visual overhaul, and players have the option to play with or without the high-resolution filter. Die-hard fans who want to relive their memories of playing the games as kids should definitely opt for the no-filter option, as even after nearly 2 decades, the games still hold up well with their pixel art style. are maintained.
The games’ soundtracks are also amazing, as can be expected from a classic Capcom franchise. The Legacy Collection also added the ability to listen to these tracks outside of the game, which is always a welcome addition to compilations like this.
When it comes to performance, games run seamlessly on the Nintendo Switch. There were absolutely no bugs or glitches in my playthrough of the games, and I didn’t experience any frame drops or stutters. The game also runs well on other platforms, including PC and PS4, as it’s a pitch-perfect port.
Decision
The Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection is a perfect example of a wonderfully packaged time capsule of a beloved series, and Capcom managed to deliver on all fronts with this collection, attracting new and old players alike.
These games feature fun battle mechanics with chip systems and a great aesthetic reminiscent of the early 2000s era. If you’re looking to sink a few dozen hours into an extraordinary series of games, look no further than this collection.
This has been our Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection review. While you’re here, consider checking out some of our other articles.
Was this article helpful?
Thanks! Share your feedback with us. ⚡
How can we improve this post? Help us. ✍
[ad_2]
