Capcom’s blue bomber , Mega Man, has become an incredible part of many gamers’ lives which explains Capcom’s decision to bring gamers back to grips with their childhoods when they decided to release Mega Man 10.
The fact that Mega Man has transcended space-time in terms of the breadth of its universe, its longevity, and its developers’ commitment to providing players with quality content for over 20 years is a testament to the reach that the franchise has achieved. Rock, as he was originally called, has been in a myriad of titles over the years but the most recent release to his traditional lineup of titles, Mega Man 10, possesses a flare that has oft been left behind by modern-day developers. Mind you, not every video game publisher has a character as popular as Mega Man under their belt.
I myself fall into that bereft category of gamers who were born in the early 90′s. The first console I really grew attached to was Sony’s original Playstation making it awfully difficult to have access to classics of old. It was not until the age of 10 that I had the honor of discovering who exactly Mega Man was and, boy, was it love at first sight!
Mega Man 10 brings a level of nostalgia to all gamers who crouched in front of their favorite Nintendo and Sony home consoles alike battling Dr. Wylie’s newest iterations of personified renditions of evil. From the classic sounds common to 8 and 16-bit titles to Capcom’s devotion to delivering the same level of difficulty that was ever-present in games of the day, Mega Man 10 provides an excellent entry way for those who are too young to have enjoyed the little guy back in the day and, in addition, a fun experience for those who haven’t seen the blue devil since their youth.
For burgeoning young fans to veterans in the industry, Mega Man 10 is a must-buy. For one, upon first running the game, players will find that Capcom stayed truly committed to the level of difficulty that the series’ earlier installments possessed. Losing lives time and time again is a common occurrence when you are forced to go against cleverly named foes such as ‘Cut Man’, ‘Pump Man’ and the like. It is a punishing experience going through the same section of level time and time again only to let yourself know that maybe you need a break from the repetition of dying in a virtual world. Of course, Mega Man was never a game for quitters, and Mega Man 10 is no objection to this mantra. Capcom provides a way for players to once again become engaged with the many intricacies of Dr. Wylie’s world, however, at a cost: your time and, in some cases, your sanity. An exchange that may be too much for the average gamer today.
It is sadly true: most gamers today are not patient enough to enjoy the difficulty associated with titles such as Capcom’s Mega Man or Konami’s Contra series (series notorious for their level of difficulty). This is a fact that is illustrated in the growing facile-nature becoming more and more common amonggames of our day. However, titles such as Mega Man 10 embrace the past in a way that only Capcom could execute. For example, to deliver a game that ‘looks’ the way that Mega Man 10 does in the current day goes in direct conflict with titles that modern-day gamers are used to. I mean, since when has it been popular to include 16-bit graphics in games? (initiate laughter here).
Not until Capcom wowed their most devout fans with Mega Man 10.
It is, without a doubt, a franchise that has the most stringent gamers placing bets on its longevity – whether or not it will stand the test of time in regards to newer titles in the series. However, if Capcom has proven anything with their commitment to fans and critics alike, the blue-bomber has many more adventures experience, many more robots to tear to pieces, and a long line of new games with his name in the title to go.
To Mega Man’s critics and nonbelievers: Mega Man is a part of gaming culture with the series’ commitment to ‘fun’. Fun is an element of gameplay that is rarely touched upon in reviews however, when it comes to playing games, it should be the most essential. Fun stands as a barrier to newcomers and old-timers alike and there are a select few franchises that provide fun to their fans on a consistent basis. This is a shame considering that escapism – gaming being one of the healthier alternatives to the latter – is an immense part of our culture and you might as well have fun when doing so. Fun should not be abbreviated or diminished in any form it appears. That is all.
(Featured graphic provided by Benjamin Sawyer. To see more of his work, visit benbrush.com or benbrush.deviantart.com)