The Mega Man Zero series has a really cool story, and it’s very important that you play these games from the very start, instead jumping straight into Mega Zero 4 with the assumption that it’s the best game in the package. The plot takes place over a hundred years after the Mega Man X series and the first game starts off with a girl named Ciel awakening a legendary Maverick Hunter called ‘Zero’, who apparently is the same Zero from the Mega Man X series (or is he?). You soon learn that the current government is attacking innocent Reploids, on the justification that they could turn into Mavericks. What’s crazier is that a certain legendary Maverick Hunter is responsible for this tyranny. The new Zero accepts the responsibility of helping these Reploids, but still questions his identity. We won’t give more away, but we can tell you that Zero’s saga is a memorable one and well worth experiencing from start to finish, the plot is as cool as what we saw in the Mega Man X series. Nothing too fancy or artsy but what's there is dramatic, interesting and nicely done.
The core mechanics of these games are much like the 2D Mega Man X games (not the awful 2D/3D ones). Zero handles almost the same in terms of the dashing, wall jumping and overall feel. His main weapon is the trademark Mega Man blaster than can be charged up for a powerful shot, then you also have the original Zero’s trademark weapon, the saber. At first, these games almost feel exactly like the Mega Man X games, which is hardly a bad thing but thankfully there’s much more to these games. For one thing it has strong RPG elements as you can upgrade weapons and abilities, and there are some light RPG town elements where you interact with NPCs and such. Then there are the Cyber Elves, these weird critters grant you all sorts of different status upgrades, abilities and enhancements. Finally, you even get elemental upgrades to your weapons. So while the core mechanics are similar to what can be found in Mega Man X games, there are enough different features to make the Mega Man Zero games feel distinct.
Zero has some cool tricks up his sleeve.
In terms of game structure and such, Mega Man Zero series is not much different from what we’ve seen in most traditional Mega Man games, apart from the light RPG elements. The stages are loaded with challenging platforming elements and tough enemies that will put your gaming skills and reflexes to the test, the level designs are well thought out and offer a very challenging and satisfying experience. Mega Man games have always been known for their notoriously difficult and challenging bosses and the Mega Man Zero games are no exception, this game has punishing bosses right from the get go and they require a careful study and memorization of their patterns, defeating these bosses will give any gamer a bona-fide feeling of satisfaction and pride.
These games are tough as nails and not for the weak willed. If you’re going to jump into these games expecting a fairly casual and fun action experience, then you will quickly learn within the first 20 minutes that these games demand skill, attention and perseverance. As enjoyable as these games are, they will definitely frustrate a lot of people by making them feel like they are inept gamers. Thankfully, Capcom were one step ahead of this problem.
Mega Man Zero Collection comes with its own exclusive mode called ‘Easy Scenario Mode’. In this mode you play all four Mega Man Zero games as if they were one big game. From the get go, you get a maxed out character with almost all the necessary skills, Cyber Elves etc. and go up against far more forgiving bosses. This mode really feels like a walk in the park and will allow casuals to breeze through. That said, if you’re serious about these games then you shouldn’t go anywhere near this lenient version of Mega Man Zero because all the thrill and excitement of these games can only be experienced under the original difficulty setting. The Easy Scenario Mode, in truth, offers a very dull experience.
The bosses are just plain rude.
Graphically and musically, these games have aged well and are not much different from what can be found in the DS-only Mega Man ZX series. The sprites look decent enough and music score is as awesome as the brilliant stuff we’ve heard from the Mega Man series. In terms of graphics, music and even gameplay, these games feel as relevant for the DS as any other 2D action title.
Mega Man Zero Collection is a nice compilation of some of the best Gameboy Advance action titles. That said, these are in the end direct emulations of games that came out in the previous generation, and if you’ve already played any of these games on the Gameboy Advance then there isn’t any point for you to get this collection. In terms of extras, there is the customary gallery mode and as for the Easy Scenario Mode, which may seem like an attractive offering at first but all it does is offer an dumb down no thrills Mega Man experience. If Mega Man games generally drive you insane then you should really stay away from this collection. Furthermore, the DS only Mega Man ZX and Mega Man ZX Advent are attractive alternatives to this package, as they offer a much different experience. All that said, Mega Man Zero Collection is a generous package that gives gamers a chance to catch up on a great series, all for a fair price of $30.
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