The original
Mega Man for the
Nintendo Entertainment System spawned a number of sequels and
spin-
offs over the years, and now
Capcom and
Atomic Planet have seen fit to repackage all eight original games (plus two arcade-only variations) into the
Mega Man Anniversary Collection for the
Nintendo GameCube and
Sony PlayStation 2. Released in 2004 to end a year-long celebration of
Mega Man's fifteenth birthday,
Collection bundles some of gaming's classic titles along with a whole slew of remixed music, conceptual sketch art, some nifty enhancements to old favorites: all games now save progress to the memory card (although vintage passwords can still be used), some of the jarring typos and textual gaffes have been corrected (such as
Dr. Wily's use of the word "faild"), and a few sounds have been tweaked here and there. The anthology includes the following games:
- Mega Man (1987, Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Mega Man 2 (1989, Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Mega Man 3 (1990, Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Mega Man 4 (1991, Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Mega Man 5 (1992, Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Mega Man 6 (1993, Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Mega Man 7 (1995, Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
- Mega Man 8 (1997, Sony PlayStation)
- Mega Man: The Power Battle (1995, Arcade)
- Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (1996, Arcade)
Following in the footsteps of the
Rockman Complete Works set,
Mega Man Anniversary Collection includes a special optional "Navi Mode" in which the energy meters of the first six
Mega Man games are redrawn to approximate the visual style found in
Mega Man 8, plus game characters such as
Beat and
Eddie appear onscreen from time to time to offer hints or display a map of the current level.
Collection also includes several unlockable bonus features. Conceptual sketches and remixes music can be accessed by defeating certain
robot masters and finishing certain games. There's even a console-specific bonus:
GameCube players can access a twenty-minute segment from the
G4 video game network about
Mega Man's history, while
PlayStation 2 owners are treated to the first episode of the
Mega Man animated series plus some remixed music in various game levels.
A Game Boy Advance version of the Collection features the five Mega Man games that were released for the original Game Boy. Previously known as Mega Man Mania, this edition will be released in October 2004 and includes the following games both in their original monochromatic format and new color versions:
Longtime fans of the blue bomber will certainly enjoy this trip down memory lane. Players who have never experienced the simple purity of the early
Mega Man titles are strongly urged to pick up this collection. This is how games used to be; no three-dimensional worlds or surround sound or polygons. Just a simple five-colored hero, a bevy of evil
robot masters, and enough solid gameplay to build a classic gaming franchise.
Fight, Mega Man! Fight for everlasting peace!