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A.P.I Review:	MEGA MAN LEGENDS
Developer:	Capcom	OPTIONS:	SCREENSHOTS: No.1   No.2   No.3
Distributor:	Capcom	1-2 Player
Game Type:	Action/RPG	Memory Card
Review Date:	October 1998	Analog Compatible

Setting the Scene

Over the years, Mega Man has amassed quite a fan following in the 2D
world of the Super NES.  Now, Capcom has decided to Mega jump into the
3D world of the Sony PlayStation.  How will their effort fair in the
sophisticated world of games against the likes of Final Fantasy.  
Why don't we find out now...?

Genre

Mega Man is an Action/RPG game.

Graphics

The graphics for Mega Man aren't all that bad, but they aren't great
either.  The backgrounds are suitable and the characters look pretty
good, but there is something about the animation that bothers me.  I
think Mega Man looks a little like Speed Racer and playing the game is
like watching a poorly drawn Anime cartoon.  Everything looks really
cheesy to me.  By today's standards, second rate.

Besides the animation I had one other big problem.  When Mega Man is
traversing the different levels, the backgrounds are rotated around him
rather than him moving around through the backgrounds.  This creates A
LOT of polygon seaming and clipping, and can get extremely annoying
after a while.  At times it can even effect your game if you are in the
midst of a battle with an enemy.

Throughout the game there is also a lot of CG FMV's that play out to
move the story along.  These are good to watch once; thank God you can
START through them though.  Some of them are extremely long and you can
get through the levels without them.

Sounds and Effects

The sounds and effects are suitable but average.  There is nothing
impressive here.  Like I said in the graphics section, it is like
watching a third rate cartoon.  When the characters talk, when guns
fire, when the enemies move, it all reminds me of the animation you see
in a Speed Racer type cartoon.  

If you stay above ground long enough in one of the "normal" areas the
background music will really begin to bother you too.  Are you starting
to get the picture that I was a bit disappointed with this game?

Playability

I have two big problems with this game.  First, Mega Man is somewhat
difficult to control because you must use the shoulder buttons to rotate
the screen around him when turning corners and rotating 360'.  To me,
this was difficult and confusing and it succeeded in making me upset
more than once.  Second, I was not thrilled with having to talk to every
damn character above ground before I found out what I had to do.  The
idea is, you look around and investigate and certain townspeople will
give you hints about what to do next.  Well, maybe it's just me, but it
seemed like I had to talk to everyone before I found the one individual
with information that I could use.  This led to a lot of wasted time
above ground and was extremely frustrating.

Well, now that I got that off my chest, the basic gameplay really isn't
too bad.  The story goes a little like Waterworld in that people must
live out their lives on small patches of land above the water.  Diggers
travel below ground in search of refractors, the earth's only source of
energy.  Over the years there have been hints of a motherload of
refractors and you must battle underground demons as well as pirates as
you search for glory.
	
To start off you are equipped with only your buster gun and the ability
to kick.  Along the way, Roll, you're above ground "genius" partner can
take parts that you bring back from the battle areas, as well as pick up
at the junk store, and mold them into useful tools.  You can also find
Buster parts, Helmet parts, Jump parts, Dash parts, and an armored body.
All designed to make you stronger and more powerful, in an effort to
progress through the levels.  

I thought Capcom did a good job with the single button auto-target
feature as well as the single button roll maneuver that allows you to
avoid oncoming fire.  These somewhat made up for the difficulty of
movement throughout the levels.

The only advice I can give is don't start playing unless you have a lot
of time to invest in this game.  It is definitely not the type that you
play for a few days and leave.  You must be patient and devoted to make
it through the game.

Value for Money

If you can find Mega Man at a reasonable price I would have to say pick
it up.  But if you are short on cash don't bother.  This game is not a
must buy right away type, it can wait.  I'd be interested to see if
Capcom comes out with a sequel that addresses some of the problems of
this title.