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Mega Man 11
Nintendo Switch
New Look, Same Old Mega Man
4/5 stars
Mega Man 11 might have all new graphics but really at its core it's the same old Mega Man and I'm completely fine with that.
It took over 8 years for Capcom to make another Mega Man after 10, and it's been over 20 years since they took a risk and gave Mega Man a completely new look in its core game. I think it's been far too long since it's been several years since the video game market has not only accepted but welcomed back the 2D platformer to current consoles.
If you were wondering, this is the same old Mega Man. There are 8 robots to take down, each containing a level and you can decide whatever order you want to try and beat them. Once you've done that you head to Wily's castle to take him down. In that process you play a few additional levels. If you've played any of the previous Mega Mans (1-10) you will know the formula.
Here's the thing about that. That's what Mega Man is. That's why Mega Man is great. So if you were hoping for some new revolutionary new take on Mega Man you're in the wrong place. If you liked how Capcom did the previous games, you'll probably like this game.
The one big change from previous games to this one is the graphics. It's HD. It's 16x9. It looks really good. The animations of Mega Man, robot bosses, and enemies are much more involved and complex. The levels continue to be bright and colorful which is a good thing. Mega Man himself is taller than you might be used to so it's a little harder to dodge attacks and bullets. He's a little bigger on the screen too.
One thing I've always been concerned with when 2D platformers get a new game in the HD world is that for some reason the game slows down and the gameplay just doesn't feel right. Don't worry about this game though, Mega Man plays like it should. Bosses are quick, you'll need good reflexes at times and there are a bunch of quick jumps to perform. The game responds well to it. Mega Man's slide and charge attack is back and the game is designed well for it too.
I was pleased with the bosses. Mega Man 11 has the bosses go into overdrive about half way through the fight, meaning they will either get bigger, do a bigger attack, or move extremely fast for a while. This adds an extra element to the fights which was nice. The weapons you receive from the bosses are diverse and useful in levels as well. Some of the weapons attack from above or hover along the ground or even bounce off walls. Not only that, but you can quick change between them using the shoulder buttons so you don't have to go into the menu very often.
Also, you can purchase upgrades to Mega Man by using bolts you acquire in levels. It's not just Energy Tanks and extra guys, but passive abilities as well. For example, you can buy an upgrade to help Mega Man not slide so much on ice. Or, there's an upgrade that will automatically charge the mega buster for you so you don't have to hold the Y button down all the time. Things like that. They are extremely helpful. One thing I don't like is that you don't have access to them right away and that you have to do certain things in the game to get to appear. It's not just how far you progress either, it could depend on how many times you die and in what way you died. I never actually got access to all of them before I finished the game.
The "fresh" new element to this Mega Man game is the double gear system. Wily takes over some robots using it so Dr. Light feels like he has to install it into Mega Man so he can beat them. Basically there are two versions to the double gear system. One shoulder button activates the power side which will give you a short timed boost to your attack. If you don't deactivate before the gauge fills the cool down time also decreases your attack power. The other side is time based. This will slow down the game giving you more time to decide how to dodge an attack or traverse a difficult part of a stage. I found the time part of the double gear system much more useful and I used that far more often. Lastly, if you're really low on health you can activate both at the same time as a last ditch effort to kill whatever is giving you trouble.
The main problem I had with this game is that it appeared it was designed for speed runs and that some of the jumps were not just difficult but just mean and you almost have to use the double gear system the right way. Acid Man in particular had a bunch of mean spike jumps (much more mean than previous Mega Man games I thought). But I didn't have one of the upgrades available that would have made that easier either. One of the upgrades keeps Mega Man in normal speed even when you activate the time double gear that slows everything down. This helps immensely when you have something chasing you that will cause an instant death.
One you finish the base game there is more to do. There are challenges much like the Legacy Collections have had where you can obtain a gold, silver, or bronze trophy and compare yourself to others on a leader board. Most of them are time attacks of levels though.
All in all I enjoyed this game, but I wouldn't say it's the best Mega Man. When compared to the other 10 main Mega Man games I'd put this somewhere in the middle of the pack. It's good, but nothing special. I do hope Mega Man continues. I liked Mega Man's new look and the core game was still a lot of fun but really it's nothing new.
4/5
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