Mega Man Zero 2 Review

Mega Man Zero 2 was released in October of 2003, roughly a year after the first entry. Luckily Capcom is not known for the "Madden" syndrome of games, in which versions of a game are released yearly with little or no changes to the gameplay. Sequels are expected to expand on the original game in new and surprising ways. Does Zero 2 accomplish this?

Zero 2 picks up one year after the events of Mega Man Zero. Neo Arcadia's leader has been defeated by Zero, who is now on the run, searching for himself. While venturing in the desert, he is attacked by Neo Arcadians. Soundly defeating them, he heads back to the Resistance Base to talk to Ciel. The Resistance has a new leader who espouses a more hard-line strategy in the fight against Neo Arcadia. Then the game begins.

Most of the graphics in Zero 2 are quite similar to Part I, given that it fell to Part I to establish the new world of Mega Man Zero, one can't expect a vast difference in graphics for the sequel. The biggest changes are better backgrounds. The backgrounds in the first game were at bit sparse, probably to compensate for everything being interconnected by the hub system.

As there is no such system in Zero 2, the developers were able to make each individual boss' stage more vibrant. From jungles to lava worlds, these stages really feel like a hearkening back to the theme of each boss having a domain of their own. It fits the game's world in a more nostalgic way. Too bad the bosses don't look as memorable; one has a summon attack that involves Storm Eagle and the Colonel from past Mega Man games. That is the extent of their visual brilliance.

Zero also has new forms in this game, which are unlocked through special actions, like using the Buster Shot a lot or collecting energy capsules. These new forms alter Zero's colors in some pretty neat ways. Blue Zero might not be my favorite form, but it sure looks sweet.

Music is pretty typical in this game, as well as the sound effects. The only piece I recall is the remixed Neo Arcadian theme. The reality of GBA audio rears its ugly head in Zero 2. Let's all give thanks for the Remastered Tracks CD releases that help to overcome the lousy audio quality, so one can see the well-composed tunes shine through.

When it comes to gameplay, the biggest changes are the "form" system and EX Skills. These skills are the special moves that bosses will only use if Zero has an A or S rank. These skills are just like the old Mega Man system of stealing the enemies' powers. They can be fun to use, but require a bit of tricky gameplay to get all the bosses to use them.

Given the removal of the hub system as noted, the multiple stages are in the vein of the classic Mega Man game. The Cyberelf system is pretty much unchanged, but the energy crystals level up amounts require a bit less, and thankfully too.

Challenge in Zero 2 is pretty much the same as in Part I, though the cheaper Elf upgrades will serve to help those looking for a hand earlier on. The form system allows the difficulty to be adjusted based on what kind of Mega Man player you are. 2 Subtanks are also found in the stages, rather than from Cyberelves, giving an advantage early on to those who find them. Mega Man Zero 2 is still an above average challenge that requires pattern memorization, but it is somewhat diminished.

Replay value is high, due to the new game plus feature. I especially like how EX skills are carried over, which gives the player a real incentive to get those tough high ranks, whereas MM Zero had no such reason. Additional difficulties are present as well. Hard mode uses one of Zero's hidden forms in an interesting way. Let's keep up with this excellent replay, as it keeps us all playing even longer!

In summation, Zero 2 is a very typical sequel from Capcom, with the requisite improvements if only designed to make a different game on the surface. Such things matter not to me, especially when the gameplay is as good as in the Zero series. We gamers often ask ourselves if each sequel was different in everything but the central storyline, would that make it have the same spirit as the previous games in the series? This is just one of those things that we take for granted, as we all have ideas on how to improve games, but would we avoid making changes simply as a knee-jerk reaction?

- Ugly Bob

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