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| 2012 was not kind to Arm Cannon users... |
So, here we are 25 years later. Megaman is officially 25 years old and I just want to take a moment to talk about my favorite video game hero and what he has gone through. But first, let's take a quick look at his legacy.
That video is five years old. Obviously. That video showcased the main line Megaman games, the "important" games for every Megaman series. Forget that Battle Network, Zero, ZX, and all the rest of the Megaman series are SPIN OFFS of the ORIGINAL MEGAMAN SERIES. Megaman today is practically just a name now, sort of like how there are MANY "The Legend of Zelda" games. It's a Legacy. Megaman here, Megaman there. Tron here, Tron there. The name passes down, and that's all that matters. Right? [But I'll get back to this sometime in the future.]
Let me tell you Capcom and Megaman. Since that time, 5 years ago, the times have been very harsh for my favorite hero. It's depressing. Since then there have been 3 major Megaman games cancelled, including an MMO and the highly anticipated and longly awaited sequel: Megaman Legends 3. Not to mention, that in addition to the cancellation of major Megaman projects, X was not even allowed to rest in peace or be put down with a shred of his remaining dignity!
It seems like all we can do is just ask the same questions: "Capcom, what the heck is going on? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Megaman's 25th Anniversary officially began on December 17th, and I know I'm a little late to the party... well, actually, I'm not, because there was no party! But anyways, before 2013 officially kicks off, I'm going to take some time to talk about Megaman and his "25th Anniversary". Which brings me to my game review of Megaman versus-, I mean, STREET FIGHTER X MEGAMAN!!!
Street Fighter x Megaman is a fangame created by Seow Zong Hui, a Singaporean fan of Megaman. It was officially released as a free download through Capcom via the Capcom Unity website on December 17th. The game pits Megaman against 8 Street Fighter characters, each with their own levels and enemies inspired by their own themes. Defeating each fighter grants Megaman a new weapon just as traditional Megaman games have allowed Megaman to copy the Robot Master's powers in the past. All of the animations are solid and the boss fights are actually quite impressive presenting a fresh unique look when it comes down to it. Music uses tunes from classic Megaman titles combined with the theme songs of their respective fighters.
There probably isn't much that I can say about this game alone, other than "it's good". Honestly, it is a good game and is very well crafted for a fan work. It's simple, fun, and appealing and it does a great job of drawing influences from both the Megaman and the Street Fighter franchise. References are thrown throughout the game, gameplay emulates a real Megaman quite accurately, and every Boss has their own "SUPER" meter that fills up when they are hit so that they can attack using their Super Attacks.
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| One glitch I encountered. I-It's not like I needed that E-Tank! |
Of course, it's not the most amazing thing ever made. SFxMM might have some glitches, one of which causes dropped items like extra lives to drop within a wall rendering it unreachable. The game might also play slowly; however, I actually attribute the terrible slowdown and ear butchering sound blending to my own computer, since just about everyone else I've seen seems to be able to play it smoothly on their computer.
If you want to play the game you can download it from here: http://www.capcom-unity.com/mega_man
You can also watch Two Best Friends Play Street Fighter x Megaman as they share in their keen insight. Although, it will spoil most of the surprises as they do clear most of the levels.
As good as it is, Street Fighter x Megaman is far from the greatest thing to happen to Megaman, much less, a fulfilling way to celebrate his 25th Anniversary. But, that's just it. It's not the game's fault, it's the context of the situation. Capcom as of late has really been disappointing many people and it seems like they are just toying with the hearts of Megaman fans as they nickle and dime the Street Fighter Audience with their Street Figher x Tekken DLC, that was already on the disk. An 8Bit crossover game that they didn't even create does not make up for a cancelled sequel people have waited over a decade for! But I do congratulate the guys who made SFxMM and I'm happy that their hard work gained recognition. It's sad to see Capcom continue on like this because when I was younger I admired that company for producing high quality games. But now, most people believe that they've lived long enough to become a villain. I hope that they will eventually change back to how they used to be. As Matt and Pat said, this game is just a roller coaster of emotions for Megaman fans, and I don't think the ride is going to end.
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| I saw this image many months ago. Tragic. |
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| When I first saw this I thought this was some bad fan art. To my horror, it's official artwork. |
I guess 2012 just wasn't a good year for Arm Cannon users. I doubt Samus had any luck receiving a Happy Birthday. There is a lot more I'd like to talk about, but I will have to save those topics for another day. In the future I will review some other Megaman games and talk more about Megaman, but in the mean time here is some of the 25th Anniversary Music made to commemorate Megaman. [At least the music is good.]
Until next time, I'll try to enjoy the remainder of Megaman's 25th Anniversary. Happy New Years Everyone...
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| It's... It's X-OVER!!! |
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