Mega Man (Game Gear)
Encyclopedia
Mega Man is a video game for the Sega
Game Gear. It was developed by Freestyle, licensed by Capcom
, and published by U.S. Gold
only in North America in 1995. It is the only game in the original Mega Man series to be released for the handheld
. Despite sharing a title with the NES original
, it is not a remake of that game.
and platform game
in the tradition of other Mega Man games. It is based on elements from the 8-bit Nintendo
versions of Mega Man 4
and Mega Man 5
. Differences include a lack of continues (if the game is over, it restarts to the title), the addition of vertical scrolling (due to the Game Gear's screen size), powerups bouncing when they hit the ground, and a hard difficulty mode (though the player has to get at least a password from this mode, since both difficulties don't share the same passwords).
The Robot Masters featured at the beginning are Bright Man, Napalm Man, Star Man, and Stone Man. Dr. Cossack's fortress contains Wave Man's and Toad Man's levels and respective bosses. Wily's fortress is actually Quick Man's stage, though the player is taken to a condensed Dr. Wily stage after going through the first boss door instead. The ending features Dr. Cossack's fortress being destroyed.
. GamePro
gave the game a total score of 3.75 out of 5, complimenting its graphics and sound, but noting that the small Game Gear screen increases the difficulty. 1UP.com
's Nadia Oxford ellaborated, "Mega Man often has to fight with his enemies in such close quarters, he might as well hold their hands and try his luck at a friendship. The constant screen-scrolling and sticky controls makes for a very frustrating game, although the Game Gear's low battery life ends the torment in a couple of hours anyway." GameSpot
contributors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer described it as "a decent, if somewhat sluggish, translation of the Mega Man series".
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
Game Gear. It was developed by Freestyle, licensed by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
, and published by U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:...
only in North America in 1995. It is the only game in the original Mega Man series to be released for the handheld
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
. Despite sharing a title with the NES original
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
, it is not a remake of that game.
Gameplay
Mega Man is an actionAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
and platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
in the tradition of other Mega Man games. It is based on elements from the 8-bit Nintendo
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
versions of Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on December 6, 1991...
and Mega Man 5
Mega Man 5
Mega Man 5, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the fifth game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on December 4, 1992. It saw a release during the same month in North America and in 1993 in...
. Differences include a lack of continues (if the game is over, it restarts to the title), the addition of vertical scrolling (due to the Game Gear's screen size), powerups bouncing when they hit the ground, and a hard difficulty mode (though the player has to get at least a password from this mode, since both difficulties don't share the same passwords).
The Robot Masters featured at the beginning are Bright Man, Napalm Man, Star Man, and Stone Man. Dr. Cossack's fortress contains Wave Man's and Toad Man's levels and respective bosses. Wily's fortress is actually Quick Man's stage, though the player is taken to a condensed Dr. Wily stage after going through the first boss door instead. The ending features Dr. Cossack's fortress being destroyed.
Reception
Mega Man received an 87% from the UK-based magazine Sega PowerSega Power
Sega Power, initially known as S: The Sega Magazine, was a Future publication aimed at the Sega range of consoles, including the Master System, Mega Drive, Game Gear and later on the Mega CD, 32X and Saturn...
. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave the game a total score of 3.75 out of 5, complimenting its graphics and sound, but noting that the small Game Gear screen increases the difficulty. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Nadia Oxford ellaborated, "Mega Man often has to fight with his enemies in such close quarters, he might as well hold their hands and try his luck at a friendship. The constant screen-scrolling and sticky controls makes for a very frustrating game, although the Game Gear's low battery life ends the torment in a couple of hours anyway." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
contributors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer described it as "a decent, if somewhat sluggish, translation of the Mega Man series".
External links
- Mega Man (Game Gear) at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...