Megaman Xtreme 2 for GBC

[Flake]

Have you ever played a game by a company you held in high regard and had trouble believing 'this is their work'?

That's what Megaman Xtreme 2 was for me. Definitely not something that Capcom put their First (or second or even third) tier folks on. Still, it's got charm. Here's why:

The Hook:

At some point between Megaman X3 and X4, Maverick Hunters X and Zero are sent to a mysterious island where reploids (think robotic people) are falling down dead with no explanation. But, conveniently enough, there are numerous super-powered robots blowing things up at the same time. So on the assumption that shooting stuff can be substituted for science and investigation, our heroes rush in, guns blazing.

It's a stretch but it appeals to MM fans in many ways: Firstly it has a story, a rarity in handheld Megaman games. Secondly, the story loosely preserves continuity with the inclusion of Iris (Zero's significant other from MMX4) and the games plot is referenced within the proper MMX games. So there you are, at least they tried.

The Touch:

This game was released in the twilight days of the Gameboy color, after the Gameboy Advance had already been released. Having seen what could be done with GBA controls in Megaman Zero, I have to say they should have waited and adapted it to the GBA instead of releasing it in this form. X and Zero control like paltry shadows of their console counterparts and half of the time when you die, it will be because you did something that worked ten times before and just didn't this time. It feels unfair and arbitrary. MMX is just not a game well suited to a two button control set up.

The Feel:

The levels are competently executed and there are very few of those 'leaps of faith' that so plagued Gameboy era platformers. The game difficulty is a little uneven, with some bosses feeling like a joke and others making you scratch your head in frustration. The things the game does VERY well like the Mech Walker, the hidden armor locations, and special weapons aren't done/used often enough. There are a lot of ups and downs and in the end you break even.

The Sound:

Sounds pretty good. A step above the Rockman World series, to be certain. All of the tunes are borrowed from MMX SNES games and are very recognizable. The bleeps and blurps that make up the sound effects are typical MM fare and won't bother any fan of the series.

The Look:

It could have been better. The early Megaman games weren't the most amazing programs man ever coded, but they adapted the NES sprites quite faithfully. You knew what you were looking at without even thinking about it. This game didn't do that and I think that the sprite artwork is subpar even by LJN Nintendo game standards. The back grounds, however, are quite pretty and well colored...but who plays a game to look at the static background?

The Result:

I found this at a retro game store in Austin for $9.99 so even though the game wasn't executed terribly well, I'm happy with the addition to my collection. But really, that's all this game should be treated as: An addition to your collection. Unlike the earlier Gameboy Megaman games, nothing about this game has aged well enough to graduate from what was then a modern portable game to what could be enjoyed today for nostalgia alone.

There are far better Megaman games out there for your gameboys.

[Dakinggamer87]

Good review!!

[Flake]

Thanks!

[noiseredux]

yes, good review. And I agree. The game looks lousy, and I actually haven't even played it much. The GB Mega Man games are far better.

[JohnBaxterly]

I remember my aunt getting this for me way back in the day. It took me forever to get past the first boss (most likely because it looked like some kinda bastard child of Skeletor and a neon glow stick). My memory of it is really hazy after that, but I do remember it being ridiculously colorful. Like, "burn-up-your-eyes" colorful. "80s commercial" colorful. "Drug-induced haze" colorful.

Great review, too. You have a cool style.

[CAv]

I have the first Mega Man Xtreme, and I did enjoy it. It in no way matches the console games, but, for what it is, it isn't bad. My main gripe was the dashing. It had to be executed with a double tap to the side or down and a, which made the game rather cumbersome. This made it one of the harder x games for me.

[noiseredux]

I've always heard that the first one is better than the 2nd. I still need the first.