Mega Man has always been a fan favorite character ever since he adorned the worst box art in the history of gaming. Nearly 20 years later he returns to do battle once again with Dr. Wily and his horde of miscreant robot masters. Should Mega Man have stayed in his time capsule or does this remake live up to all of the greatness of the original.
Graphics
One of the oddest aspects of Mega Man Powered Up is the new look of Mega Man. Saying its cute is like saying that Capcom has made a few Mega Man games in their day and age. Mega Man Powered Up truly distances itself from the previous sci-fi look of Mega Man games to achieve a degree of cuteness that even makes a pikachu a tad upset in its stomach. That's not to say the game doesn't look good. It's just a bit to sugary for a game that ends up being a real challenge.
Mega Man Powered Up is a simple looking game that keeps it's cartoonish look throughout the game. Explosions resemble dust clouds rather then the classic blue balls that you're used to with the NES Mega Mans and beyond. The sprites move relatively fluid without appearing too rigid, and Mega Man himself moves well. It's a shame that the look of this game will turn a few people off simply because it's one of the most enjoyable games on the PSP.
If a criticism can be leveled against Mega Man Powered Up it's that the game has some serious slow down issues at times. When multiple moving enemies are on the screen, the game drops to only a few frames per second. This is more of an issue with the UMD format then it is with the actual game, but slowdown is painfully noticeable at far too many times.
Gameplay
One of the wonderful things about Mega Man Powered Up is that it is the first game in a long time to be very challenging on hard, but fairly playable on easy without feeling forced one way or another. The crux of Mega Man Powered Up comes in how it controls, and it is simply masterful besides the occasional slow down.
The game can be controlled using either the d-pad or the analog nub. Mega Man can be controlled either way though it seems a bit easier to control if you stick to the d-pad. The game brings back all of the classic elements of the Mega Man franchise without destroying the roots of it. The controls are simplistic with one button shooting, another jumping, etc, etc. The beauty of the control scheme is just how well Mega Man responds to even the slightest twitch and tap. The game design itself is very consistent so once you learn how far Mega Man can be hanging over the edge of a platform, it will always be the same. There's a small joy that can be taken in knowing that.
The other wonderful thing that Capcom does with the controls here is they give a player options. While Mega Man may not have been able to use his power slide until Mega Man 3, Capcom allows it to be toggled on and off here. Additionally, all of the robot masters can be unlocked as playable characters, each with a slightly different control scheme. Even Mega Man has several alternative versions that play very differently. Mega Man Powered Up may have simplistic game play, but there is a huge degree of depth involved in the subtleties of the game.
Sound
If there is a slight flaw to this game, it comes in the audio department. The remixed music is decent if a bit derivative. There are times when one is compelled to wonder why the original score wasn't kept. These experiences are the exception to the game's relatively solid new score. The sound effects also fit the sugary sweet world of Mega Man Powered Up. The game's sound is relatively rich and full. The game itself is very good in having a natural progression in both the music and the soundtrack.
So what's the big problem with Mega Man Powered Up? Well, take one listen to the voice acting and ask that question again. Powered Up's voices just sound off. Dr. Wily sounds comical, and almost all of the robot master voices come off as incredibly whiny. Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Light all have passable voices, but the vas t majority of the voices boarder on grating. It's a rather glaring flaw in what is a strong package overall.
Lasting Appeal
Haven't had much to play on the PSP lately? You obviously haven't played this game then. Mega Man Powered Up offers one of the longest and most satisfying PSP titles released yet. Beating Powered Up on one of the three different difficulties unlocks different versions of Mega Man. Furthermore, defeating any of the Robot Masters with just Mega Man's buster weapon unlocks that villain as a playable character. Powered Up also features both the original layout of the levels in Mega Man and new remixed layouts.
Beyond that, the game has a robust challenge mode with ten missions for each character (unlocking Protoman if you can beat all 100 missions, a truly daunting task). Even if you finish all of that, Powered Up features an incredibly well made level editor. Furthermore Capcom has posted "Ultimate" levels for download, different skins for Roll, and there are tons of fan made levels. This game has an absurd amount of depth to it fully utilizing all of the features of the PSP. It's one of the few PSP games to really use the system's online feature for something much more then just simple online play. Powered Up is a wonderful effort.
Fun Factor
This is 2d platforming at its best. Powered Up is a wonderfully balanced game that offers a ton of challenge the deeper you get into it. The only mark against the fun of Powered Up is that most of the challenge missions are, well, challenging. The game is hard enough that you may want to tether your PSP to your wrist to avoid having it smash it against a wall. It's never unfair with its challenge, and the difficulty can always be turned down, but Powered Up is filled with some of the most evil level designs this side of Ghouls 'n' Ghosts.
If the idea of a game that is teeth gnashing hard is your personal idea of fun then congratulations. You've got yourself one heck of a game. If you're not in it for a difficult experience though, the game becomes a bit repetitive and shortens a significant amount.
The 411
Mega Man Powered Up is an utterly brilliant game. There are some slight slow down issues, and the game might be a bit too hard for some gamers. If you can look past that though, you've got one of the most brilliant games of 2006. If you own a PSP, do yourself and your system and give this one a play. You'll be glad you did.
Graphics
8.0
A super cute game that is a joy to look at. Slow down issues are a problem at times though.
Gameplay
9.0
Again slowdown hurts the control a bit, but the core of the game is as solid as any on the PSP so far.
Sound
7.0
Excellent sound effects and passable music are hindered by some poor voice acting.
Lasting Appeal
10.0
A truly giant game. Online downloads and a robust level editor gives this game life beyond even the deepest of titles.
One of the oddest aspects of Mega Man Powered Up is the new look of Mega Man. Saying its cute is like saying that Capcom has made a few Mega Man games in their day and age. Mega Man Powered Up truly distances itself from the previous sci-fi look of Mega Man games to achieve a degree of cuteness that even makes a pikachu a tad upset in its stomach. That's not to say the game doesn't look good. It's just a bit to sugary for a game that ends up being a real challenge.
One of the wonderful things about Mega Man Powered Up is that it is the first game in a long time to be very challenging on hard, but fairly playable on easy without feeling forced one way or another. The crux of Mega Man Powered Up comes in how it controls, and it is simply masterful besides the occasional slow down.
Haven't had much to play on the PSP lately? You obviously haven't played this game then. Mega Man Powered Up offers one of the longest and most satisfying PSP titles released yet. Beating Powered Up on one of the three different difficulties unlocks different versions of Mega Man. Furthermore, defeating any of the Robot Masters with just Mega Man's buster weapon unlocks that villain as a playable character. Powered Up also features both the original layout of the levels in Mega Man and new remixed layouts.
