Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Mega Man X7

Written by John Scalzo on August 06, 2002

First Impressions: He just keeps going and going and going....

Mega Man has remained virtually unchanged in all of his 40 previous adventures. Sure, there's been soccer, battle networks, and legendary quests, but at it's core Mega Man has not changed in the last fifteen years. Then you have to ask yourself, is that really a bad thing? Mega Man games are meant to be played a certain way and 2D is the way to be.

Or more precisely, 2 1/2D is the way to be. Capcom is making a few changes to the Mega Man formula yet again and it looks like X7 will be the final nail in the coffin of purely 2D Mega Man games that don't have the word "Advance" in the title. Don't get me wrong, I love 2 1/2D games. They still have the side scroller feel that I have grown up with, yet still making the game at least look like it's part of this new generation of consoles. Just look at Klonoa 2, released last year for the PS2. An incredible 2 1/2D (also known as "on rails") game that perfectly blended the look of the new with the feel of the old. Hopefully Capcom can do the same with X7.

Another change to the Mega Man formula will be that staple of 2 1/2D games, the use of cel-shaded graphics. Some people can't stand cel-shading (just think back to many people calling for Shigeru Miyamoto's head after he unveiled the new Zelda), but I think they have their place, especially in a game like this. In the short trailer Capcom has released you get a good look at these new graphics and the large 3D worlds that Mega Man and Zero will inhabit. They're sharp looking and if nothing else, will bring back the sense of "wow" a Mega Man game hasn't been able to produce in a long time.

One thing that I can almost be sure of that Capcom won't mess with is the Mega Man "story". Whether it's the original Mega Man series, this X series, the Legends, any of it, the story is always the same. Some bad dude creates an army of eight killer robots (called Mavericks in the X series) and stations them around the city/country/globe/whatever. Mega Man must destroy these vile fiends, steal their weaponry, and make the final trek into the villain's headquarters. After blasting your way through bosses that get bigger and bigger, our Blue Bomber reaches the final boss: a room sized machine that must be defeated using the previously thought of most useless weapon in the game. The villain is vanquished, swears revenge, roll credits. I mock because I love. Capcom hasn't commented on what the story to X7 will be, but really, does anyone want the story to change?

One final new wrinkle Capcom is adding to X7 is the inclusion of two player simultaneous play. Yes, now you're given the option of tag teaming it with Mega Man and Zero against the robot hordes. Or if two player isn't your thing, the single player game will include the option of switching between Mega Man and Zero on the fly.