Mega Man 2 (NES - Virtual Console)

A timeless classic that sticks with you long after it's done.

Ok, show of hands. How many of you out there are already humming some of the music from this game just from seeing the title and scanning through the pictures?

Cue epic soundtrack.

Odds are there are quite a few of you. To those who may not fully grasp what it is I’m referring to, do yourself a favor and go download Mega Man 2 ASAP, because in addition to its outstanding platforming gameplay mechanics and classic 8-bit style, this game has one of the greatest soundtracks on the Nintendo Entertainment System (arguably the best, in some circles). And coming from the grey box that housed the likes of Zelda, Mario, Metroid and others, that’s saying something.

But let’s skip the tunes for a moment. What’s it like to play? Well, as mentioned, the platforming in MM2 is top notch. Sure, you’ll have some frustrating death moments, some jumps that look impossible at first, and some crazy enemies jumping out of nowhere at the last second to knock you from your one-pixel-wide perch (and that’s not even touching on the disappearing blocks), but what 8-bit platformer would be complete without such hazards? Besides, the feeling you get when mastering the challenge completely erases any lingering shame of failure.

Wipe the grin of that metallic frog's face.

Being an NES title, the game is controlled with the D-pad and 1 and 2 buttons on the Wii remote, for moving, shooting and jumping, respectively. Timing your jumps is a perilous feat in some levels, especially with the aforementioned disappearing block areas and other platforms that will drop as soon as you land on them. With enough practice, though, it is possible to become a pixel-jumping master.

The story is a simple one - a staple of NES titles in general - in which the evil Dr. Wily, who Mega Man heroically stopped in his first adventure, wants once again to take over the world, and so has created eight evil robot masters to do his bidding and blow stuff up. Oh, and they’re all trying to kill Mega Man, too.

Mega Man? Yeah, we all hate that guy.

The robot masters each present unique challenges in the form of complex stages and dangerous weaponry, but luckily our hero has the ability to absorb the powers of the masters he defeats. That means when you kill Metal Man, you’ll get the Metal Blades with which to bestow a serious butt-kicking on your foes. And believe me, those Metal Blades can do some serious damage. So can the Air Shooter, Crash Bomber and the rest of the additions you’ll make to Mega Man’s arsenal as the game progresses.

Never, ever unequip it.

The challenge (and a great deal of the fun and replayability) comes in figuring out which weapons work against which robot master. Sure, you can take your time and beat most of them with the Mega Buster (your default arm cannon), but why do that when you can just as easily take out the bad guy with one or two shots from another master’s weapon? Some combinations work well, while others deflect off the robot master’s armor into oblivion. You must choose wisely if you are to succeed in foiling Wily’s plot.

"Dr. Wily has a pet WHAT??"

As mentioned earlier, the music in the game - and really, the entire Mega Man series - is one of the major stars. The catchy chiptunes will be in your head long after you’ve vanquished Dr. Wily and his minions. For such a simple game, the developers were able to put so much into the presentation that even now, 23 (!) years after its release, the game still stands as a masterpiece. Even the graphics expand upon the first entry in the series, adding depth and movement to the backgrounds, a bit more polish to Mega Man’s armor and overall look, and even new colors to the Blue Bomber’s wardrobe when able to defeat the robot masters.

Go ahead, make fun of the pink suit. I dare ya.

Do yourself a favor and add it to your collection. You won’t be sorry.

© 2012 Wii U Only. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of the Video Game Museum- vgmuseum.com