[Review] Mega Man 11 – The 2nd resurgence of the Blue Bomber

Written By: Bootyous Maximus August 2, 2019

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Mega Man 11, the most recent game in the series as of 2018 after the extremely long hiatus beginning in 2010…I’m not even going to begin to ask why it took 8 years for the next title in the classic series, but…who cares? We have a new Mega Man (MM for short) title, and as a casual fan of the classic series, I was indeed very pleased. I say that I’m pleased, but I can’t help but think that this game was a result of Mighty No.9 and its abysmal mismanagement, but that’s a round-table discussion for another day. Time to jump into the review, but first a little history on the series (if you don’t care, you can skip to the real review).

So back in the mid ‘80s, Keiji Inafune and Akira Kitamura conceptualized Mega Man and released the first game in 1987 to critical success but didn’t sell many copies back when it was released (this puzzles me as well). MM2, the most critically acclaimed game in the entire franchise was released a year later and was made strictly under the free time the developers had (Yes, the sequel was made in their free time). That’s a true sign of passion and dedication to a soon-to-be series. Inversely, the 3rd game, according to Keiji Inafune, was one of the most stressful games that he ever worked on. You would think that with the success of the game that came before, development of the next game would be less stressful, but that wasn’t the case apparently. Due to this, it was released about a year and a half later. Since then, there has been a new MM game released every year along with a number of series. You have Classic, X, Zero, ZX, Battle Network, Star Force, Legends etc.

To the reader: If you guys want me to, I’ll review all the games (that actually matter) in the Classic, X, Zero and ZX games in the future. I might have to play the ZX series and MM & Bass on an emulator since I don’t own them (at the time of this review)

Story

Our story begins with a flashback to when Dr. Thomas Light and Dr. Albert Wily had their falling out back in their university days. Dr. Wily wanted to push his new Double-Gear technology which allowed robots to push beyond their limits which would cause them to become more respected in society. However, they immediately turned down this idea due to the idea that the Double-Gear system could potentially put humans in danger. 

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So, they shoot him down in favor of Dr. Light’s research of robots with independent thought…which makes absolutely no sense if you’ve played any of the X games since X was put in hibernation for 30 years due to the technology he was outfitted with along with his free will that could potentially make him the most dangerous thing on the planet (🡨 200 IQ). Later on, Dr. Light claims remorse for his actions and if he were given the opportunity, he would go back and give Wily a second chance. After having a dream, Wily remembers his Double-Gear technology from his youth, and immediately put it into action by stealing 8 robot masters that were scheduled for a check-up. MM is then given a prototype Double-Gear by Dr. Light and is now tasked with taking down the 8 robot masters, with him eventually taking down the Doctor for the 12th time (Yes, the 12th time. This includes MM & Bass). 

This plot is by no means deep. It’s very by-the-numbers. At the very least, we get a little more insight about the history between Light and Wily. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing. Well, I’m not going to be harsh since MM has never been about the plot. If you play games for the story, then sorry to say, but the classic series is not going to be your cup of tea. It’s passable, but nothing extraordinary.

Visuals/Sound

Woah, a classic MM game that isn’t sprite-based? Yes. MM11 ditches the 2D sprites that’s been in the series since the 1st game in favor of a 2.5D look similar to X7 and X8, only it looks miles better than those 2 (wow. Technology sure has come a long way, hasn’t it?). This, alongside MM11’s cartoonish art style makes the game look really good, while also retaining the spirit that was present in all of the previous games. This doesn’t just apply to this game, but the classic series is always rocking bright colors, over-the-top aesthetics and expressive enemies that can certainly look goofy at many times. That’s definitely one of the things that can make a game and/or series so appealing, and MM is no exception. With the 2.5D look, it definitely brings out the best with this art style and I think it’ll age just fine. It won’t age as well as the sprite-based games, but it’ll still be fine to the very end. To me, this is definitely the best-looking MM game by far with all those factors in mind.

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The sound design from the 8-bit games were always satisfying to hear, especially when you land hits on enemies. Here, the sound you get from hitting the enemy all depends on what enemy you hit with some similar ones here and there. I know this sounds like a “no duh”, but here’s the thing…I’ve played most of the MM games, and to hear different sounds when I’m hitting an enemy with my lemon shooter, it’s really nice to hear, especially when I land a charge shot or use special weapons. A part of me still prefers the 8-bit sounds, but this is something I can totally get down with. While on the topic of sound, the soundtrack is a really good listen, although I wouldn’t expect anything less from a MM title with my favorites being Tundra Man, Torch Man and Impact Man. MM has always had a reputation for having good music and it's not just the classic series (looking at you MM2. Everyone praises this game’s OST, even though every other game has several tracks that are just as good).

Gameplay

Alright. Now for the meat and potatoes of this review. To be brief, Mega Man can jump, shoot, slide (which was introduced in MM3), charge his mega buster (introduced in MM4 and buffed in MM5)…and that’s about it. He can’t aim in multiple directions, can’t crouch and doesn’t get any extra movement upgrades. As far as his control…well…more on that later. After picking your difficulty and a cutscene or 2, you’re free to select any stage in any order you want with the Wily stages showing up after you defeat all the robot masters.

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On those notes, MM11 is very much like its predecessors, but the one gimmick that separates this from the rest is the Double-Gear system. The Double-Gear system, like the name implies, has 2 gears, Power and Speed. The latter slows down everything around you, yourself included, to help deal with whatever the stage throws at you and for robot masters. This ended up being the gear I used the most since it allowed me to gather my bearings for those sections with bottomless pits and insta-kill spikes. The former adds power to your mega buster (you fire 2 charge shots instead of 1) and the special weapons you get from defeating the robot masters.

While I’m on that note, the special weapons in this game are all fantastic to use, especially with the power gear. These overclocked special weapons are similar to charging special weapons in the X series. The Tundra Storm goes from a cold tornado that freezes enemies and projectiles above, below and close to you, to a screen nuke that freezes and shatters every enemy and projectile, it’s amazing. The acid barrier, as the name suggests, protects you from projectiles (which is a lifesaver in the Wily stages), but with the power gear, it even deals massive damage to enemies upon contact. 

On a side note, when you hit a shielded enemy with a charge shot, they’re momentarily stunned, allowing you to repeatedly hammer them with your shots. This is immensely satisfying, especially to long-time MM fans. No longer do I have to hope for a special weapon that could pierce shields. With these enhancements to Mega Man himself, the bosses easily become the best in the classic series since they are also outfitted with the Double-Gear system. Every one of them definitely puts your skills to the test…assuming the level itself didn’t already do that to begin with.

Ok. I played this game on Normal difficulty because…duh, Mega Man fan here. As early as the 1st stage I played, I learned that MM11 is quite stingy with its checkpoints. Not only that, but these are some of the longest levels in all of classic Mega Man. There was one level (I believe it was Torch Man) where I moved about 3-5 screens before hitting a checkpoint and another 2-4 screens before getting to the set of double doors that lead to the robot master. It doesn’t sound like much, but these screens can be pretty lengthy, especially Impact Man and Torch Man. I died many times in several of these stages and the 3 main culprits of this is the control, knockback, and the placement of some enemies (which is nothing new for MM).

Most of the control is fine, but when I’m standing in place and want to move, there’s a good couple of split seconds before you actually start to move. Too many times I missed a jump and/or platform due to this delay and it messes with my head. To be fair to the game, this has been a thing since the 1st MM game and was minutely adjusted going forward. It will take some getting used to, but you will die a lot in the process. As far as the knockback in this game, I can’t remember it being this obnoxious other than the 1st MM game. You go back a good body length and a half when you’re hit and it really shows in Impact Man and Torch Man’s stages. The former has a section with small platforms that you have to ride on to get to the next screen. I swear you gravitate towards the nearest edge when you’re hit in this section. The latter has 3 screens where you’re chased by an instant kill wall of fire. This can be mitigated if you have Tundra Man’s weapon, but if you don’t, you have to be proficient with your use of platforming and speed gear. You can buy an item from the shop to mitigate the knockback you get, but that’s only after you defeat 4 robot masters (God I hope I remember this right) on Normal difficulty. There are about 20 other things about the gameplay I could mention, but rather than explaining it, it’s better to just experience it yourself if I’m being honest.

Overall: 8/10

The story is very basic, but that’s not the point of these Mega Man games, so I’m not going to rant about it. The game looks and sounds great in most regards

While I do have some issues with the control, level design and the over-tuned knockback, it isn’t enough to hinder my enjoyment overall. It’s a really good return to form after 8 years

You can purchase the game on Steam, Switch, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

From what I see, the game has sold very well and there are rumors of a Mega Man X9 on the way. Mega Man, I’m glad you’re back for your 30th anniversary, now let’s hope you don’t go missing for another 8 years.

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Bootyous Maximus

Bootyous, jack-of-all-trades, blitzes through the battlefield with nothing but patience, a bag of potato chips, a can of Dr. Pepper and an extremely high metabolism.