Mega Man ZX (DS)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.7 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Greg Mueller
• Reviewed on: 09/11/2006
• Released on: 09/12/2006
• Originally published on GameSpot: Mega Man ZX (DS) Review

Mega Man ZX isn't the first Mega Man game for the Nintendo DS, but it's the first to bring the tough-as-nails, side-scrolling action the franchise is best known for. As the first action adventure Mega Man on the dual-screen handheld, Mega Man ZX doesn't force any touch-screen gimmicks into the game, but instead relies on a proven template lifted from the Mega Man Zero series on the Game Boy Advance. The result is a rewarding game for dedicated action-game fans, but also one that can't quite shake the feeling of familiarity.

In Mega Man ZX you can choose to play as a young boy named Vent or a girl named Aile. The two characters play slightly differently, and each one has unique story scenes throughout the game, but for the most part it doesn't matter which character you choose. You are a courier for a delivery company known as Giro Express. One day when transporting a shipment of a material known as biometal, you are attacked by evil robots known as Mavericks. In the scuffle you are exposed to the biometal, which gives you the ability to transform into Model X, a basic Mega Man prototype with a blaster and increased mobility. Since you can't do much in your human form, you'll spend most of the game in the Model X form. However, there are several different Model X forms, which you unlock by collecting new types of biometal as you progress through the game.

The setup is similar to a Metroid or Castlevania game. Instead of starting at the beginning of a level and moving to the end, you are free to explore an entire maze of interconnected corridors and rooms at your leisure. There are data terminals located throughout the world where you can accept missions. You're given a choice as to the order in which you complete them, but you can work on only one mission at a time. The game isn't quite as open-ended as it sounds, because to reach certain parts of the world you need to visit other areas to defeat bosses and collect power-ups. For example, to get to a particular section, you might need to go through a purple door, which you can't do until you've obtained the purple card key, which you can't do until you've defeated a specific boss. In this way the game is still fairly linear, although you're still free to explore and collect items and discover secrets, albeit in a limited capacity. This structure works well, although it can lead to spending an inordinate amount of time aimlessly wandering around as you look for the area you need to visit next. It also doesn't help that the in-game map simply shows several blocks to designate each area, rather than a detailed map that might actually be useful.

The most interesting part of the game is the Model X transformation mechanic. There are five different models to choose from. Essentially these different models are like different suits that you can equip on the fly to access new traits and abilities. There's a model with a saber and a blaster, a model that can fly for short distances, a model that allows you to throw a constant stream of deadly projectiles, and more. Because of the way the levels are arranged, you're rarely forced to use one specific model, although there's usually a clear advantage for one type over another. Often the key to getting past a particularly difficult area is simply trying it with a different model. The same is true for the game's many boss battles, as the bosses usually have unique weaknesses to specific types of attacks.

The level and enemy designs are typical of Mega Man games. You'll see a lot of difficult platform jumps, spikes that kill you instantly, hazards like exposed electrical currents and grinding gears, and all sorts of enemy robots with unique weaknesses and attack patterns. Each area of the world has a different theme. There's an abandoned theme park; a dark, creepy forest; a manufacturing plant with cogs and assembly lines; and even a town area with regular, human inhabitants that you can talk to.

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Mega Man ZX (DS): $24.82 - $39.99

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	$28.99	No
	$39.99	Yes

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