Mega Man Legends review (PlayStation)

Indigenous to just about every RPG known are the item shops and merchants, which are all present here, to supply Mega Man with just about everything he needs. At certain points you will find parts for your ship that you must take to Roll, so that she can do the necessary repairs and upgrades. Then, whenever you're ready to take a break and recharge your batteries, all you have to do is find your dancing monkey, Data, and he'll save your game for you.

Visually, Mega Man Legends is a mixed bag. Those of you used to the stunning graphic achievements of games like Tobal2 or Crash Bandicoot might find this a bit disappointing, as Mega Man Legends relies almost exclusively on flat-shaded polygons, giving everything a boxy, Crayola-colored look to it. The game benefits from this, however, as the horizon and the considerable amount of structures and buildings are rendered almost infinitely with virtually no pop-up. The backgrounds and textures, while simple, capture the essence of the old 2D games and do a fairly good job of bringing them to life in 3D.

The characters, in that distinct Capcom style, are some of the most enjoyable yet seen in a video game. For the first time ever, Mega Man spends at least half the game with his helmet off. A small detail, certainly, but one that adds an immense amount of personality to the series. Roll, a charmer in her own right, is a vivacious and quick-thinking complement to Rock's all-action persona. Tron, the evil little witch that commands the invading forces, even elicits a smile from time to time, due to her feisty demeanor. Although Mega Man doesn't have a sidekick, ala Zero (room for that in the sequel, perhaps?) or Dash the mega dog, it does have Data the monkey. Watching this little bundle of polygons continuously bop back and forth is practically worth the price of admission alone. You'll have to see it to understand.

The sound in Mega Man Legends is notable, because, while no particular aspect is outstanding, as a whole it is a remarkably complete package. The music is typical Capcom fare, better suited to the background in any case. The sound effects complement the onscreen explosions and whatnot quite well. The best part of the sound in Legends is the voice-overs. Everyone has an appropriately chirpy, amused, disgusted, gruff, infuriated, and/or confused sound bite to go along with the text onscreen.

In the end, what Capcom has managed to do has been this: It's deftly avoided the pitfalls that await most platformers making the jump from 2D to 3D by creating an action/RPG instead. Relying less on twitch reflexes and more on exploration and storytelling, Mega Man Legends makes a graceful entry into the world of 3D, rather than the clumsy splash associated with other less-successful debuts. If Capcom continues to explore the paths that this series could follow, and enhance the graphic presentation and control somewhat, it just might be on to something special. Legends indeed.