Review for Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection. Game for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 25/02/2020
Capcom's blue robot has millions of fans around the world, and the older ones (like myself) have traveled with the Blue Bomber through all its iterations, from NES onwards. If Mega Man (or Rock Man, in the original) has been so successful that it deserves 11 chapters, the last of which was just recently released, the chronological “sequel” Mega Man X has had the same. Among the characters most loved by fans there is in fact Zero, a powerful Maverick Hunter swordsman and companion of X. Riding the wave of the collections released so far, here is also the Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection, which understands well Giochi 6 dedicated to the red Reploid.
One hundred and three hundred years later
So here's a quick summary of what awaits us in the Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection setting.
Mega Man Zero is a saga of four games, set a century after Mega Man X. Zero is now a functionless Reploid, abandoned in a place forgotten by all. But Ciel, a brilliant scientist, knows her whereabouts and heads there in a desperate moment, fleeing from what appear to be soldiers with every intention of killing her and her companions. Once a Zero without memories awakens from his sleep, Ciel tells the robot that in this epoch many innocent Reploids are destroyed due to a planetary lack of energy resources. For this Ciel has founded a Resistance and asks for help from the Red Meteor, which seems willing to lend a hand. If initially the situation is vague and nebulous, over time and the games Zero is informed of many factors that will lead to disturbing twists.
Mega Man ZX is instead a duet of games set 200 years in the future compared to the Mega Man Zero series. Vent (or Aile, if we choose the female character), is an orphan due to the attack of some Mavericks, who appeared to undermine the peace between humans and Reploid that lasted a long time. It is adopted by Giro, founder of a delivery company, very important in a period like this in which cities have closed in a hedgehog for fear of enemy attacks. However, during one of his deliveries, Vent is targeted by some Mavericks. During the escape, the boy meets Prairie, leader of the anti-Maverick soldiers called Guardians, and discovers that in the package he was to deliver there was a material called Biometal Model X. Thanks to the help of Prairie, Vent manages to blend with this material by transforming into Mega Man X and to defeat his enemy, but he doesn't get to save his adoptive father from another attack in time. To his amazement, the hero discovers that his father owned another metal, Model Z, and upon his death it is inherited by the boy he is now able to become Mega Man ZX, a fusion of the two great heroes of the past.
When Mega Man becomes open world
Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX are very particular because abandon the classic selection of levels (then taken from Mega Man Zero 2 to Mega Man Zero 4) and point to a much larger map, full of different places, completely explorable. In this map we will be able to carry out various secondary missions, but also simply go in search of the various bosses hidden in each area, which will give us new skills and power-ups allowing us to explore other places, in full metroidvania style. This novelty was gigantic for the series and was also very popular, so much so that it was then revived with both hands with Mega Man ZX. Another important news of Mega Man Zero was the introduction of the Cyber-Elf, equipable creatures that can enhance Zero's abilities permanently or by giving him new temporary powers, more or less powerful depending on how much we have "fed" them using energy capsules dropped by enemies.
Both series have been received by the public in a very contrasting way. The games are all valid and with exceptional gameplay and design, however compared to the past, it was decided to opt for an extremely higher difficulty level that didn't make everyone happy. So if you are among the people who want ready-made meals in video games and are not willing to commit to getting to the end, you are warned: Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection does not discount anyone.
The news of the collection
Of course, as well as for past collections, the Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection provides a whole range of improvements and extras that will make any avid fan drool. First, you can choose whether to play with the original Pixel Art or insert a filter that will change everything with a high quality resolution. A Gallery will give us the opportunity to admire hundreds of original artwork from all 6 games, as well as the presence of a media player will delight us with all the soundtracks. As for the ZX titles, originally released on DS, you can choose between several layout of the TV which will show us both screens at the same time.
For newbies or those who do not appreciate the increased difficulty of these games, it is possible to try their hand at them using the Casual Mode, which will put us back on the field for example when we fall off a cliff and will allow us to save even in the middle of the stages. As if that were not enough, a new original mode has also been added, called Z Chaser. In this mode exclusive to the Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection, we will have to challenge a CPU driven Ghost (at many different difficulties) in a race designed to complete 12 levels in the shortest possible time. There will also be a world ranking of the best times, and it will also be possible to face the challenge in two people, player against player, albeit only locally and not online.
The Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection is one of the collections that all fans of the blue robot have been looking forward to, after delighting with the previous collections. These titles, which were now difficult to find, are now in the hands of all of us with great improvements and a new mode. A must purchase for all Blue Bomber fans but, above all, great and huge hope for a future Mega Man Battle Network Collection.
► Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection is a Platform-type game developed and published by Capcom for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 25/02/2020
