Console Corner: Mega Man Legacy 2 review

Mega Man Legacy 2 continues a year of revitalised retro but does it do the cult series justice? Going into Mega Man Legacy 2 - which contains 7, 8, 9 and 10 - I have to admit to feeling like I had already revisited the Mega Man games I enjoyed most thanks to Legacy 1. Whether that influenced my enjoyment of the second batch it’s hard to tell but what is clear is that Legacy 2 feels somewhat disjointed and at times frustrating. There is plenty to do and learn in this slightly madcap second half of Mega Man’s life, but it is not always great fun. I made the mistake of playing 10 first to see how that held up in 2017 when in actual fact Mega Man 7 holds up best and I would recommend playing them in order. The sound and artwork is on point and there are plenty of remix and challenge stages to tackle to be fair to Capcom. Mega Man 8 has not stood the test of time and I couldn’t help feeling that there should be more features given the power at Capcom’s fingertips on the latest generation of console. I probably enjoyed 7 the most because of the maddening difficulty spikes in 8-10 - something we have seen in another recent remaster collection, Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy. Quite why developers feel this is necessary is beyond me to be honest and it only serves to put me off as it doesn’t have the addictive appeal of a Super Meat Boy or Mario/Sonic. Legacy 2 is not helped by the fact 1 was so good and boasted a better save system. While the graphics and gameplay are faithfully maintained in their original glory, the collection itself feels like a bit of an anti-climax. Don’t get me wrong none of them are terrible and they all probably sit in the ‘good’ category. But Mega Man 3 just stands tall above all the rest and very much leaves an imposing shadow. Hardcore Mega Man/retro platformer fans will have plenty to keep them busy here. But those with only a passing interest wil be more inclined towards the Legacy 1 collection. It doesn’t do quite enough to really draw great praise but just about hits a reasonable 7.