There aren't a whole lot of games released thirty years ago that still hold up. The original Street Fighter is so bad that most have never even played it, or should they since inputting special moves is an exercise in frustration. Funnily enough, Mega Man released the same year that Street Fighter did, in 1987. Unlike that game, however, Mega Man is still a solid game in spite of being rough around the edges. Mega Man is perfectly playable today and here are five reasons why the Blue Bomber's first game still rocks.
01. Stage Select
Most action platform games have you getting from point A to point B in a set, unchangeable order. Start up, Mega Man, however, and you've got a stage select screen in front of you, giving you the option of going through the first six levels in any order that suits you. In 1987, this was a huge deal. It was quite rare to have a game offer the player such a large degree of freedom. If one level was giving you trouble (Guts Man's stage probably introduced more than a few players to rage quitting) you could take a stab at different one. Just don't go to Elec Man right off that. You're gonna have a really, really bad time if you do.
02. Music
Memorable, catchy music is a staple of the Mega Man series, tracing all the way back to the original game. Composed by Manami Matsume, this lady is responsible for the icon Game Start jingle that plays after selecting a Robot Master stage. Yeah, most games go with an arranged version from Mega Man 2, that plays in a higher key, but Manami, is the originator of the tune. Fire Man's stage truly feels like a high temperature nightmare and the music perfectly captures all of the on screen madness of the level, while Bomb Man's stage is far more laid back and easy going so background music matches it. Mega Man games that followed this one may have better soundtracks, but this game's music is nothing to scoff at.
03. Weapons & Items
Even in 1987, bosses were a common part of video games. More often than not, bosses were an obstacle that you had to overcome. They serve the same purpose in Mega Man but the game changed things up by giving you the weapon of the first six bosses that you defeated. There are no Metal Blades or Flash Bombs, but the first set of weapons and the one support tool Mega Man gets in his first outing are quite nifty. Thunder Beam is a hard hitting weapon that simultaneously fires in three directions, Ice Slasher can free enemies, Rolling Cutter is a boomerang and Fire Storm forms a fire bubble around you while shooting off a flame projectile. The Magnet Beam, an item found in Elec Man's stage let's you create your own platforms, letting you bypass some of the game's most frustrating platforming sections.
04. It's Freaking Hard
If you're looking to have a game firmly plant it's size 10s on your butt cheeks, the first Mega Man game has you covered. True, there are far harder NES games than Mega Man, but lots of games on Nintendos 8-bit machine are hard for the wrong reasons. Mega Man is brutal, yes, but it is also fair. Guts Man's level is perhaps the shortest of the whole game but it has a platforming section over a bottomless pit that demands nothing less than perfect timing from the player. Elec Man can kill you with a mere three hits (Ice Man also hits quite hard) and the first boss of Wily stage 1, the Yellow Devil will be a brick wall to most players that don't get his pattern down. Mega Man will beat you senseless time and time again but you'll keep coming back for more.
05. The Pause Glitch
It may seem a touch odd that I'm listing a glitch/cheat as one of the best things about Mega Man, but like the Konami Code with Contra, it is impossible to discuss the first Mega Man without bringing this up. The Pause Glitch allows you to rack up damage in a very short amount of time. Just pause the game when your attacks hit an enemy, un-pause and repeat. For a lot of players, this was their only means of getting past the Yellow Devil. Speed runners have gotten so much use out of this thing. One look at the times on the challenges on Mega Man Legacy Collection and you know players are using this on a regular basis.
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