Created in 1987 by Keiji Inafune, Mega Man has truly become one of video gaming's true icons. His image has spawned a cartoon series, action figures, and of course a series of video games that have lasted for 15 years. To celebrate this occasion, Capcom has produced the "Mega Man Anniversary Collection." Holding the 8 games from the original series and 2 bonus games, this is a must own disc for any classic gaming fan and anyone who may not have had the chance to experience these titles before.

The entire idea of Mega Man was completely unique upon its launch on the NES. Taking the blue hero into action to combat 6 bosses, players gained their powers once they were defeated. Using one of the other bosses weapons that you earned also easily defeated certain bosses if used correctly. Playing the stages in the correct order was always the key to conquering the games quickly. Once everyone was defeated, players needed to conquer Dr. Wily by playing through his stronghold.

Mega Man 2 is widely considered the highlight of the series. Bumping the number of bosses up to eight (where it would stay for the rest of the series), players continued their quest to eradicate Dr. Wily and end his reign of terror. The stage design here is the textbook that every game after it would follow and the challenge for a newcomer is set perfectly.

The rest of the series was solid, though many the games hardly differ from each other. Mega Man 3 introduced the slide maneuver; MM4 has the distinction of being the first with the mega-buster, while MM5 and MM6 just coasted along (the sixth sequel was released on the NES by Nintendo themselves as Capcom thought the console was no longer profitable).

Mega Man 7 was the only 16-bit entry to get a stateside release and it upgrades everything wonderfully. Some of the robots are a stretch (Spring Man?) but the solid gameplay and challenge the series is known for is still intact. Mega Man 8 was released for both the Saturn and Playstation and was the final game of the series (so far). The version included here is the Playstation rendition (the Saturn had a few extras that were not included on the PS One). Again, this is a solid entry that takes advantage of the hardware but does little separate itself from the rest of the series.