REVIEW

PSP Review: Mega Man - Maverick Hunter X

Written by Matt Paprocki
Published April 16, 2006

While the spin-offs of the Mega Man franchise have gone overboard and the X series has taken a sharp downswing, Maverick Hunter X becomes all the more appealing. This PSP exclusive is stunning, losing nothing of what made the original SNES hit a classic, while updating everything outside of the game play (and even this has been tweaked). The extras sell this package, and while they're not as rich as Mega Man Powered Up, they're still worth unlocking since they essentially turn into a second full game.

With the graphics revamped in full 3-D, the sheen on Maverick Hunter is the immediate standout. Unlike the experiments in Mega Man X7 and X8, this update keeps the game play in two dimensions all the way through. The polygons are used to sharply enhance the animation and cinematic qualities (which are then unfortunately brought down by voice actors that barely qualify as actors). It's a necessary and detailed facelift that shines on the PSP.

Mega Man still runs to the right, shooting various robots that impede his path. Stage structure has been tweaked slightly in spots, though the majority will be familiar territory. The bosses remain the same, as do their patterns and weaknesses.

If this all sounds like a cheap cash-in, you're wrong. Instead of leaving X's powers in plain view, they now require some skill to find. They're necessary to beat the game, and this adds some replay value to the stages. Capcom was nice enough to allow for stage escaping even if you haven't beaten the boss too. The difficulty has also been toned down a notch, and veterans will run through X's portion in about a day, while newcomers may take a weekend.

This turn-off will cause some hesitation from a purchase standpoint. Beating X's segment is only half of the experience however. Once completed, you'll have a chance to play through the game as Vile, the sometimes good, sometimes bad character who's hung around the series for years. The experience of this new character opens the game up tremendously.

Minor changes like a new soundtrack (with a harder edge) and additional painful dialogue are surface matters. Game play is where Vile shines, offering a different style of Mega Man game play. He starts off with a base set of weapons, including a limited range machine gun for his main form of offense. Beating bosses doesn't necessarily allow the player to swipe their powers, but opens up different styles of attacks.

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Matt Paprocki is the former reviews editor for Digital Press, a video game website with an appreciation for the retro side of the industry. The deep game collection which spans nearly 30 systems and 2,000 games line his walls for research purposes. Matt strives to bring credibility to video game journalism, and take it in a new direction to aid the industry in becoming respected with all forms entertainment media. He currently freelances for GameArgus.com and MultiPlayerGames.com.
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PSP Review: Mega Man - Maverick Hunter X
Published: April 16, 2006
Type: Review
Section: Gaming
Filed Under: Gaming: Sony PSP
Writer: Matt Paprocki
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#1 — June 5, 2006 @ 02:55AM — Ken Edwards [URL]

I am so glad to see this game got the same polish that Powered Up got. I can't wait to play as Vile.

Capcom has had a string of really strong PSP titles lately, which is great for PSP owners.

Of their six titles in this "series" I am quite happy with both Mega Man games, and Capcom Classics Collection Remixed. If only Monster Hunter Freedom supported infrastructure mode, I might be interested in that one too.

#2 — June 5, 2006 @ 13:32PM — Dynamo of Eternia

"Capcom has had a string of really strong PSP titles lately, which is great for PSP owners."

This is definately true.

I do not own a PSP. The main reasons that I haven't gotten one is the price (not only is the system expensive, but those darn memory sticks cost a bundle, too) and the game selection.

For the most part, I've found the game selection for PSP to be sub-par. Most of them are just watered down versions of games you can get for PS2 (Star Wars Battlefront 2 comes to mind). Some people may like that, esspecially if they travel a lot. But for me, I don't travel that often, so I want a portable system that's fun to play both at home and away from home (that's why I love my DS).

However, I will say that the slew of titles that Capcom has been releasing for the PSP have grabbed my attention. I am a huge Mega Man fan, and both titles released for PSP seem like a lot of fun. Mega Man games may go by the same basic control style, but they manage to stay fresh and new each time around.

Also Street Fighter Alpha Max looks cool as well. It's cool to see older games revived with new features (rather than current game with fewer features) on a system like this. There are some new modes added to this version that did not exist in prior releases, and they look like a lot of fun.

And coming soon is the Power Stone Collection. These were awesome games. I believe they were released in aracades (I know the 2nd one was for sure), and both were on Sega Dreamcast (which I have). Since they were on a system that didn't last, many people never got a chance to play them, which is a shame. These are very unique fighting games and their style is unlike that of most others. If you are sick of typical fighting games, or even if you were never a fan of them to start with, you should still give this a try, as they are very different. And this collection containing both games will have new features (apparently including the newer characters that were originally introduced in the second game being added into the PSP version of the first game). I highly recommend this.

In fact, aside from a new Mortal Kombat title that is supposed to come out, I don't think that there are really any non-Capcom games on PSP that interest me.

I don't know when or if I will ever get one (it all depends on the price coming down), but if I do, these titles will definately be must buys for me.

#3 — June 5, 2006 @ 14:39PM — Ken Edwards [URL]

Dynamo - 1 GB MemoryStick prices have hit rock bottom by now. Compaired to when I bought mine, they are a steal.

I am also getting rather tired of people saying the PSP doesn't have enough good software. At the beginning of the system's life that was true, for sure. It had a very strong launch, but then had at least six months or more of bad releases, usually one bad release a month. The system has a lot on it by now, and the games are picking up.

But on to Capcom, I now own:

Street Figher Alpha 3
Mega Man Powered Up
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
Capcom Classics Collection Remixed

The Capcom titles that I want are:

Ultimate Ghosts'N Goblins
Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded
Capcom Puzzle World
Power Stone Collection

If I could find Viewtiful Joe Red Hot Rumble for cheap, I might grab that one too, but it does not interest me as much as the above four.

But let me throw out some other titles that may be of interest to someone looking into getting a PSP:

Lumines
Wipeout Pure
Ridge Racer
Hot Shots Golf Open Tee
Syphon Filter
Daxter
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Virtua Tennis
Me & My Katamari
Need for Speed Most Wanted 5-1-0
Outrun 2006
Exit

Those are the best ones out of my collection. I am playing Exit and Outrun 2006 right now, and they are quickly growing on me as being some of the best on the system too.

I think the reason the PSP is getting the bad rap is because the DS has been doing so well, after the not-so-good launch lineup.

I have both systems and like them equally for their strengths. I just got Magnetica for review, and am really enjoying that game right now.

But man, is the Capcom PSP lineup strong. One of the best reasons right now to own a PSP for sure.

If you looked, you could find a used PSP I am sure. I enjoy mine both on the go and at home, as I do not travel that much either.

#4 — June 5, 2006 @ 16:47PM — Dynamo of Eternia

Ken Edwards-

Thanks for the info and response.

The memory sticks are starting to lower in price, which is good. But still, $200 for the system is a lot. I know used ones go for less, but usually not by that much. Plus, with the pixel problems that I've heard of, I'd be weary to get a used one anyway. I personally try to avoid used system unless I have no other choice (like systems that they no longer make, etc).

I will probably get one eventually, but I am on a budget, and with the new consoles coming out soon (Wii has my attention particularly), so it won't likely be any time soon. Maybe I'll see if I can get it from someone this Christmas.

I guess what a good game is and is not are in the eye of the beholder. Each person has different interests in what games they like, and that's cool - nothing wrong with that.

In my case, most of the non-Capcom games that you listed are of little to no interest to me, personally. The only one that catches my eye at all is the Grand Theft Auto one, and that's probably not that much different from the previous incarnations to make me want to spend the cash for it. It probably has its own original plot, but I usually enjoy GTA for randomly going around and shooting things up, and not so much the story. So, that wouldn't be enough for a new purchase.

I even frequently check out what games are available for PSP when I go to stores like Best Buy (which I typcially go to at least once a week) and Gamestop. Most things outside of the Capcom titles hold little interest for me. That's just my opinion, but I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. I was at an EBGames store recently, a guy walked in, looked at the PSP selection, then asked the clerk, "Why don't you have any good PSP games?" and the clerk responded, "because they don't make any!" They laughed, and so did I.
In all fairness, there's probably one or two other games that would interest me if I looked hard enough, but nothing pops out at me aside from the Capcom stuff.

I will say that all of the Capcom titles that you listed are awesome and I would love to get them when and if I ever get a PSP. The Puzzle World one particularly interests me, mainly for the newer version of Puzzle Fighter with new features.

Odds are I will get one eventually, just when its more affordable. These days games come down in price so much that its better to wait anyway.

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