Mega Man 8

Since his introduction to the video game scene, Mega Man has appeared on nearly every single platform out there. Now he's all set to make his debut on an U.S. 32-Bit system. In Mega Man 8, Dr. Wily is once again planning to take over the Earth with a new army of evil robots.

As in the earlier games, Mega Man's faithful robo-dog, Rush, is there to lend him a paw. Rush is now able to convert into a jet bike, form a protective shield around Mega Man and even recharge Mega Man's weapon and energy levels.

Thanks to the vast storage space of the CD, Mega Man 8 will feature a ton of frames for each character, delivering cartoon-quality animation. Mega Man fanatics can also look forward to fully animated anime sequences in the intro and throughout the game.

Video game characters come and go, but few have lasted longer than Mega Man. Capcom's video game hero from the early days of the NES has survived six NES games, five Game Boy games, five Super NES games and even a Game Gear game. Now, Mega Man is coming back stronger than ever in his first appearance on the U.S. 32-Bit systems in Mega Man 8.

There was a bit of controversy over this game early on. Sony wasn't too keen on Capcom's decision to keep Mega Man in his traditional 2-D form. Luckily for Mega Man fanatics, Capcom stuck to their guns and made sure that the latest chapter in the Mega Man saga remained true to its original form.

Those of you who have played the Mega Man games in the past should feel immediately at home with number eight. Like all of the Mega Man games, you can choose the order in which you challenge the eight Bosses, and you acquire their weapon after you defeat them. The only change to the stage select system is that now you can only choose from a set of four Bosses who you must defeat in order to fight the remaining four. This setup is the same as the Game Boy Mega Man games, but it is a first for the regular Mega Man series.

One thing that the Mega Man games have been criticized for is the lack of original plots. In MM8, the basic premise is the same, but with some extra twists. The evil Dr. Wily has gained control of a giant, mysterious robot. Mega Man. as always, has to stop him. Along the way. Mega Man comes in contact with a new robot who may or may not be an ally. In addition to having the new robot at his disposal. Wily also has a new group of robot masters.

Like all the other Mega Man games, one of the major strengths lies in the unique robot masters that you have to contend with. Mega Man 8 marks the debut of some of the strangest Bosses yet.

Sword Man is the most basic Boss of the group. The characteristic that sticks out on him is the giant sword that he has for a hand. In one part of his stage, you fight inside a volcano, where a wrong move could mean instant death.

Like every good platformer, there is the ever-present "water stage" which is guarded by Aqua Man. He's a roly-poly sort who has a water nozzle for an arm. One nice touch for his stage is that Mega Man can now actually swim through the water-a new ability for this game.

The most unique-looking Boss of the group has to be Astro Man. due to his lack of legs. Instead, the lower half of his body is spherical, and he hovers above the ground. He also has two smaller spheres that orbit around him. While it would seem that his stage would be set in outer space, you actually fight through a mechanical garden and a couple of tricky mazes.

Grenade Man is basically a giant grenade with arms and legs. His stage is somewhat reminiscent of Metal Man's stage. It is an industrial area that also houses a scrap yard.

The largest of the robot masters is Frost Man. This hulking creation looks like a giant, humanoid igloo. As to be expected, the ground here is slippery, and there is a couple fast-paced snowboarding scenes to liven up the action.

Tengu Man is the most Japanese of the Bosses. In Japan, a Tengu is a type of crow demon. Therefore, Tengu Man looks somewhat like a crow. He has a beak and a tail, plus one of his hands is made of three giant, metal "feather" blades. The standout feature of this stage is that it is very windy and hard to maneuver in.

The best way to describe Clown Man is an evil robotic version of Sega's NiGHTS character. After fighting through his crazed circus (which is full of toy versions of classic Mega Man enemies), you must take on the blown prince of robots himself and his electricity attacks.

Search Man is possibly the coolest-looking Boss of the bunch. This guy's armor is painted in camouflage, and he has a rocket launcher for an arm. Not only that, but he has two heads, each one with its own voice. He lives deep within a jungle hideout that is fortified to make sure Mega Man never gets there.

With so many powerful enemies to contend with, even Mega Man needs some help. Joining him once again on his mission is his faithful robo-dog, Rush, complete with a whole new set of transformations. Gone are the days of Rush-Coil and Rush-Sub.

Now, Rush is able to help out in even better ways. You can now call on Rush to deliver a random power-up to you. If you get in a real pinch, he can soar overhead in his Rush-Jet form, delivering a barrage of missiles on the enemy or a ton of weapon and health power-ups for you. Rush can even change into a styling', missile launching motorcycle for Mega Man to ride.

Rush also shows up in his Rush-Jet Mode in certain stages to give Mega Man a lift in levels that play like a traditional shooter. During these levels. Mega Man can collect special icons that call on even more of his friends to give him a hand.

Beat, the robotic bird, will act as an option (remember them from Gradius?). Auto. Dr. Light's robo-mechanic from Mega Man 7. will fly with you and launch a powerful bazooka. The final pal to help you out is the little robotic storage unit. Flip-Top. He'll assist you by dropping bombs on the ground below. In addition to your robot pals, you can also collect a power-up for Rush that allows him to shoot missiles.

Throughout the levels, there are several bolts scattered about. Be sure to collect them and stop by Dr. Light's shop between levels. There, you can buy items and weapon upgrades with the bolts you have collected.

The graphics in Mega Man 8 are excellent They may not be an extravagant leap over the Super NES games, but the vast color palate of the PlayStation leads to some stunning visuals. The animation is also a sight to behold. The near-cartoon smoothness and little details give it a character all its own.

Mega Man fanatics (and I know you're out there) will surely agree that this is one of the best playing Mega Man games to date. Even if you've not played a Mega Man game before (which isn't likely), you'll certainly want to give Mega Man 8 a look.

Right now in Japan, Capcom is developing a 3-D polygon Mario Kart-style racing game starring the Mega Man characters for the PlayStation. Perhaps if Mega Man 8 is a success here, they will consider bringing it out. After all, we can always use another Mega Man game.

Mega Man hits the PlayStation with Mega Man 8--a cute, color-ful game that will appeal to fans of the blue boy.

You romp through familiar stages like the air and ice levels, battling Dr. Wily's baddies and stealing their weapons. This game features the same simple graphics as in previous versions'--the only thing that separates this game from the 16-bit carts are the cool Japanese-style cartoons between each' level.

The gameplay and control are identical to past MM ports, while the sound still boasts the same joyous theme songs and effects.

Gamers enamored with Mega Man are sure to love MM8. Others ' should try it for a weekend to bring back the memories of when aames were iust for kids.

The blue boy is back, and although he's been redrawn and recolored with a 32-bit palette, this CD game is basically the same side-scrolling action you saw on the SNES. This time, MM flies with Rush through the air and picks up other buddies, like a bomb-dropping bird, a huge robot, and more. The tried-and-true ability to pick up and use the bosses' special weapons--like tornadoes, bombs, and ice beams--are also implemented. Fans of da man will want this one.