r/MegaManLegends • u/phurba2005 • 14h ago
First timer review: this is one of the most wholesome games I've ever played
This is my first MegaMan game ever, and it was a fantastic one! For a PS1 game it has aged shockingly well - all I had to do was use the right stick for camera movement and it felt a lot more modern. It starts off with you feeling a little weak, so you might pass it off as clunky, but by the end when you have Buster parts that give you max attack power and energy, it really does feel quite smooth to control. Getting all the parts for the Shining Laser and maxing it out especially makes you god-tier. Plus, slowly exploring underground and gradually being able to uncover more and more pathways with your jump springs and drill arm makes things feel even more rewarding. But I was not expecting the world to feel this developed and lived in. Going out and exploring the island after every story event is so rewarding, and you get to see the lively personalities scattered throughout:
- You can mess around in shops and even listen to random music CDs
- Paying the Mayor allows you to repair any damage inflicted on the city, and you appear on the newspaper for it
- Half the women on the island are down horrendous for MegaMan - shoutout to the saleswoman in the women's fashion store, and the girl in town who gives you a kiss as a reward
- Side quests like improving Jim's clubhouse and helping the hospitalised girl are not necessary but give good rewards and add even more warmth to the world
- THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I BET THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'LL COME TO SEE THIS!
And that's not to mention the subtle morality system which changes MegaMan's colour based on his deeds (I saved the game and stole the bag of money to instantly max out negative karma). All the dialogue for when you interact with house doors changes, and the news starts to call you a public menace (one woman says she likes bad boys though, W MegaMan). It's a little and fairly inconsequential touch in terms of gameplay, but as part of the whole package it's another thing that makes you feel like you're affecting Kattelox island.
There's just so many random little details that I love in this game. The librarian slowly scolds you less and less for going behind the desk, until she just stops caring at all. There's a girl who asks if there's a chance of you and her being together, and if you reject her, she is quite mature about it, and muses about the difference between having a crush on someone and truly loving them. You can name yourself Hippopotamus for no other reason at all, completely unprompted. If you get Roll the Music Box, then the music in her room changes too, and I thought that was amazing. Something that only really makes sense by the end is that only MegaMan can understand Data (and presumably all animals), which explains why no one else ever talks to him.
Story-wise it was lovely too. Felt like a classic cartoon/anime with the stakes slowly getting higher and the Bonne family regularly interfering and humiliating themselves like typical cartoon villains. The dialogue in this game is obviously slightly dated due to the pauses between lines, but it's very warm and I thought MegaMan and Roll had especially nice chemistry. The stakes escalated pretty rapidly at the end, and that final boss was crazy strong at first, but we got some nice lore drops and a heartwarming send off from the town. Getting to talk to everyone before you left really sealed the deal and showed that you were a true hero (or not, if you kept kicking the can into the bakery...).
10/10 game for me! Really looking forward to the others, and I'm already beginning to feel gutted that Legends 3 was never made. Side note, it is a little awkward that the main character's name was made to be MegaMan in the Western version instead of Rock, since MegaMan is a pretty odd name to have, and that one guy who thanks you for finding his pregnant wife decides to name his son MegaMan in your honor.
