Looking to capitalize in a similar fashion, Capcom released Mega Man 10 earlier this month, which takes the exact same approach: offering a decidedly retro experience to a new audience and at the same time giving older fans of the series a bit of nostalgia at the same time. And while the gameplay is everything you'd expect from a Mega Man game, it's lost a bit of its charm following so close behind the release of Mega Man 9.

The game begins with another crisis befalling the human race. You'd think after XX years of relying so heavily on robots that betray them at every turn they'd try to be a little more self-sufficient, but I digress. This newest disaster comes in the form of Roboenza, a curious disease that only seems to infect robots, if you couldn't tell by the charming name. Robots infected with Roboenza come down with similar symptoms to our own flu virus. Soon after the virus's outbreak, the infected robots become violent and try to take over the world. A cure seems impossible until Dr. Wily, constant nemesis of Mega Man and his allies, comes forward with a cure. He explains that the berserk robots stole the medication that could cure them, and that only Mega Man can defeat them. Joined by his brother Proto Man, the blue bomber heads off to confront the 8 Robot Masters who stand between him and the Roboenza cure.

Admittedly, the story is incredibly cheesy and full of strange occurrences. How are robots catching an infectious disease? What kind of medicine can they take that would fix that? And most of all, why would Mega Man trust Dr. Wily so easily after the plot he hatched in Mega Man 9? With a game of this kind, it's probably in your best interest to disregard the odd story and just dive right in. Upon reaching the stage select screen, you're greeted with the faces of the 8 Robot Masters. I was personally a bit upset that the selection of bosses was once again reduced to a boy's club, especially after the overwhelmingly positive response Capcom received regarding Splash Woman in Mega Man 9. A big part of the Mega Man games are the bosses, as you spend entire levels battling their minions in order to fight them and eventually steal their powers.

The Robot Masters in Mega Man 10 are… interesting. While the cast of Robot Masters in Mega Man 9 was mostly comprised of original, interesting character designs with a few stinkers, the lineup in this game is almost the exact opposite. The only true stand out in the group is Sheep Man, solely for the fact he's such an oddball. The weapons gained from them all tend to have interesting applications outside of exploiting the weakness of the next boss but, aside from that, the Robot Masters themselves all tend to be very forgettable.

The gameplay is just what you would expect from a top notch Mega Man game. You run, you jump, you shoot… you also die many many many times. I would consider myself somewhat of a veteran in the sport of Mega Man, but this game was handing out the ass kickings free of charge. This is the sort of challenge that was missing from Mega Man 9, and I'm happy to see Capcom set out to change that aspect. Fortunately for newer players, an easy mode was added, which lessens the damage you take, increases the damage you dole out, and even adds platforms over some of the crevasses found throughout the stages. It's a great starting point for those who are new to this brand of difficulty, but fans will definitely find it more rewarding to tackle stages at a harder difficulty.

Although Mega Man 10 should probably be viewed on its own merit, it's hard not to draw comparisons between it and its predecessors, especially when they were released so close together. Both captured the retro experience perfect, down to the soul-crushing difficulty and classic graphic flicker. While Mega Man 9 boasted a more impressive cast of Robot Masters, Mega Man 10 did a much better job of offering a challenge to more experienced fans of the series. Also, the inclusion of Proto Man off the bat, instead of releasing him as DLC, makes multiple playthroughs a must. Everything in this game, from the stage design to the music direction, is fantastic. Instead of sullying the series with newer, more graphically intensive sequels, Capcom and Inti Creates did a marvelous job of retaining the classic Mega Man spirit and introducing it to newer generations of gamers.

Bring on Mega Man 11.

Likes

• Tons of nostalgia from the retro gameplay and overall game design.
• Increased challenge that is very satisfying upon completion.
• Easy mode helps ease newer players into the game.

Dislikes

• Robot Masters are easily forgettable.
• Once you get past the difficulty curve, the game is quite short.
• What little bit of story there is is incredibly strange, but not unexpected.

Review Score

/

The review scale at LevelFortyTwo is between 1 and 5. A score of 5 is considered an amazing game, 4 is a well-done game with only minor issues, 3 is in the middle; not great, but not bad, 2 is a very problematic game, and 1 is absolutely terrible.

Dr. Wily, instead of being a bumbling old man, is the maniacal tyrant of this dystopic future. He and his army of robots rule over the human race with an iron fist, and many are too frightened or weak to rise up against his evil. Only one man, another inventor named Dr. Light, finds the courage in himself to take a stand. He creates what he thinks will be their salvation in Proto Man, but this first “son of Light” fails in his mission, and the humans watching his defeat allow him to die in front of their eyes.

This back story sets the stage for Mega Man's arrival. It is many years later when Dr. Light finds it in himself to create another robot, but Mega Man soon sees the corruption before him and begs Dr. Light to let him do something about it. In an attempt to discourage Mega Man's ambitions, Dr. Light tells his new “son” the story of his first, as well as explaining that the human race has resigned itself to its fate. Unable to let Dr. Wily's reign of terror continue on, Mega Man vainly sets out to destroy him and his army.

This story, and the battle that ensues, make up the basis for the first, self-titled Protomen album, released in 2005. And its with the release of this album that The Protomen found their signature sound. A mixture of rock opera with synthesizers, The Protomen somehow retain a very Mega Man feel without actually sampling any of the series music. That sound only expanded with their next album, Act II: The Father of Death, which was released earlier this year. Adding a mixture of jazz, folk, and 80's rock, this second album was big, if not bigger, than their first.

A prequel to their first album, Act II deals with Dr. Light and Dr. Wily's back story, and how they grew from friends and coworkers to enemies. Their ambitions for a robot assisted world originally came from Dr. Light, who's father died working as a miner. But, as the project nears completion, Dr. Light fears the amount of sway the robots will have in their society's every day life. Dr. Wily convinces him that they need to finish their life's ambition, and Dr. Light reluctantly activates the masses of robots they've created. It is at this point in the story we find out Dr. Wily's other intentions for the robots. He successfully makes Dr. Light a criminal in the city and, although he is proven innocent, he is forced to live on the outskirts to get away from the crowds calling for his blood. With no vocal detractors to his plans, Dr. Wily is allowed to use the robots for more insidious purposes.

One of the more unique things about the band is the people that comprise it. Rarely do they break character, even for interviews, and their alter egos have a bit of back story themselves. They're not merely musicians, they are freedom fighters and prophets. Their music is not only awesome, but also legends that they must spread to us, the masses. Very little actual facts are known about the band, except that they hail from Tennessee. It's this ambiguity that lets fans become wrapped up in the story and music, and worry less about the band members themselves.

All in all, The Protomen are a refreshing breeze in today's music scene. Their albums, while independent releases, sound amazing. The passion they have for this project is palpable, and this can be seen in their huge stage performances. And while I'm a newer fan of their music, this is one band I'll be watching for a very long time.

If you would like to know more about The Protomen, and possibly even buy their CDs or some clothes, check out the links below. Their Myspace page displays more recent touring info, and even provides a few songs to listen to. Also below are a few links to downloadable songs, one from each album and a third unreleased track.

Homepage: http://www.protomen.com Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theprotomen Due Vendetta (Fade to Phil) MP3: http://www.protomen.com/songs/fadetophil.mp3 Breaking Out (Demo) MP3: http://www.protomen.com/Breaking%20Out%28Demo%29.mp3 Beard's Going Nowhere MP3: http://www.protomen.com//BeardsGoingNowhere/Beards%20Going%20Nowhere.mp3