PS3 Game Review – Mega Man 10

When Capcom released Mega Man 9 in 2008, it immediately became clear that there was a real market in making games like it’s 1989. The combination of gamer nostalgia, tight gameplay, and hardcore challenge got great reviews and sales on the downloadable console game market. But now the last of those elements, the challenging gameplay, can be adjusted in Capcom’s second bite at the apple, Mega Man 10. This game introduces “Easy Mode,” a typical choice in most video games, but one that the long-running Mega Man series has actually never seen before. With most other features remaining very similar to 9, the most important consideration here is whether you think Easy Mode adds to the game, or perhaps hinders it.

Easy Mode makes hits to your character less damaging, hits to enemies more damaging, takes out some enemies here and there, and, perhaps most helpfully, puts new platforms down to prevent most falling deaths. These changes make a giant difference, and at least guarantee that you’ll live to see the end of the game this time with only a little work. It certainly expands the audience for the game, as surely many confronted Mega Man 9 two years ago only to die at the ends of Jewel Man one too many times and quit. Those same gamers can have an experience more on level with the difficulties of most games today, and breeze through the title.

Technically, the addition of an Easy Mode can’t hinder the experience, because the gamer can simply choose to play on the normal difficulty if they wish. However, the fact remains that some players will cruise through the Easy Mode in a little over an hour, and fail to see what’s so special about the Mega Man series. The fun comes in conquering the really tough challenges, in mastering each level layout one by one. When you’re not simply compelled to overcome these hard circumstances to see the rest of the game, players become less likely to willingly go through it. More players can beat the game, but it’s possible that less will actually be having fun.

Mega Man 10 also adds in a challenge mode with dozens of shorter challenges for the player to complete. Some are simply boss fights from the main game, but most are like very short levels that focus on one specific skill, like perfect jumping, or destroying a specific type of enemy. This feature would be perfect, if it weren’t so tedious to retry a challenge. After you fail, the game spits you back out to the challenge menu, rather than simply including a “retry” button, which wastes a frustrating amount of time in-between each session.

Proto Man, before a paid DLC component, is included in Mega Man 10 from the get-go, giving a slightly different experience one can try. He is hurt more by each enemy blast, but he has a shield that protects him from many hits to compensate. That small difference, along with a sliding ability and the appearance change, are all the variety you get, but it’s still certainly a welcome addition.

Mega Man 10 doesn’t try to add too much to what made its predecessor successful, which is just fine. The gameplay is still pitch-perfect, and the additions all add up to make it a more solid product for a wider range of gamers.