Mega Man 8
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| Mega Man 8 | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Sega Saturn |
| Release date | PlayStation JPN December 17, 1996 USA February 27, 1997 PAL November 1, 1997 Sega Saturn JPN January 17, 1997 USA February 27, 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Action / Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone |
| Media | 1 × CD-ROM |
Mega Man 8, known as Rockman 8 Metal Heroes (ロックマン8 メタルヒーローズ Rokkuman Eito Metaru Hīrōzu?) in Japan, is a video game released by Capcom in 1996 and 1997 for the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. It was the only game in the classic series to be released on a CD-based console by itself. Upon its release, Capcom reached the franchise's 10th anniversary, and some limited edition copies of the game were packaged with a color history booklet, celebrating one decade of the series.
Mega Man 8 is the second of four games in the entire series to feature anime-style cutscenes.
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[edit] Story
In the year 20XX, two alien robots engage in a climactic battle in the depths of space, the ultimate outcome of which causes them both to plummet towards Earth, critically injured.
Meanwhile, Mega Man and Rush are battling their rivals Bass and Treble, when Dr. Light calls Mega Man to investigate strange energy readings on a nearby island. On the island, Mega Man finds Dr. Wily, flying away with a strange purple orb. Before chasing him, he sees a damaged robot and asks for Dr. Light to pick it up and try to repair it. Dr. Wily then releases 4 new Robot Masters to combat Mega Man. Each time he destroys one, he receives a purple orb like the one Dr. Wily had. Each of the Robot Masters are empowered with a new energy that is unlike any that Mega Man has faced yet, and it seems that this power comes from the new energy cores that Wily has enfused within them.
After Mega Man defeats all four, he returns to the lab and Dr. Light tells him that the robot he found should be fine if he rests for a while. Additionally, he tells him that the strange new energy cores that they have found contain great power and that they must not fall into the hands of evil. After Dr. Light and Mega Man leave the lab, the robot wakes up, sees the purple energy, becomes enraged, and flies off into the distance. Mega Man follows suit on Rush. Mega Man finds him in a mine shaft on the other side of the globe, and after battling the robot, Proto Man shows up and tells Mega Man that Dr. Wily's new fortress, "Wily Tower," is just ahead. Mega Man goes ahead, but is captured by one of Wily's giant robotic creations. The robot saves him, introduces himself as Duo, and explains what his purpose is. He then quickly dispatches the gigantic machine.
Duo then explains what the energy is, calling it "Evil Energy." He says he has been traveling the universe tracking down this energy and trying to destroy it. Moreover, he says that they must destroy it as soon as possible or it will engulf the entire world. However, "Wily Tower" has a barrier around it that prevent him from taking out the source. Duo tells Mega Man to destroy the four other Robot Masters that hold the key to the barrier while he collects and extinguishes the rest of the world's Evil Energy.
Once the Robot Masters have been defeated, "Wily Tower's" barrier is lifted and Mega Man makes his way through it, defeating the hordes of robotic henchmen inside, including Bass and Treble, and ultimately, the evil doctor himself.
In the end, the "Evil Energy" is destroyed before it is allowed to spread throughout the world, and Wily's newest compound is destroyed... with Mega Man inside, trapped by the Evil Energy. We later see Mega Man on an open field, knocked out. Duo arrives, examining Mega Man and determining that he's corrupted by the Evil Energy, and that it's killing him. He attempts to help Mega Man recover, searching his thoughts to see if his mind is taken over by the evil. Fortunately, it hasn't been taken completely, and Duo seemingly destroys the last of the Evil Energy on Earth. Leaving Mega Man in the care of Proto Man, Duo leaves Proto Man with a message to give him when he wakes up: "Thank you."
[edit] Gameplay
The layout of Mega Man 8 is similar to its predecessors: Mega Man can run, jump, slide, shoot, charge his Mega Buster, and change weapons (either in-game or while paused). Like Mega Man 7, only four Robot Masters are available during the first half of the game, as mentioned in the Story section. Auto's part shop from the last game also reappears in the form of Dr. Light's lab, where Mega Man can buy new abilities from Roll in exchange for special Bolts found throughout the levels. However, due to a limited number of Bolts and powerup slots available, the player must carefully decide which powerups to choose.
Unlike the others, however, the game includes two storyline introduction stages, one before each set of robots. In previous games, Rush Adaptors were obtained along with certain Master Weapons. In Mega Man 8, the adaptors are won by fighting mid-stage minibosses. Mega Man can also swim this time around, which is particularly useful in Aqua Man's stage. A noteworthy addition to the gameplay — exclusive to Mega Man 8 - is the ability to display (and use) multiple weapons onscreen simultaneously. Likely the result of the improved game consoles, this change introduces a unique way of using weapons strategically. For example, Mega Man can place a Tornado Hold, jump into it and swing the Flame Sword while rising with the air current. Mega Man also has the ability to use his Mega Buster at all times, even when equipped with a Master Weapon.
Another significant addition to the gameplay in this game is the use of a rocketboard in certain levels. At certain points, Mega Man jumps onto a rocketboard, which gradually accelerates as it proceeds across the level. Mega Man must jump or slide at various points to avoid falling or getting stuck as the screen scrolls to the right; an indicator appears on-screen with a visual representation of a jump or slide, accompanied by a vocal reminder that repeats two times ("Jump, Jump" or "Slide, Slide").
[edit] Robot Masters
- Clown Man: An immature robot that takes the appearance of a circus clown. His hideout is in Australia, and is filled with toys and games. He uses electric powers to battle Mega Man, including the "Thunder Carnival" and "Thunder Claw." Clown Man is weak against Tengu Man's Tornado Hold move, which causes him to be tangled up in his long arms. Once Mega Man defeats him, he gains Thunder Claw ability, which acts like a powerful electric whip. It can be used to activate machinery and swing on grappling points.
- Grenade Man: A masochist robot that is obsessed with demolitions and junk. His hideout is in Peru, and contains piles of garbage and machines. He attacks Mega Man using deadly bombs and body slams. At one point, he blows up his own lair with his "Raging Destroyer" attack. Clown Man's Thunder Claw can bounce the bombs back at Grenade Man for extra damage. Once he is destroyed, Mega Man gains the Flash Bomb, which fires powerful orbs that act like grenades, creating prolonged explosions. They can also light dark areas.
- Frost Man: A stupid, mammoth robot that loves snow and crushing things. His hideout is in the northernmost parts of Canada, and has a large tract of platforms that can only be navigated on a rocket-propelled snowboard. Frost Man attacks using his massive size and ice powers. Grenade Man's Flash Bombs cause him to collapse and cover his face. Once Frost Man explodes, Mega Man obtains his Ice Wave ability, which travels along the ground and freezes everything it touches, including plumes of fire.
- Tengu Man: A robot obsessed with honor who looks like a bird. His hideout is far above Japan, and contains enormous airships and flying robots. At one point, all of Mega Man's allies join him in an air assault. Tengu Man ("Tengu" means wind in Japanese) attacks using air-based powers. Frost Man's Ice Wave can trap him on the ground, frozen, leaving him open to numerous attacks. His defeat yields the powerful Tornado Hold, which allows Mega Man to jump into a whirlwind column to soar to new heights.
- Sword Man: A British robot who acts like a nobleman. His hideout is in a secret temple deep with Asia. Mega Man must use all of his new powers to overcome the lava of the lair. Sword Man is the only Robot Master who does not want to fight, but he must act on orders. He uses fire and his mammoth sword to fight Mega Man. Aqua Man's Water Balloon can douse his flames and leave him open to attack. His defeat yields the Flame Sword, which can light fuses and cut through any plant life Mega Man might encounter.
- Search Man: A military sniper robot with two heads that often disagree. His hideout is somewhere in the African jungle. It is full of robots based on animals and dangerous traps. Search Man attacks using missiles, and loves to hide in large shrubbery in his lair, forcing Mega Man to guess where he might be hiding. Sword Man's Flame Sword can destroy the bushes and burn Search Man, stopping his powerful attacks. Search Man offers the Homing Sniper, which can fly to any enemy for a powerful attack.
- Astro Man: A completely cowardly robot that hovers high in the air. His hideout is somewhere in the Netherlands, and contains strange flora, disappearing platforms, and a difficult maze involving switches. Astro Man fights in a simulation of outer space, and tries to fly to keep out of reach. He calls upon the power of stars and gravity to fight Mega Man. Search Man's Homing Sniper can interrupt his attacks and reach him anywhere in the room. His weapon is the Astro Crush, which calls huge meteors to rain down and destroy everything.
- Aqua Man: A prima donna robot that looks like a water container. His hideout is on a small island off the coast of Africa. There are an underwater city and many ocean lifeforms to be found there. Aqua Man teases Mega Man and uses water attacks. Astro Man's Astro Crush can shatter Aqua Man's glass body and spill his water everywhere, forcing him to recover. Aqua Man's defeat gives Mega Man the Water Balloon, which can douse fiery enemies and travel at great speeds.
- Cut Man: A surprise return robot from the original Mega Man that only appears in the Sega Saturn version of the game. Cut Man has a huge pair of scissors on his head, which he throws to attack you. He appears in the middle of the Rocky Mountain stage.
- Wood Man: Another returning robot from Mega Man 2 that only appears in the Sega Saturn version of the game. He looks like a tree and can create a shield of leaves to protect himself. He appears halfway through Search Man's stage.
Like several other games in the series, the Robot Masters used in the game were picked from design contests in Japan. Tengu Man and Astro Man, however, were created entirely by Capcom instead. It is also worth noting that both Astro Man and Tengu Man return as Robot Masters once again in Mega Man & Bass, though they behave differently and the weapons received from them are also different. Cut Man and Wood Man (from Mega Man 1 and 2, respectively) were bosses in the Sega Saturn version only.
After defeating all the Robot Masters, Mega Man is forced to face what are considered to be the final bosses.
[edit] Ports
Mega Man 8 was later released on the Sega Saturn. However, both versions were not identical. The Sega Saturn version had the following differences:
- A Bonus Mode was included, which includes official and fan artwork, voice test, music test, and a secret animation test for the cutscenes.
- Special water morphing effects were added; the water flowed and moved more realistically.
- Special lighting effects and a flashing siren during Duo's mini-stage (which stop only at the first screen and in boss fights).
- Some additional enemies in many of the stages.
- Some of the Robot Masters in this game are slightly tougher in the Saturn version.
- Cut Man (from Mega Man) and Wood Man (from Mega Man 2) make cameo appearances as one-time mini-bosses in Duo's mini-stage (Cut Man) and Search Man's stage (Wood Man). Defeating each earns Mega Man a Bolt. While Cut Man's Bolt was present in the PlayStation version, Wood Man's Bolt was previously found in Sword Man's stage.
- The music is slightly different in the Saturn version. Two notable examples are Aqua Man's Stage, which is moodier and has a wider variety of instruments, and Tengu Man's Stage, the only level in the game which had an entirely different tune. Also, because of Cut Man and Wood Man's appearances, their respective themes are played in the Saturn version when players battle them; both are remixed to match the sound of the rest of the music. The Saturn version uses PCM encoded audio, while the PlayStation version uses the internal MIDI system of the console.
- The cutscenes in the Saturn version are compressed using Cinepak compression, which causes artifacting and slight blockiness, whereas the PlayStation uses its native M-JPEG encoding[citation needed].
Despite the more "complete" Saturn version, the PlayStation version was ported in the Anniversary Collection (for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox), due to the ease of porting PlayStation games over Sega Saturn games. However, it is plagued with technical issues, such as slowdowns during boss battles, and audio issues with some of the Robot Masters' voices sped up and improper music looping.
According to an interview with Chris Bieniek (Editor-in-Chief, Tips and Tricks Magazine) which appeared in a Mega Man-related installment of G4's 'Legends' show, which was later also included in the GameCube and Xbox versions of the Mega Man Anniversary Collection compilation (a collection in which none of the bonuses from the Sega Saturn version appear), Mega Man 8 was originally intended to only be for the Sega Saturn, but Sony allegedly demanded the game, fearing it would give an unfair advantage to its then-rival.
[edit] External links
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