Megaman Zero 4 Review - GBA

7.5

Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 8
Audio: 8
Innovation: 4

Introduction

As the last title in the Megaman Zero series (ignoring the spin-off coming to NDS in the near future), Megaman Zero 4 (MMZ4) offers little innovation but plenty of the same old action platforming goodness.

The story follows on from part three: the Resistance, after Neo Arcadia is taken over by Doctor Weil and his new bevy of maverick reploids, is on the run. Hunted by Weil and his new commander, Craft, Zero and Ciel must do their best to help the humans who have fled Neo Arcadia to Area Zero, which Weil plans to destroy in short order with Operation Ragnarok.

Gameplay

The gameplay itself is largely unchanged from the first title in the series. Running and jumping, shooting and slashing, Zero takes on entire armies and environments in his bid to save the people he cares for. The game is insanely difficult in places but thankfully controlling Zero is a breeze.

The controls are tight and spot on, making any deaths your own. Running is handled on the d-pad, jumping on the A button, two attack buttons with L used to dash. The story unfolds in a linear manner, though you can tackle the missions in any order you choose.

The platforming can be tricky, with instant death often a nasty side effect of an ill timed jump and the battles rely on reflexes and timing. The level design remains challenging, the boss fights epic and challenging. The key is memorisation, meaning that anybody can beat the game as long as they keep trying.

In keeping with MMZ's tradition, Zero has a new weapon: the Z-Knuckle. The knuckle is weak by itself but, when used to deliver the killing blow, it will steal the enemy's weapon. Also new is the armour system, which allows you to place different pieces of armour on Zero. Armour is made from parts dropped by enemies and combined in recipes.

The elf system in previous games has been replaced by a simpler version. Instead of collecting cyber elves and feeding them energy crystals, there is only one cyber elf which is given to you near the start of the game. Feeding the elf will grant you new abilities but you can only use three at a time.

Then there is the weather system. Changing the weather will affect the way the game's levels play out. One level contains a solar powered cannon. Tackling the stage with cloudy weather will make it easier on you, as the cannon fires less frequently.

The end of level boss is also affected by the weather. Bad weather will weaken the enemy, while good weather will give your opponent access to a stronger technique. The upside is that defeating a stronger opponent will grant you new skills, making for a nice bonus for the better gamer.

All these changes make (continued next page)