Mega Man Legends 2
Encyclopedia
Mega Man Legends 2, known in Japan as , is an action role-playing game
released by Capcom
in 2000, acting as a sequel to Mega Man Legends
. It was released for the PlayStation in April 2000 in Japan, October 2000 in North America and August 2001 in Europe. Unchanged Japanese ports of the game were also released for the PC
in Taiwan on July 2001 and for the PlayStation Portable
in September 2005. The game features Mega Man Volnutt's quest to find four keys hidden in the planet in order to aid in the search of the Mother Lode, a legendary treasure thought to be an infinite energy source.
A demo
of the game was originally featured in the spin-off The Misadventures of Tron Bonne
, with its purpose being to show an overview of the gameplay of the title despite having an independent story. Critical reception to Mega Man Legends 2 has overall been positive with video game publications praising how the graphics and the gameplay improved over the ones from its prequel. Additionally, the game's story was praised for how complex it is in comparison to the ones from the original series.
is held by Professor Barrel Caskett and his old friend Werner Von Bluecher about the upcoming journey to the Forbidden Island in a large airship
called the Sulphur Bottom to search for the Mother Lode. Barrel recognizes a reporter, Yuna, as his lost daughter, Matilda Caskett, who warns them of the catastrophe that could transpire if they pursue their journey. Yuna escapes with her servant, a Reaverbot flying machine-like being named Gatz to break the windows for her escape. Ignoring her warning Bluecher continues to the center of the island. Yuna orders Gatz to give warning shots but due to the hostile retaliation of the Sulphur Bottom, Gatz damages the engine, forcing the airship to descend to the island below.
Mega Man Volnutt and Roll Caskett watch the events from television and decide to rescue them. With Roll's help, Mega Man makes his way to the center of the island and in the process releases a girl called Sera and her servant Geetz, both of whom go to the Sulphur Bottom. Geetz tells Bluecher and Barrel that the Mother lode can be accessed by means of four keys. Bluecher and Barrel ask Mega Man if he could retrieve the keys before the Pirates who heard their conversation with Geetz.
Mega Man along with Roll set forth to find the four Keys in the Manda, Nino, Saul Kada and Calinca Ruins, while battling the Pirates, most often the Bonne Family, along the way. When Mega Man returns with the final key to the Sulphur Bottom, Sera orders Geetz to attack the ship and take the keys. Yuna appears in the ship and orders Gatz to fight Geetz. Mega Man stumbles upon Yuna, who then gives some reminder about his former life and explains to him the terrible catastrophe she was trying to prevent: Sera's plans for the execution of the "Carbon
Reinitialization Program", meant to kill every human from Terra and revive the original humans. Soon after, Mega Man reaches the deck of the Sulphur Bottom and sees Gatz defeated by Geetz. Mega Man is able to defeat Geetz, who, using his last forces, seriously damages Mega Man.
While recovering, Mega Man starts to explore his past. In his dreams he sees himself and a man known as "Master" going to Terra and giving Mega Man his "Genetic Code" before dying and requesting Mega Man to destroy the system which is able to start the Carbon Reinitialization Program. Yuna tells Mega Man to choose whether to follow what the System wants him to do or oppose it.
Mega Man then takes a flight in a ship merged with Gatz heading for the planet Elysium with Yuna. In Elysium, Mega Man reaches the room where the Carbon Reinitialization Program is to be executed from. Sera then appears in the form of a robot to Mega Man and states that she did not execute the Carbon Reinitialization Program but has, instead, been waiting for Mega Man's arrival to challenge him in hopes that by defeating him she would prove that their master liked her more. In battle, Gatz tries to aid Mega Man by attacking Sera's logic circuits, but dies in the attempt. As Mega Man defeats Sera, Yuna arrives at the scene reminding Sera that it is not their Master's wish for her to die. Sera awakes in Yuna's real body and decides to help Yuna protect the Carbons from the machines that are being activated in Terra due to an old system Master tried to stop. However, due to Gatz's death, Mega Man, Sera and Yuna are now stranded in Elysium with no means of transporting back to Terra any time soon. The game ends with Roll and other characters working together to build a rocket to rescue Mega Man from Elysium.
, would include a demo of the game. The demo was meant to better graphics and a larger scale universe. The demo, titled , features an independent story in which Tron has kidnapped Roll and Mega Man sets to rescue her. It was only included in the Japanese version of the game and the PlayStation Portable port of the game. The game was released for the PlayStation in April 2000 in Japan, as a regular release and another one under the label of "PlayStation the Best". It was later released in October 2000 in North America and in August 2001 in Europe. Unchanged Japanese ports of the game were also released for the PC
in July 2001. In September 2005, Capcom ported the game to the PlayStation Portable but it was only published in Japan. Like the preceding game, the music was composed by Makoto Tomozawa with the ending theme used in the Japanese version being Hara Fumina's . In October 2009, Capcom released , which is composed of a soundtrack including 17 tracks from the game and an artbook. The artbook also shows characters which were not featured in the game with all of them sharing the name of Mega Man like Mega Man Volnutt and Mega Man Juno. Producer Keiji Inafune
comments that he was asked by several fans if a sequel to Mega Man Legends 2 would be made. Inafune expressed desire in making, but at first stated that he could not do it.
directly stated that with Legends 2s release, Capcom was able to turn "what began as a mere spin-off into a worthy stand-alone franchise", while Allgame
's Jon Thompson stated it "trumps its predecessor in almost every way, and shows that Capcom is certainly learning from its mistakes in the genre". IGN
's Adam Cleveland mentioned Mega Man Legends 2 was "the most involving game I've seen with Mega Man, and is one of the best, too". Publications commented that the gameplay was highly improved and that the variations of controls helped the players. Despite being compared with other RPGs such as the ones from the Zelda franchise, the dungeons and missions were praised. Bosses fights were also found to be entertaining although some of the bosses' height are larger than the ones featured in the prequel. Famitsu
found that the game's overall sense of action was superior to the first incarnation, considering the ability to be assisted in missions by computer controlled characters as well as its mini-games and events.
The graphics
got from positive to mixed reception. The graphic design and style was praised, but still reviewers criticized that the level design was still blocky and primitive. The story and cutscene animation were universally praised, and compared to watching an anime
. In comparison to the first game, the story was also found to be darker and deeper. Eurogamer
also focused in this, finding the game's story to be a more "rolling narrative rather than a simple 'click the face, beat the boss, save the world' sort of cop-out" comparing it with the original 2D series. Sound effects and music were likewise well-received, with the exception of Mega Man's voice, which was derided as too feminine.
GameRankings had an average of 76.60% for the PS version, while Metacritic
had 76 favourable reviews out of 100 for it. In a 2007 retrospective of the Mega Man series, Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com
ranked Mega Man Legends 2 as "Worth it!", praising its graphical improvements over the first title and commenting that its unresolved ending is "is one of gaming's greatest injustices". In a similar feature, GameSpot stated that the game could "fix lot of the flaws in the original and [Mega Man Legends 2] is a substantial improvement upon the Legends formula". 1UP.com analyzed Legends 2s ending and found it unfortunate as the plot involving the Elder System mentioned in the game's ending remained unresolved.
The PlayStation version of Mega Man Legends 2 was the 139th best-selling video game in Japan in 2000 at 88,131 units sold. The PSP version of the game barely made it into the Famitsu top 500 best-sellers list in Japan for 2005 at a mere 15,309 units sold by the end of the year.
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
released by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
in 2000, acting as a sequel to Mega Man Legends
Mega Man Legends (video game)
Mega Man Legends, known in Japan as , is an action role-playing game released by Capcom. It is the first game in the Mega Man Legends sub-series of Mega Man games from Capcom, and the first major 3D polygonal Mega Man title released in the franchise. It was released on the PlayStation in 1997 in...
. It was released for the PlayStation in April 2000 in Japan, October 2000 in North America and August 2001 in Europe. Unchanged Japanese ports of the game were also released for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
in Taiwan on July 2001 and for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
in September 2005. The game features Mega Man Volnutt's quest to find four keys hidden in the planet in order to aid in the search of the Mother Lode, a legendary treasure thought to be an infinite energy source.
A demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
of the game was originally featured in the spin-off The Misadventures of Tron Bonne
The Misadventures of Tron Bonne
The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, known in Japan as , is a video game that was developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation. Released in Japan in 1999 and in North America and Europe in 2000, the game is part of the Mega Man Legends series and the prequel of the first Legends game...
, with its purpose being to show an overview of the gameplay of the title despite having an independent story. Critical reception to Mega Man Legends 2 has overall been positive with video game publications praising how the graphics and the gameplay improved over the ones from its prequel. Additionally, the game's story was praised for how complex it is in comparison to the ones from the original series.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Mega Man Legends 2 is very similar to that of its predecessor and has a few changes. The player controls the protagonist Mega Man Volnutt in his explorations through ruins and fights against Reaverbots. The ruins, however, are from various islands in contrast to the prequel in which most ruins belonged to Kattelox Island. The player is able to travel to other islands with Roll's ship, the Flutter, although he can only enter certain islands by completing different missions. Unlike Mega Man Legends in which the player could enter to different ruins by having the approval of Kattelox's mayor, here the player must pass different tests in order to win Digger licenses from a specific level. The license allows Mega Man to enter into ruins which are forbidden to lower-class Diggers. Additionally, when winning a license, the Reaverbots' health is higher, but once they are destroyed, they drop more refractors' shards which are used in shops to buy items. Mega Man's interactions with other characters can also affect the character's state depending whether he is good with other people or makes them angry. Mega Man is also able to grab objects or people which help the player to complete missions. Mega Man can also suffer from special damage when fighting Reaverbots or touching fields that damage him such as lava. If the player equips Mega Man specific body part, he will become invulnerable to such states. Another addition is the underwater dungeon, in where the objects' weight is reduced and Mega Man can jump higher. The energy of the special weapons, which are developed by Roll using unusable items, are now shown in two energy bars, one green and one blue. The blue bar indicates how much energy the weapon has, while the green bar shows how much energy is consumed when the weapon is used.Setting and characters
Mega Man Legends 2 brings back several characters from its prequel. This includes the protagonist Mega Man Volnutt (whose original name is Mega Man Trigger), a Digger in charge of exploring ruins to find Refractors, Roll Caskett, his spotter, who is searching for her missing parents, and Data, a mechanical monkey who contains all of Mega Man's original memories. Roll's grandfather, Barrel Caskett, also appears alongside his old friend Werner Von Bluecher in search of the Mother Lode, a legendary treasure supposed to have infinite energy. The pirates "the Bonnes" return once again as antagonists of the series but allied with three new members: a blonde-haired man named Glyde who uses Birdbots as servants, and Bola and Klaymoor, a floating samurai and an enormous man wearing armor, respectively. Other characters include Yuna and Sera, also appear in the game although their purposes remain unknown during the game's start, as well as the Master. A man who is referred to as the last "true" human and had lived for 3000 years.Story
A news conferenceNews conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
is held by Professor Barrel Caskett and his old friend Werner Von Bluecher about the upcoming journey to the Forbidden Island in a large airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
called the Sulphur Bottom to search for the Mother Lode. Barrel recognizes a reporter, Yuna, as his lost daughter, Matilda Caskett, who warns them of the catastrophe that could transpire if they pursue their journey. Yuna escapes with her servant, a Reaverbot flying machine-like being named Gatz to break the windows for her escape. Ignoring her warning Bluecher continues to the center of the island. Yuna orders Gatz to give warning shots but due to the hostile retaliation of the Sulphur Bottom, Gatz damages the engine, forcing the airship to descend to the island below.
Mega Man Volnutt and Roll Caskett watch the events from television and decide to rescue them. With Roll's help, Mega Man makes his way to the center of the island and in the process releases a girl called Sera and her servant Geetz, both of whom go to the Sulphur Bottom. Geetz tells Bluecher and Barrel that the Mother lode can be accessed by means of four keys. Bluecher and Barrel ask Mega Man if he could retrieve the keys before the Pirates who heard their conversation with Geetz.
Mega Man along with Roll set forth to find the four Keys in the Manda, Nino, Saul Kada and Calinca Ruins, while battling the Pirates, most often the Bonne Family, along the way. When Mega Man returns with the final key to the Sulphur Bottom, Sera orders Geetz to attack the ship and take the keys. Yuna appears in the ship and orders Gatz to fight Geetz. Mega Man stumbles upon Yuna, who then gives some reminder about his former life and explains to him the terrible catastrophe she was trying to prevent: Sera's plans for the execution of the "Carbon
Carbon-based life
Carbon forms the backbone of biology for all of life on Earth. Complex molecules are made up of carbon bonded with other elements, especially oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, and carbon is able to bond with all of these because of its four valence electrons. Carbon is abundant on earth...
Reinitialization Program", meant to kill every human from Terra and revive the original humans. Soon after, Mega Man reaches the deck of the Sulphur Bottom and sees Gatz defeated by Geetz. Mega Man is able to defeat Geetz, who, using his last forces, seriously damages Mega Man.
While recovering, Mega Man starts to explore his past. In his dreams he sees himself and a man known as "Master" going to Terra and giving Mega Man his "Genetic Code" before dying and requesting Mega Man to destroy the system which is able to start the Carbon Reinitialization Program. Yuna tells Mega Man to choose whether to follow what the System wants him to do or oppose it.
Mega Man then takes a flight in a ship merged with Gatz heading for the planet Elysium with Yuna. In Elysium, Mega Man reaches the room where the Carbon Reinitialization Program is to be executed from. Sera then appears in the form of a robot to Mega Man and states that she did not execute the Carbon Reinitialization Program but has, instead, been waiting for Mega Man's arrival to challenge him in hopes that by defeating him she would prove that their master liked her more. In battle, Gatz tries to aid Mega Man by attacking Sera's logic circuits, but dies in the attempt. As Mega Man defeats Sera, Yuna arrives at the scene reminding Sera that it is not their Master's wish for her to die. Sera awakes in Yuna's real body and decides to help Yuna protect the Carbons from the machines that are being activated in Terra due to an old system Master tried to stop. However, due to Gatz's death, Mega Man, Sera and Yuna are now stranded in Elysium with no means of transporting back to Terra any time soon. The game ends with Roll and other characters working together to build a rocket to rescue Mega Man from Elysium.
Development
In June 1999, Capcom announced that the series' spin-off, The Misadventures of Tron BonneThe Misadventures of Tron Bonne
The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, known in Japan as , is a video game that was developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation. Released in Japan in 1999 and in North America and Europe in 2000, the game is part of the Mega Man Legends series and the prequel of the first Legends game...
, would include a demo of the game. The demo was meant to better graphics and a larger scale universe. The demo, titled , features an independent story in which Tron has kidnapped Roll and Mega Man sets to rescue her. It was only included in the Japanese version of the game and the PlayStation Portable port of the game. The game was released for the PlayStation in April 2000 in Japan, as a regular release and another one under the label of "PlayStation the Best". It was later released in October 2000 in North America and in August 2001 in Europe. Unchanged Japanese ports of the game were also released for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
in July 2001. In September 2005, Capcom ported the game to the PlayStation Portable but it was only published in Japan. Like the preceding game, the music was composed by Makoto Tomozawa with the ending theme used in the Japanese version being Hara Fumina's . In October 2009, Capcom released , which is composed of a soundtrack including 17 tracks from the game and an artbook. The artbook also shows characters which were not featured in the game with all of them sharing the name of Mega Man like Mega Man Volnutt and Mega Man Juno. Producer Keiji Inafune
Keiji Inafune
is a video game producer and illustrator. He was the former head of Research & Development and Online Business and Global Head of Production at Capcom, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the character Mega Man, as well as the producer of the Onimusha and Dead Rising video game series...
comments that he was asked by several fans if a sequel to Mega Man Legends 2 would be made. Inafune expressed desire in making, but at first stated that he could not do it.
Reception
The game was generally well received by critics in comparison to the prequel. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
directly stated that with Legends 2s release, Capcom was able to turn "what began as a mere spin-off into a worthy stand-alone franchise", while Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
's Jon Thompson stated it "trumps its predecessor in almost every way, and shows that Capcom is certainly learning from its mistakes in the genre". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Adam Cleveland mentioned Mega Man Legends 2 was "the most involving game I've seen with Mega Man, and is one of the best, too". Publications commented that the gameplay was highly improved and that the variations of controls helped the players. Despite being compared with other RPGs such as the ones from the Zelda franchise, the dungeons and missions were praised. Bosses fights were also found to be entertaining although some of the bosses' height are larger than the ones featured in the prequel. Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
found that the game's overall sense of action was superior to the first incarnation, considering the ability to be assisted in missions by computer controlled characters as well as its mini-games and events.
The graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
got from positive to mixed reception. The graphic design and style was praised, but still reviewers criticized that the level design was still blocky and primitive. The story and cutscene animation were universally praised, and compared to watching an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. In comparison to the first game, the story was also found to be darker and deeper. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
also focused in this, finding the game's story to be a more "rolling narrative rather than a simple 'click the face, beat the boss, save the world' sort of cop-out" comparing it with the original 2D series. Sound effects and music were likewise well-received, with the exception of Mega Man's voice, which was derided as too feminine.
GameRankings had an average of 76.60% for the PS version, while Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
had 76 favourable reviews out of 100 for it. In a 2007 retrospective of the Mega Man series, Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
ranked Mega Man Legends 2 as "Worth it!", praising its graphical improvements over the first title and commenting that its unresolved ending is "is one of gaming's greatest injustices". In a similar feature, GameSpot stated that the game could "fix lot of the flaws in the original and [Mega Man Legends 2] is a substantial improvement upon the Legends formula". 1UP.com analyzed Legends 2s ending and found it unfortunate as the plot involving the Elder System mentioned in the game's ending remained unresolved.
The PlayStation version of Mega Man Legends 2 was the 139th best-selling video game in Japan in 2000 at 88,131 units sold. The PSP version of the game barely made it into the Famitsu top 500 best-sellers list in Japan for 2005 at a mere 15,309 units sold by the end of the year.
External links
- Rockman Dash 2 official website (PSP)
- Mega Man Legends 2 at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...