Megaman 2, first released way back in 1988, quickly became one of the series’ most beloved entries. The game featured a radical new style of progression, letting you tackle any of its eight stages in any order that you please. Players around the world got stuck in, figuring out their own crazy paths through the game and its eight robot masters.
But is an innovative progression system enough to make a game enjoyable? Is it possible to balance nine special weapons, and should you even try? Megaman 2 crams a lot of ideas together, but does it still add up to a fun game to play today?
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On this episode, we discuss:
How open ended is Megaman 2’s level progression really? Are some routes more encouraged than others, and is there true creativity to be found here?
How well designed are the bosses of Megaman 2? Does a boss need to be complex to be enjoyable? How well equipped is the player to deal with these challenges?
Are older games improved through the use of savestates? Or is Megaman 2 better played the way the creators intended?
We answer these questions and many more on the 65th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!
Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K
Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another
Megaman 2 OST: Takasi Tateishi
Have you beaten Megaman 2 without save states? Do you have a recommended ‘most fun’ pathway through the game that you stick to, or do you improvise for every playthrough? What Megaman game should we play next? Come let us know what you think, and join the discussion on our community discord server!
