On Mega Man and Greatness

So, I've discovered I'm a heretic.

Here's how it went down: I've been on another Mega Man music kick. It happens every now and then because the proper terminology for the series' music is "fucking fantastic". Also, this video might have had something to do with it:



(Not too keen on that Roll joke though...)

In order, the Mega Man games I have played are: Mega Man 3 (PC), X, X4, Legends, Legends 2, X2, X3, X5, X6, Zero, Zero 2, Zero 3, Zero 4, and Mega Man & Bass.
But it wasn't until this past week that I actually played a real Mega Man game from the original series (the PC version of 3 was licensed and entirely different from the NES version). Hyped on it by the music, I went back and played Mega Man 1 and 2. And here's where we get to the heresy.

In my opinion, Mega Man 2 kinda sucks by comparison.

For those unfamiliar with the fanbase, Mega Man 2 is considered a crown jewel of the series. And don't get me wrong, it's a great game for its time (and the music still holds up), but anyone who says it's still among the best is either speaking from hype or nostalgia.

This is an interesting trend among 'best of' lists of any kind. Very rarely are things actually rated on their merits. A number of other things are clearly factoring in to the decision, but they are not publicized as such. Mega Man 2's greatest claim is that it is the game that popularized the series. The first game was not an overwhelming success (which fans and creator alike blamed in part on North America's hilariously bad box art). Number 2 is what propelled the Blue Bomber to his status as one of the world's most iconic game characters. This is not insignificant. However, it's an entirely different criterion of greatness than the other games are being judged on, which begs the question, exactly what are these lists speaking for?

Maybe I'm being a little too scientific about this, but this is something that always bugs me when reading such lists, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. "Best Mega Man Games" and "Most Influential Mega Man Games" are two entirely different things.

'So then, Zaenos, what would you consider the best Mega Man games?'

Well, if you must ask, (of the one's I've played):
     5. Mega Man Legends 2
     4. Mega Man Legends
     3. Mega Man Anniversary Collection
     2. Mega Man Zero Collection
     1. Mega Man X Collection

What, that's cheating? Okay.
     5. Mega Man Zero 2
     4. Mega Man Zero
     3. Mega Man Legends
     2. Mega Man X
     1. Mega Man X4

(NOTE 5/16/15: I'm currently revisiting the Mega Man Zero games and this list may well be revised by the time I'm through. Probably in their favor.)

Something not satisfying about this list? It might have something to do with another of those hidden influences on 'best of' lists: A desire for diversity. This is an influence easier to see in some topics than others, and my own list above is not the best example of it as a problem.

One more hidden factor that I've noticed influences people's opinions: Think of your favorite Mega Man game. Now think of your favorite Final Fantasy. Or your favorite entry of any other series' you can think of. Or your favorite lost love. Now think about which ones were your first. More often than not, they're the same. And I'll admit, although X4 was not technically the first Mega Man game I played, it was the one I really cut my teeth on, and I can't deny that that could have some influence.

That said, I really do think X4 is an amazing game, and I'll explain why in my next post, along with exactly why Mega Man 2 isn't up to the series' snuff.

And I'll leave you with one of my favorite remixes: