Platform: PSP

Genre: Action

Number of Players: 1

Capcom had a hit on their hands when the first Mega Man was released on the NES years ago, and the popularity has continued through just about every gaming console that has seen the light of day. It was just a matter of time before the blue bomber made his way onto the PSP. This game however isn’t one that will follow the trail of Dr. Willy but instead is set in the Mega Man X timeline, and everyone’s favorite maverick hunter is back in action, although in a remake.

The year is 21XX and humans have created robots known as reploids to assist them with their daily lives. With their creation however has come an inherent danger and now some of these reploids have gone rogue. Under the leadership of Sigma, they are terrorizing the general population and have now been dubbed Mavericks. In an effort to bring them to justice and stop the rebellion, the Maverick Hunters have been established and X is at the forefront of this revolution alongside his counterpart Zero. But, will they be able to stop the rebellion in time, or is humanity doomed to fall under the tyrannical thumb of Sigma?

Hmmmmm . . . . I’d heard tale that Sony only wanted 3D games released on their dominating handheld system, but Mega Man X is actually a throwback to the glory days of gaming; side scrolling action. I’d have to say though that MMX falls into the category of being “pseudo-3D.” There are three dimensional backgrounds and foregrounds, but not fully controllable environments that can be rotated.

Even if you’ve only played a single Mega Man title, you should already know what to expect with this game. You will have the opportunity to take on Sigma’s henchmen, each with their own, devastating attacks and specific weaknesses. This is one of the keys to success in the game; finding out which maverick can be hurt by which weapon. To get you started, Flame Mammoth can be readily damaged by X’s fully charged X-Buster and upon his defeat, you’ll gain the Fire Wave. Now, what element is opposite of fire?

Each stage will have you fighting underling robots that are out to do you in, and defeating them will give you life or weapon energy or the occasional extra life. You will also need to collect items hidden in each stage. There are upgrades for X that will make fighting much easier, heart upgrades to increase your life, and energy tanks to store valuable life in case your boss battles start to go horribly wrong. X will also find armor that he can hop into, saving some damage to his system, and the dash attack. As you begin to collect new weapons, simply using the L and R buttons will allow you to cycle through them.

Once you’ve beaten the game you will then have an new game option where you can play as Boba Fe . . . .I mean, Vile. The controls are essentially the same, though the story will change slightly. As an added bonus, you also have a demo for the upcoming Mega Man: Powered Up game coming to the PSP. Unlike some of the Mega Man games of old, Maverick Hunters does have an auto save feature, but this really is true of most games these day. It’s better than the password feature that some gamers may remember from the early days of mega Man though.

Visually, the game looks fantastic. The various stages all have a certain theme going for them. Chill Penguin’s stage is covered in ice while Flame Mammoth has fire and boiling lava to contend with. There are a few break away sections to be found, but I did find one slight problem; slowdown. I’ve played a number of PSP titles and I have never run across any type of slow down in the games until now. It isn’t often, but it was more than enough to get me to take notice.

Maybe I’ve outgrown them, but at first I was excited to play the game, but that’s quickly melted away. That’s not to say this is a bad title, and it’s really well done for a portable, but Maverick Hunter doesn’t offer much as far as replay, and there certainly isn’t enough that’s different to make to stand out from the other games. While I would normally applaud an old-school game staying true to its roots, this is a case where there could have been so much more offered. If you’re a rabid Mega Man fanatic, I’d say by all means, you’ll need to buy this game. If not, this may be worth a rental, but it certainly isn’t worth buying new; maybe as a greatest hits title or used.

-mike-