March 27, 2003 - The latest game in the popular Capcom Mega Man series for the Game Boy Advance is Mega Man & Bass; games in this franchise are no stranger to the GBA system, as Capcom has produced two (coming up on three) games in the Mega Man EXE RPG series, as well as an excellent side-scrolling action game in the form of Mega Man Zero.. In actuality, Mega Man & Bass isn't a new design. It's actually an enhanced port of a Super NES game released in Japan and Europe more than a half-decade ago. But this release is the first time the game's officially made it to the US, and thankfully so, because as decent as Mega Man Zero recreated that old-school Mega Man feel in its design, Mega Man & Zero really is the old-school Mega Man. Which means, frustrating-but-fun and challenging level design. It's really good stuff all the way through, just make sure you have at least a little level of tolerance for viciously challenging gameplay.

Features

• Two playable characters
• More than 11 different levels
• 100 collectible CDs
• Battery Save (four slots, one instant-save slot)
• Only for Game Boy Advance

And like the existing Mega Man design, players can adopt Boss powers after they've defeated them, utilizing these additional abilities at any time...as long as they've got the energy to put them to use. Most of these abilities are of the standard Mega Man fare, from explosive grenades, to wider "drill" shots, to a slashing dash...and each of these powers have their place somewhere in the game; each boss has some sort of weakness to a specific earned power, and there's a little discovery involved in trying each of the abilities during a fight. While both Mega Man and Bass play differently, they share the same special attacking abilities.

The entire game is a blast, but it's hard as hell and requires a whole lot of trial and error to succeed in the battles. Some of these challenges are a completely unfair (like an area where shadowed enemies randomly leap out of the background during required jumps), and some challenges can't be overcome until players actually lose a life or ten figuring out the solution to the puzzle. In one area, for example, players have to shoot pillars to get through a maze of platforms; every destroyed pillar, however, causes a row of spikes to slowly fall into the game area...and as we all know, spikes in Mega Man are instant death elements. So, players have to get killed once or twice just to find out which pillars should be shattered, and which should be left alone. The cool thing is, just like all Mega Man classic game designs, the levels aren't linear; so if one area's giving you a headache, you can always go to a different world to try that challenge.

And as tough as the standard levels are, the boss battles can be (and are) an absolute pain, and there's no way to "get lucky" your first time meeting them. These guys require serious trial and error to defeat them, even though that one particular energy weapon can easily wipe him off the map in short time. But even with powerful weapons, players still have to be quick on the D-Pad and buttons to avoid taking costly hits from the boss.

But as frustrating as all of this is, it's really the way Mega Man games have always been...and to be honest, with all of the annoying little deaths in the game, there's always that sensation after every failure that you've learned the challenge, and perseverance definitely prevails in this game. What's more, the sense of accomplishment always overtakes any feeling of annoyance towards the game designers because of all the lost lives in one specific location.

And Capcom includes an element to encourage level replay; hidden throughout the different levels are CDs that, when collected, give players a biography data card that players can check out. There are a hundred of these things, and many of them sit out there in levels just taunting you to grab them...and most of them can't be grabbed without acquiring specific weapons or abilities deeper in the game. Which means, yes, you'll have to come back to the previous levels to grab that CD you missed. While these CDs aren't necessary to the completion of Mega Man & Bass, they're a great addition that give players something else to accomplish beyond the main game.

Closing Comments
I wouldn't be surprised if the game designers at Capcom get some sort of sadistic joy when they're put to work creating another game in the Mega Man series. The franchise has always been known for its incredibly high difficulty curve, and the latest game in the series (at least on the Game Boy Advance), Mega Man & Bass follows the frustration/fun formula of the series to the letter. Don't go into this game expecting a quick romp; the levels that have been implemented in Mega Man & Bass are devious and difficult. But on the flipside, this game still has that "I know I can do it this time..." element that keeps players coming back, and when a game keeps you riveted to the system until you've completed the challenge, you know it's good.

Rating	Description
out of 10	click here for ratings guide
7.0	Presentation Two playable characters and a bunch of collectibles round out the game design, and a handy cartridge save feature. But there are some poor choice of words in the translation that cause some confusion.
8.0	Graphics Very colorful and well animated sprites fill the Game Boy Advance screen...but since this is an existing design on another system, there aren't any specific GBA special effects going on.
7.0	Sound Decent sound effects and music throughout the action, though some tunes are a little less than what you'd expect on the system.
8.0	Gameplay Very challenging, very difficult, very frustrating...but very fun, too.
7.0	Lasting Appeal There aren't a huge assortment of levels, but the game's difficulty will ensure that you'll be playing this one for a while. And the hidden discs adds a little incentive to replay specific levels.
8.5 Great	OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average)