Mega Man Legacy Collection

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,981 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Mega Man Legacy Collection Game Cover
Mega Man Legacy Collection combines great emulation, remixes, and historic context into a superb compilation.
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Mega Man Legacy Collection is a compilation of the first six Mega Man games, originally released on the NES. It offers updated graphics and new challenge modes, while staying true to the classic 2D platforming action of the original games. Players control the robot hero Mega Man as he battles against various bosses and saves the world.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Nintendo 3ds
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,981 reviews
music90 positive mentions
stability58 negative mentions
  • music252 mentions

    The music in the Mega Man Legacy Collection is widely praised for its iconic and nostalgic quality, with many reviewers highlighting the catchy soundtracks from the original NES games as some of the best in gaming history. The inclusion of a music player allows players to enjoy the full soundtracks, although some noted the absence of remixed tracks and the loud menu music as drawbacks. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, enhancing the experience of revisiting these classic titles.

    • “The music is phenomenal, pushing the NES to the edge with its pre-MP3 soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack has aged like fine wine, with some of the best and catchiest bangers the NES sound chip ever produced.”
    • “The music in these games gets me pumped.”
    • “For a start, you will be bombarded by very loud music in all the menus that is both quite repetitive and incapable of being changed.”
    • “The music is forgettable and not the best.”
    • “My only real complaint is there's no way to adjust the audio, and the menu music is really loud.”
  • graphics138 mentions

    The graphics of the Mega Man Legacy Collection maintain the charm of the original NES titles, featuring pixel-perfect visuals that evoke nostalgia, though they are accompanied by some graphical glitches and slowdowns typical of the era. While the collection offers limited graphical options, including filters to emulate CRT displays, it compensates with a wealth of high-quality artwork and soundtracks, enhancing the overall experience. Despite some technical imperfections, the faithful recreation of the classic graphics and the inclusion of extensive bonus content make it a worthwhile package for fans.

    • “The graphics and sound have been faithfully recreated in the collection, and the games look and sound just like they did on the original systems.”
    • “The classic NES graphics don't just hold up well on their own, but also look nice and crisp in HD.”
    • “The collection shines with its comprehensive content, featuring the original titles’ demanding gameplay alongside enhanced visuals, leaderboards, and a robust challenge mode that will push your abilities to the limit.”
    • “Due to limitations of the Nintendo Entertainment System, games have bugs and graphical artifacts.”
    • “On a purely technical level, whilst I appreciate the slavish adherence to how the games originally played, the common slow-downs are frustrating, only slightly less so than the many times sprites and other visuals will simply disappear from the screen, making some battles unfairly challenging.”
    • “The critical issues that disappoint me are the ones from the compilation software itself, like the graphical issue that causes the game to show corrupted UI elements or even a blank screen, forcing the user to reboot their game’s application.”
  • gameplay101 mentions

    The gameplay of the Mega Man Legacy Collection is a faithful homage to the classic NES titles, featuring tight controls, challenging platforming, and iconic mechanics like sliding and charge shots. While the collection introduces modern enhancements such as save states and a rewind feature to ease frustration, some players note issues with input lag and archaic mechanics that may detract from the experience. Overall, the collection offers a nostalgic yet challenging gameplay experience that remains engaging for both veterans and newcomers alike.

    • “The collection's dedication to preserving the original gameplay ensures an authentic experience, allowing players to relive the excitement and frustration of these classic platformers.”
    • “The challenge mode is also a great bonus for this collection; it adds fresh, challenging gameplay for veterans while giving new players even more content than what's already here.”
    • “A faithful compilation of Mega Man's 1 through 6, the gameplay has been preserved very well, feeling exactly like it did back in the NES days.”
    • “Rewind is the worst mechanic in the series.”
    • “Several archaic mechanics such as score just don't hold up today, and stage gimmicks can be outright frustrating at times, as well as quirky physics.”
    • “Input lags, slowdowns and just crappy gameplay overall.”
  • stability62 mentions

    The stability of the game collection has received mixed reviews, with many users noting the presence of various glitches and visual issues that were characteristic of the original NES titles. While some players appreciate the nostalgic retention of these glitches, others find them frustrating, citing problems like flickering, input lag, and occasional slowdown that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the games run well on modern systems, but the emulation retains many of the original's bugs, leading to a less polished gameplay experience.

    • “No glitches at all.”
    • “This runs great on the Steam Deck because you can use the directional buttons instead of the joystick.”
    • “As for performance, it runs great on my average gaming PC.”
    • “Unfortunately, a complaint I have with this product is that there are occasional visual glitches along the right-hand side of the screen when moving forward, which I found quite annoying.”
    • “The games themselves are good, but there are too many bugs and glitches to fully enjoy them.”
    • “This port is so buggy as to be unplayable.”
  • story34 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is generally considered minimal, with many reviewers noting that it is "paper thin" or "borderline nonexistent," typical of classic NES titles. While some mention the inclusion of cutscenes and a simple plot that adds a bit of context, the focus remains on the challenging gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay experience, which is praised for its addictive mechanics and replayability.

    • “From level designer to composer, the game takes storytelling to another level, changing the way all players interact with it.”
    • “The game starts out as a fun story, but it evolves with your deaths; you discover secrets, and the story unfolds, with your friends becoming the heroes, just like in the original game.”
    • “Mega Man 4 looks better, has an actual story with cutscenes, and that adds a fantastic layer to the experience.”
    • “The story is paper thin, but the shooting and platforming is oddly addicting.”
    • “There is no story, no dialogue, no cutscene, nothing of the sort which was common back in the day.”
    • “It's like playing a simpler, harder Cave Story without the story or exploration.”
  • optimization25 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering and frame rate drops, particularly during intense gameplay moments. While some players appreciate the nostalgic emulation of the original NES games, others find the overall performance disappointing, especially compared to previous collections. A few users noted that enabling certain settings like VSync can mitigate some issues, but overall, the game's optimization appears to be lacking, making it less suitable for those seeking a smooth gaming experience.

    • “Nothing about the games are actually changed (apart from options for better performance), but there are features like save states and rewinds that make this collection accessible to anyone, not just Mega Man fans.”
    • “These are emulated ports of the original NES games; however, the emulation itself is great overall and is faithful to the performance of the NES originals.”
    • “A 'turbo' CPU option has been added to the game, which seems to have fixed the performance problems.”
    • “Prevents modding, cheat engine, and reduces performance by up to 10-15 fps with stutters.”
    • “This Steam version and port is garbage; fix it because optimization is trash!”
    • “The game has trouble launching, and the performance was not improved at all.”
  • replayability24 mentions

    Overall, the Mega Man Legacy Collection offers high replayability through its engaging challenge mode, allowing players to experiment with different stage orders and weapon strategies. While some challenges can become tedious, the collection's variety and nostalgic appeal keep players coming back for more, making it a worthwhile experience for both casual and dedicated gamers. The inclusion of leaderboards and speedrun challenges further enhances its replay value.

    • “The challenge mode introduces new bite-sized trials and speedrun challenges, adding replayability and an extra layer of excitement for those looking to test their skills.”
    • “Being able to choose any of the stages in any order you want for each of these games, collecting the weapons in different orders and using them not only on the bosses to which they serve as a weakness but also as tools to make stages themselves easier provides an endless amount of replayability to each one of the six games on display here.”
    • “Excellent controls, amazing 8-bit compositions, nifty enemies (including bizarre and wonderful bosses) and replay value that is through the roof.”
    • “The challenges presented within the collection, while a commendable effort to inject additional content and replayability, fall short of the mark when compared to the depth and intricacy found in the core games of the X series.”
    • “For as much replay value as the challenges offer, too much of it is tedious and redundant.”
    • “Overall, I enjoyed Mega Man 1; it is however very short (under 90 min) with only replay value being a point score system but... I don't care.”
  • humor11 mentions

    The humor in the Mega Man collection is highlighted by its amusing rewind feature, the comedic difficulty drop between games, and the inclusion of quirky challenges that lead to funny situations. Players appreciate the nostalgic charm of original misspellings and the lighthearted moments that arise from gameplay mishaps, making for a fun and entertaining experience. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the challenging gameplay, enhancing the enjoyment of the classic NES titles.

    • “The rewind feature is really funny.”
    • “The difficulty drop from Mega Man 1 to 2 is hilarious.”
    • “It's addicting, as the game forces you to constantly rethink your strategy, and sometimes hilariously drops you into a sticky situation, like the beam section in Quick Man's stage.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some stages feeling tedious and repetitive, particularly during the doc robot stages and when stocking up on essential items like E-tanks. While the game offers replay value through challenges, the necessity of grinding can detract from the overall enjoyment, making it feel more like a chore than a rewarding experience.

    • “However, the tedious Doc Robot stages and somewhat underwhelming Wily Castle hold it back.”
    • “Not the greatest of game collections (especially in the day and age of emulation), but still a grand time nonetheless. Just beware if you have hopes of 100%, it gets pretty tedious.”
    • “For as much replay value as the challenges offer, too much of it is tedious and redundant.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with many users feeling that the release of separate volumes for the Mega Man titles is unnecessary and frustrating. Reviewers express disappointment over the limited content offered in the Legacy Collection compared to previous compilations, suggesting that it lacks value and features, making it feel rushed and unworthy of the price. Overall, players recommend caution before purchasing, as they believe better options are available for accessing the games.

    • “Yeah, fine, disc space for consoles used to be a thing and a reliable excuse for splitting game volumes, but as a PC release on Steam, releasing separate volumes for 1-6 and 7-10 is pure cash grab and annoying.”
    • “Good game, but this isn't much more than a cash grab for games anyone can get for free on an emulator.”
    • “However, it seems rushed with little features and just a quick cash grab.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game features a deeply emotional storytelling narrative that encourages players to reflect on their choices, enhanced by a nostalgic connection for long-time fans. While the gameplay can be frustrating due to challenging boss mechanics, the overall experience evokes strong feelings, making it a poignant journey for players.

    • “Very emotional storytelling narrative and slow-paced gameplay that makes you truly question your choices in the game!”
    • “I grew up on these games, and this collection is heart-breaking.”
    • “Emotional nostalgia aside, Mega Man is a great series, but is this collection worth the price of admission?”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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