Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Release: 08/05/04 Genre: Action
To this day I still miss arcade games. Part of the thrill of visiting the arcade was seeing games that were technically far ahead of what we had at home. Obviously it is impossible for that to happen these days but in the days before perfect home ports were possible it was an experience like no other. Mega Man: the Power Battle and its sequel were games that I missed out on as arcades in my area began to dry up. For the longest time I could only see it in screenshots. And while it has been included in various collections now the Japan only PS2 release of Rockman: Power Battle Fighters allows me to explore the two games in depth. Are they worth your time? Let’s find out.
As an arcade game originally the Power Battle wastes no time with a story or any such nonsense. You can play as Mega Man, Bass, or Proto Man but the differences between the trio are slight they are pointless. You have three paths to choose from, each drawing a set of six robot masters from the first seven titles. The first covers Mega Man 1-3, the second 4-6 and Mega Man 7 gets its own route exclusively. You can let the game randomly pick a boss for you or choose yourself. Of course with each boss defeated you earn their weapon although their effectiveness is….questionable.
The Power Battle is essentially a boss rush, something Capcom is all too familiar with. Each bout is presented like a fighting game although this is not one. You have fought the robot masters before but not like this. Each has been bestowed with more attacks than before and some are more aggressive than others. The boss battles throughout the series have always been great yet Capcom went to town making them better. The animation is phenomenal and gives the robot masters personality. Despite the fights being the focus of the game they are not drawn out; the timer makes sure of that.
As enjoyable as these battles are it does highlight how simple the game is. A Mega Man game without any platforming leading up to each fateful encounter is a shallow experience. Each match is a quick fight like a fighting game but you lack the tools that make them interesting. Aside from the charge shot, slide/dash, and boss weapons there are no other items or abilities to spice things up. Once you have their weakness the fights are potentially quicker even though outside of one or two I did not notice the difference that much. The buster weapon is so powerful you can easily rely on that to carry you through the game. The rematch against the yellow devil and Dr. Wily are great but alongside the brief endings do little to take advantage of the game’s potential.
If the first game was a nice of proof of concept Mega Man 2: the Power Fighters is its realization. To be fair this is a refinement like Street Fighter 2 Turbo but it’s a damn good one. Nearly every aspect of the game has been touched in some way. Duo joins the playable cast and each character is more distinct. After fully charging you can execute a special move by pressing up + attack. Mega Man performs a shoryuken, Bass has a flash kick, while Proto Man has a short range proto strike. Duo actually throws the enemy in the air and pile drives them! After defeating a few of the bosses you earn a part that further powers up these attacks further.
The special attack is not the only addition to your arsenal. Halfway through each boss fight Eddie will drop a support item. Collecting it will grant another power. Rush and Treble join Mega Man and Bass respectively and will assist in the fight until their meter runs out. Proto Man and Duo receive a shield from Beat that protects them from damage for a short while. The only drawback to these support items is that you cannot use special weapons while they are active. This can be a drawback as the boss battles are more involved this time. The added options make the game more tactical, something the first desperately needed.
Like the original there are three paths. Each path has a different “story” but it is fluff. Outside of the robot masters you face a different penultimate boss and that is it. Half of the robot masters from the first game return alongside nine additions. Most of the returning cast have new attacks so they don’t seem completely old. You choose your order like the NES titles once again and as a bonus Dr. Light will clue you in on which weapon they are weak against without spelling it out. The game does a better job signaling you have the right weapon through special animations. But even though you have the right power each fight is harder than before. The robot masters are more aggressive and at the midpoint go into overdrive. I found myself dying a little more frequently this time yet it remains fair.
Like I said before this is a refinement but all of the small additions read like the designers were aware of the original’s flaws. Whether it was direct feedback from fans or their own awareness we as gamers benefit. Even the endings are better and hint at events in the Mega Man X series that would not be revealed until years later. And the endings in arcade games usually suck. I only wish there were ports years earlier.
In Closing
Rockman: the Power Battle Fighters is a solid package. It was a wise move packaging both games together. Individually they are decent. But together for a budget price this is a solid purchase. I would love to have seen more of these games that further expanded on these ideas. Maybe someday Capcom will revisit this series.
