Mega Man x4

It's been 10 years since the release of the original Mega Man on the NES. Now. Capcom is celebrating the Blue Bomber's 10th anniversary with the release of the newest games in the series, Mega Man 8 (for the PlayStation and Saturn) and the latest. Mega Man X4 for the Saturn.

The X series, as many of you might know, takes place in a future alternate time line in the Mega Man universe. The game-play is the familiar style that we've all grown to love. It's a delicate mix of an action/side-scroller and a shooter. The style of play is nothing spectacular, really, but Capcom has managed to capture a magical formula that works particularly well. Everything from the unique weapons and enemies to the cute animation cries out fun!

The screen shots shown are from a very early version of the game. So far, we haven't seen any Bosses or any of Mega Man X's signature power-up weapons. But. we did get a chance to play as both X and Zero, the sword-slashing Strider look-alike. The controls worked without a hitch.

The levels also showed off the Saturn's sprite and background processing power beautifully.

The screen often fills with bright explosions and menacing enemies. without a hint of slowdown. The backdrops are colorful and vivid. In the waterfall level, for example, you may find yourself surrounded by rushing water, both in the back and foreground. In the snow level, the screen may be so busy with a heavy snowstorm, that you may be amazed that you can see anything underneath. This was done on purpose, however, to add to the challenge and immersiveness of the game.

Mega Man X4 is, thank goodness, a 2-D game. Capcom decided to utilize 32-Bits of power to make the game look better, but the basic game is still there, as solid as ever. So here's to Mega Man's 10th birthday and his entrance into the next generation of video game systems.

MANUFACTURER - CAPCOM

THEME - Action

NUMBER OF PLAYERS - 1