Mega Man retrospective: Rock of all trades | NES Works
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- Опубліковано 14 кві 2020
- NES Works 1987 ends as it began: With a cool game by Capcom.
But let's be real. Mega Man is much cooler than Trojan. There's a reason one series had dozens of sequels and spinoffs and the other... didn't. Capcom's first wholly original creation for NES is one of the most inventive and highly polished games on NES to date, period. With a free stage select sequence, alternate special weapons, and imaginative bosses, Mega Man stands out as a brilliant capper to an incredible year for the NES. And just think: The franchise will only get better from here, as we'll see in NES Works 1989. In, uh, a few years.
Video Works is funded via Patreon ( / gamespite ) - support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its UA-cam debut! And be sure to check out the Retronauts podcast (www.retronauts.com), where I (and many others!) tackle a much wider array of classic gaming topics each week. - Ігри
I remember going to 3 different movie rental stores when i was about 8 years old with my uncle to find this game for rent. When we found it and he grabbed the box; i was like, "are you sure? Look at the box. Its ugly. I draw better than that!" Hahaha. I was 8 and i knew that the artwork for the box was a fail. Lol. Today, Mega Man is still my go-to game on the nes. Great video! Keep them coming.
It's a shame too because the Japanese Mega Man box art is beautiful!
The way you said "Athena". Your scars are real.
That slight pause to take a breath thay could almost go without being noticed...
I remember “Athena”. I played it and it was bad. The ending doesn’t make sense after defeating the final boss, and the music from “World of Forest” played while the game completely locks. The ending would never know. I played that game back in the day and it was good, but it gets worse. The power ups are good, but the now and arrow sucks, except for the boss in the “World of Ice” stage where you can aim with a bow & arrow. Sword, club, and ball & chain doesn’t work.
2021! Will we even be alive by then.
Great episode though.
I was thinking the same thing. 😆
I've always had a soft spot for this one, because of the unique old school anime feel it has, and the wonderful soundtrack. It might still be my favourite.
It's still my favorite Mega Man game, easily. There is something about the purity of this original entry...the music, the way MM moves..adore this game. Great video.
While not my favourite in the series (4, 7, 9 and 10 exist), there really is a flowing charm to the first that makes it quite the addictive game.
Pretty exciting to see N64 works start back up again: Hopefully GB works does too, since that was the original series and it's been a bit dormant. This was a very great episode to top off the current "Season" of NES works, I feel, as it did a good job pointing out why this game started Capcom's legacy as a good developer, rather than an oddball one.
How the hell did you comment a week ago
@@MAYOFORCE patreon
@@MAYOFORCE Patreon power
SeafoamGaming I would like to see GB works 1990 finished since by next episode it will be over 5 years since it started.
I would like to see any of the non-NES works series resumed. I loved all of the systems except N64, I actually never owned a 5th gen TV console but if I had it would have been PS1. I just don't see why the creator decided to focus on the NES to the exclusion of all else.
MegaMan was an incredible game to me as a child! Being able to select stages, themed robots, taking their special weapons! And MegaMan 2 perfected the formula, of course. Instantly became one of my all time favorite series.
"MegaMan 2 perfected the formula, of course. Instantly became one of my all time favorite series."
I wouldn't say it perfected the formula. The series still had a long way to go thanks to serious balancing issues. 3 was better, but the formula wasn't refined until 4.
@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862 Someone that actually gets it. I never got why everyone spread the word that "mEgAmAn 2 Is thE bEsT oNe" when 4 did things the best out of all the nes titles, but we have 2 with its terrible weapon and boss balancing, and 3 with its revisists, half good set and the game chugs harder than charge man half the time.
@@user-fy1nq3nf1q @**** 4's level design leans too heavily into insta-kill platforming, and the charge shot slows the pacing. 3's boss weapons are pretty insipid and/or useless, and Doc Robot is a pretty uninteresting way of extending playtime. 2's likely remembered as the best since it's the best-selling game in the franchise, and the music is amazing.
@@Pan_Z while somewhat true in terms of the levels (although not always) it doesn't slow the pacing, as the charge shot is optional.
Also 4's music is better than 2's.
Ever feel three decades late to the party?
Because the rock-paper-scissors observation isn’t making me feel late to the party.
(happily caught on to the “rock and roll” naming scheme and never thought on it any further)
This really was an amazing year, especially considering how many beloved long running series started here alongside some great one-offs like Goonies II. Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania, Kid Icarus, and Mega Man defined video games for me for years even if I started playing later than the initial release. It’s definitely up there alongside 1998 and 2017 as standout times to be playing(even if what was going on outside games wasn’t so hot).
Jason Garrett what was so terrible about 1987 compared to other years ?
@@akrites He might be referring to the huge stock market crash in October of that year, which affected the entire globe. Either that or hair metal, both were equally bad.
Wow, what a run 1987 had. And what a way to end the year. Thank you for the wonderful content in these uncertain times. The care, craft, and attention to detailed research in your videos always make them a joy to watch. Looking forward to N64Works!
Hey, I just wanted to say I've been watching for awhile now and I absolutely love this series! I decided to comment on this one because Mega Man has been my favorite NES game since I was young and I've been anticipating the day you'd cover it for months. Thank you for all the hard work you put in this series, as it's been an absolute blast to watch!
Sad to see NES Works going on hiatus until 2021.
Yeah, especially since my console gaming interests fall off sharply after the fourth gen. :(
@@willmistretta I'm right there with you man. Got my SuperGrafx, NES, SNES, Genesis and a NeoGeo Omega. Too much beyond that isn't necessary =P
Well, 1987 was a long year for NES Works. It felt like it would never end but alas, here we are exiting 1987 and jumping in 1988. Great video and end to 1987.
My friend got Mega Man, which is the only reason I payed attention to it. I got 2 for my birthday though and the rest was history.
Doesn't the name Rockman come from the creator love of music?
Mega Mans sister is called Roll (rock and roll), his dog is Rush (the band), two reoccuring enemies are Bass and Treble...
And the cat was Tango, Wily had a pet bird named Reggae, Bass & Treble were called Forte & Gospel in Japan, MegaMan's pet bird was Beat, and there were bit-players like Enker (Japanese Enka music, or maybe a pun on encore), Ballad(e), Punk, and Duo. It's a major theme throughout the classic MegaMan series.
That said, Jeremy's observation about rock, paper, scissors feels really apt (especially noting the presence and weakness of Cutman), and I wouldn't be surprised if it was a really clever multi-valent pun.
you'd be corect. but the localizers of x5 cranked it up to 11 renaming the maverics after guns n roses.
These videos are a joy and something to look forward to when there's so little to look forward to. I'm so grateful they're still coming
I notice and admire your restraint on the Yellow Devil.
Ah, the inception of my favorite NES game series. I was looking forward to this one, and I gotta say it didn't disappoint. Retrospect has been kind to this game, but what I love about this series is that it adds chronological context to these games. You even mentioned that Elec Man's weapon can be used to get the Magnet Beam, a detail that a lot of people miss. I love the attention to detail in your videos. I'm eagerly looking forward to NES Works 1988, as well as N64 Works, the console I had growing up!
Also you misspelled Little Samson as Little Samsom at 2:37
Highlight of my day is anytime I see a retrospective notification!
Stay safe out there everyone, I hope the best you and yours!
Oh, I hope the third NES Works book is on the way. Loved the first two.
It is, but I need to complete the Super NES 1991 and Virtual Boy books first. My hope is that all three will be out by end of the year, but the year is streaking by pretty fast...
@@JeremyParish Well, I'll definitely be there for the SNES one.
Dr. Light: Oh, and by the way those points are useless.
Megaman: _What._ What am I fighting _foooooooor??_
So, what you're saying is... Mega Man is like Who's Line is it Anyway? Everything's made up and the points don't matter?
Dr. Wahwee
@@conanthefan101 That's DAKTUH Wahwee to you, sir.
Im glad I just happened to play Mega Man right when it came out. It blew me away and remains my favorite NES games.
I know most people prefer 2 or 3, but I think the first one in 1987 was better, to me, than part 2 a little over a year later.
True, 2 didn't seem different enough from 1 to be all that special. I don't hate the "evolution over revolution" philosophy, but Capcom may have gotten a little infamous for it.
Congratulations on finishing NES Works 1987!
As you can tell, 1987 was a great year for NES games. Capcom and Konami were at the height of Mount Everest. The games were amazing. Capcom started putting out NES games like arcade ports of both “1942” and “Ghost n’ Goblins”. Both were bad at the start, but it’s gets even better including “Section Z”, “Trojan”, and others as time goes on. Konami went on to make better NES games along with ports of such arcade classics that put the NES on the map.
At least 3 stages for me have amazing music in the first game. (Ice, Bomb, and Wilys last two levels were my favs.). It only got better in later games. 87 was a breakthrough year for NES. So curious to see 88.
RockMan wasn't called RockMan because of rock paper scissors, it was called that because of Rock & Roll, because of how musical the series is.
It was BOTH, if you can imagine
It’s both. How would rock music “beat scissors?”
The decision to call the protagonist Rock Man was the inspiration behind the musical theme
i came here to say that
"fall on the spikes and you get information" "go up there and you get free head" These are phrases surrounding my earliest days with Mega Man.
Your Mega Man story almost exactly mirrors mine. I'd passed by Mega Man so many times at the rental store because of the terrible packaging (front and back). It wasn't until I got my surprise first issue of Nintendo Power (The Mega Man 2 cover was the first issue released in Canada) that I even knew about the series. I was desperate to rent Mega Man 2 immediately, but it was out during our next trip to the video store. Mega Man, however, was still there. I figured that was better than nothing, rented it, and fell in love.
A sequel that is advertised well to the point of sparking interest in the first game is what I call solid marketing.
I love later Megaman games.
Cocoron sure looks good! Gotta import that! A game that shows you disturbing a penguin in his bedroom as you passed by has got to be fun LOL
Megaman 1 was the very first megaman game I have ever played /completed and it made me into a fan of MM to this very day.❤❤❤
Also, one other important question: What content is there in the NES Works books that's different from the videos?
Revised text, more packaging photos, and generally lots of additional sidebars on related topics.
I was introduced to the series through Mega Man 2 - it was the newest entry at the time. Me and my best friend would get hours of fun out of it, and the only other game we would put more time into was our two-player Contra sessions. I also jumped onto the third game when it came out, and had an equally enjoyable experience.
A few years later, I saw Mega Man 1 on the shelf at a (then) brand new Blockbuster Video store. As a kid of 10 or 11, I thought the box art was absolutely hideous, and I almost passed it up on that alone. Except for the fact that I had previously enjoyed the hell out of its two sequels. A lot harder than the other two, but I still had a blast with it.
You are truly good at what you do, Mr. Parish. Thank you for the entertaining and informative content.
My brother and I first heard about mega man from browsing wii virtual console back in 2010. We bought megaman 1 on a whim and have been huge fans ever since
Yuukichan's Papa sighting!!!!! That always cracked me up when I was a kid....and since I was able to finish this a lot as a kid, it's always weird to me when people say it's too hard. :)
My first time playing Mega Man sticks out in my memory. I was playing it with the NES Advantage controller, and I had turbo activated on the A button. I couldn’t jump over the blocks in the beginning of Cut Man’s stage, and I threw a temper tantrum. Declaring Mega Man to be a “dumb army game”, I pouted for the rest of the rental period.
I can tell from that Wily fight that this is another of the NES games you're really good at.
That Wily fight absolutely wreaks me.
The European cover is so much cooler. I wonder if they put in more effort because they knew it was good, since it already had been two years since its debut!
This is why I love this NES Works series; it gives a fresh context to NES games that I never considered. I got a few Mega Man games at a garage sale when I was a kid (as part of a whole shoebox of games for $20) and only got to play the original later. I was amazed at how lopsided the game was and wondered if the legacy of the game was entirely based on the quality of the two sequels to follow, but now that I see it in context of the year, it *does* seem like a very exciting proposition that's much more unique and unprecedented in the nascent era of the system. It has some rough edged, but it's definitely not as embryonic as some of the other underdeveloped platformers of the era. (In fact, I've grown to love the awkwardness of some games like this as relics from a time before quality was a more formulaic equation.)
Rock of all trades, master of fun!
Honestly, really love the Devil/Rock Monster boss and wish more Mega Man battles were on the same level. Unless you're glitching, there's no way to just brute force him. You *have* to learn the pattern even if you're using his weakness weapon. Using the Elec Beam makes it easier (since you need to land fewer shots and thus survive fewer repetitions of said pattern), but it's not a brain dead auto-win like it would be against most bosses in the series. I find that...pretty cool.
Whoa, I never thought of using Power Bomb against the Pickelman! ;x
I, too, absolutely love all the visual storytelling. I think the thing about Magnet Beam making Guts Man's level easier is because there was this intentional replayability they were going for by allowing you to play the six levels over again after having collected everything. The difficulty and trial and error elements were also there for similar reasons, I think, but they can certainly become frustrating for some new players.
The first Mega Man game is my favorite and in my top ten NES games.
Dr. Whywee
I don't remember ever seeing MM1 in the K-Mart we went to a lot when I was a kid. I remember getting it on sale at a Kaybee Toys in a bigger town a while after 2 and 3 had already been out.
It was common among my friends (in second grade in 1991) that MegaMan 1 had to be "discovered." Like, we all knew and loved 2 and 3, and to some extent weren't even sure if '1' existed, since game naming and porting and stuff was so scattershot. I remember one classmate had a strategy guide that included MegaMan 1, and for a while it was the only info any of us had on it, or evidence that it existed. I think once used game stores became more prevalent, I was finally able to get a copy for the holidays, well after having 2, 3 and possibly 4....
Gonna really miss these, but I'm also very excited to see N64 works - The first console I ever owned first-hand, in-the-moment when it was current.
The start of one of the greatest franchises ever. While I prefer 2, and 3...without 1 there wouldn't be the amazing sequels.
I'd rather play 1 over 2 and 3.
4> 2 and 3
I've loved all these videos... but this one has the added bonus of enlightening me to the existence of Street Fighter X Mega Man! The mashup of Ryu's theme with Flash Man's theme is so great.
What a good release to end the year on. Excited for 1988, it's got so many good games! Contra, Double Dragon, Metal Gear, Super Mario Bros. 2, Blaster Master, Bionic Commando, Simon's Quest, and it finished with Zelda II.
Great video Jeremy. I like your calm and detailed observations and conlcusions. Mega Man is such a gem!
Megaman 1 was among the first games I ever played. My dad bought an NES around 1988, and this was one of the games that he got with it basely purely on word of mouth. I remember being amazed by how much it looked like a cartoon, especially when my other basis of what videogames looked like were the abstract sprites of Mario or the ports of arcade games like Pacman.
Yes, all five of the NES sequels are superior, but Megaman 1 itself, is a superior to a huge chunk of other games. When I got older and the Super NES got Megaman X, I felt like all things had been leading to this and as much as I enjoy modern games, nothing will ever compare to my enjoyment of Megaman. This series has had such a profound impact on the kind of games I enjoy.
Great finale to 1987 NES Works
But more importantly great showcase of Jeremy's skill at NES games
Damn that Yellow Devil
Damn it to hell!
I never thought about these stages telling a story. Cool!
I was so excited to finally see a Mega Man game on NES works! I bought this game for $5 from a Funcoland magazine ad after getting Mega Man 2 & 3 in Christmas of 1990. I enjoy it to this day.
I thought Mega Man 2 came out in 1988, though? It's going to suck waiting so long for NES works to make a comeback.
This was an excellent breakdown and review of the design of the original Mega Man! I must say, from watching your series, it is jarring just how impressive Mega Man looked in comparison to some of the NES games that came out in 1987!
Pretty sure my love of gaming started with Megaman and Castlevania. I find myself constantly humming the themes of each at work. Coworker made me proud when he asked if wasI humming the theme to Megaman 2.
One of the best soundtracks for any NES game up until that time. Castlevania, Goonies 2 and a few others only match it.
Please continue to make this amazing content. Whether it's NES, SNES, N64, game boy just continued to make this awesome series
Finally, a Mega Man video!
I actually said “What?” out loud when you showed the beginning of elecman’s stage using the cutter on those floor things... I just always took a ton of damage trying to make those perfectly timed jumps...
Could not have been more excited for this video since you hinted at it in your last video. Gosh, the memories with Mega Man. Thanks for this upload! I was first introduced to Mega Man via Mega Man 2 for Christmas the year after it came out I believe. It was easily my favorite series, and I played every one that came out for NES.
Oh man! Finally :) :) I've been waiting for this episode since I started watching your channel. I love your videos. They're so balanced and full of real knowledge. And I can't tell you how refreshing it is when you address things like the Mega Man box art the way you do, instead of jumping on the bandwagon like so many other UA-camrs. Thank you so much for your hard work. It''s very appreciated.
This was the game that made us leave the Nintendo on for days. 📺
We didn't know what a "Save" was.
_"Save? Nah, this game don't have a Princess to save. Just Robots."_ 😅
Mega Man getting into Smash Bros. 4 was both an amazing surprise for me (more so than Snake or Sonic in Brawl) as well as reminding me of my mortality as an old man NES fan.
I saw screen shots of Mega Man in a magazine somewhere so I asked my parents for it (and Legend of Zelda) for Christmas in 1987. I was only allowed to pick two games, and all I had at the time were the few I had purchased with Christmas money the year before. (I had Gyromite and Duck Hunt, SMB, Trojan and Mach Rider, I think.) So those two games were a HUGE step up. I don't think I ever even saw the crappy Mega Man box art until I unwrapped the present. Probably a good thing.
I never heard the Rock Paper Scissors connection. That makes SO much sense!
I've been waiting on this episode a long time. The original Mega Man has become very underrated compared to its sequels, especially 2. One of my favorites.
Mega Man 1 > 2
Looking forward to 2021 for more NES Works
Ah, the ol' high score. I remember when it transitioned from "what's your high score?" to "Can you beat this game?" Now apparently it's "How fast can you beat this game?"
There's nothing wrong with this feature as such. Mega Man, however, has endlessly respawning predictable enemies and no time limit, so a maxed score wouldn't actually be an indicator of skill.
Lots of NES games are interesting as you can have BOTH "Have you beaten this?" and "What's your high score?" which in my opinion is a great thing.
@@willmistretta plus the points for defeating each boss was random. It's no wonder the sequel dropped the scoring system.
Couldn’t click this fast enough
Just really great episode. Especially the end
I'm pretty sure one of those multi-game demo kiosks in a Wal-Mart sold me on the original Mega Man back in the day. Loved it, finally managed to beat it but only after getting stuck on the Yellow Devil & giving up until I discovered the "cheat".
Whoa who told you the Wily machine is only vulnerable to one weapon per phase? You can Buster solo every boss.
N64 Works??? Heck yeah! The time of nostalgia for that era is getting strong right now. And a large portion of the N64's library has gone forgotten.
First game I ever rented. Still love the series to this day.
FUCK YEAH, MEGA MAN!!
Mega Man is my favorite game franchise and has been ever since Mega Man 2!
Thank you for the family friendly documentaries. I love that I can share these with my kids without fear of vulgar content for immature eyes and ears.
I try to age gate the bad stuff! I have young relatives who watch these (weirdly enough).
@@JeremyParish Similarly enough, my 5 yo often asks, "Dad, can we watch some more NES Works?"
Great to hear a true parenting success story!
Loved the video. The only bad thing is having to wait so long for future NES installments. Still, I'll be checking out the N64 vids, too. Great work.
Wait a minute wait a minute...
2021???
Congrats at 50k subs and I'm excited to see the mega man games get featured.
I've been a fan for a while, ever since I played 3.
I think what drew me in was the wacky weapons and music for sure.
Can’t believe you didn’t mention the amazing music
Takes a lot of guts to point out that Mega Man is kind of a goofy name for the main character, Jeremy, and I respect you for it
Another great video. Although not been a fan of the mega man franchise, I respect what it did for the console and videogames as a whole.
Finally, a youtube recommendation that makes sense.
If I didn’t comment my approval of this video I’d have to disown myself.
Can't wait to see what 1988 has in store
Another awesome retrospective! Although I do agree the sequels improved on the formula, I still think the original Mega Man has tons of charm and is still enjoyable today. I played it again last week. And yeah, if you want a real challenge, try to defeat Elec Man first. I think I made it some years ago, it was definitely tough but rewarding.
There’s also that weird thing in this game that, when falling/missing a jump you fall something like twice as fast once you fall past ypur initial horizontal position (or maybe even sooner, it’s hard to tell)
Congrats on finishing '87! I love your content. Please don't stop. And Metroidvania is the best series. :) Thanks for your work.
Ahh, makes me want to play through Mega Man again. Thanks for the video!
Please so a retrospective for Legendary Wings! You do great work and I'd love to see you cover this game!
That's a 1988 game, so it'll be in the next series.
Mega Man 2 was my first Mega Man game, and mannnn it was amazing
N64... Cool.
I remember releases were so sparse in the beginning, my brother and I rented literally every game as they came out for the first year or so. Most of them I haven't played since then, so this should be a nice trip down memory lane.
Rockman 1 was no doubt most charming and fun game I had on my famiclone as a kid
Has the artist behind the Mega Man box art ever answered for his crimes?
I do know someone who tracked him down, and he offered no apologies
11:23 Mega Man's buster shot can take down both parts of the Wily Machine. Its just a bit easier with Fire Storm and Thunder Beam.
The black "Official Nintendo Player's Guide" helped guide me through my time with many of my original game lineup, and I remember seeing the small blurb on Mega Man in the back. I didn't get into the franchise until I actually watched someone playing MM2 for the first time (which was likely my first game rental as a result)- so I never really spent any time with the original Mega Man until my collecting days in the late 90's. I've always looked at it as a bit of an overly difficult black sheep, perhaps a bit unrefined due to the fact that it was their first NES-specific title, but after seeing analysis like this, I feel it's ultimately due to the polish and lower difficulty of its immediate sequel. Can't wait for more NESWorks in 2021!
Your videos are honestly flawless. I hope you continue to have success because you truly deserve it
Can't believe I never put together the Rockman and Rock, paper, scissors connection before now
My pointing out this interesting thematic connection caused a whole lot of people to think I was claiming the "Rock" has nothing to do with the extremely obvious Rock & Roll reference, so I regret pointing it out.
The "Rock Paper Scissors" aspect is also correct, but the primary reason is name is RockMan is because his government name (along with his sister's) is a pun on a very awesome genre of music.
This was my first Megaman game, Gutsman level beggining was pure suffering. But i loved the game anyway, so i decided to buy Megaman 8 that same year.
What an excellent episode.
As always this was great. I look forward to each video.
Congrats on finishing NES Works 1987. It's been a quite a ride and I can see why a hiatus until next year is justified. That being said, I was hoping for more of a focus on OG Game Boy again or SNES as I have zero interest in the N64. Guess I'll wait until more Metroidvania Works or Game Boy Works or SNES Works in the meantime until NES Works can resume. (I think I first got Mega Man in 1988. Enjoyed it for what it was but its sequel is still beloved to me).
Fight Mega Man, Fight! For everlasting peace!