Code: Island Attackers

First Epilogues
Rebel40000 - 9/28/08

Like I promised last time, the first epilogue of Series 4 is now up! This one was written by our Wheel Gator, Outlaw. Coincidentally, there is also a new special up, making it our first special for Series 4! This particular special was written by our Overdrive Ostrich, Shadowstrike! So make sure you check them both out!

Mega Man 9
Rebel40000 - 9/24/08

Today is the big day! The end of "The Mega Man Countdown"! Today Mega Man 9 was finally released in Japan, meaning that the game is now overseas. Like the previous eight games, I'm gonna do some talking about it but I'll not reveal any spoilers.

For what is shown at the beginning, robots created by Dr. Light start rampaging across the world and Dr. Wily appears on television, declaring Dr. Light as the culprit and asking people to donate to him so he can put a stop to Dr. Light. Mega Man thus sets off to destroy the eight Robot Masters to clear his creator's name! The game itself is like a trip to the past--Mega Man can no longer slide or charge his Mega Buster, but they are not needed. Rush returns in all of his glory with Beat and Eddie however, along with the previous missing E-Tanks! The shop from MM7 and MM8 also return this time with a good medium between the two (MM7 screws were easy to collect; MM8 they were rare). This game also boasts Achievements, giving you a vast list of things you can accomplish in the game along with a ranking board for fastest stage completion/game completion. This means loads of replayability!

I myself am loving Mega Man 9. In fact, it may even surpass Mega Man 4 as my favorite game in the series... it is just that good. For all of you Wii owners who have not gotten this gem yet, what are you waiting for? Go out there and purchase it! You will not be sorry.

Anyway, I thank you all for participating in The Mega Man Countdown! It was a blast to do and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Next update... the first epilogue of Series 4! See you there!

Mega Man 8
Rebel40000 - 9/23/08

Just as Mega Man 7 was the Blue Bomber's only trip into 16-bit, Mega Man 8 was the only one in 32-bit.

The story this time goes out into space as the world is invaded by an alien substance known as Evil Energy, with Dr. Wily using it to power his machines. Accompanied by an alien robot known as Duo, Mega Man blasts through more Robot Master stages to save the world. This game is vastly different compared to the previous installments, doing away with the E-Tanks for the first time and completely changing Rush's moves (although he does use Rush Jet in certain segments). The shop returns with Roll as the owner this time but there are only a certain amount of bolts to collect, thus you must choose what items you want carefully. The Robot Master's weaknesses have also changed, this time being far more effective when the RM is performing a specific function. Of course, the most memorable part of Mega Man 8 could be described in four simple words:

Jump. Jump. Slide. Slide.

Mega Man 8 is far from perfect. In fact, due to the absence of E-Tanks and Rush being completely useless, it is rather hard and frustrating and makes this one of my least favorite Classic games. The anime cutscenes are a nice addition but the voice actors make me want to scream bloody murder (I actually prefer X4's voices over this game's selection...). After this game, will its graphically downgraded sequel be able to come out on top? We'll just have to wait and see... although for you Wii owners, you probably already know the answer, don't you?

Mega Man 7
Rebel40000 - 9/22/08

After the success of the Mega Man X series on the Super NES, Capcom decided to bring back our favorite Blue Bomber in his next installment. Mega Man 7 was the first and only Classic game to 16-bit, not counting the arcade games. Mega Man 7 was the first Mega Man I had ever played and thus it holds many memories for me. It is certainly one of my top favorites and I thoroughly enjoy playing it.

Four Robot Masters that Wily left behind reawaken and break Wily loose from prison, setting off the story for this game. Mega Man returns with Rush (who finally performs like he did way back in MM4) along with a new rival: Bass and his robotic wolf, Treble. Unlike the previous games, rather than being able to choose between eight RMs you are only given a choice between four. After beating them the next four are then unlocked, however there is a code which allows you to skip the introduction level (a feature first introduced in X1) and take on all eight, mirroring the 8-bit days. Mega Man has a bunch of new power-ups to collect, some old and some new, and there is also a shop that Mega Man can check out where he can puchase several items. The game wasn't too hard... but the final boss is considered by many to be extremely difficult, perhaps even the toughest in the entire series. The graphics were bright and colorful and the music was very catchy which makes this a grand game.

As for the Countdown, today is the day that Mega Man 9 is released on WiiWare! For all of you out there who want to play it now, I hope you all have a blast. Although I too have a Wii, I am going to stick with my schedule and play Mega Man 8 tomorrow before moving on to the newest entry in the series.

Mega Man 6
Rebel40000 - 9/21/08

Mega Man 6 was the last Mega Man game released for the NES. Coincidentally, it was also the only game in the series to have Robot Masters (Wind Man and Knight Man) to be made by non-Japanese residents. Many people say that this game is the worst of the Classic entries, although I myself rather enjoy it.

This time around Mr. X (a poorly disguised Wily) kidnaps eight robots from a tournament and uses them to take over the world. Mega Man comes this time around with a heavily modified Rush, now being able to transform into two different modes: Power Mega Man and Jet Mega Man. Utilizing both you can actually take different paths in the stages, allowing some re-playability. The Robot Masters themselves are all rather interesting, most hinting at having different nationalities (Flame Man is Arabian, Centaur Man is Greek, etc.). Overall it is a fun entry with some great music and graphics as it pushed the NES to it's limits. My only complaint was how the final stages were so dependent on the Rush Adapters and having MORE back-to-back castles.

Also, I know that the official release dates on MM9 have changed over here. Wii is still the 22nd, but PS3 is the 25th and 360 is now Oct. 1st. Despite this fact the Countdown will still go according to plan with MM8 ending on the 23rd. If anything, it will still match-up with the Japanese release date, so for all of those PS3 and 360 owners participating, I apologize. At least there are still other games to play in the meantime, like Mega Man & Bass and the Game Boy Mega Man games.

Mega Man 5
Rebel40000 - 9/20/08

While Mega Man 4 may be my most favorite Classic entry, Mega Man 5 is my least favorite. Nonetheless, it is a sound entry but it lacks the same flair that the previous four games had.

Once more Wily hides behind someone else while performing evil, this time creating a fake Proto Man to wreck havoc who also kidnaps Dr. Light. Mega Man is more or less the same as he was in Mega Man 4, although Rush received a few tweaks with the Rush Coil and the removal of the Rush Marine. Beat, a creation of Dr. Cossack, also makes its debut if you can collect the eight letters strewn about the eight Robot Master stages. There are two castles at the end of this game, just like the fourth, but this time around the levels feel more tedious than anything, with many really tough enemies (most of which are best taken out with a charge shot). The music isn't the best in the series and is probably the least memorable, but it isn't bad. Neither are the graphics, for that matter. Everything is simply "okay".

Overall, Mega Man 5 is not the most spectacular game to grace the Classic series' history, although most people seem to think that Mega Man 6 is the worst. My opinion, however, goes toward this game.

Mega Man 4
Rebel40000 - 9/19/08

Now for the long-sought answer to the question "What is Rebel's favorite Classic Mega Man game?" The answer is Mega Man 4. Now, I know I am a former member of Cossack's Comrades, but that isn't the source of my favoritism. This game is just plain awesome.

The game decides to take a different approach by having a new scientist known as Dr. Cossack trying to take over the world (later it turns out Wily is behind it, but oh well). Mega Man is now equipped with the new "Mega Buster" which allows him to charge his shots and fire them with more power. This makes the game slightly easier but you could also say that this was the first "modern" Mega Man game. Rush returns along with a new character known as Eddie (Flip-Top) who appears in certain stages to give you a randomly selected item. As for the stages themselves, they feel a little shorter than the previous three game's stages but the backgrounds are very detailed for an NES game with some of the best Classic music in my book. The bosses this time were just as bizarre as they were in MM3 featuring new challenges and enemies. Also, two castles back-to-back? Talk about awesome.

Mega Man 4 was a truly great game for its time. The only downside was by then the SNES had already come out and most people didn't pay too much attention to it, and many "hardcore" fans were still complaining that MM2 was the best. This one, however, has a special place in my heart. Good times, good times.

Mega Man 3
Rebel40000 - 9/18/08

I am not entirely certain how to describe Mega Man 3. Do not get me wrong, it is certainly an excellent entry in the series and is quite innovative in its own right, but at the same time the feel that this game has is so different compared to the first two games it is almost surreal. I suppose you could say that this was the game where Mega Man started to evolve.

Mega Man 3 continues the trend of fighting eight Robot Masters, this time with the help of Mega Man's robotic canine, Rush, who more or less replaces the functions of Item-1, 2, and 3 from MM2. The game also introduced Mega Man's ability to slide, so he could enter narrow passageways and dodge certain attacks. Throughout the stages you also encounter a mysterious robot known as Break Man who is in actuallity Proto Man, Mega Man's long-lost brother, and after completing the eight RM stages you unlock the "Doc Robot" stages--four stages which contain two Doc Robots each, all of them mimicking a specific Robot Master from MM2. The game was longer and could be quite frustrating at times due to some stages being so dependant on Rush's abilities.

A lot of people who do not believe MM2 is the best game typically claim this one to be the best. I, however, disagree once more. Which is my favorite, then, you may ask? Find out next time...

Code: Island Attackers is not associated with Capcom; Mega Man and all other related characters are copyright © to Capcom Co., Ltd.
Island Attackers and other related materials are copyright © to Rebel40000, founder of the team. All rights are reserved.