Lost in translation.
The return of the Mega Man series briefly in the last decade was a fun foray into the world of old school platforming.With no hand holding allowed, many lives were lost. People liked that back then, I guess. Mega Man 7, the first to reach the SNES platform in 1995, holds true to the unforgiving nature of the previous games in the series. It follows the Mega Man formula down to a tee, but overall it seems to be lacking in places.
The one thing I noticed instantly was the graphical leap. Mega Man 7 looks fantastic, as each and every stage is bursting with color and detail. The overall theme of the stages themselves vary themselves nicely, such as the Cloud Man stage set high in the air or Shade Man’s stage that’s akin to a spooky graveyard that are pretty fun to traverse to. The music, which is a staple of the Mega Man series, is perfectly fine, but seems to be lacking compared to many of the rockin’ tunes found in previous Mega Man games. It’s more varied, but not as catchy or memorable as some of the music in the NES games.
There isn’t anything terribly wrong with Mega Man 7. The precise platforming that the original Mega Man series is renown for is featured here quite well, and it’s fun. It’s very difficult at times, but that is another hallmark that the series has always had. But to me, the Mega Man formula always seemed to be better suited for the NES. Take the series away from that system, and it just seems like something is missing.