System: NES

Company: Capcom

Released: July 1989

Catagory: Action/Adventure

Dr. Wily intends to take over the world once Mega Man is defeated. Eight robots are programmed to destroy Mega Man and they mean BUSINESS!! This game was the first Mega Man game that I ever played and the one that got me "Mega" crazy!!

Storyline: Mega Man 2 has a nice yet confusing storyline. The dialouge explains how Mega Man fought and defeated Dr.Wily in MM1. However, it is a mystery how Dr.Wily came back. We don't know if he escaped prison or fled after losing in MM1. All I know is that I'm glad that Dr.Wily is back. Who else would dare to battle Mega Man?

Graphics: Mega Man 2 has incredible graphics for a game released in 1989. The colorful, detailed, and nicely animated graphics are a major plus in MM2. Every stage in this game has graphics that fit the atmosphere nicely. For instance the first Dr.Wily stage has a nice blue-gray sky to fit that stage very well! I like the feel that MM2 gives you. The graphics couldn't have been done any better.

Music: Another addition to Mega Man 2 that gives you that "feel" is the excellent soundtrack. I have played hundreds of NES games and I can honestly say that Mega Man 2 has some of the best music on the NES!! Every tune in this game is perfect for the stage. The Dr.Wily stage 1 theme, the Quick Man theme, and the Bubble Man theme are just a few examples of the excellent music in MM2. The nice gentle theme in the Bubble Man stage and the "computerized lab" music in the Quick Man stage fit perfectly. Overall, MM2 has great music!

Play Control: As with Mega Man 1, MM2 has solid play control. It doesn't take long at all to learn the controls of this game which is a big plus. I especially like how easy it is to utilize the weapons that you receive from the Robot Masters. This game has excellent play control.

Challenge: MM2 is the only Mega Man game to offer you a challenge option. You can play the easy mode if you're a beginner, or the difficult mode if you're a MM2 veteran. The lasting challenge in this game is high which is cool. I think that those of you who have played the Quick Man stage would agree. MM2 will offer any video game player a nice challenge.

Funfactor/Lasting Value: The most important factor of Mega Man 2 is that it is a VERY fun NES game. The first time I played it, I thought to myself,"This game is something special." Now afer countless sequals, we can only go back to see how Mega Man became so popular. The reason is because the first two MM games were fun, and Capcom tried to make each game more fun than the last.(which is scary because his first few games were so much fun) To sum it up, Mega Man 2 is a MUST PLAY and not just a great NES game, but one of the best video games for ANY system.

Ending: One thing that brings people back to play MM2 is the fantasic ending. After Mega Man defeats Dr.Wily's robotic alien, the mad doctor begs at Mega Man's feet. Mega Man walks off towards his home leaving Dr.Wily behind. He thinks about his home and recalls his memories during the past year. Once he finally gets home, he throws his helmet down and runs off towards home. The Blue Bomber is obviously excited about defeating Dr.Wily a second time. Personally, I really like the ending to MM2. The music is nice and the pictures explain all.(there is no dialouge in the ending) After all this, the credits are shown with a NICE MM2 title remix to boot. The MM2 ending is a very nice ending.

Here are my personal ratings for the game Mega Man 2 on a scale of 1 to 5:

Storyline: 4.0
Graphics: 5.0*
Music: 5.0*
Play Control: 4.1
Challenge: 4.2
Funfactor: 5.0*
Ending: 4.5

Negatives: Yes, even a game as great as Mega Man 2 has a few negatives. It would have been nice if Mega Man could slide in this game.(he begins to do so in MM3) It's nice to have two difficulty options, but a beginner will cruise through the easy game without much of a challenge. It would have been best for MM2 to have a one difficulty level between the easy and difficult options. Also, it would have been nice to have a password where you could start further in Dr.Wily's castle than the first stage.