System: SNES
Company: Capcom
Released: October 1995
Catagory: Action/Adventure
After six terrific NES hits, the seventh Mega Man installment had a LOT to live up to. In some ways it did and in other ways it did not. About a year and half after the release of Mega Man 6, Mega Man 7 was released. It was actually cancelled until Capcom finally decided to release it. All the Mega Man fans out there breathed a sigh of relief. To the game itself, Mega Man 7 is a great game largely due to the fact that it is a lot like the NES MM games. It kept the flavor and to add to the funfactor, MM7 has more secrets than ever!! There are a TON of secrets (a few that have probably eluded those who have beat the game 10 times!!) and items that will help the Blue Bomber on his quest. There are several new characters in Mega Man 7. Auto is a mechanical robot (built by Dr.Light) that will make items if Mega Man can find some bolts for him to use. There is a Hyper Bolt that will really help Auto out but it is hidden somewhere in the game. The setup is a little different in this game. You fight only four robots to start with then fight four more once you turn the first four into a pile of robotic waste. There are special letters in the first four stages that will spell RUSH. Your faithful dog will come to your aid if you can get the letters. There are also new Weapon Tanks that fill up your weapon energy and special tanks that function like the Mega Tanks of Mega Man 5. (filling up everything) Two very mysterious characters will appear in MM7. They are Bass and Treble and they seem to be on Mega Man's side but... Well, here we go!
Storyline: The storyline to Mega Man 7 was thought up very well but is not very innovative. I was hoping that a new foe would fight against Mega Man but who else besides Dr.Wily will dare to battle against the Blue Bomber? Six months after the capture of Dr.Wily, his "backup" plan begins to take place. In jail, Dr.Wily waits for his chance to escape. You see, Dr.Wily always knew that Mega Man might capture him. Just in case this occured, he put together a "backup" plan that would begin to take place if he couldn't return to his secret base. After Mega Man 5 where Mega Man came SO close to getting Dr.Wily, Wily wasn't about to take another risk. He figured that if he was going to be defeated, Mega Man would probably get him. So Dr.Wily built some backup robots and mini bosses that would automatically wake up and search for their master if he didn't return after six months. That is exactly what happens. The robots find Dr.Wily and allow him to escape from prison. Thus begins Mega Man 7!!
Graphics: The graphics is Mega Man 7 are very well drawn, are colored and shaded well, and have good animation. The graphics of the Freeze Man stage where dinosaur bones are preserved by ice is a nice effect while the fans of the Cloud Man stage are cool. You visit a jungle, a stage with springs, a stage with a bunch of junk, and more. The graphics are excellent and I am impressed. However, I'm not too impressed about the graphics from a SNES point of view. They could have been right at home on the NES. It would have been nice to have some of the 3-D effects of the Mega Man X series in MM7. However, I'm a BIG fan of the NES Mega Man games and their graphics so I personally think that the graphics were very well done in MM7.
Music: There's something about the music of these odd numbered Mega Man games. MM7 continues this trend with some of the best Mega Man tunes of the whole series!! The instruments were chosen well and the themes really add to the feel of the game. Shade Man, Burst Man, and the last stage have my favorite themes of the game. EVERY theme is very good though. I was really impressed by the music in Mega Man 7 because it is new (doesn't really sound reminiscent of other MM games) and VERY catchy. For game music fans, I HIGHLY recommend MM7.
Play Control: One thing that made the NES Mega Man games so fun was the EXCELLENT play control. The seventh Mega Man game continues this trend with excellent play control. It also uses the L and R buttons to allow you to select which weapon to use without going to the subscreen. Now that saves time! As far as weapon control goes, it's very good! The Slash Claw, Noise Crush, and Junk Shield are fun weapons to use. You can count on this game having excellent play control.
Challenge: This game is probably more challenging than the NES Mega Man games due to the jumps and especially the final battle with Wily!! That is VERY tough! However, the game is still very fun which means that the game has an EXCELLENT challenge level. Actually, some of the jumps and the obstacles like fire, tires, and spikes are tougher than the enemies themselves!! For a tough game that is still enjoyable, try MM7.
Funfactor/Lasting Value: Mega Man 7 is a very fun Super NES game that keeps the classic Mega Man flavor while adding a TON of secrets and a treasure trove of special items. The stages are long too which adds to the lasting value. The excellent graphics, music, and smooth play control also add to the game being so fun. Some of the stages are completely new which is a big plus. All things considered, Mega Man 7 is a REALLY fun video game and has a lot of lasting value to keep players coming back.
Ending: The ending of MM7 is both cool and annoying. After you manage to defeat Dr.Wily, he is on the ground right in front of you. He begs for Mega Man to forgive him and says that he will go quietly. However, Mega Man is far too smart to believe a lame excuse like that. He says that he doesn't trust Dr.Wily and he actually charges up his Mega Buster!! By now, Dr.Wily's eyes are as wide as dinner plates and he tries to make up an excuse by saying that robots can't kill humans. Mega Man puts down his Mega Buster and says that he is more than a robot. The castle begins to collapse and a bunch of steel boulders fall on top of Dr.Wily. Mega Man inches forward and it looks like he will once again capture the Doc until Treble teleports Dr.Wily out of the castle and Bass comes down. He says that "He who hesitates is lost" and he mentions that he will be back. He teleports and so does Mega Man. The Blue Bomber walks away from the castle as it blows up. There is an exchange of showing Mega Man walking and the credits/robot masters. After all this, the screen shows Eddie's Shop where Auto makes items. It shows the whole gang and Auto takes a picture. After this, a screen says Presented by Capcom. You can probably see why this is annoying. Mega Man could have easily blasted Dr.Wily or captured him. But I guess you can't win them all. It is an alright ending and is LONG.
Here are my personal ratings for the game Mega Man 7 on a scale of 1 to 5:
Storyline: 4.3
Graphics: 4.3
Music: 4.8
Play Control: 4.4
Challenge: 4.8
Funfactor: 4.7
Ending: 4.4
Negatives: Mega Man 7 got some high ratings and it deserves them. As far as negatives, Mega Man 7 does not really have innovative stages except a couple. (like the Spring Man and Shade Man stages) The game suffers from unoriginality in both the graphics and stages. I do like the graphics A LOT but the Cloud Man and Freeze Man stages seem like rehashes of past Mega Man levels. The Storyline could have been more innovative and surprising. There is one word in the game that I don't appreciate. (if you've played the game you'll understand what I mean) Call me whatever, I just don't think that profanity has a place in Mega Man games. (or any games for that matter) The ending was a little silly in the fact that Dr.Wily escapes and you don't really accomplish much after the whole game of fighting and defeating robots. However, I guess that in a way that is cool right? Who wants the MM series to end anyway? As with Mega Man 6, if you don't mind more of the same, you'll really like Mega Man 7. Only one more thing. I was VERY unhappy that this game was not on the NES. I'm sure that many of you feel the same way. That's not really a negative to Mega Man 7 itself but I still would have liked a NES version too. All in all, Mega Man 7 is a great game and I HIGHLY recommend it.