…………………………………………………

Mega Man 7 Game Review

Mega Man 7 is a 1995 platform game developed by Capcom for the SNES. It was the seventh and rare SNES entry in the Mega Man series and the most underrated one.

………………………………………………….

“Too late, Mega Man!

He who hesitates is lost!

We shall return!“

…………………………………………………..

This game remains the only titled entry that was released on the SNES, which is a shame as the system was more powerful than the NES and more visually appealing. This makes this entry quite unique and different than the other entries from the past and the future. The game was mildly positively reviewed and its critical reception remains the same, but in my opinion it is immensely underrated and actually better than its two or three predecessors.

After refreshingly being imprisoned at the end of the last entry, Dr. Wily escapes in the beginning of this game and he of course employs new Robot Masters to face Mega Man. But this is where this game becomes interesting as it introduces the new villain in the form of Bass and his robotic wolf Treble. Bass’s allegiance is questionable, but eventually he turns out to be an accomplice to Wily. Couple this with the unconventional beginning and a lot more plot and dialogue and you’ve got a smarter, better crafted game in plot and characterization than all the previous entries.

…………………………………………………..

The gameplay is more of the same, but with some key differences in certain departments. You still have the option to choose your own path, but here you can choose between four instead of eight Robot Masters, and afterward you get to choose between the other four. I did not mind this change, but it wasn’t all that meaningful of a change.

The charged shot, the special obtainable weapons from the bosses, the sliding under platforms and the helpful dog are all repeated from the previous installments. But here Rush also can dig in certain instances, which made for an interesting addition. I did not get the introduced Rush Super Adaptor myself, but it does sound like a powerful weapon for sure. The bolts can be used to make new weapons, which was also an intriguing addition.

The tradition of bosses being better than the levels themselves continues with this Mega Man entry for better and for worse. I loved those bosses, but I also wished for some memorably designed levels before the bosses. You’ve got many conventions repeated here, such as the vanishing platforms, the same old obstacles and opponents as well as some very tricky jumps required to reach some areas. The only truly inspired element of the level design in this game was the inclusion of special areas in the levels that lead to power-ups, especially energy tanks. That was clever and important as the energy tanks are absolutely necessary for the very last boss. Those timed bomb platforms were also interesting additions.

…………………………………………………..

Let’s talk about the bosses. Cloud Man is ridiculously easy to beat, but Freeze Man is interesting in his usage of the icy stalactites. Burst Man is one of the best Robot Masters in this game as he requires the regular weapon and a lot of patience in avoiding the bubbles that will take you to spikes on the ceiling that will, pun intended, burst you to death.

Junk Man is stupidly easy, but Turbo Man can be hard as his fire weapon destroys a lot of your health. Slash Man is solid, but hardly great. Spring Man is forgettable. Shade Man is incredible. This is my favorite boss that acts like a vampire that not only sucks your energy, but replenishes his own energy simultaneously. It was a great idea that really worked.

The Skull Fortress has a bunch of difficult battles per usual, but a couple rank among the hardest in the entire franchise. Mash is quite difficult as is Bass, but the second Bass battle where he fuses with Treble is incredibly demanding. This is basically a flying battle that reminded me of Dragon Ball Z interestingly enough, and it requires a lot of jumping around and evading your opponent and striking at the rare times when the opportunity arises.

…………………………………………………..

Guts Man and Turtlerizer are a lot of fun as well while Wise Ned is incredibly hard with its missile-based attacks. As for Dr. Wily, his machine is not all that hard, but his capsule is just excruciatingly difficult. In fact, it might be the hardest Mega Man boss of them all as it requires a bunch of energy tanks, and even with those it requires a lot of patience to get through this final boss. It ranks among the longest battles that I’ve ever had in this series.

Mega Man 7 is graphically one of the best entries in the series and the most underrated one in that regard. Yes, the sprites are big, but to me that’s a great thing as it made for a more visually appealing game and main character. The animation is great, and although some bosses are silly in their designs, their movements are super polished and excellent. A lot of great tactics is required in the boss battles because of their amazing movement patterns. The world building could have been better, but the soundtrack is amazing per usual and super slick while the sound is absolutely astonishing as you feel the various metals throughout.

…………………………………………………..