For many the character Mega Man is strongly associated with precision platforming and hard as nails boss fights, but really this iconic character is so much more than just jumping and shooting. For example, did you know there’s a Mega Man soccer game? There are also almost as many Mega Man RPGs as there are action platformers, and they’re all getting the same collection treatment that Capcom have been blessing us with in recent years. This time around it’s a bit of a DS throwback, thanks to Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection.
For this preview I played a couple of hours of each of the Star Force games, to get a taste of the series without spoiling too much of the overarching story. I had a great time, especially with the later games that I didn’t previously have stacked in my smelly teenage bedroom.
For those who weren’t DS game hoarders like me, the Mega Man Star Force games follow the exceptionally named Geo Stellar. This young boy’s dad tragically went missing when a space mission went wrong, and because of this he begins the series as a recluse who refuses to go to school. This all changes when a bizarre cyber alien drops down from the heavens, who happens to know his father. The two then join forces to fight viruses in the airwaves, and it’s all very sci-fi and charming. Across multiple chunky RPGs I’m sure the story will take plenty of twists and turns, but even the bite size narrative helping I’ve had so far has left me satisfied.
Much like the Battle Network series before it, the Mega Man Star Force games combine a real world and a digital one in a rather delightful way. By putting on what are essentially AR glasses you’ll see all sorts of neon pathways floating about the world, and if you fuse with your alien buddy you can explore this wave world to your heart’s content. There you’ll find adorable robot NPCs who keep your freezer cold and TV running, alongside a whole load of space viruses.
The combat of the Star Force games is absolutely the highlight, because even by modern standards it’s seriously unique. When a fight starts you need to choose battle chips you want to use to take down the enemies, but you can’t just decide to take them all. You can take any two chips in the same column though, or as many identical chips as possible. Once you’ve got your weapons you’ll switch to an over the shoulder perspective, and need to move left and right to line up your shots and dodge incoming enemy offense. It’s fast paced, anime as heck, and has plenty of depth for those looking to get really stuck in.
Each of the hundreds of random battles you’ll partake in are ranked, and to get a better rank and thus better loot you’ll need to perform like a pro. This means landing attacks right before enemies blast you to hit weak points (which also grants you bonus combat chips) as well as taking out multiple enemies with the same attack. You’ll be able to do this more effectively with certain sword attacks or massive area of effect explosions, and as you progress you’ll find more of these to add to your deck. Yes Mega Man Star Force is also kind of a deck builder, adding yet another layer onto this still very accessible and action packed RPG.
There’s much more nuance to the combat for me to jump into across all the Star Force Games, so check back for our full review at a later date. What I can get more into now though is how the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection contains. There are technically seven games in this package, but really they’re just slightly different versions of the same three base games. In a sort of bizarre Pokémon style twist these RPGs have versions with slightly different attack chips, transformations and boss fights, and although it’s definitely cool to have all the options here you don’t really need to play through seven games to experience everything this retro handheld series has to offer.
One interesting aspect of this collection is how it handles the fact that these were DS games that had two screens to fill in their original releases. For the most part you’ll usually have all the action on a single screen at a time, so while you can always see two screens the game switches which takes up most of your own TV screen. You can customise entirely how this is set up too, and I found my perfect setup pretty easily that also ensured neither window was too stretched on the massive Switch 2 screen.
The collection also features plenty of quality of life features, like fully customisable difficulty with all sorts of percentages to change to suit your needs. There’s even online play where you can take on the masses in combat, and trade chips too. Finally there’s the standard issue gallery to explore that’s full of music and art from across this lovely series. This features every chip card ever created, including an obscure crossover I didn’t know existed.
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is looking like another wonderful piece of Mega Man history that I have to devour. These RPGs feature unique and wildly entertaining combat, and I can’t wait to experience the stories of them all (some for the first time). Whether you’re a newcomer or a Mega Fan, this is a bundle of sci-fi RPG goodness that’s well worth keeping on your radar.
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is coming to PC, Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2 on March 27th.
