Mega Man X Collection (PlayStation 2, 2006)

If your in the mood for some good ol' classic side scrolling action, this is really worth your time and money. If your a fan of Mega Man, it's a must-have! If your just looking for some good old school gaming or maybe looking to find out what the craze of this blue robot is about and why he's been around for so long... your in luck! The Mega Man X Collection for the PS2 is a great addition to the PS2 library.

If your one of the people who played the original versions on the Super Nintendo, it's gonna feel like it all over again. Out of every company I've seen put their old games onto new hardware, Capcom really comes through. I swear I was playing my SNES again, and trust me, I played these games alot. Anyone that didn't have a chance back when the first three games came out on the SNES will be very pleased to give them a whirl. Through the whole series, there is a great balance of platforming, awesome boss fights, and the multiple upgrade systems that make a great gaming experience. While of course there isn't too much a deep story line, you can't help but love blasting your way through tons of wierd looking robots and facing the infamous Sigma at the end. The gameplay really holds true and is as solid as ever. Of course there are the ridiculously hard boss battles and mid-stage challenges, but that's what really made the series memorable and gamers constantly continuing to just beat it and get to the next stage. The real challenge is in getting all of the hidden power-ups in the game which include the pieces of armor and heart/energy tanks. I would say the replay value is high, and for the hardcore X fans, through the roof.

As far as graphics go, you can't really expect anything new. These are ports from SNES and PSone, and perfect ones at that. If your looking for state of the art graphics, this is not the game for you.

The sound is awesome. While some of the original tracks have been remixed for the special collection release, they still stay true to the series. When I heard that cheesy guitar riff come in at the title screen on Mega Man X, I knew I had made a good purchase. Anyone who has played a Mega Man game knows that the songs run from down right awesome to down right cheesy. Besides the music, the sounds are all there from every original. Some are pretty lame, but if your a fan of this series, you'll love every lame sound that comes out of your speakers.

Besides the remixed tracks on some of the songs, there isn't really any other changes. However, included in the collection is the previously unreleased, in the U.S., Mega Man Chase and Battle that you can unlock. It's basically a knockoff of Super Mario Kart, but with Mega Man and his friends in place of Mario and the gang. While most gamers could care less, the devoted Mega Man fans will go nuts over it. Also, the game features unlockable original and sketch art. There are more features to unlock, but I'll let you find that out on your own. Trust me, it's worth the attempt.

All in all, this game is definetly worth the list price of $29.99. You get Mega Man X through Mega Man X6 all on one shiny new disk, plus the bells and whistles to go along with it. If you have the Mega Man Anniversary Collecton, this second part of the collection is a must have to complete it. And if your a die hard Mega Man fan like me, stop reading this and get it, now! It's pure bliss. Relive the adventures of X and Zero once again from the SNES and PSone days. You won't be dissapointed.