used to be kinder on this game, but a replay made it apparent to me just how poorly this game has aged. i'm not even referring to the weird unnecessary score system or the relatively plain presentation (compared to later entries), but more just that the actual level design is super dogshit at times. elecman's level has multiple dead ends that you can't predict, wily stage 1 has a section where it can be impossible to avoid damage upon entering a screen, and both iceman + wily stage 1 have those god awful floating platforms that shoot projectiles who do not operate based on set patterns but instead float wherever based on vibes. there are things about this game that we just accept despite them being poor game design, like the necessary element of the magnet beam despite it being missable and nothing at the game hinting at it otherwise. i'm willing to be very patient and generous to a game made in 1987, but i have limits for what level of quality i can defend.
seriously, i think people who call this game good either have rose-tinted glasses or haven't played the game without using the elec beam pause glitch. i can say the latter because i used to be more neutral on this game because of that very reason. replaying this game doing a buster-only run really illuminated just how tedious the game can be. bosses like fireman and elecman are nightmares to fight if you don't use the manipulations in their AI to loop them. and fighting iceman without cheesing him via elecbeam made him unbearably tedious. keep in mind that wily stage 4 has a boss rush of bombman, fireman, iceman, gutsman, and then both wily forms back-to-back with absolutely 0 healing. again, i can be patient with older games, but 6 boss fights in a row with no healing is extreme. there's a reason every single boss rush section in later mega man games gives you a large heal after each fight.
can't say i hate this game, because it did spawn an otherwise great series and resulted in several games i adore. it is, however, going to be one of the first games i now think of when people mention classic games that have not stood the test of time.
seriously, i think people who call this game good either have rose-tinted glasses or haven't played the game without using the elec beam pause glitch. i can say the latter because i used to be more neutral on this game because of that very reason. replaying this game doing a buster-only run really illuminated just how tedious the game can be. bosses like fireman and elecman are nightmares to fight if you don't use the manipulations in their AI to loop them. and fighting iceman without cheesing him via elecbeam made him unbearably tedious. keep in mind that wily stage 4 has a boss rush of bombman, fireman, iceman, gutsman, and then both wily forms back-to-back with absolutely 0 healing. again, i can be patient with older games, but 6 boss fights in a row with no healing is extreme. there's a reason every single boss rush section in later mega man games gives you a large heal after each fight.
can't say i hate this game, because it did spawn an otherwise great series and resulted in several games i adore. it is, however, going to be one of the first games i now think of when people mention classic games that have not stood the test of time.