I honestly do not get the hate for this one. While I can understand that Mega Man X iterated on the series in some fresh and exciting ways, and raised the bar overall, I think 7 does a great job at fleshing out the Classic Mega Man formula. It's also a little wild this was made in three months. For one, it's a chill game, probably one of, if not the most easygoing Mega Man entries (though the game still has its tough spots, mind you). Though what really surprised me is there's a lot of content to dive into, here!

You can clock the game out in three hours, though if you want, you can also dig around the stages and experiment with your arsenal. Oftentimes, you can open up new paths that lead to upgrades, making the game a little easier on you. It's all optional, though. If I was a kid getting this for my birthday back in '95, I don't think I'd be disappointed. There's a lot to do, the gameplay is tight, the art is gorgeous, soundtrack is rockin'. The game even has these little cute cutscenes chock full of charm, that make it feel like a Saturday morning cartoon. I can't deny that Mega Man X does it better, but that doesn't mean this game does it poorly.

This is no Super Mario World, but it's still a fantastic addition to the SNES library. Definitely not a groundbreaking release by Capcom, but a solid game. Enjoyable, and a bit replayable. If I was tasked with getting someone into Mega Man, I'd be pretty inclined to toss this one their way!