Hi supernerd117 here, this time with a review of Megaman Battle Network.  Review below.

Megaman Battle Network is everything Capcom needed to invigorate a dying franchise.  Megaman had been somewhat lackluster in sales and reviews, but this game delivered with unique gameplay, and a cool setting.

Story:

Lan and his and "Netnavi", Megaman, fight to prevent the WWW from creating a virus called the LifeVirus, and destroying the world.  The story is pretty basic, and confusing at times, but basically serves to drive the centerpiece of the game along, the gameplay.

Gameplay:

The gameplay here is simple to grasp, yet difficult to master.  Megaman moves about in a 3X3 grid, while his enemy(ies) control an opposing 3X3 grid.  Megaman is given a spread of 5 battlechips out of a folder of 30 when he goes into battle.  These battlechips are used with the A button, while B controls the Mega buster.  These battlechips represent the core of the gameplay, and add a ton of depth to the game.  There are a total of 176 battlechips to obtain, and they can be used together in a variety of ways.  For example, you might use an "area steal" battlechip to take the front 3 of your opponent's squares in order to use a sword battlechip, but the area steal can also be used to damage your opponent if they are in one of those 3 squares.  5 Navi battlechips can be included in the folder, and are usually the most powerful, enacting a cutscene to attack each time.  Also, combining certain battlechips together will enact a "program advance", which will result in a single, more powerful battlechip.  It's up to you to find those combinations, though, as I'm not going to spoil anything.  One disappointment with the gameplay was no option to run from battles.  Instead, this is handled through "Escape" battlechips, which can be traded in later in the game for a battlechip.

Addictiveness/Depth:

As stated before, there are a ton of battlechips to find, and battling enemies to obtain battlechips will keep you busy.  Certain enemies only reside in certain places, so you'll need to find these places and grind a bit until you get the battlechip you want.  "Ghost Navis" will pop up occasionally in certain areas, and are more powerful forms of enemies you have beaten.  Again, you'll have to grind a bit to find these enemies, which is the weakest point of the game.

Graphics:

This is the second weakest point of the game.  Although the battle animations are great, the similar environments and poor map system make it confusing to navigate the game, unless you've played it a lot.  The overworld is fine, but the internet is really bland, for the most part.

Sound:

Outside of the battle system, this is perhaps the strongest point of the game.  The music is bippy and exciting, more so at times the the music from Pokemon.  It fits perfectly with the theme of the game, and will keep you going througout your battles.

Difficulty:

The game is very easy, but might be slightly intimidating for first-timers.  Those who put a lot of effort into the game will find the game to be easy, but those who invest less time will be a little put off.

Overall:

Overall, this is a fantastic first game in the series.  The map system is a bit confusing, but the gameplay offsets any problems that the game has.

supernerd117 : Great review. You made the game sound really fun. I'll have to try this game sometime. Is it in the Retro Game Room?

PixelBrick : Yeah.  The game is found in the retro game room.  My suggestion is to start with one of the versions of Megaman Battle Network 3, and if you like it, maybe give this game a whirl.