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A playthrough of Capcom's 1992 action game for the NES, Mega Man 4. The fourth entry in the iconic Mega Man series is yet another great run-and-gun platformer for the NES that meaningfully builds upon the mechanics established in the first three games while throwing in some razzle-dazzle to keep things spicy. The chargeable Mega Buster and the helpful FlipTop character make their debuts here, as do the wire and balloon adapters and branching stage paths. There's even a fun twist to the plot this time! Dr. Wily got squashed by a rock at the end of Mega Man 3 (hence that game's Japanese subtitle, “Wily no Saigo!?“, lit. “Dr. Wily's End!?“), so Mega Man 4's story kicks off with the introduction of Dr. Cossack. You could see the twist coming from a mile away, but it was a neat touch anyway. It plays just as well as the ones that came before it, and even though Mega Man 4 doesn't feel quite as original or as heartfelt as its older brothers, it is super polished and just as fun to play. I like it nearly as much as I did Mega Man 3 (). The boss enemies aren't quite as cool as before - Toad Man's menacing rain dance (seriously?) and the Dust Man's vaccuum-for-a-face were pretty lame - but most of them are pretty good. The revamped cast of regular enemies all have larger sprites and better detail, and the mini-bosses are far more impressive in their size and variety. The graphics are bright and sharp, and the animated intro is, in my opinion, the best of all the NES Mega Man games. The soundtrack is also still thoroughly amazing. It's a lot darker and moodier than what came before, but it's thoroughly energetic, memorable, and just as well written as what we heard in the second and third games. I'm not, however, a fan of the subscreen that has replaced the pop-up window from the earlier games. It's a minor quibble, but I dislike how it removes you from the game entirely just to switch weapons. (And why couldn't we just cycle through them with the select button?) Even with its innovations, the core gameplay doesn’t feel quite as fresh or classic as it once did, but Mega Man 4 is very much worth checking out if you liked the earlier games. I got it for my birthday in 1992 and I played the snot out of it, and I still love it now. If you'd like to see more Mega Man, check out my playlist! _____________ No cheats were used during the recording of this video. NintendoComplete () punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!
