Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 2 (PC) REVIEW ||
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection’s second volume offers players who missed out on Battle Network 5 and 6 the opportunity to experience some of the Blue Bomber’s top titles for the first time. While it may not have quite the same legacy, there’s no reason not to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity!
Battle Network 6 finally brings its deep and rewarding PvP combat online. This alone should be enough to justify buying the collection. Capcom even implemented a ranking system in an effort to maintain match balance – it may not be perfect, but it should keep most matches enjoyable nonetheless.
Volume 2 games in particular benefit from the inclusion of region and event-exclusive content, like Bass soul, side quests and patch cards. Online play thankfully has a toggle to enable or disallow these features; music and gallery features come along too, though you likely won’t spend much time with them after day one.
Volume 2 games in particular benefit from the inclusion of region and event-exclusive content, like Bass soul, side quests and patch cards. Online play thankfully offers you a toggle to allow or disallow these features; music and gallery features come alongside but you likely won’t spend much time with them after day one.
Capcom proudly displayed their Buster MAX feature. When enabled, it multiplies Megaman’s standard buster attack 100x. Their goal is to expedite progression for returning players by getting them up to PvP-ready status faster. New players may use it if they get stuck during tough boss fights but this comes at the risk of missing out on important lessons learned from those challenges. While not perfect, Buster MAX is certainly welcome nonetheless.
Mega Man Battle Network 4 was the highest-selling entry in the series – and also its least successful. After iterating on similar concepts with only subtle tweaks here or there, BN4 marked a true departure and introduced all overworld assets remade, cutting into development time for other features. Most controversially, however, was New Game Plus system which required three completions instead of providing access to postgame and all battle chips after one playthrough. Having styles and navi customizer built into each entry already, there wasn’t need for forced replayability here; NG+ was just laziness.
Not all changes were negative, however. Double Souls, in place of styles, allow Megaman.EXE to sacrifice a battle chip in exchange for three turns with another character to unlock new attacks and buffs for that character. Previous entries had been rewarded based on long-term playstyle, so Double Souls speed up experimentation with different folders instead of offering as much variety as BN3’s style-specific customizer parts offered. Neither option is superior nor inferior; rather it provides an enjoyable change of pace.
Battle Network 5 keeps Double Souls, adds six playable characters per version and removes New Game Plus. However, one addition remains contentious: Liberation Missions. Each character has a special ability that must be used to progress through these missions; dark panels and barricades block progress towards the area’s boss unless players break through them by selecting panels and winning battles in three turns. Although distinct enough from the main game to turn away some potential fans if it doesn’t interest them, Battle Network 5 otherwise offers an impressive return to form.
Finally, Battle Network 6 arrived. As predicted back in 2005, developers took a risk and replaced Double Soul with Cross — effectively the same system but without the turn counter and chip sacrifice requirement. This makes for much stronger gameplay while allowing players to experiment freely. Beast Out also makes its debut, letting Megaman.EXE channel the version’s beast for three turns of destructive destruction. These two systems can be combined, creating cross beast forms for each cross – that’s 13 forms in total!
The game moves quickly, leading to some of the best boss fights and PvP battles in series history. While its customizable menu may be overstuffed with options that reach beyond its outer edges – everything here is “yes and.” Even when it misses on pacing or postgame content, players are easily forgiven for its excessive kindness.
If you haven’t played these games due to their long absence from the GBA, now is your chance — especially BN6. If you already enjoy them, the Legacy Collection has become the premier way to play them. These titles represent some of the best that the Blue Bomber has to offer so don’t wait any longer – pick them up while PvP action is still fresh!
