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Mega Man Zero 4 | |
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Developer(s) | Inti Creates Natsume |
Publisher(s) | Capcom |
Director(s) | Ryota Ito Yoshinori Kawano |
Producer(s) | Takuya Aizu Keiji Inafune Ken Horinouchi |
Designer(s) | Masahiro Mizukoshi Yoshiaki Iwanaga |
Programmer(s) | Kazutaka Yanagisawa Toyohiro Serita Tomoyuki Kajihara Ken Murakami |
Artist(s) | Toru Nakayama |
Writer(s) | Makoto Yabe |
Composer(s) | Ippo Yamada Masaki Suzuki Luna Umegaki Shinichi Itakura |
Series | Mega Man Zero |
Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
Release |
|
Genre(s) | Action, platform, RPG, Hack 'n slash, Run 'n gun |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Mega Man Zero 4 [lower-alpha 1] is a video game developed by Inti Creates and Natsume and published in 2005 by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld. It is the fourth and final installment of the Mega Man Zero subseries of the Mega Man franchise and is set several months after the events of Mega Man Zero 3 . The European version featured a completely different logo, which was also used on Mega Man X7 , Mega Man X8 , Mega Man X: Command Mission , Mega Man Zero 2 , Mega Man Zero 3 , Mega Man Network Transmission , Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge , Mega Man Battle Network 3 , Mega Man Battle Network 4 , and Mega Man Battle Network 5 . The game deals with Dr. Weil's reign over Neo Arcadia in which humans, who have been reduced to second-rate citizens, begin to escape in large numbers to the last-known livable location on the planet, Area Zero, beginning a conflict between the two groups. The effects of this war eventually drive Zero and the Resistance to protect Area Zero and its inhabitants from Dr. Weil. [4]
Since its original release, it has been brought to the Nintendo DS family of systems as part of the Mega Man Zero Collection in 2010 and the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2016. In February 2020, it was released on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One as part of the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection .
Several months after the destruction of Omega, Dr. Weil has assumed a dictatorial reign over Neo Arcadia, forcing many humans to flee. In response, Dr. Weil labels the escapees as Mavericks and begins to purge them as if they were Reploids.
A fleeing caravan led by a human journalist, Neige, is attacked by Dr. Weil's army. Zero, Ciel and a small band of Resistance fighters happen upon them and come to their aid. Neige explains they were en route to Area Zero, the crash site of the space colony Eurasia and one of the last natural habitats on Earth that can support human life. [5] Shortly after parting ways, Zero learns of a plot called "Operation Ragnarok", meant to destroy all environments outside of Neo Arcadia in order to force humans to return and live under Dr. Weil's rule. [6] Helping Dr. Weil on his quest are a group of violent Reploids called the Eight Einherjar Warriors. They are led by a military Reploid named Craft, who has a romantic history with Neige, thus creating conflicting thoughts within him.
After defeating four of the Einherjar Warriors, Area Zero comes under attack by Neo Arcadia. Zero defends it and is forced to battle Craft. Neige breaks up the fight, but she is kidnapped by Craft, who escapes. Zero chases him to a prison where Neige is held and eventually rescues her.
Later, Zero eliminates the remaining Einherjar Warriors, but Ciel intercepts a radio message from Dr. Weil. He announces he is going to use Ragnarok, an orbiting satellite weapon, to wipe out Area Zero. [7] Before Dr. Weil can use it, Craft turns on him and fires Ragnarok at Neo Arcadia in an attempt to kill Dr. Weil, which leaves the city in ruins. Zero, deeming Craft to be too dangerous, defeats him, and Craft succumbs to his wounds. [8] [9]
Ragnarok moves on a crash course for Area Zero, and Zero makes his way there to find that Dr. Weil somehow survived the destruction of Neo Arcadia. Dr. Weil reveals that while he is human, he was made into a bionic-reploid hybrid by the people who exiled Omega and himself into space at the end of the Elf Wars. His new body is incapable of aging or dying, as it constantly repairs itself. [10] Believing he can survive the impact of the crash and personally oversee the destruction of Area Zero, Dr. Weil fuses himself with the Ragnarok core and attacks Zero. After an intense battle and the destruction of Dr. Weil's body, Ragnarok breaks apart, but leaves Zero no means of escape.
Ciel runs through Area Zero where she learns that Zero did not teleport back. [11] Heartbroken and distraught, Ciel runs off and ends up on top of a hill, where she breaks down in tears while pieces of Ragnarok burn through the atmosphere. Afterwards, she stands up and expresses her faith in Zero, hoping that he'll return someday while promising to carry on his mission of maintaining peace between humans and Reploids. The final scene shows Zero's shattered helmet somewhere in the desert. [12]
The fourth installment of the Mega Man Zero series introduces gameplay changes, but does not deviate from the platforming of its predecessors. Players guide Zero through eight main selectable stages, which are usually separated into two parts by a mini-boss battle. At the end of each level, the player faces one of the game's reploid antagonists. [13]
Mega Man Zero 4 includes a new Easy Mode, not found in its prequels, in response to criticisms that the Mega Man Zero series had become too challenging. [14] [15] In Easy Mode, Zero receives a large life boost and can use the Cyber Elf without restrictions. However, Easy Mode prevents the changing of the weather, and consequentially the acquiring of EX Skills. [13] [16]
Zero is still equipped with the Buster Shot and Z-Saber at default. However, in place of the Shield Boomerang and the rod-type weapon from the previous games (i.e.: Triple Rod, Chain Rod and Recoil Rod) is the new Z-Knuckle. This device allows Zero to perform several actions, [13] including hanging from pipes, destroying obstacles, stealing an enemy's weapon (if Zero destroys it using the Z-Knuckle) and acquiring special weapons in certain parts of a stage.
Another new element is the weather system, which allows players to choose between two weather conditions for each of the eight main stages. The difficulty of the stage varies depending on the chosen weather condition, with the stage being harder if the weather icon has an orange border around it. Sometimes, there are secret passages in some stages which the player can only reach by setting the weather to "hard". The trade-off for an easier level is that Zero cannot learn an EX Skill from a boss. [13]
Cyber Elves, a core element of previous Mega Man Zero installments, are small helpers who can assist Zero in combat. Shortly after the introductory levels, a Cyber Elf will arrive for Zero to equip. This elf has most of the powers of Cyber Elves from previous games, which are unlocked as the player raises its level by feeding it E-Crystals. Zero may select one power from each of three categories: Nurse, Animal, and Hacker. [13] [15] The player's ranking at the end of a level is no longer given a penalty for using the Cyber Elves as long as they are kept under the maximum power limit. In addition to this, Zero can now equip body chips to enhance his abilities, including double-jumping and self-recovery, similar to early Mega Man X titles. [15]
Zero cannot rely on finding secret disks to give him enhancements as in Mega Man Zero 3. Instead, players must collect parts dropped randomly from defeated enemies. Recipes for combining these parts can be obtained from NPCs the player rescues or a Cyber Elf after its stages of evolution. However, the majority of the recipes are found through experimentation with combinations of parts. [17]
Another distinguishing feature of this installment is that Neige and Ciel have different faces depending on their emotion. For instance, after Zero "dies", Ciel is sitting near a tree and tells a promise that saddens her and brightens her. Neige also has an angry face, one that Ciel lacks.
Mega Man Zero 4 has multiple modes. Easy Mode and Normal Mode are available from the start. [18] Easy Mode makes the game easier to play, but prevents changing the weather conditions or acquiring EX Skills.
After completing the game once on Normal Mode, players can access an additional Hard Mode or start a new game over the old one. [19] There is also an Ultimate Mode, which can only be unlocked when certain criteria are met. [20] Like the previous game, there are seven mini-games that can be unlocked once certain criteria are met. [20]
They are as follows:
Capcom Japan's announcement of a sequel to Mega Man Zero 3 was anticipated, [21] following the pattern of development news from the previous two Mega Man Zero games. Capcom updated its official site quietly [22] with information stating that the game would have an April 2005 release in Japan. [23]
Aggregator | Score |
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GameRankings | 77% [24] |
Metacritic | 77/100 [25] |
Publication | Score |
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Famitsu | 30/40 [26] |
G4 | [27] |
Game Informer | 8/10 [28] |
GameSpot | 7.6/10 [13] |
GameSpy | [15] |
IGN | 7.5/10 [14] |
Nintendo Power | 8.5/10 [29] |
Mega Man Zero 4 has an average of 77% on Metacritic and GameRankings, making it roughly the 85th best-ranking Game Boy Advance title. [25] [24] Mega Man Zero 4 entered Japanese sales charts at number eight during its release week. [30] According to Media Create sales information, Mega Man Zero 4 was the 177th best-selling video game in Japan in 2005 at approximately 74,354 copies. [31]
Mega Man Zero 4 has been called a "refined version of an outstanding platformer series" [15] with a more streamlined weapon and Cyber Elf system. [32] Critics were quick to state that it hadn't changed much [33] and that it was "more of the same". [13] One reviewer, however, stated that the level designs were "slightly less challenging" than those of previous installations, but more inventive. [14]
The simplified Cyber Elf system received mixed reviews. GameSpot thought the new single Cyber Elf was an improvement, [13] while Jeremy Parish of 1up.com stated that it signalled a return "to the old-fashion Mega Man game structure", which he found "unfortunate since the Zero games' greatest strength was their willingness to break the trite and true Mega Man mold". [16]
Critics were mostly neutral about the weather system, saying that diehard players wouldn't make use of the system. [14] It was seen as a nice idea, but the effects weren't "pronounced enough to make most levels worth playing through twice". [32]
Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a series of robot characters each known by the moniker "Mega Man". The original game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, and spawned a franchise that expanded to over 50 games on multiple systems. As of July 26, 2022, the series has sold 38 million units worldwide.
Mega Man Zero is a series in Capcom's Mega Man video game franchise. It was developed by Inti Creates, with Co-Producer Keiji Inafune and Director Yoshinori Kawano. The series consists of four games that were first released on the Game Boy Advance and later on the Nintendo DS and the Virtual Console.
Mega Man Zero 2 is a video game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld game console. It is the second video game in the Mega Man Zero subseries of Mega Man video games.
Mega Man Zero 3 is a video game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld game console. It is the third video game in the Mega Man Zero series of Mega Man video games. The European version featured a completely different logo, which was also used on Mega Man X7, Mega Man X8, Mega Man X: Command Mission, Mega Man Zero 2, Mega Man Zero 4, Mega Man Network Transmission, Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge, Mega Man Battle Network 3, Mega Man Battle Network 4, and Mega Man Battle Network 5. In February 2020, the game was released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam as part of the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection.
Mega Man X: Command Mission, known in Japan as Rockman X: Command Mission (ロックマンXコマンドミッション), is a video game developed by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube. The game is the spin-off to the Mega Man X franchise. It was first released in Japan on July 29, 2004, with releases in North America and Europe following that September and November. The European version featured a completely different logo, which was also used on Mega Man X7, Mega Man X8, Mega Man Zero 2, Mega Man Zero 3, Mega Man Zero 4, Mega Man Network Transmission, Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge, Mega Man Battle Network 3, Mega Man Battle Network 4, and Mega Man Battle Network 5.
Zero is a video game character present throughout Capcom's Mega Man franchise. Debuting in the Mega Man X series, Zero is an android and an elite Maverick Hunter: an organization dedicated to defending humanity from rogue Reploids, dubbed "Mavericks". Zero also acts as a mentor and longtime friend to X, the main protagonist of the X series. He continues his role as the titular main protagonist of the Mega Man Zero series. Zero has also played a supporting role in other series in the franchise such as the Mega Man ZX series and appeared in crossover video games as a guest character.
X is the main protagonist of Capcom's Mega Man X video game series, known as Rockman X in Japan. First appearing in the 1993 Super NES video game Mega Man X, X is an android member of the Maverick Hunters, a special police force tasked for defending humans and Reploids against criminal Reploids known as Mavericks. X has appeared in multiple printed adaptations of the series as well as an original video animation, Day of Sigma, which explores his early days as a hunter. X is also a supporting character in the Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX video game series, which star his Maverick Hunter comrade Zero. Outside of the main Mega Man franchise, X has appeared in multiple crossover video games series.
Mega Man X is an action-platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off to the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's predecessor, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Mega Man X was released in Japan on December 17, 1993 and was released in both North America and Europe the following year. Taking place a century after the original Mega Man series, Mega Man X is set in a futuristic world populated by both humans and "Reploids", robots capable of thinking, feeling, and growing like their human creators. Because of these complex attributes, many Reploids are prone to destructive, renegade activity and are thereafter referred to as "Mavericks". The plot of the game follows the protagonist X, an android member of a military task force called the "Maverick Hunters". With the help of his partner Zero, X must thwart the plans of Sigma, a powerful Maverick leader wishing to bring about human extinction.
Mega Man X2, known as Rockman X2 (ロックマンX2) in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994, and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the direct sequel to Mega Man X, released one year prior. Mega Man X2 takes place in the near future in which humans try to peacefully coexist with intelligent robots called "Reploids", with some of the Reploids going "Maverick" and threatening daily life. The plot follows the android protagonist X, a "Maverick Hunter" who has saved humanity from the evil Sigma six months earlier. A trio of Mavericks calling themselves the "X-Hunters" has arisen, intent on destroying X by luring him with bodyparts of his comrade Zero, who died in the conflict with Sigma's right hand robot named Vile.
Mega Man X3, known as Rockman X3 (ロックマンX3) in Japan, is a video game released by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was originally released in Japan on December 1, 1995, and later in North American and PAL regions in 1996. It is the third game in the Mega Man X series and the last to appear on the SNES. Mega Man X3 takes place in a fictional future in which the world is populated by humans and intelligent robots called "Reploids". Like their human creators, some Reploids involve themselves in destructive crime and are labelled as "Mavericks". After twice defeating the Maverick leader Sigma, the heroes X and Zero must battle a Reploid scientist named Dr. Doppler and his utopia of Maverick followers.
Mega Man X5, known as Rockman X5 (ロックマンX5) in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the fifth main installment in the Mega Man X series. It was first released for the PlayStation in Japan on November 30, 2000 and in North America and PAL territories the following year.
Mega Man X6, known as Rockman X6 (ロックマンエックス6) in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth main entry in the Mega Man X series. The game was first released on the PlayStation in Japan on November 29, 2001 and was later made available in both North America and Europe.
Mega Man X8, known as Rockman X8 (ロックマンX8) in Japan, is an action platform game developed and published by Capcom originally for the PlayStation 2 on December 7, 2004. It is the eighth and final installment in the Mega Man X sub-series of the Mega Man franchise. The game was later re-released worldwide on July 24, 2018, and in Japan on July 26, 2018, as a part of Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.
Mega Man Zero is a 2002 action-platform video game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld game console. It is the first installment in the Mega Man Zero series, the fifth series in Capcom's Mega Man video game franchise. The game is set 100 years after the events of the Mega Man X series and follows Zero, a Reploid awakened from his sleep to aid a human scientist named Ciel and her resistance force in a fight against the utopia of Neo Arcadia.
Mega Man Xtreme is a 2000 video game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Color handheld console. It is a spin-off title in the Mega Man X series of video games that originated on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Mega Man Xtreme takes place within the series timeline during the 22nd century, in which a group of "Maverick" androids called the "Shadow Hunters" hack into the world's "Mother Computer" system, destabilize all of the networks, and allow other Mavericks to cause rampant destruction all over the world. The heroic "Maverick Hunter" X is tasked with going into cyberspace to relive his past missions and put a stop to the group's plans.
Mega Man Xtreme 2 is an action-platform video game that was developed and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Color. It is a spin-off title in the Mega Man X series and a follow-up to Mega Man Xtreme, which was released the previous year. Mega Man Xtreme 2 is set in the 22nd century between the events of Mega Man X3 and Mega Man X4. The DNA souls of robots known as "Reploids" are being stolen and used to create an army of undead "Mavericks". The "Maverick Hunters" X and Zero quickly spring into action with the help of their young ally Iris.
Mega Man ZX is an action platform game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for Nintendo DS. It was released on July 6, 2006 in Japan, September 12, 2006 in North America, June 20, 2007 in Australia, and June 22, 2007 in Europe.
Mega Man X is a series of action platform video games released by Capcom. It is a sub-series of the Mega Man franchise. The first game was released on December 17, 1993 in Japan on the Super Famicom and the following month on the SNES in North America; most of the sequels were ported to the PC platform. The gameplay introduced new elements to the Mega Man franchise including the ability to dash and climb walls. The first six games in the series were compiled in the anthology Mega Man X Collection.
Mega Man X4, originally released in Japan as Rockman X4 (ロックマンX4), is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Mega Man X series and the second game in the series to be released on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. The two versions were released simultaneously in Japan in 1997. A North America release followed sometime thereafter, while Europe received only the PlayStation version in 1997.