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Mega Man Zero 4 | |
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Developer(s) | Inti Creates |
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 |
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Genre(s) | Action, platform, hack and slash |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Mega Man Zero 4 [lower-alpha 1] is a 2005 action-platform game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance. 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 game deals with the effects of Dr. Weil's reign over Neo Arcadia, established at the end of the previous game. Oppressed humans begin to escape in large numbers to the last-known livable location on the planet, Area Zero, prompting violent retribution from Neo Arcadia. The effects of this conflict 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, which has become one of the last places 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 Einherjar Eight 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 from 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.
After Zero eliminates the remaining Einherjar Warriors, Ciel intercepts a radio message from Dr. Weil, who reveals that Operation Ragnarok was a ruse. The "true" Ragnarok is an orbiting satellite cannon, which he has activated to wipe out Area Zero. [7] Before Dr. Weil can use it, Craft takes control of the cannon and turns it on Neo Arcadia in an attempt to kill Dr. Weil. Zero teleports to the station to stop Craft, but it fires before Zero can reach him, leaving Neo Arcadia in ruins. Zero defeats Craft, who succumbs to his wounds. [8] [9]
Ragnarok unexpectedly begins falling out of orbit on a path headed for Area Zero. Zero infiltrates the core of the station and finds Dr. Weil, who survived the destruction of Neo Arcadia. Dr. Weil reveals that, while he is human, his mind was transplanted into a constantly-regenerating mechanical body by the people who exiled him at the end of the Elf Wars, rendering him effectively immortal. [10] Believing he can survive the impact of the crash and personally oversee the destruction of Area Zero, Dr. Weil fuses himself with Ragnarok's power core and attacks Zero. Zero defeats him, causing significant damage to the station, but Weil survives and fuses with the station itself. Zero chooses to stay on Ragnarok as it plummets into Earth's atmosphere and defeats Weil again, destroying the station utterly and neutralizing the threat of its crash.
While pieces of Ragnarok burn in the atmosphere like shooting stars, Ciel runs to Area Zero where she learns that Zero did not teleport back. [11] Heartbroken, Ciel runs off alone and breaks down in tears, promising to carry on Zero's mission of maintaining peace between humans and Reploids. [12] Zero's helmet, meanwhile, lies shattered in the desert among pieces of Ragnarok's wreckage.
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 |
---|---|
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 92nd 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 is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a character named "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 2024, the series has sold 42 million units worldwide. Mega Man has been popular among gamers and has been reimagined and evolved as a video game character for over 30 years.
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 2003 action-platform 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 2004 action-platform 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 various other Mega Man titles.
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 2004 role-playing video game developed by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. The game is a spin-off of the Mega Man X franchise. It was released in Japan on July 29, 2004, with releases in North America and PAL regions following in September and November.
Zero is a video game character present throughout much of Capcom's Mega Man franchise, who debuted in the Mega Man X series. He is an android and an elite member of the Maverick Hunters, an organization dedicated to defending humanity from rogue Reploids known as Mavericks. Zero also acts as a mentor and longtime friend to X, the main protagonist of the X series. He is also the titular main protagonist of the Mega Man Zero series, and has a supporting role in other series in the franchise, such as the Mega Man ZX series. He has also appeared in crossover video games as a guest character.
X is a character and 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 with defending humans and Reploids against criminal Reploids known as Mavericks. X has made additional appearances in the Mega Man franchise, including printed adaptations of the series, an original video animation called Day of Sigma which explores his early days as a Hunter, and as a supporting character in the Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX video game series which star his Hunter comrade Zero. X has also appeared in multiple crossover video game series outside of the franchise.
Mega Man X is a 1993 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. 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 Super NES's predecessor, the Nintendo Entertainment System. 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 1994 action-platform 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 1995 action-platform 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.
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Mega Man X6, known as Rockman X6 (ロックマンエックス6) in Japan, is a 2001 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom. The sixth main entry in the Mega Man X series, it 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 Zero is a 2002 action-platform game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance. 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 action-platform 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.
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Mega Man ZX is a 2006 action-platform game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the 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 games released by Capcom. It is a sub-series of the Mega Man franchise previously developed by the same group with Keiji Inafune acting as one of the main staff members. The first game was released on December 17, 1993 in Japan on the Super Famicom and the following month on the Super NES in North America. Most of the sequels were ported to Microsoft Windows. The gameplay introduces new elements to the Mega Man franchise in the form of Mega Man's successor X including his new skills and power-ups in the form of armors while retaining the ability to decide which boss to fight first.
Mega Man X4, originally released in Japan as Rockman X4 (ロックマンX4), is a 1997 action-platform game developed and published 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. Mega Man X4 allows the player to choose between the two mechanoid "Reploids" protagonists at the beginning of the game: X, who uses traditional, long-range attacks; or Zero, who wields a short-range sword.
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X is a 2005 action-platform game that was developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable (PSP); it is a remake of the 1993 video game Mega Man X, which was originally released for the Super NES and is the first game in the eponymous series. Players control an advanced, mechanical being called X through eight stages as he faces enemy forces and obtains new powers to defeat the strongest bosses. An alternative mode allows the player to control the villain Vile, who has his own weapons.
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