Mega Man Zero 4

Mega Man Zero 4, known in Japan as Rockman Zero 4, and commonly abbreviated MMZ4, is an action platforming video game released and published by Capcom. The game was first announced in December 2004 and was released for the Game Boy Advance handheld console in 2005 in the United States, Japan and Europe.

It is the fourth title in the Mega Man Zero sub series of the Mega Man franchise, and is set several months after the events of Mega Man Zero 3. The game deals with Dr. Weil's reign over Neo Arcadia in which humans, 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 the war eventually drive Zero and the Resistance to protect Area Zero and its inhabitants from Dr. Weil.

Mega Man Zero 4 has an average of 77% on Metacritic and Game Rankings making it roughly the 85th best ranking Game Boy Advance title.

Gameplay

The fourth installment of the Mega Man Zero series introduces gameplay changes, but doesn't deviate platforming of its predecessors. Players guide Zero through eight main selectable stages and usually a mini-boss to separate it into two parts. At the end of each level, the player faces one of the game's robot antagonists.

Besides the past ties Mega Man Zero 4 also includes a new Easy mode, not found in previous installations of the series, giving into responses that the Mega Man Zero series has been too challenging. In Easy mode, Zero receives a massive 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.

The player is still equipped with the Z-Buster and Z-Saber at default. However, in place of the Shield Boomerang and the rod-type weapon from the previous games (Triple Rod, Chain Rod and Recoil Rod) is the new Z-Knuckle that allows Zero to perform several actions, including hanging from pipes, destroying obstacles and stealing an enemy's ability if Zero destroys it with the Z-Knuckle.

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. The trade-off for an easier level is that Zero cannot learn an EX skill from a boss.

Cyber Elves, a core element of previous Mega Man Zero installments, are no longer required from the player. Shortly after the introductory levels, a Cyber Elf will arrive for Zero to equip. This elf has most of the powers of the all the Cyber Elves from previous games, which are unlocked as you raise its level by feeding it E-Crystals. Zero may select one power from each of the three categories: Nurse, Animal, and Hacker. The player's ranking is also no longer penalized for using the Cyber Elves so long as they keep 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.

Zero cannot rely on finding secret disks to give him enhancements as in Mega Man Zero 3. Instead players must collect enemy parts dropped randomly from defeated enemies. Recipes for combining these parts can be learned by talking to NPCs the player rescues and by talking with a Cyber Elf after its stages of evolution. However, the majority of the recipes are given not through conversation, and instead from random combination of parts.

Minigames & Modes

Like its previous installations, Mega Man Zero 4 has multiple modes. After completing the game once on normal mode, players can access a hard mode or start a new game over the old one. Also making a comeback is the Ultimate Mode, which once again can only be unlocked when certain criteria are met.

Like the previous game, there are also seven mini-games that can be unlocked once certain criteria are met. They are as follows:

• Wood Chopping - Beat the game with an overall S-Rank.
• Magma Border - Beat the game with a complete database.
• Busy Basket - Beat the game once on Hard Mode.
• Hammer Harvest - Beat the game under one hour.
• Plant Panic - Beat the game without feeding your Cyber Elf any E-Crystals.
• Elf Chase - Beat the game without using any recipes.
• Energy Lab - Surpass the high score on all the other mini-games.

Plot

Characters

Template:Details Template:Details Mega Man Zero 4's main and playable character is Zero. Traveling with the Resistance he is helped by Ciel, who saves game data. Ciel's surrogate daughter Alouette, aids Zero with Cyber-elf items and as in past installments, he is provided with weaponry and tips on battle by Reploid engineer Cerveau. Neige, a human reporter fleeing with the rest of the refugees to Area Zero, is the leader of the band who oppose Reploids.

Docter Weil returns from Mega Man Zero 3 and is now ruler of Neo Arcadia. The new Leader of the Army is Kraft, who uses his position to secretly help his love Neige, even if it means accepting Weil's tyrannical rule.

The primary bosses, the Einherjar Eight Warriors, are:

• Fenrir Lunaedge, a Fenrir-inspired reploid revived to serve Weil. (Very reminiscent of Blizzard Wolfang from Mega Man X6.) Boss of the Hibernation Chamber stage, defeating him when it's snowing gives you the Hyougetsujin EX Skill.
• Heat Genblem, a hard headed model solder who controls the Particle Beam area. Defeating him when it's sunny gives you the Shouenga EX Skill.
• Mino Magnus, originally used for recharging large masses of viable energy. Boss of the Magnetic Zone stage, defeating him when it's stormy gives you the Tractor Shot EX Skill.
• Noble Mandrago, controls the surrounding around her for maintenance and regeneration. Boss of the Underground Forest stage, defeating her when it's sunny gives you the Tsuibangeki EX Skill.
• Pegasolta Eclair, an extremely vain Pegasus-type Reploid who is in control of a large-scale aerial climate-controlling unit called the Celestial Garden. Defeating him when it's raining gives you the Buraitotsu EX Skill.
• Tech Kraken, a former member of the late Phantom's army, who seeks Zero to avenge his death. Boss of the Deep Sea stage, defeating him when it's raining gives you the Ice Javelin EX Skill.
• Popla Cockapetri, a self loving reploid used for jamming computer communications and by making incursions into Reploids' optical sensors. Boss of the Living City stage, defeating him when it's sunny gives you the Time Stopper EX Skill.
• Sol Titanian, based on the fairy queen Titania and the Sun, who conveys fairy-like characteristics, especially being quite playful, which façades her love of torture. Boss of the Artificial Sun stage, defeating her when it's sunny gives you the Burning Shot EX Skill.

Story

Humans have begun leaving Neo Arcadia since Dr. Weil assumed power. Labeled as human Mavericks for opposing his rule, a caravan led by a journalist named Neige is attacked by Weil's personal army of Variants on their way to freedom. Zero and the small handful of resistance members happen upon them as they drive cross-country in their convoy and come to their aid. After rescuing the caravan, Neige explains that they were en route to Area Zero, one of the last natural habitats that can support human life outside of Neo Arcadia.

Shortly after parting ways, Zero learns of a plot to destroy Area Zero from Kraft, Doctor Weil's second in command, called "Operation Ragnarok" . It was meant to destroy all environments outside of Neo Arcadia, so that life could not be sustained outside of Neo Arcadia; this was meant to force all humans to return and live under Weil's rule.

After defeating four of the Eight Warriors, Area Zero itself comes under attack by Neo Arcadia. Zero fights through it and sees Craft at the end. Zero and Craft fight, with Zero winning but Craft still alive. Neige appears to break up the fight, and Craft captures her. Zero then goes to the prison where Neige is held and rescues her.

After stopping the Einherjar Warriors, Zero learns that they were just a distraction, and an orbital satellite, Ragnarok, can wipe out the environment with its cannon. But before Weil can use it himself, Kraft rebels against him and attempts fires upon Neo Arcadia in an attempt to kill Weil, regardless of the fact that innocents might be killed, but is stopped by Zero.

Weil had teleported directly onto the station and manually directed its flight path into a crash landing into Area Zero. As the station plummets toward the planet, Zero teleports onto it and makes his way to Weil. Zero questions him as to how he survived the initial strike on Neo Arcadia.

Zero learns that Weil was a human, made into a bionic/reploid hybrid Weil by the same people who exiled him and Omega into space at the end of the Elf Wars. His new body is incapable of aging, or more importantly, dying as it constantly repairs and upgrades itself.

Weil purposely set the station to crash knowing full well he could survive the impact and oversee the destruction of Area Zero personally. Weil then fuses with the Ragnarok core and attacks Zero as the final boss. Upon destroying Weil's core, the station is blown apart.

Ciel passes through Area Zero where it is confirmed Zero did not teleport back. Despite the news, she believes that Zero is alive and will come back one day.

For the final scene of the game, the player sees Ciel atop a hill, soon falling to her hands and knees visibly crying, and then an image of Zero's helmet as it lays shattered in a desert.

Though, it is interesting to note her wish did in fact come true, because of Model Z in Megaman ZX has the Soul of Zero.

Development

Capcom Japan's announcement of a sequel to Mega Man Zero 3 didn't come as much of a surprise, with the pattern of development news following the previous two Mega Man Zero games. Capcom updated its official site quietly with information stating the game would be released in Japan in April.

Critical reaction

Mega Man Zero 4 has been called a "refined version of an outstanding platformer series" with a more streamlined weapon and Cyber Elf system. Critics were quick to state that it hadn't changed much and that it was "more of the same". One reviewer, however, stated that the level designs were "slightly less challenging" than those of previous installations, but more inventive.

The new simplified Cyber Elf system received mixed reviews. GameSpot thought the new single Cyber Elf was an improvement, whilst 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".

Critics were mostly neutral about the weather system, saying that diehard players wouldn't make use of the system. It was touted as a nice idea, but that the effects weren't "pronounced enough to make most levels worth playing through twice".

External links

• Original text from Wikipedia