Mega Man Zero

 Game Boy Advance
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: Sep 9, 2002
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 94 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 94
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 94
  3. Negative: 6 out of 94
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  1. elitefour
    Nov 18, 2013
    10
    THE story is awesome,Zero is better than mega man
    the graphic are descent,the gameplay is very cool
    i loved this game
    its very awesome,one of the best game boy advance game
  2. Panchogul
    Mar 13, 2023
    10
    Juegazo, para ser de una consola portátil es colosal ya que fácilmente se defiende como un juego de sobremesa, la historia es muy buena y el gameplay es muy cómodo, la dificultad es un poco endiablada y aún jugando en modo principiante es un desafío considerable.
  3. GamecubeLover
    Jul 21, 2016
    10
    Mega Man Zero does NOT disappoint me at all with amazing gameplay and replay value to the max. I adore this game so much. This is my 7th favorite GBA game.
  4. BlogDog123
    May 27, 2011
    10
    Very difficult buy very fun to play, thanks to great sound effects, marvelous graphics, smooth controls, a grade-A story, and the fact the MMZ packs platforming, hacking-and-slashing, and shooting in one genre.
  5. SpiderPlayer
    Jun 22, 2014
    9
    A new series of Mega Man, which occurred as a continuation of Mega Man X5, the game is pretty hard, like with the graphic style of Mega Man X games for Playstation, a game that requires skill.
  6. chester0334
    Aug 8, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mega Man Zero is exhilarating action-platforming.  The dark tone engulfs the player into the atmosphere surrounding the resistance and Neo-Arcadia. Overall, there is a lot to like about Mega Man Zero; so, where does one begin talking about the great things in Mega Man Zero?

    Plot:
    The plot is very grim and dark for a Mega Man game. The player ends up helping the resistance, a group that seems to be horribly outmatched and basically a group that fears Neo Arcadia. Helping the resistance allows the player to take pity on the out-resourced and outmatched resistance. Not only does the player take pity on the resistance, the player also pity’s the Copy X who eventually gets defeated by Zero. After being defeated, Copy X claims that “I was supposed to be…the perfect copy…How can this be…possible…I was supposed to be…a hero…”. Even though retiring innocent reploids was wrong; Copy X believed that his actions were just and believed that he was to some extent helping the greater good. He believed that what he was doing was heroic. Defeating and watching Copy X’s ambitions fail only makes the player feel sorry for Copy X’s defeat.

    Also, the player may wonder, were Copy X’s actions completely unjustified?

    How did fighting mavericks for so long lead to Copy X believing that every reploid is a maverick?

    These questions made me fascinated by Copy X’s character and made him a very interesting villain. His ambitions were interesting and well thought out, nonetheless, these questions made me want to explore more of Copy X’s personality. I wanted to explore more of Copy X’s personality because I wanted to feel like his actions were completely justified. I felt enough pity for Copy X that I wanted his actions to be just, so I can feel less pity (this can’t happen though because this would defeat the purpose of a villain). In the end, I like the villain and I think the plot is very well rounded in Mega Man Zero.

    Music:
    The soundtrack deserves praise for matching up with the tone and atmosphere in Mega Man Zero. None of the tunes seem cheery and seem to line up with the grim and dark atmosphere. The music also, most importantly, lines up at the correct moment occurring within the game. The “deadzone” theme is a fast-paced intense tune that generally plays when the player is in a time crunch and in a serious pinch. You will also know when you’re facing one of the four guardians or Copy X due to the dramatic legendary entrance theme. You will also know when “the end of legend” has begun because that theme cues when you have defeated Copy X. It’s a very fitting them that focuses on a loop that changes from a normal to an eerie sad sound. The eerie sad sound matches up with the sad defeat of Copy X and the pity and sorrow felt for Copy X.

    Gameplay:
    In Mega Man Zero the player can dash on the ground, jump, wall jump, climb walls, and hold a primary and secondary weapon. The resistance base also functions as hub and completing a mission can unlock another mission. Players also have three lives to complete a mission before receiving a game over. Leveling up weapons happens when players constantly use the same weapon for a long period of time. In Mega Man Zero, players can only earn a fire, thunder, and ice chip. Thus, there are not nearly as many new weapons as previous Mega Man games. However, Mega Man Zero introduced “Cyber Elves”, a completely new and different mechanic.

    Cyber Elves can be found in certain missions or by killing certain enemies. When equipped, Cyber Elves can allow players to take less damage, slow enemies down, and increase health. Only three Cyber Elves can be equipped at a time and some require to be fed energy crystals.

    Difficulty:
    Mega Man Zero offers a fair amount in mechanics and the Cyber Elves do make things easier; however, the difficulty is extremely punishing. Beating the game in a single playthrough blind is no easy feat, while additionally, the game focuses a lot on trial and error. Instant kill spikes, hazards, one shot abyss pitfalls, Mega Man Zero has all of those. Zero, however, ramps up in difficulty when trying to get an “S” or “A” rank which requires a perfect run of the level and the boss fight. This requires the player to memorize every single nook and cranny of the level. While I did find Mega Man Zero frustrating at points, I still enjoyed the game and was not turned off completely because of the difficulty. However, be warned this is not an easy game and might not be everyone's cup of tea.

    Final Verdict:
    Mega Man Zero is an amazing action platforming that can be relentless with difficulty spikes. However, despite the difficulty, the game still provides a nice punch of enjoyment and players will feel amazing satisfaction when steamrolling through the difficult sections of the game.    … Expand
  7. AdamEspinoza
    Jul 4, 2020
    8
    This game is good for many reasons. The challenging bosses, the unique weapons, the solid platforming, the story. This game is a lot of fun and a lot of challenging. The satisfaction of finally getting past a certain point makes the game. It does a great job of brining the mega man games onto the GBA and taking it to the next level.
  8. Copyzero
    Mar 10, 2021
    8
    I really appreciate the new design of the characters, the new open world gameplay and the history behind it, but grinding experience really makes this game feel slower than the others from zero franchise
  9. Watermelon789
    Jul 19, 2011
    8
    A darker humor for a charming franchise like this, changing the nice Mega Man for Zero in the whole story isn't a risk. In fact, i prefer playing more Zero rather than shooting all the time. The story is entertaining, the style and everything is well made. And the ending leaves you to want more.
  10. Yojimbo2015
    May 11, 2023
    7
    Sticking to the rather simplistic run and gun formula of the previous games but adding some beautifully designed Manga style graphics. Nothing new or groundbreaking but enjoyable enough and gorgeous to look at.
  11. JuanH.
    Oct 15, 2002
    10
    Is The Best Mega Man Game Ever.
  12. FrodoBaggins
    Oct 3, 2002
    10
    Alright, so some people are saying that this is a pretty tough game, and it is. BUT...if you stop there and think that you can't have fun just cause its a little bit challenging, then you are missing out on one of the greatest games in the MegaMan series. This is a great buy for any fan of the MegaMan story.
  13. B.S.
    Oct 7, 2002
    9
    Perfect exept some of the challenges are "stupid" hard ( this means you can easily do it and they're just there to waste time) Finally Zero is himself again and not the darn it saying dude from x5 and x6. The game is a little gory but that's good. Finally a good challenge no more stuf we've seen before they added all new stuff.
  14. [Anonymous]
    Mar 11, 2003
    10
    This game is so fun. I love the fact that after a hundred years he comes back to kick some ass.
  15. LearnM.
    Nov 6, 2002
    10
    Where is this gam in eng. my cousin have it and dont know the site.
  16. Mark
    Oct 22, 2002
    10
    This is the best mega man game yet. This is a must have game, you will have hours of sword slashing fun.
  17. J.Palm
    Nov 11, 2002
    9
    This is one of the best Megamans out there. This is because of the great story line, all the weapons and the great game play.

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2002
8
#8 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2002
21
#21 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. GMR Magazine
    80
    Difficult yet engaging. [Feb 2003, p.97]
  2. Nintendojo
    95
    Great graphics, great story, great sound, and great replay value (as it will take many tries to get every Elf, and many tries to get a perfect rank).
    Read full review
  3. GameZone
    91
    Epitomizes the quintessence of the series while introducing hugely entertaining innovations.
    Read full review
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