Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2

With its impeccable presentation, its focus on history, and its ability to remix its challenges to make decades-old games feel brand new, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 is a necessity for Mega Man fans.

These are mostly unchanged Mega Man X games, but if you haven’t played them yet, you owe it to yourself to catch up on these gems – and Legacy Collection is the best occasion you can get. [10/2018, p.78]

If you’re new to Mega Man this is probably the best place to start, excellent games and a great system to ease you into what can be something very unforgiving.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection feels like an upgrade on all fronts and should be an entry point for all Mega Man novices and longtime fans.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 is a stunning achievement by Capcom that should be a compulsory buy for platformer and retro gaming enthusiasts alike. Its presentation is as good as it gets, with its bevy of extras and historical content acting as icing on an already succulent cake. There are some blemishes in the emulation of the SNES X games, and the second half of the series doesn’t live up to the quality of the first, but as a whole these compilations represent some of the greatest run and gun shooters to ever grace a gaming console— which seems to be par for the course for the Blue Bomber!

This is a great set of 8 mostly classic Mega Man games and will certainly help get you reacquainted with the Blue Bomber leading up to his more retro return in Mega Man 11. The series started to tale off with the PS2 titles (horrible voice acting mixed with some questionable 2.5D designs), but I would love to see a resurgence in the X series like we did with the OG Mega Man series, just please do it in the 16 bit SNES style.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 provides a lot of value for players. The first four entries are top-shelf games, while the fifth is a slight dropoff and the sixth is a bigger dropoff, but still fun to play in short bursts. X7 and X8 are misfires, with a slight uptick in quality for the latter. As a complete package, there’s a lot to enjoy about the first six entries though and those games make the collection worth buying.

The Mega Man X series has always held a fond place in my heart. To be able to play all eight anytime, anywhere on Nintendo Switch is a dream come true. They may not all be top-tier classics, but the high majority that are maintain the same addictive grip now as they did back in the day. As for these particular collections? They may certainly play as well as I remember them, but the way the celebration has been stripped back like a budget party package made me pine for something a little more extravagant. The legacy of this 30-year-old Capcom mascot certainly deserves it.

If Capcom follows with a proper sequel to Mega Man X, this compilation provides valuable lessons on what the series is, what it isn’t, and what it can be when given the chance.

Given the vintage nature of the productions, the only element that can be criticized is the price, but it is true that with just under 40 euros you will take home 6 excellent titles, 2 forgettable experiences, an OAV, hundreds of illustrations and hours of exceptional music. An offer that's really not bad!

Eight games in one massive collection, with a bunch of new features, modes and juicy extras... nearly unmissable.

Like the previous legacy collections, this is a mix of some absolute masterpieces, some okay games, and some severe missteps. It's missing some features like save states or a rewind function, and a few songs from the original releases are gone completely. The new X Challenge mode also doesn't stand up to Mega Man Legacy Collection's Custom Challenge stages. Still, this a damn good collection for a series that hasn't seen a new entry in 14 years.

There really isn’t much to say about the MMX Legacy Collection. Given my fondness for the series, I’m always happy to have more people discover the pure platforming bliss that most of the series offers and while there certainly is value in keeping things faithful to the original, I would have much preferred a collection of true remasters as it would have gone a long way to justify the asking price.

If the Mega Man X Legacy Collection were just one package, it would come recommended for any fan of action platformers. However, being split into two separate purchases makes a full recommendation slightly complicated. Part one contains four amazing games which should be enjoyed by even casual MMX fans. Part two contains four games that can only be recommended to the most hardcore fans of the series. Prospective customers should figure out where they are on the Mega Man spectrum and act accordingly.

It's missing some features that would make it a true compendium of Mega Man X, but it's still a great way to play the series today.