Top 50 Video Games: Number 37

#37: Megaman 2
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Publisher: Capcom
Released: 1989
Players: 1


Bubbleman: A gruesome and terrifying foe. Look at the bubbles!


Megaman 2 is top to bottom one of the best games ever released for the NES. It's damn fun through and through. Every stage is well thought out and well designed as is each boss. The game is also set up in such a way that you could play through it in whichever order you like using whichever weapon suits you best.

There are 8 different bosses in the game, each with his own stage suited to him. For example to get to Airman you have to go up into the clouds, while Bubbleman must be apprehended underwater. Each of these enemies has their own unique weapon which you can equip and use after defeating them in battle. These weapons are each quite useful and each boss is susceptible to a particular weapon (Flashman's time stopper really fucks Quickman up.) The only weapon that was stupid was Bubbleman's weapon which was a big bubble that rolled along the ground. Not scary even.


Megaman fighting his way through Airman's level.


Upon starting the game you are greeted by a screen that shows a portrait of each boss. These may be played in any order, and my first move was always to defeat Metalman and acquire his Metal Gear weapon (best all around in the game.) After defeating the 8 bosses you must break into the fortress of the mad scientist guy who engineered them, Dr Wily (asshole.) The game is highly accessable, customizable and fun throughout. There have been at least a dozen megaman games spanning several consoles. The Megaman Anniversary Collection was also released recently (Gamecube, PS2 and XBox) which features rereleases of Megaman games 1-8 as well as a couple of obscure Megaman fighting games from the arcades. An excellent buy.