MEGA MAN ZERO is the third Mega Man game released for the Game Boy Advance, and like the other two, it's a departure from the roots of the series--only less so. The previously released Mega Man Battle Network games are role-playing games rather than the sorts of platform shooting games that Capcom's famous blue hero is best known for. Meanwhile, this latest game doesn't even feature Mega Man at all. However, Mega Man Zero is a platformer through and through, and fans of the series will be instantly at ease with the game and its new features. And they're likely to be struck not just by Mega Man Zero's great graphics and design, but also by its challenge.Finally, a traditional Mega Man game. Mega Man Zero takes place far in the future of the Mega Man X storyline, when characters Zero and X have come to be known as legendary reploids. X is nowhere to be seen and is believed to have turned evil and to be up to all sorts of evil affairs. Zero, on the other hand, is found abandoned and nonoperational in a mine by a young scientist named Ciel, who awakens the famous reploid in an attempt to save the world from all its problems. From here, you take control of Zero to protect Ciel in the initial stage of the game.Overall, Mega Man Zero is an impressive action game that definitely isn't for everyone. Younger or more casual players may find the game way too hard and may be better off with something less difficult. However, fans of the series or experienced gamers should not hesitate to pick this one up. While the Game Boy Advance still doesn't have a traditional Mega Man game starring Mega Man himself, Mega Man Zero will definitely provide you with more than enough challenge to keep you busy until then.
