IGN: You Don’t Know Jack About Mega Man

IGN has posted an article about Mega Man, but it doesn’t seem to be aimed at the likes of you or I.
Titled “You Don’t Know Jack About Mega Man,” it sets out to correct the misconceptions held by fans of the original series (and only the original series) that all other branches of the Mega Man family are somehow inferior to the classic titles found on the Nintendo Entertainment System (and perhaps the likes of 7, 9, and 10).

Still, I cannot help but be intrigued by some of the notions presented in the article…

Let’s start with the big one. A lot of Mega Man purists turn up their noses at the original’s SNES evolution of the Mega Man X series. Many people knocked X because it added exploration elements, which some feel slowed down the run-and-gun action. But, in fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

While I can certainly appreciate the theme of the article and the light it shines on different iterations of the franchise, I have to admit… I have no idea who these purists are. Even among those who are Mega Man fans insomuch as they are simply fans of video games, I know few who have ever really been down on the entire X series. Later installments, sure– even among the hardcore Mega Man fans, people have issues with games such as Mega Man X6 or X7, but I’m not sure I’ve met anyone who has dismissed the series outright, including its original installment.

Nonetheless, the article goes on to mention the Mega Man Zero and ZX series, as well as touting the virtues of the Legends and Battle Network series. Its heart is definitely in the right place, but the X portion leaves one to wonder just who these “purists” are who need addressing.

LanceHeart