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Word of a graphical remake of the original Mega Man for the PSP was initially met with a fair amount of derision around the X-Play cube farm.  As wonderful as this game was 20 years ago, we’ve come to expect a lot more from the games we play.  And Mega Man was brutally difficult and very short.

But Capcom did right by gamers old enough to remember this classic as well as those merely looking for a solid, challenging game to play on their PSP.  Mega Man Powered Up has a little something for everyone.

He’s Mega and He’s a Man
 
Powered Up is far more than just Mega Man with better graphics. There’s a classic mode that pretty much plays like the original Mega Man with improved graphics.  Interestingly, these improved visuals (while very nice indeed) appear to overtax our poor old PSP.  The game slows down at the slightest hint of action.  It’s all a little puzzling, because the PSP has been shown to handle much more graphically intensive games than this without breaking a sweat.

It’s the remix mode that will garner most of your attention.  All of the original levels and bosses are intact.  There are also two additional levels and two new bosses - Oil Man and Time Man. But Capcom went that extra mile by giving players a reason to revisit each level multiple times.

Be your own Boss

As you play through the game, you’ll be able to unlock each boss as a playable character.  Once buzzing through the levels as Cut Man or Ice Man, you’re bound to notice special areas and appear to only be accessible through the unique powers of specific bosses.  Your reward for a thorough exploration of each level is access to building material you use to create your very own Mega Man levels.

Welcome to the Next Level

If you’re still on the fence about giving this game a go, the level editor should put you over the top.  What we have here is a robust, easy-to-use level creation system.  This is your chance to prove to the world that you can make a Mega Man level every bit as good as the pros.  As it turns out, this isn’t as simple as it sound. You can quite easily create a level that’s too hard or too easy.

But thanks to the PSP’s Wi-Fi capabilities, you can log-on to the Capcom servers and sample from hundreds of fan-made levels for inspiration, or upload your own creations.  We downloaded several levels and as one might expect, there are some very weak offerings here.  But surprisingly, we managed to snag a couple of absolute gems from amateur designers that clearly understand the difference between challenging and frustrating.

Powered Up

Though the core game is obscenely short by modern standards, Capcom packed this title with a lot of extra content.  And unlike so many retro-revamps, everything here is well worth your time. Mega Man Powered Up will reignite your passion for goofy robot boys in cheesy blue armor.  And that’s a good thing.