A game that lives up to it's name.
Of course, when I started playing the fourth installment, I was pleasantly surprised that Capcom could still create such an intense game while at the same time including fresh ideas. Not only was I pleased with the new ideas, but I was happy to see that Capcom had still given it a reasonable amount of difficulty, just like the past games.
The game starts off with a small introduction, explaining what happened before in the past titles, just in case the player is unfamiliar with the storyline. Then, the actual game kicks in and after a short cutscene, the player just jumps straight into the action and begins playing the game. In this time, the player will get to grips with the controls and may notice a new weapon called the Z Knuckle has been added to the weapon list. This weapon is just basically a fist, which like the other weapons can be charged, but the Z Knuckle also has an even more unique purpose. This special weapon can seize an enemy weapon once you defeat them, meaning a wide range of new item are at your disposal. Even though I personally used it only when I had to, it's still a helpful way to play and for fans of Megaman Zero who are looking for new ways to play, this is a great new experience for them.
People who have already played the other Megaman Zero game will be familiar with something called Cyber Elves. These special creatures upgrade Zero or support him. In the previous Megaman Zero games, the player would collect a Cyber Elf in a level, feed it if necessary, then finally equip it and use it. In Megaman Zero 4 however, the player is simply given one Cyber Elf. This elf can be levelled up and the player then has the opprtuinty to select three different upgrades from three different fields - Nurse, Animal and Hacker. Collecting items called Energy Crystals from levels can level up the Cyber Elf and will then give the player the chance to upgrade Zero. If the player does choose to use the new upgrade in the Nurse, Animal or Hacker field, they will no longer have the effects of the one they had equipped. It may sound complicated, but it's easier to understand once you pick it up and play it.
This game also has plenty of sounds so it keeps the action going and makes the game even more intense, plus the graphics are great for gameboy advance quality. The environments and sounds will definitely add to your experience while playing this game.
Conclusion:
I will only recommend buying this game if you ike challenging games. Sure, you can play it on easy mode, but that will still be a challenge for some.
Fans of the Megaman Zero series should definitely take a look at this game, it lives up to the other games for definite.
-Smallwood-