Get equipped with Master Piece: Mega Man 2 | NES Works 127

[@RoseWaltz]

i remember my dad watching me play this, and i was explaining the rock-paper-scissors aspect "So, the air conditioning unit guy is killed when he gets leaves stuck in the vents, just like ours was last year."

[@Cubehead666]

Ha ha ha!!

[@ValkyrieTiara]

Classic Dad comment lol

[@thetylife]

Heh...that is precious, sounds like something Hank Hill would say to Bobby...

[@WhoIsSirChasm]

My dad did not guess that Air Man was weak to Wood Shield; he guessed Bubble Man was instead, though in fairness he only watched me play it last year so maybe he was thinking of Pokémon's Grass-Water-Fire triangle.

[@alexdawe-le4vj]

There's MANY ways to interpret your way through these games, like turn one into a groundball game. It's like soccer, except everyone is really destitute with the game as their only chance of "Success" in life!

[@jonothanthrace1530]

There's a hilarious drawing using the MM2 stage select to depict the chain of boss weaknesses, and Metal Man's is just him punching himself in the face.

[@JonLeung1]

I've seen that! That's from CyberMoonStudios on DeviantArt. He's done a few other Mega Man games, too. His page is here: www.deviantart.com/cybermoonstudios/art/The-Mega-Man-2-Troop-101671085

[@shuumatsunojoshua]

Lol thank you for reminding me of that

[@TanookiSuit]

What no link? :)

[@CarbonRollerCaco]

@@TanookiSuitKZbin became allergic to offsite linking in comments.

[@boa.constrictor3782]

Found it, thanks for the laugh.

[@Unquestionable]

I'm turning 40 in a couple of weeks and am not ashamed to say recalling playing this game back in 1990 with my next door neighbor brings a tear to my eye. He was 3 or 4 years older than me and I felt so cool to have an older friend that treated me as an equal, we bonded over countless NES titles (including Kung Fu Heroes, one that we both enjoyed a lot and still holds a place in my heart) and the first three Mega Man titles were a big one. We beat Mega Man 2 countless times after we first managed the feat but I can still recall being amazed at how cinematic that ending felt to 6 year old me.

[@jasonblalock4429]

I agree. One of the best aspects of Mega Man 2 is that it *wants* the player to break it. There are just so many ways to abuse the tools they give you. Like I remember first realizing the Wood Shield could farm 1UPs from egg-droppers... and then realizing the very first baddie in Wily 1 was an egg-dropper. The devs hid a restock point in plain sight, for people clever enough to spot it!

[@ZaGorudan]

Following this series is so interesting because sometimes you have to wade through years of games that, while not uninteresting, don't command the presence of the classics, then one day it's suddenly time to cover one of the most famous retro games of all time.

[@AltimaNEO]

It's interesting how long it took the meat to really hit it's stride. The bulk of the games I know from my childhood all surprisingly came out very late in the NES lifecycle. 89-90s

[@jorymil]

In the US, most of the games did come out late in the life cycle: the NES really wasn't available everywhere until 1987, so it's no great surprise that the games were released or sold once it really became popular.

[@thomasffrench3639]

@@AltimaNEOwhich contrasts with Japan, where everyone remembers 1985-1988

[@MaidenHell1977]

I can't stress enough the massive sentimental and emotional impact I have over this game. In Canada, the July/August issue of Nintendo Power with the Mega Man 2 cover story was the debut issue here and caused mass hysteria in school yards everywhere come September that year. It was the most sought after game that summer and fall. It truly is one of the greatest games of all time. For it's time, very little on 8-bit and even 16-bit consoles could match it's excellent gameplay, graphics and sound. Without question it still stands the test of time to this day making Capcom a household name. I still have that issue of NP and the accompanying Mega Man 2 poster proudly displayed in my game room. Looking back it was truly wonderful experiencing those gaming milestones first hand. I watched your recent stream of the game, Jeremy and it gave me incentive to replay it again as my 4 year old son watched.

[@AverageDrafter]

There are a few games I feel honored to have played contemporaneously. Star Control II, Chrono Trigger, and Mega Man 2 are at the top of that list.

[@David-ln8qh]

I've had those warm thoughts before, "I'm so glad I got to experience that in the moment".

[@pengwin_]

that was Mario 64 for me

[@jasonblalock4429]

Star Control 2 is high up on the list of games I wish I could forget, so I could replay it fresh. Such an amazing experience for the time. Not to mention having possibly the single best DOS game soundtrack prior to the CD-ROM boom.

[@Belgand]

Playing Star Control II when it came out was such an amazing experience. There was just nothing else like it at the time. Even today there hasn't really been much like it released since. The original System Shock (or, better, the CD Enhanced release) was similar as was TIE Fighter (also in the CD version).

[@analogmoz]

Star Control 2 is waiting for some celebrity to make it the best "hidden gem" game of all time. It will happen, and it will be shabby.

[@daviddalrymple2284]

Mega Man 2 was one of the first action-heavy games that I ever beat without a Game Genie. I found the patience to keep playing the game over and over in order to learn its sequences and rhythms, largely because the game looked great, had great music, and had really tight controls. And as hard as it could get at times, Mega Man 2 was actually quite forgiving for a game of its era. You had a refillable life bar that could take several hits, you had infinite continues (which was never a given in the NES days) and checkpoints were generous. And on top of all this, you had the metal blade. This was my first true taste of a power fantasy in an action-based video game. Sniping bubble bats in Wood Man's stage is a delight. Most video game power-ups are woefully short-lived. Goemon's jutsu powers disappear when you move on to a new town, and a single hit is all it takes to lose Mario's precious hammer suit. But metal blades are practically inexhaustible.

[@2dskillz]

A shining example of what every game should hope to accomplish. Each moment, stage or boss is a memory with a unique pattern.

[@Sentinel04]

"packaged in pure tragedy" lol perfect

[@stopmikeandjim3196]

Been waiting for this episode ever since I found this channel a couple of years ago. Surprised you didn't talk about the soundtrack a bit more. It's arguably the greatest 8-bit chiptune soundtrack ever made

[@kennethchia4194]

Certainly up there. I tend to side with Castlevania 3, but that might have an unfair advantage with the extra sound chip used in the Japanese version

[@thomasffrench3639]

@@kennethchia4194then you have Silver Surfer which sounds like a VRC6 game on a basic NES sound chip

[@kyledavidson8712]

Journey to Silius Maniac Mansion MM2 My top 3

[@coreyschwanz9316]

I can see all the millions of pixels more than ever before. The analog fuzz is SO CLEAR

[@sewart]

Fun fact: The Mega Man 2 cover was the first issue of Nintendo Power available in Canada. It was sent, for free, to subscribers of Nintendo Powerflash (the free newsletter you got when you registered your NES, I believe). I remember receiving it by surprise. I happened to be home with chicken pox that week, and I went over every inch of that issue a dozen times. It convinced me I had to play Mega Man 2 and Faxanadu. Both of which would go on to be some of my favourite games. Fantastic video as always. What a wonderful breakdown of a masterpiece!

[@egocide9034]

Mega Man 2 is one of my earliest and most cherished memories. Especially the image and sound of the stage select screen, it blew my 4 year old balls off. The nostalgia is of epic proportion.

[@SpyHunter89]

Oof, that ending... 1) Lie down. 2) Try not to cry. 3) Cry a lot.

[@OGNoNameNobody]

This Comment is EXTREMELY correct.

[@freddyvidz]

I will never forget when I rented this as a kid. One of the best memories of my childhood.

[@Zeffarian]

Same here. It looked really good looking at the guide in Nintendo Power. However, that did not prepare me for when I first rented it and started up the game. Was absolutely blown away by the whole presentation - gameplay, graphics, and music. I'll never forget that experience.

[@rottenparts]

Still remember getting this from my grandparents on Christmas Eve in 1989 and getting up on Christmas morning when it was still dark out to play it. I always chose Bubbleman"s stage first. RIP, Grandpa.

[@fakeshemp9599]

Bubbleman killed my grandpa too.. miss you pee-pop!!😢

[@David-ln8qh]

Top class sprite work, SOOO much charm in every enemy.

[@rga87]

Every time I hear that title screen music it always give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. It also puts a tear in my eye, reminding me of a simpler time.

[@jbanks979]

I think for the entire 30+ games in this series, this remains the absolute peak. It’s hard to fully describe the feeling of seeing some of these visuals on your screen in 1989, on a machine built in 1983 to handle Donkey Kong. I still have AND LISTEN to an actual band covering these tunes. It’s the kind of game that completely sets the bar a step higher than it’s ever been and remains unsurpassed in the type of experience it offers even 35 years later. (It’s a good’n)

[@Belgand]

I feel like saying 30+ titles is giving a little too much credence to the hangers-on. The mainline, numbered Mega Man entries and the X series (since it was basically just Mega Man but on SNES) are really all that ought to be considered. Not Battle Network or Legends or other such games that diverge from the core. It's not a comment on quality, just the nature of said games and their Mega Man-ness.

[@4ppleseed]

My parents had divorced in the summer and it would be the first Christmas with just my Mum. Nothing made me feel better that Christmas morning than ripping open the wrapping and seeing the Mega Man 2 box.

[@Trainy2]

One of the reasons I love this game is the sense of humor of the looks of the enemies.

[@Tirgo69]

The first way I got to play the classic Mega Man games was through PS2's Anniversary Collection. I remember trying all of the games repeatedly, trying to just beat one of the stages, but it was tough. I probably tried every stage across every game at least once without success. In the end I managed to defeat Flash Man (presumably making use of auto fire) and it was so exciting to me, finally I could try and use one of those awesome powers! And of course all I won was the Flash Stopper. Still, I'll never forget either Flash Man or Mega Man 2.

[@Tirgo69]

Mega Man 2 also has the honor of being the only Mega Man game I can verify my dad has played (before I was born)

[@Mansini77]

Jeremy, I’m now convinced that you’ll be featuring every single NES/Fanicom release a la Chrontendo. You both do great work.

[@JeremyParish]

No, I'm done with Famicom, besides interesting one-offs. But if the planet survives long enough, I would like to complete NES.

[@thomasffrench3639]

@@JeremyParishnot to mention that Famidaily has that covered.

[@Davethe3rd]

​@@JeremyParishWhat about Super NES? I'd at least like to see you cover some of the hits like Street Fighter II, the Mega Man X games (topical), Mario Kart, Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country and Killer Instinct.

[@lmeeken]

@@Davethe3rd Super NES Works is a thing, though it's on hiatus right now: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKfVq3iJntCsitk&pp=iAQB

[@Davethe3rd]

​@@JeremyParishAlso, have you ever thought of covering any of the particularly interesting bootleg games like Action 52 or peripherals like the Game Genie or Power Glove? And what about The Wizard?

[@pengwin_]

Oh how i have waited for this day. Great episode Jeremy. For the longest time, MM2 was my favorite, but now I would say it's MM9.

[@randallross420]

Before i even watch, thanks for this. Mega Man 2 is the best entry in the series. It takes me back to that part of childhood when I subscribed to Nintendo Power and EGM. 🕹

[@RabbitEarsCh]

I knew Mega Man 2 was stellar of course, but I had no idea just what a class of its own it was standing in during its release date. Sure, 1989 had strong releases (and a bunch of duds), but Mega Man II just takes almost everything up to this point to the cleaners. No wonder it's so utterly beloved.

[@cavalleri]

What a game. Easily my favorite of the entire series. It's such a beautiful game.

[@shane1489]

Classiest video game channel on YT

[@marcusmclean132]

Neneh Cherry's Buffalo Stance is an ALL TIME banger

[@therealthirst8099]

Mega Man 2 is one of those rare games that truly earned it's spot in the pop culture zeitgeist list of "Greatest Games Ever Made"

[@Red_Biker_Dude]

No it isn't. 4 and 9 are those though.

[@escapee909909]

Technical mastery in all depts - pixels, music/effects, feel, and design all swirled up into a complete synthesizing aesthetic.

[@Pyponesan]

I'm happy that you mention Airman ga toasanai but wonder why no mention of jamais project's okusenman. Either way this game deserve his legend status. Thank for your work.

[@davidmreyes77]

Looking back on my young gaming years 1988 and 1989 were hands down my two favorite years of owning a NES. I had a Nintendo Power subscription and a grandmother that rented for me games from a video rental store every weekend those 2 years. What a time.

[@jorymil]

For me, it was '88 through '91. After that, I missed the 16-bit train and got into other hobbies.

[@theholymackerel072]

Possibly the greatest NES game of them all.

[@Red_Biker_Dude]

I'd argue the complete opposite

[@joeboo8626]

1989. My favorite year for pop culture. My parents bought me an NES. Batman in theaters, Paula Abdul, Dragon Warrior, Sega Genesis... and Mega Man 2. Hard to pick between 2 and 3 as my favorite in the series... IMO Mega Man 2 has the best soundtrack on the NES.

[@meldriccc]

Talks about quality of 3rd party output, cuts to Hydlide (I assume it was for the "misses" comment after but the timing made me chuckle)

[@thomasffrench3639]

A yes the Dragon Quest effect. An influential game completely released internationally in a completely different context than it was released.

[@meldriccc]

Oh yeah... if we had gotten it the same time Japan did it would have been earth shattering, as compared to a very slow and confusing game when there was so much more available @@thomasffrench3639

[@BrianKapellusch]

Mega Man 2 and Buffalo Stance. Two of my favorite things.

[@zedc6072]

love this, props for the airman ga taosenai yo reference

[@SirJoel]

That last line hurts. I will forever mourn the loss of Mega Man Legends 3.

[@steveroberts7080]

This is a hall of fame game for me. This was the first game that I ever saved up money to buy as a kid and I was really proud of that, as well as how good of a choice that I made when I took this home. Played it all summer, my younger cousin was in rapture as he watched me beat the game and at the time I think he thought I was the coolest kid in the world. At the time, with such an exceptional game freshly beaten, it was hard not to agree with him.

[@charon59]

Not sure if this was mentioned, but the Mega Man II issue of Nintendo Power was the first issue made available in Canada. It was sent for free to any Canadian kids who were subscribers to the Nintendo Fun Club at the time, which I was. Needless to say, once I got my grubby mitts on that magazine, I just HAD to get Mega Man II.

[@daviddalrymple2284]

That's cool to know. I started subscribing with the Mario 3 strategy guide. So the only chance Canadians had to get those earlier issues was if they bought the "Fifty for $50" special that they offered as part of their 50th issue celebration.

[@stevieCMA]

All my life I've been waiting for this video

[@JaceyMitchell]

I love how this video dropped right as I was heading into Wily's second fortress stage. This game really lives up to all the hype. I just finished Wily Fortress 3 and just love how the boss of that stage is a giant Guts Man on tank treads, establishing the Mega Man tradition of games containing easter eggs and callbacks to older games. While all the NES Mega Man games are good, I find that 2 is by far the most memorable. It has so many memorable set pieces.

[@ACESpark]

5:38 Interesting you made the brief aside mention about hardcore Mega Man fanatics re-interpating the quality of Mega Man 2. And you're absolutely right. Given us hardcore weirdos in the fandom... I get it. I think part of it is Mega Man 2 is the only game in the series that really gets all the attention, and that just, bugs the hardcore fans. So naturally it is the most nitpicked game in the franchise, because of all that attention. Maybe Mega Man X1 being up there when talked about series quality and sales, Mega Man 11 recently surpassing 2's sales and Battle Network Legacy Collection being a suprise and very fast selling hit are about the only ones that come anywhere near in terms of sucess... and 2 just surpasses all talk outside the fandom. Fans be fans. "Overhype" is a weird feeling when talking about a series made up of a absolute ton of games. Whilst I think there are much better games in the series, personally speaking, just because later entries did stuff better and often more balanced, doesn't mean this isn't a absolute classic. And honestly, I love the game, one of the ones I have several copies of in the collection of various releases. Fans just wish others would get to love the rest of the games. There are enough of them out there, hah. Great video.

[@davidcarmichael4006]

I’ll watch this many times thx

[@jamkru21]

I absolutely love this game even though I played 3 first, but I’ve always really loved 9! The return to basics was extremely welcome and it was the game that literally helped me survive organically chemistry at USC! While it was challenging, once you learn how to get past the difficult spots you can blow through it, and the classic strategy of “max out your energy tanks” works every single time 😁

[@jasonking3182]

Mega Man2 vs Ducktales for best NES game of 1989 shows how amazing Capcom was by that point!

[@mikewallace3030]

I thought I knew everything about this game. To find out it’s “bubble lead” (to go before) instead of “bubble lead” (the element) is mind-blowing. As a kid I saw that it was effectively a heavy bubble. A regular bubble would never do damage to anything, but a heavy bubble made of lead would. I didn’t know to question this understanding until today.

[@num488]

The defacto classic, but 6 will always be my personal favorite.

[@billcox6791]

I feel similarly about 3 My play order growing up was 1 then 3 then 2, so 2 always felt like a step back to me. Rush instead of numbered items, richer backgrounds, being able to slide… It was a shock for me to learn years later that 2 is the beloved classic and 3 is considered a buggy mess! My understanding is that Mega Man is considered to have really come into its own from 4 onward. Unfortunately, three games was enough for me to get tired of the increasingly strained *man ideas. Maybe I really should give the later entries a chance!

[@pengwin_]

MM4 for me.

[@num488]

@@billcox6791 I really want to love 3; I really do, but those darn Doc Robot stages hamper the experience. Of the latter three, 5 is my least favorite. Just kinda feels there.

[@rootbeer_666]

@@billcox6791same. Maybe because it was the first one that I played, but pretty much everything you said rounds out what I like about the third game of the series. I was going to buy it with the money I got for Christmas in 1991, but then I saw Mega Man 4, which had come out I assume the day I went shopping. I bought it, and it was great, but I always thought I’d have been better off getting 3 as I’d still preferred it. Mega Man 2 was actually the third game I ended up playing, and I was so frustrated with the lasers in Quick Man’s stage-I didn’t have it long enough to memorize the sequence-that I’d written it off for years. Looking back, I get why Mega Man 2 is a classic, especially in how it vastly improved over the first game-which I also ended up buying one day-and it basically made Mega Man what it was at its core, so I don’t fault a single person for naming it as their favorite. Mine just happens to be 3. To your point about three being enough, I’d actually say 4 is my second favorite, because it basically takes what was great about 3 and polishes it to a brilliant sheen. After that, I kinda fell off the series, and 6 didn’t even show up on my radar.

[@thomasffrench3639]

@@billcox6791yeah, this seems to be the general attitude at the time as well. A lot of people after 3 already fill of Mega Man, and while I personally love 4 and 6, unlike most fans, I understand why people don’t think as fondly of the later games.

[@themilobarboyzfoodtryouts8280]

Who else was like OOOOO HES REVIEWING THE GOAT!!!

[@TheCompletionist]

Jeremy I always consider you the foremost expert in all things with regards with retro gaming. I don't really trust anybody's intellectual insight as much as your powers of observation. I'll be perfectly honest, I am personally not the biggest fan of mega man II myself for the reasons that you highlighted in this video mainly with the overpowered weapons, weak robot masters, unfair stage design, and some highly annoying wily's castle battles but regardless of what my personal thoughts are about this game - I will never diminish those that actually enjoy this game and hold it in high regard. It may not have a personal appeal to me, and I do appreciate that for as much as you love this game you did cover many reasons why people such as myself may not enjoy this game a lot. I do think between all the nes mega man games, I think the greatest transition in improvement was definitely between the original mega man and mega man II, compared to every other nes mega man game after that. I understand that mega man II will always hold its importance in the mega man franchise and the music from this game will be absolutely timeless. It's just for me - it's one of my least favorite entries with regards to the nes mega man games but I do understand it's all a matter of personal taste.

[@rodrigomarcondes5857]

14:17 i really appreciate this reference lol

[@Questorps7]

“Packaged in pure tragedy.” Lol

[@GameplayandTalk]

Man, it's still such an amazing game to this day. I play through it several times a year at the very least.

[@kodystinson1221]

Mega Man 2 is my #1 NES game. I can not play it for years, pick it up, and play it like I just played it yesterday. It’s engraved into my DNA.

[@spacecastleshow]

Been waiting for this one for a hot minute and, surprising no one, you delivered in spades, Jeremy. Excellent video, as always.

[@thecunninlynguist]

a classic. Music is so gooooood. Woodman, Wily 1, Air Man...sheesh.

[@DanJackson1977]

The lack of first party NES releases in 1989 probably wasn't due to chip shortages... Nintendo of Japan also didn't publish any 1st part Famicom games in 1989. The channel Famidaily has talked about this... the reason was that Nintendo was putting all of it's developmental resources into two areas that year 1) Gameboy games development and 2) Super Famicom development.

[@MacJake]

I never thought to use the Leaf Shield against those robot-bird-things

[@thomasffrench3639]

Yeah, despite me not being too nostalgic for this game as I only played it once years ago and no other Mega Man game besides 1, I decided to play all of the games in order recently, and while the other games added the slide, more balanced weapons and got rid of the slipperiness, there’s something special about this one. I think it’s the level design not having the lows of MM3, and it’s better level design over Mega Man 4 on average. I also love how this game has multiple weaknesses which was not as common in the later games. This game is just great and my favorite of the NES Mega Man games. Although I will never understand how people prefer Mega Man 5 over Mega Man 2, I totally get people preferring 3, 4, and 6; but that goes to show how amazing all of these games are.

[@BainesMkII]

I've always felt the slide and charge shot hurt the overall game design. To make the slide meaningful, stages were built around using it. But the slide is actually pretty limiting, both within its own design and with its alternatives. Within its own design, you can't shoot while sliding, you can't slide in the air, etc. And for areas built around using it, you either have no alternatives (sliding through a slide tunnel), or the alternatives are simply worse (the "decision" to either safely slide or to instead take hits because your run is slower or standing is higher profile). That goes for boss fights as well; before you had the option to run under or jump over bosses, but post-slide bosses were often designed so sliding was the "right" answer". Charge shot had a similar effect. It didn't really make the player stronger or give the player more options, it just meant enemies were now built around the player hitting them with charge shots.

[@FallicIdol]

Thats my order too followed by 1 for nostalgia

[@dmon007]

I've been waiting for this for a LONG time. Thank you

[@thefrozengoat]

My favorite NES game of all time! Defined the console for me. Played every single title that ever came out after.

[@bgpixlarn6855]

Man, what a poetic way to round up this episode. Stuck on the moon for so many years...

[@andremarc1275]

1989 and 1990 are my 2 favorite years of all time

[@realsquirrelhours565]

I always anticipate the Mega Man episodes, these games were my livelyhood as a kiddo. I remember the day I got this game; I was 9 and played deep into the night because it just immediately hooked me with how dazzling the music and gameplay were. It was so exciting to have a game that good in my collection when I had well worn out Super Mario Bros by that point. I still play it regularly to this day, although I think the first game still holds the record for most-played. Always love to catch the new episodes in general and it's great to see the series going strong still :)

[@pengwin_]

One of the core memories shared has to be lighting up your dark room with the flashing light of Wily's defeat.

[@realsquirrelhours565]

@@pengwin_ Oh yeah, the Mecha Dragon in particular exploding with the flashing background was so nifty, and then it just kept getting better somehow. Absolutely awesome experience and it never gets old.

[@irvyne6111]

I was obsessed with this game when it was new. But I have to admit, future games improved on it a lot. I understand peoples’ nostalgia, but I don’t agree with anyone who say it’s the best in the series.

[@thomasffrench3639]

I actually just prefer Mega Man 2 more than the others. It honestly doesn’t really matter as they are pretty much all the same game and of similar quality. With the exception of Mega Man 1 and Mega Man 5 they are all high tier games.

[@NeopToIemy]

I love when you include Nintendo Power info - pure nostalgia

[@kushviper]

Just rewatched The Labyrinth last weekend with a girl I’m dating. I’ve never seen or heard the word “oubliette” used other than that film and this video

[@Choralone422]

Mega Man 2 was the one NES game that I always wanted to own back in the day but never did. It didn't stop me from renting it about a dozen times over the course of a couple of years though! The game was just so good in so many ways. I still periodically listen to it's music to this day! Mega Man 2, along with Ninja Gaiden 2, were the first 2 games I ever really speed ran back then. While I never timed myself, I could finish both games from start to finish in under an hour and really enjoyed doing so repeatedly. My parents would remark at how I was "in the zone" during those play throughs and they always made me take a break after finishing a game since I would basically block out the world for a while.

[@jeremiahthomas8140]

The first Mega Man game I ever played, but not my favorite. My favorite is the original, but this one is right behind it.

[@fightrudyfight5799]

Mega Man 3 is the one that hits my nostalgia the most. Renting it as a kid and my brother watching me play it. Lots of fun but yea Mega Man 2 gets way more love.

[@thetylife]

Excellent video..I felt how much you love this game. Man..there are so many things I forgot it, but I still remember how OP the metal blades were...

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Such a great episode! And the instant I saw the overlay with the title of the game I could feel the 4k-ness and it is glorious!

[@ArborDaze]

Thank you so much, Jeremy. Been waiting for this one.

[@trav8028]

Beautiful game... I would say either this or the first Mega Man game that made me love this character so much as a 5 year old in ‘89.

[@EvanCWaters]

By now using the background for big boss "sprites" (or even non-bosses like the anglerfish) was a common trick but damn if they don't make good use of it. Also, again, there have been NES games with pretty good music by now but MAN MM2's score is full of bangers. Crash Man's theme is ludicrously good and the Wily stage music is iconic.

[@robertlauncher]

Fantastic classic. The soundtrack especially is up there with Castlevania and, well, Megaman 3 in terms of the best compositions to grace the system. The graphics are vibrant and the gameplay solid and exciting. And it’s almost perfectly paced! Turret Boss: Not you! Edit: lol the video showing it at the perfect point

[@Wadecounty]

You've extruded another terrific review, sir! Well done.

[@ryanstock648]

There is a subtle hint about Crash Man's weakness to Air Shooter in his stage: you leave the atmosphere and fight him in the vacuum of space.

[@unoclay]

"Creatively bankrupt kung fu heroes" WHAT A TROLL

[@DaneeBound]

The end credits got a little… shrunk while you were resizing the assets for 4K. oops

[@JeremyParish]

If Adobe Premiere doesn't revert some of my edits and changes during export, is it really even Adobe Premiere?

[@Ratralsis]

This was one of the first NES games I played as a kid when I would have been 5 or 6 years old. I had this one before the original, if memory serves (and it might not, because this was over 30 years ago). It took me many days of playing, and struggling to defeat even just a couple of the robot masters, to figure out on my own how to select new weapons from the pause screen. In hindsight, I have no idea how I didn't intuit it or understand from the manual, but the first time I learned how to use the Metal Blade, I thought I'd discovered a cheat code. And also, finally learned what those blue items enemies dropped did! Working together with my dad, we (okay, mostly he) eventually beat the game, and it was one of the proudest moments of my young life.

[@marcovarius]

Similar to how Mega Man 9 is a throwback to Mega Man 1 and 2. I really hope they one day make a 16 bit Mega Man X9 to call back to X 1 and 2.

[@unimpressedlink2507]

I sort of hope they don’t to be honest. Backtracking like that after the massive tease that is X8’s cliffhanger ending, it would honestly feel a bit insulting lol

[@guyrheuark3445]

I always like hearing you talk about games you love

[@pauldyson8098]

Mentions MM2's excellent music, cuts right to Wily state #1. Well done, sir.

[@JohnZyski]

I remember beating this game as a rental. Not sure how I did that.

[@kennethchia4194]

I remember how I did that, by playing the living hell out of it

[@apollosungod2819]

Simple, you forgot about food, friends and family as you were stuck in your NES for the entire rental period and even forgot about the toilet.

[@xxxmachoman96xxx]

It felt extremely validating to see the crash bomb wall boss appear on screen lining up with "Mega Man 2 has plenty of flaws..." Love the game to death although 3 has always been my preference.

[@milkcarton6654]

It's the fact that with the right weapons the game was easy that made it so most kids finished MM 2 which contributed to its classic status. I'd played the first one but the incredible difficulty made it so i never really wanted to replay it. I rented MM2 so many times however and finished it every time. I always said that an incredibly hard game has in my mind less chance of being thought of as a classic than a reasonably easy one. I mean not a game you just roll over but you know, one you'll finish with just a little focus and effort. Also, the Mega Man 2 NP issue is the first one i ever got, We received it for free by mail randomly, i imagine my brother and I had somehow sent something to Nintendo which meant they had our address, we had no idea this magazine even existed but we subbed right away

[@JoshSmith-ff8dw]

Keep up the great work Jeremy. Obliterated my bloated sub feed and you were one of the .1% channels that survived the cull. I'm sure you can rest easier now lol

[@JJMcCullough]

You should put that filter you put on the video of you talking on the footage of the games, so it looks like we're viewing the games on an old TV! That would be very nostalgic.

[@JeremyParish]

Filter?

[@JJMcCullough]

@@JeremyParish or whatever you do to get that effect. I miss seeing games the way they looked when I played them as a kid, more blurry and not full of these razor sharp blocky pixel edges.

[@JeremyParish]

Ohhh... you mean filming on a VHS tape.

[@JJMcCullough]

@@JeremyParish Yeah, you know what I mean though? How NES game graphics on the old TVs looked a lot smoother than they do they on modern computer screens, where the resolution has gotten so crisp you can count every pixel? Surely you must be a bit nostalgic for the old look.

[@robertlauncher]

I also recommend using the Buster on Airman instead of his weakness. There are times the lower tornadoes are just high enough for it to clear, and mashing it when he lands on one side of the screen or the other feels more effective than hoping the leaf shield doesn’t get bopped down by the gusts.

[@shingotink5062]

This will always be my favorite Mega Man game. It's a huge upgrade from the first game and paved the road for the later games some of which are probably technically superior, but I played 2 so many more times when it was released and since.

[@billcook4768]

The first time through some of these levels and boss fights, they feel impossibly difficult. By the time you are done with the game, you can breeze through much of it feeling like a god. That god-like feeling is what the best “hard” games create, and MM2 is certainly one of the best.

[@Smellbringer]

Actually the story I heard was that Capcom did let the dev team make MM2 as long as they did it after hours.

[@GameShowManOne]

The NES equivalent of Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan, and just as beloved and timeless. One of the system's supreme killer apps, brilliantly made, challenging but not insurmountable, beautiful to look at, and impossibly fun to play. And oh yes, it boasts THE best musical score on the entire system, by lightyears. It took other series like SMB, Zelda and Castlevania three games to really perfect, but Mega Man only needed two. If you haven't played it, you should, anyway you can.

[@ValkyrieTiara]

I have a lot of thoughts about this game who I, like many, had as a kid and played thoroughly over the years. Personally I prefer Mega Man 3 despite its considerable flaws, but there's absolutely no question that MM2 is an all timer. Great video as always, Jeremy!

[@esmooth919]

18:42 He's right about the whole player choice bit. For instance, if I remember correctly, quick man has more than one weakness: When you're done using the time stopper on him, he is also quite vulnerable to the explosions from the crash bombs you get from Crash Man, same as Flash Man. My problem is, I can never time those damn explosions properly, because like hyperbomb before it, it takes too long to explode it. Woodman, like the tree that he is, is also weak to the metal blades, which will come in handy when you inevitably mess up the atomic fire shots. Screw that weapon for its inefficiency!

[@ThomasMHead]

The first MegaMan made an impression on me with its Stage Select, roster of "Humanoids", and being able to adapt their Special Weapons. MegaMan 2 refined and expanded that formula; and, indeed, was near-perfect in its time. Later entries would build upon this; yet MegaMan 2 is the one I return to more than all others combined. It still really is that good. I have always loved this game.

[@Bakamoichigei]

Mega Man 2 is definitely going to be one of the first games I get for my recently acquired NES... Mega Man 2, SMB2, and SMB3 are the three NES games I have by far the most nostalgia for, despite only ever having owned the latter of the three. (And that was the first cart I picked up to test this new deck!) It may not be perfect, but perfection is boring anyway. Mega Man 2 is a _rock-solid_ classic. Rock on, Rock Man! 🤘