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Like most fans, I love Mega Man 2. No ifs, ands or butts about it, Mega Man 2 single-handedly spearheaded my interest in the blue bomber and video games in general. That’s a tall order for any game to fill, yet as simple of a joy as the game is even today, there's something my ever-evolving self has to ask, has Mega Man 2 been hurt by the never-ending hype?
I ask this question because over the years I've seen other gamers continuously put other landmark titles I grew up with on unrealistically high pedestals. Final Fantasy VII may have been great adventure, but does a sealed black-boarder copy of the game really warrant four hundred dollars? Xenogears may have had a psychotically layered narrative that essentially turned it a playable anime, but was the game really perfect? Metal Gear Solid put you in the ever convincing shoes of a professional killer but can its aging gameplay match the cinematic quality of its story? Castlevania: Symphony of the Night may have some of the best level design out there, but was it hurt by the cascade of similar games that followed? As endless as these kinds of questions are to the people that played them, it's the rampant, blind fandom that ignores the obvious that makes one wonder how damaging such views can be.
Damaging or not, even after replaying Mega Man 2 for the first time in the last few years, I can't even begin to tear this game down. Sure, it's rather lax in the difficulty department, but that's an area I've never been too concerned with when it comes to games in general. Even running through the game like I was on auto-pilot wasn't enough hurt it, which leads me to wonder how one could even begin to take down a game like Mega Man 2 - a stake dipped in holy water? My guess is a good as any, but I wouldn’t count on it. It would probably just rise from the dead like Dracula.
Regardless of my ranting, Mega Man 2 is still the hallmark everyone remembers it being. Despite my attempt to approach the game from safe vantage point to avoid the disappointment that sometimes comes with reminiscence, my worries evaporated quicker than a snow cone on a hot summer day. Relieved as I am that the game is more-or-less timeless, I'm still uncomfortable tooting the game's horn, something I'm not afraid to do for the also stellar Mega Man X4.
