Megaman Battle Network 2

Three months have passed since the internet crime organization World Three was defeated by Lan and his virus-busting pal, Mega Man.exe. Just as the world began to feel safe, a new threat rears its digital head: an evil Internet syndicate called the Net-Mafia Gospel. Will Lan and Mega Man be up to this new challenge?

The gameplay of Mega Man Battle Network 2 is almost identical to the first game--it’s an isometric RPG with a great battle system. You spend half the time in the "real world" as Lan, and the other half in the Internet as the anti-virus program Mega Man.exe. Solving puzzles and getting power-ups (and of course fighting baddies) is the core of this game.

The crowning glory of Mega Man Battle Network 2 is its battle system. The arcade-style battles are still in real-time. However, there are some important changes from the first game. Mega Man doesn’t automatically regain HP after a battle--he needs to find special chips to help him regain health. Also, there are now four battle-styles from which Mega Man can choose, depending on the type of chips he collects: heat, aqua, wood, and electricity. These chip types affect Mega Man's effectiveness against different enemy types. The battle screens have also changed; unique terrains now make battles more varied. And lastly, there are now over 200 chips to collect.

Mega Man Battle Network's story was a little shallow, and geared toward a younger crowd. While Battle Network 2 is still rated for ages three and up, the story is darker and fuller--and with an enemy like the Net-Mafia Gospel, the story now becomes a definite plus to the game.

Mega Man Battle Network 2 clearly upgrades all the good parts from the original game with some refreshing refinements. This is a must-have for any Mega Man or RPG fan.--Bryan Karsh