Mega Man Zero 4 (GBA, 2005)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-7 Control-8 Challenge-8/7* Story-4
Level Design-7 Frustration-8/7* Fun-7/7.5* Originality-4.5
Overall Score-7
*w/ certain elves and chips+sub tanks
+
Some nice effects (transparencies, intro cutscenes)
Alternate weapons (start with z saber and zero knuckle (steal enemy weapons by finishing them off with it - Gaiares, select button to toss it away, pull Noble Mandrago out of walls+weaken the first mini-boss by pulling its cables+remove the shield from the turning cannon enemy+quickly pull the vine walls in the underground forest level, when charged up it's also effective to use it in-between charged saber slashes before upgrading the buster); shield boomerang, recoil rod, chain rod)?
Exit cleared levels from anywhere via the pause menu
Finally introduces some normal humans besides Ciel (refugees from neo arcadia being hunted by Weil)
Difficulty options (easy and normal by default+unlockable hard mode, easy=weaker enemies, 9 lives, start with 2 sub tanks and a level 5 cyber elf)
Good-very good bosses overall, Mini-bosses
Skippable cutscenes including in-game dialogue scenes (can't skip to the next subscene though)
Some interesting level gimmicks (artificial sun - find spots in the shade to avoid overheating while outdoors, particle beam level - similar to level 2 in rocket knight adventures, low-grav underwater and horizontally looping segment with a time limit - tech kraken, wind in Pegasolta Eclair's level and the tunnel with large fans - Ninja Gaiden 2, low grav/high grav fields+magnetic polarity toggle (pulls some floating hazards and repels others while also affecting your jump height based on the color of the floor in one segment) in one level)
Good variation
Weather effects via a weather machine used on the level select map (can toggle between two settings for the main levels to change either their hazards or layout somewhat as well as if a boss can use all their attacks or not (need to fight the harder version to get an EX skill from them), can't see in advance what changing the weather does to a level; similar to MMX and revisiting altered versions of levels for new missions in MMZ 1-2 however the effect is generally less significant here)
Chip crafting (combine parts found in the levels based on "item recipes" given to you by NPCs to make chips that you can attach to 3 body parts for upgrades like in the prequel - collectathon element, can make a chip without collecting its recipe first if you know how; double jump (MMZ 3), faster charging and auto-charging (MMZ 3), reflecting saber slash - see shield boomerang, no knockback - same as buffalo elf in previous games (also a chip in MMZ 3), enemy weapon ammo regen, erase - destroy enemy bullets (MMZ2-3), splash jump - bounce on water surfaces (MMZ 3), longer invincibility time, prevention from ice/wind/magnet effects, etc.)
Good flow overall (exceptions: the artificial sun level's mini-boss and the crab one take a bit long to go down, even better with galacta armor if you're good)
Some environmental effects (can use some enemy weapons or EX skills to reach new places - melt snow blocks with a fire attack or freeze water fountains with ice to create platforms (both are optional and the latter can be replaced with double jump)+put out some fire in one level (only used once though and not really needed), some enemies can burn away part of the environment)
New base (caravan which expands to a nearby settlement after the first level)
Some alternate paths and hidden items
Use parts of some enemies as moving platforms by destroying them the right way
Button config, Can turn off double tap to dash/command dash (it's already mapped to L - was fairly easy to do by mistake)
Mission select map shows boss names and portraits (MMZ 3)
Bosses mock you if you lose against them (MMZ 3)
Some side objectives within missions
Can use double jump and splash jump to get to some optional items
Some interesting EX skills (time stopper shot - stun enemies within a small AoE field with a charged buster shot, tractor shot - energy projectile absorption sphere (buster) which can be used as a melee weapon, exploding fire elemental buster shot (interesting in that it goes past some enemy protection), sky chaser/downstab which causes some splash damage when landing, thunder stab - dash stab which causes thunder balls to crawl along the walls to either side if you hit a wall with it, ice javelin travels through enemies and you can keep up with it by dashing to hit more of them with one shot)
One decent optional puzzle (using the lightbulb as a flashlight to guide the scrap-elf towards a light beam and kill it in the hibernation chamber level)
One themed gear set (galacta armor - equip junk head/body/foot parts only, double damage dealth AND taken so it's a risk/reward thing)
+/-
New cyber elf system - single elf which lets you combine the effect of three different normal elves and you get to toggle each one on or off on the fly (there's also a leveling system which decides how many of them can be used at once and at what level without getting points deducted from your ranking after completing a level, you increase the level by feeding it crystals found in levels and by beating bosses and it gains three new abilities per level; however you can't skip the previous level in either of the triple elf's "skill trees" (nurse/health, animal/mostly movement, hacker/combat) to not go over the current max level - somewhat confusingly you can only use one of the elves in each category at the same time (so if you set it to level 2 for the first category for example then it skips the first one which is the one that occasionally drops small health drops)), The system replaces regular cyber elves - no single use elves here
The leveling system for the new elves (and the crafting system) lets you spend time grinding for crystals to be able to get a higher rank while making use of the various buffs
Rank is only for bragging rights here (in the prequel it affected if you got a level's EX skill or not)
Five save slots (save in the base in-between levels - six slots in MMZ3, shows current rank and time taken), Lives system (pretty frequent checkpoints, can find 1-ups in levels)
You can now hang onto certain pipes in the ceiling or other places (similar to Ninja Gaiden 3 or NG SMS) and jump upwards from that position) - a bit clunky to use though as you can't move horizontally while holding onto something and you can't use enemy attacks
Can't dash or jump cancel out of an attack animation (about 0.3 seconds of movement delay if you complete a 3 slash combo)
Less linear again (can choose between 8 boss levels at once again after an intro level and 1st level (no dynamic difficulty balancing though) - after beating 4 of them there's also a level where you have to defend the settlement from attack and then another where you have to save Neige, after beating all eight and the first finale level there's a non-linear level where you can choose the order in which you do its four paths)
Fairly challenging intro stage boss
Enemy weapons are thrown away as soon as you switch to a different weapon in that slot
Sub tanks return (4 in total, have to find 2 of them in certain levels and exchange S-crystals (crafted items) for 2 more)
Spikes and pits are fairly common
Off screen enemy respawning (can be annoying in some vertical segments)
Short pause whenever you pick up health (gives the game a classic MM feel but it can be distracting)
Can sometimes melee attack through walls
Getting a high rank means you have to rush through stages as well as know the patterns (this clashes with exploring for items)
Harder to get a high rank early on unless you play the right levels (mandrago, kraken, pegasolata)
3 armor parts that you attach chips to like in MMZ 3 rather than the different forms in MMZ 2 (can only use one chip per armor part at a time)
The mettaur and seashell-like enemies can both be used as a shield though it won't block enemies moving into you and is pretty small
Elf that disarms deadly traps like spikes is replaced by the Strong chip (you still take damage here so it's not quite as OP unless you get the best version (Strongest))
Can equip 5 EX skills at once but only one buster skill at a time (time stopper, tractor shot, ice javelin, burning shot)
Best HP upgrade elf+fastest charge speed chip are a bit OP when combined (even more if you get more than one sub tank)
No Ultima foot chip (MMZ 3 chip which combined all foot chips) or shadow dash (dash through enemies) upgrades here
The Quick chip doesn't stack with the "faster movement" elf (would've probably made it too hard to react to danger anyway)
No generic elemental chips which make all charged slashes elemental here (the specific EX skill moves are a bit less flexible to use at first but after you have a few you can use them right after each other)
Can hit an enemy two times with a single jump slash by turning in mid-air (more with double jump? can also do a jump slash before a combo to get another quick hit in)
Robot dragons replace the golems from MMZ 2
Boss gauntlet before the finale (same bosses but sometimes harder arenas)
The floating bomb enemies are only used to break walls at two points here
Can only use one satellite elf at a time here
Rehashes various enemies and hazards
Bosses have fairly long invincibility times after taking damage
No ladders
If you let go of a charged main and sub weapon at the same time then only the main weapon fires/slashes
Zero appears to die in the ending
-
Missable EX skills (can't refight bosses so if you use the easier weather setting for a level you miss out on that boss's skill - which setting is harder+lets you gain the skill isn't explained in-game (it's the one where the border is flashing); mini-bosses do respawn)
Having to use the harder weather setting to get the skills discourages experimenting with the weather (the system still seems better than the rank requirement in the prequel but the latter could've been left in as an optional way to get them)
The game world is split into stages here as well (you can still revisit them though)
Can't fail missions and still continue the game this time either
Some control/interface issues (can't dash if charging your sub weapon (the weapon mapped to R) - have to actually let go of that button or you just attack with the sub weapon when pressing dash, can't keep dash jumping by holding down the button (like in MMX4), can't dash jump from climbing or hanging position, can't turn around or jump cancel during a combo (can do it in mid-air), kind of unforgiving hit detection on the upwards stab flame attack and certain moves of certain bosses (heat genblem in-between certain attacks, last boss's horn beam move where you have to grab onto its horn), the knuckle has very short range which can't be upgraded, need to pause to change elements and weapons (one of them could've been mapped to Select instead of tossing), no health bars for mini-bosses, the stab EX skill damages you if used against bosses since they still hurt you during invincibility time and don't get knocked back or stunned from it)
Trial & error (figuring out some of the best recipes, can miss one part type (moloid), some of the moving block rooms in Popla's level, can't check what a chip does in the crafting menu, can't ask where to find certain parts for chip crafting, some shots from off screen and some leaps of faith, moles in level 1, point of no return at waterfall in level 1 and in the hibernation chamber past certain doors (means you have to take the lower path in the beginning or you'll miss the card key which lets you get a sub tank here), boss patterns, can't revisit the first part of tech kraken's level, you don't know beforehand that the first part of tech kraken's level loops horizontally)
Too much dialogue (it's usually not that great)
Slower teleporting to levels than in MMZ1
No health restoration after a mini-boss
The layout of the settlement makes it a bit slow to travel through
Sometimes uneven difficulty (pretty tough mini-boss for the particle beam level and Pegasolta Eclair is tougher than the other bosses without ice javelin+double jump, Tech Kraken is pretty easy, Popla and Mandrago are kind of easy as well)
Most enemy weapons kinda suck (one attacks Zero when used!) and can't be charged up - quickly grabbing and tossing smaller enemies into other enemies is fairly useful before getting some buster EX skills though
Not being able to skip the previous level in an elf category's "tree" doesn't quite make sense at times since a later ability isn't necessarily better
Somewhat bland backstory intro (scrolling text only)
Minor grinding for parts (more if you want to try each chip, you'll still get health drops when at full health (would've sped up crystal and parts collecting considerably to only get those at that point))
Stupid motivation for the villains (destroy all nature and the environment! - everything is part of nature and you can't survive without it dumbo) and they tell you their plan as soon as you meet them plus they don't kill you when they have the chance and are all gathered in one spot
One of the rank titles is "supreme edgeboy" and another is "ruthless edgeman"
Can't quickly retry a stage after getting a bad ranking or review previous rankings (also can't retry from the beginning after restarting from a checkpoint)
Somewhat scratchy sound and wonky sounding guitar-like leads
Minor slowdown
Can't remove the small fires outside of one of the tents in the settlement attack level
Can't buy parts or trade ones you don't need for other ones
The mino magnus level mini-boss takes too long to kill
No chain rod (grapple hook+pull blocks) or recoil rod (high jump+bounce off of enemies to reach higher or push enemies away) here
No air dash move (MMX2?)
No hidden boss here
No EX skill for the zero knuckle
Some backtracking at one point (pull the switches mission)
Repeats some enemies in several levels
Still don't get to fight alongside the resistance army
NPCs just stand around in the base
Weaker buster until you get some EX skill shots for it
The "increase drop rate" upgrade should've been a chip you could get early-mid game instead of a later elf in the elf skill tree
The vine walls in the forest level isn't a fun gimmick
Missing a few of the better level gimmicks from MMZ 1-3
Somewhat blurry artwork stills
A few extra "boss transition corridors" here and there - dead space
Notes:
-Didn't fully level up the elf (requires some grinding for crystals)
Level Design-7 Frustration-8/7* Fun-7/7.5* Originality-4.5
Overall Score-7
*w/ certain elves and chips+sub tanks
+
Some nice effects (transparencies, intro cutscenes)
Alternate weapons (start with z saber and zero knuckle (steal enemy weapons by finishing them off with it - Gaiares, select button to toss it away, pull Noble Mandrago out of walls+weaken the first mini-boss by pulling its cables+remove the shield from the turning cannon enemy+quickly pull the vine walls in the underground forest level, when charged up it's also effective to use it in-between charged saber slashes before upgrading the buster); shield boomerang, recoil rod, chain rod)?
Exit cleared levels from anywhere via the pause menu
Finally introduces some normal humans besides Ciel (refugees from neo arcadia being hunted by Weil)
Difficulty options (easy and normal by default+unlockable hard mode, easy=weaker enemies, 9 lives, start with 2 sub tanks and a level 5 cyber elf)
Good-very good bosses overall, Mini-bosses
Skippable cutscenes including in-game dialogue scenes (can't skip to the next subscene though)
Some interesting level gimmicks (artificial sun - find spots in the shade to avoid overheating while outdoors, particle beam level - similar to level 2 in rocket knight adventures, low-grav underwater and horizontally looping segment with a time limit - tech kraken, wind in Pegasolta Eclair's level and the tunnel with large fans - Ninja Gaiden 2, low grav/high grav fields+magnetic polarity toggle (pulls some floating hazards and repels others while also affecting your jump height based on the color of the floor in one segment) in one level)
Good variation
Weather effects via a weather machine used on the level select map (can toggle between two settings for the main levels to change either their hazards or layout somewhat as well as if a boss can use all their attacks or not (need to fight the harder version to get an EX skill from them), can't see in advance what changing the weather does to a level; similar to MMX and revisiting altered versions of levels for new missions in MMZ 1-2 however the effect is generally less significant here)
Chip crafting (combine parts found in the levels based on "item recipes" given to you by NPCs to make chips that you can attach to 3 body parts for upgrades like in the prequel - collectathon element, can make a chip without collecting its recipe first if you know how; double jump (MMZ 3), faster charging and auto-charging (MMZ 3), reflecting saber slash - see shield boomerang, no knockback - same as buffalo elf in previous games (also a chip in MMZ 3), enemy weapon ammo regen, erase - destroy enemy bullets (MMZ2-3), splash jump - bounce on water surfaces (MMZ 3), longer invincibility time, prevention from ice/wind/magnet effects, etc.)
Good flow overall (exceptions: the artificial sun level's mini-boss and the crab one take a bit long to go down, even better with galacta armor if you're good)
Some environmental effects (can use some enemy weapons or EX skills to reach new places - melt snow blocks with a fire attack or freeze water fountains with ice to create platforms (both are optional and the latter can be replaced with double jump)+put out some fire in one level (only used once though and not really needed), some enemies can burn away part of the environment)
New base (caravan which expands to a nearby settlement after the first level)
Some alternate paths and hidden items
Use parts of some enemies as moving platforms by destroying them the right way
Button config, Can turn off double tap to dash/command dash (it's already mapped to L - was fairly easy to do by mistake)
Mission select map shows boss names and portraits (MMZ 3)
Bosses mock you if you lose against them (MMZ 3)
Some side objectives within missions
Can use double jump and splash jump to get to some optional items
Some interesting EX skills (time stopper shot - stun enemies within a small AoE field with a charged buster shot, tractor shot - energy projectile absorption sphere (buster) which can be used as a melee weapon, exploding fire elemental buster shot (interesting in that it goes past some enemy protection), sky chaser/downstab which causes some splash damage when landing, thunder stab - dash stab which causes thunder balls to crawl along the walls to either side if you hit a wall with it, ice javelin travels through enemies and you can keep up with it by dashing to hit more of them with one shot)
One decent optional puzzle (using the lightbulb as a flashlight to guide the scrap-elf towards a light beam and kill it in the hibernation chamber level)
One themed gear set (galacta armor - equip junk head/body/foot parts only, double damage dealth AND taken so it's a risk/reward thing)
+/-
New cyber elf system - single elf which lets you combine the effect of three different normal elves and you get to toggle each one on or off on the fly (there's also a leveling system which decides how many of them can be used at once and at what level without getting points deducted from your ranking after completing a level, you increase the level by feeding it crystals found in levels and by beating bosses and it gains three new abilities per level; however you can't skip the previous level in either of the triple elf's "skill trees" (nurse/health, animal/mostly movement, hacker/combat) to not go over the current max level - somewhat confusingly you can only use one of the elves in each category at the same time (so if you set it to level 2 for the first category for example then it skips the first one which is the one that occasionally drops small health drops)), The system replaces regular cyber elves - no single use elves here
The leveling system for the new elves (and the crafting system) lets you spend time grinding for crystals to be able to get a higher rank while making use of the various buffs
Rank is only for bragging rights here (in the prequel it affected if you got a level's EX skill or not)
Five save slots (save in the base in-between levels - six slots in MMZ3, shows current rank and time taken), Lives system (pretty frequent checkpoints, can find 1-ups in levels)
You can now hang onto certain pipes in the ceiling or other places (similar to Ninja Gaiden 3 or NG SMS) and jump upwards from that position) - a bit clunky to use though as you can't move horizontally while holding onto something and you can't use enemy attacks
Can't dash or jump cancel out of an attack animation (about 0.3 seconds of movement delay if you complete a 3 slash combo)
Less linear again (can choose between 8 boss levels at once again after an intro level and 1st level (no dynamic difficulty balancing though) - after beating 4 of them there's also a level where you have to defend the settlement from attack and then another where you have to save Neige, after beating all eight and the first finale level there's a non-linear level where you can choose the order in which you do its four paths)
Fairly challenging intro stage boss
Enemy weapons are thrown away as soon as you switch to a different weapon in that slot
Sub tanks return (4 in total, have to find 2 of them in certain levels and exchange S-crystals (crafted items) for 2 more)
Spikes and pits are fairly common
Off screen enemy respawning (can be annoying in some vertical segments)
Short pause whenever you pick up health (gives the game a classic MM feel but it can be distracting)
Can sometimes melee attack through walls
Getting a high rank means you have to rush through stages as well as know the patterns (this clashes with exploring for items)
Harder to get a high rank early on unless you play the right levels (mandrago, kraken, pegasolata)
3 armor parts that you attach chips to like in MMZ 3 rather than the different forms in MMZ 2 (can only use one chip per armor part at a time)
The mettaur and seashell-like enemies can both be used as a shield though it won't block enemies moving into you and is pretty small
Elf that disarms deadly traps like spikes is replaced by the Strong chip (you still take damage here so it's not quite as OP unless you get the best version (Strongest))
Can equip 5 EX skills at once but only one buster skill at a time (time stopper, tractor shot, ice javelin, burning shot)
Best HP upgrade elf+fastest charge speed chip are a bit OP when combined (even more if you get more than one sub tank)
No Ultima foot chip (MMZ 3 chip which combined all foot chips) or shadow dash (dash through enemies) upgrades here
The Quick chip doesn't stack with the "faster movement" elf (would've probably made it too hard to react to danger anyway)
No generic elemental chips which make all charged slashes elemental here (the specific EX skill moves are a bit less flexible to use at first but after you have a few you can use them right after each other)
Can hit an enemy two times with a single jump slash by turning in mid-air (more with double jump? can also do a jump slash before a combo to get another quick hit in)
Robot dragons replace the golems from MMZ 2
Boss gauntlet before the finale (same bosses but sometimes harder arenas)
The floating bomb enemies are only used to break walls at two points here
Can only use one satellite elf at a time here
Rehashes various enemies and hazards
Bosses have fairly long invincibility times after taking damage
No ladders
If you let go of a charged main and sub weapon at the same time then only the main weapon fires/slashes
Zero appears to die in the ending
-
Missable EX skills (can't refight bosses so if you use the easier weather setting for a level you miss out on that boss's skill - which setting is harder+lets you gain the skill isn't explained in-game (it's the one where the border is flashing); mini-bosses do respawn)
Having to use the harder weather setting to get the skills discourages experimenting with the weather (the system still seems better than the rank requirement in the prequel but the latter could've been left in as an optional way to get them)
The game world is split into stages here as well (you can still revisit them though)
Can't fail missions and still continue the game this time either
Some control/interface issues (can't dash if charging your sub weapon (the weapon mapped to R) - have to actually let go of that button or you just attack with the sub weapon when pressing dash, can't keep dash jumping by holding down the button (like in MMX4), can't dash jump from climbing or hanging position, can't turn around or jump cancel during a combo (can do it in mid-air), kind of unforgiving hit detection on the upwards stab flame attack and certain moves of certain bosses (heat genblem in-between certain attacks, last boss's horn beam move where you have to grab onto its horn), the knuckle has very short range which can't be upgraded, need to pause to change elements and weapons (one of them could've been mapped to Select instead of tossing), no health bars for mini-bosses, the stab EX skill damages you if used against bosses since they still hurt you during invincibility time and don't get knocked back or stunned from it)
Trial & error (figuring out some of the best recipes, can miss one part type (moloid), some of the moving block rooms in Popla's level, can't check what a chip does in the crafting menu, can't ask where to find certain parts for chip crafting, some shots from off screen and some leaps of faith, moles in level 1, point of no return at waterfall in level 1 and in the hibernation chamber past certain doors (means you have to take the lower path in the beginning or you'll miss the card key which lets you get a sub tank here), boss patterns, can't revisit the first part of tech kraken's level, you don't know beforehand that the first part of tech kraken's level loops horizontally)
Too much dialogue (it's usually not that great)
Slower teleporting to levels than in MMZ1
No health restoration after a mini-boss
The layout of the settlement makes it a bit slow to travel through
Sometimes uneven difficulty (pretty tough mini-boss for the particle beam level and Pegasolta Eclair is tougher than the other bosses without ice javelin+double jump, Tech Kraken is pretty easy, Popla and Mandrago are kind of easy as well)
Most enemy weapons kinda suck (one attacks Zero when used!) and can't be charged up - quickly grabbing and tossing smaller enemies into other enemies is fairly useful before getting some buster EX skills though
Not being able to skip the previous level in an elf category's "tree" doesn't quite make sense at times since a later ability isn't necessarily better
Somewhat bland backstory intro (scrolling text only)
Minor grinding for parts (more if you want to try each chip, you'll still get health drops when at full health (would've sped up crystal and parts collecting considerably to only get those at that point))
Stupid motivation for the villains (destroy all nature and the environment! - everything is part of nature and you can't survive without it dumbo) and they tell you their plan as soon as you meet them plus they don't kill you when they have the chance and are all gathered in one spot
One of the rank titles is "supreme edgeboy" and another is "ruthless edgeman"
Can't quickly retry a stage after getting a bad ranking or review previous rankings (also can't retry from the beginning after restarting from a checkpoint)
Somewhat scratchy sound and wonky sounding guitar-like leads
Minor slowdown
Can't remove the small fires outside of one of the tents in the settlement attack level
Can't buy parts or trade ones you don't need for other ones
The mino magnus level mini-boss takes too long to kill
No chain rod (grapple hook+pull blocks) or recoil rod (high jump+bounce off of enemies to reach higher or push enemies away) here
No air dash move (MMX2?)
No hidden boss here
No EX skill for the zero knuckle
Some backtracking at one point (pull the switches mission)
Repeats some enemies in several levels
Still don't get to fight alongside the resistance army
NPCs just stand around in the base
Weaker buster until you get some EX skill shots for it
The "increase drop rate" upgrade should've been a chip you could get early-mid game instead of a later elf in the elf skill tree
The vine walls in the forest level isn't a fun gimmick
Missing a few of the better level gimmicks from MMZ 1-3
Somewhat blurry artwork stills
A few extra "boss transition corridors" here and there - dead space
Notes:
-Didn't fully level up the elf (requires some grinding for crystals)