Collection essentials #82: Mega Man 5 (NES)

The Mega Man games just keep on coming. Mega Man 5 is another quality entry, though it doesn’t really do much that’s terribly new. The biggest thing it introduces is probably a recurring minor character named Beat, a little robot bird that helps out Mega Man. In this game, you have to collect a series of letters hidden throughout the stages to unlock the ability to use Beat, who you then are able to summon, and it flies nearby Mega Man ready to attack enemies until its ammo is depleted. 


One could also fault Mega Man 5 for not correcting a flaw in 4, that being the lack of practical use of the boss weapons. And this game even buffed (improved) the power of the charge shot which Mega Man can use whenever he wants. Mega Man 5 is still a wonderful game, though, since the formula it sticks so close to is a good one. It has what might be my favorite level in the series, which is Gravity Man’s stage (pictured), where arrows in the background pointing up or down will indicate the direction of gravity, alternating you between walking on the floor and the ceiling.

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