Mega Man Zero (Game Boy Advance) review "The future is bleak but the gaming is bright."

INTI Creates was the team to bring to pass the dream: Zero as a main character. On the Gameboy Advance? Why, yes. Widely viewed as the spiritual and technological successor to the SNES, it was the most logical place to experiment with the presentation style of the X series that brought Capcom so much dough success. A little rough around the edges, this game is nonetheless the reinvention of something wonderful.

With the string of 3D adaptations bellyflopping into gaming ignominy, Capcom decided to reboot its much beloved franchise as a sprite based action platformer set 100 years in the future. X and Zero and their exploits are long forgotten myths and legends. We step into a world that has long left behind what we treasure in the present. So, after our intro and some familiar looking options, we begin Mega Man Zero with an on-foot chase scene.

A handful of eerily familiar blue robots and scary big robots are chasing a cute girl! That can’t be good. She’s protected by some soldiers who bite the bullet in the first few seconds. Poor saps didn’t stand a chance, and the tone of our story is set right before our eyes. This is a sad, bloody tale. Not your grandpappy’s robots-at-war platformer. The music is dripping with tension that tells us all is not well.

After this segment, what amounts to an extended cutscene, the cute girl and her surviving soldier find a massive and oppressive locked door. This must be the place. There’s just enough time to blast it open and rush in—we won’t think too hard about the fact that nobody can do more than a brisk jog. The atmosphere is detailed and well animated. We can forgive some weaknesses. What happens next?

Zero happens. Zat’s right, grandfolk and kiddies. Zero is resurrected, though he doesn’t look like the hero we know so well. The story tells us it’s him, and we want to believe it. Yes we do. As the player, however, this is where your introduction to his new play style happens. Things are different enough to be interesting and really tedious, but not right away.

For now you’ve got a handheld buster. No more transforming limbs, Zero wields a weapon with curious recoil reduction. Energy weapons with recoil? Maybe we’re thinking too hard about all of this. Your duty, as Zero, is to protect Ciel, and the enemies are...inconsistent. Having been chased by gut wielding robots through a forest, the door we walk through leads back into a laboratory full of mechanical spiders and sluggish, zappy blue robots?

No, stop that, you’re thinking too hard. Ciel has just been grabbed by what she calls a Golem, and warns you that your buster won’t beat it. Well, rats! Which is what Zero says, before a strange voice on a screen bestows upon you the Z Saber. Finally! A useful instrument of destruction! With it you make shorter work of the Golem than you will of any in the future.

But we won’t worry about that now. You’ve got other problems to solve. First of all, Zero has hibernation sickness, and doesn’t remember who he is. There’s not a whole lot of development in this area. He’s functionally the Hero With No Name. That’s fine, but it comes with some game mechanic baggage that really isn’t at all. The story is nuanced, and throughout the Zero series is a particular strong point with a large scale, sweeping scope.

Meanwhile, Zero has forgotten how to use all of his weapons. Double rats! You have two to work with, and they have a rank, which will increase as you slice up enemies. Having rescued Ciel and found a way back to her headquarters, you learn that the legendary hero X is retiring her friends in the name of glorious Neo Arcadia, where the last stronghold of the humans survive. The story goes on like this, and you’ll learn the truth behind things as you play.

It’s going to be more than a bit annoying building up Zero to be strong enough to take on the missions Ciel will offer you. Each is varied and interesting, though Zero is just as much a paper tiger as he always has been, until you rescue the “elves” Ciel has created. Each has a specific function, though reading their single line dialogue doesn’t do much to tell you just what. Feed them E-crystals to evolve them and obtain the boon of their augments. Each falls into one of three categories: Nurse for health augments and healing; Animal for physical abilities and upgrades; Hacker for messing with the world, doing stuff like reducing a boss’ health.

While we’re on the topic of ranking things up and missions, you are assigned a rank for your performance out in the field. S, A, B, C and D, with S as the highest and D as the lowest. You’ll also be given a Code Name, which is a clever touch. The higher your rank, the more access to secrets you’ll have. Headquarters has a few secrets of its own and you’ll be given good cause to explore and defend the multilevel underground stronghold.

The whole mission system is interesting as well. Instead of levels and bosses to chase down, Ciel offers a selection of missions and the story and events just happen as you play. It’s all quite immersive and engaging. Some missions are rather difficult, and can eat up time with you trying to figure out how to best achieve the objective. Bosses don’t always appear at the end of a stage, as well, and unexpected encounters will keep you on your toes, just as the dialogue will pique your curiosity.

Between missions you can explore the surface and tackle respawning enemies to build up your weapon ranks. Useful, but annoying. This would be addressed in later titles. Now, unlike past Mega Man titles, Zero does not acquire weapons from the bosses he defeats. Instead, he picks up a few elements—three, to be exact—which he can select that will increase the amount of damage done to certain enemies, including bosses. You won’t encounter the Spark Mandrill effect in this game, no sir.

As for its setting, the Mega Man series has never been this well written, or thoroughly world-built. The attention to detail plays right into the interface, which reflects the rough soldered reality in which Zero flounders. We’re treated to character portraits as well in dialogue, though they’re not so polished looking. In some places it’s easy to tell what was rushed, or needed more development time.

Not to say that Mega Man Zero is a disappointment. As mentioned, it has logistical and game mechanic weaknesses, but overall this is a well developed package, especially for a first outing. Its music rocks hard when it needs to and makes good use of the limited memory of the GBA. We even get an interpretation of Zero’s theme from the SNES and that helps strengthen the nostalgic effect.

With the ability to switch between two weapons, INIT Creates has thankfully given us the ability to change the control configuration on the fly. At any time you can remap your buttons, or choose from two standardized presets. Weapon switching offers three modes as well, which is essential for the reduced button layout of the GBA. With just two shoulder and face buttons, control scheme options are indispensable.

Even though Mega Man Zero has some teething pains, it nonetheless sets a rock (pun intended) solid foundation for players. We have an interesting world to explore, deep lore that examines the past with differing perspectives, and new characters with well thought out motivations to get to know. The platforming is more challenging than in the past, but as dyed-in-the-wool platforming pros, that makes sense. What comes next after all of the people saving leaves us wanting more and that’s exactly what we want. The future is bleak, but the gaming is bright.

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Community review by hastypixels (September 08, 2025) Retro, and moreso all the time.