Mega Man ZX successfully brought along what made the original Mega Mans so much fun while giving them an injection of modern enhancements. ZX Advent builds upon that premise by adding a few new elements to further modernize the series, creating a winning combination of shooting and exploration.

ZX Advent is almost a retooling of the original, essentially telling the same story but in a much more robust way. Instead of merely giving you the choice to play as a male or female character, Grey and Ashe in Advent each have their own story to tell (along with abilities and weaknesses), although they take place at the same time and have you battling the same enemies. The bulk of the difference comes in the dialogue and fully animated cut scenes.

Those who played classic Mega Man games already know how the game plays. ZX Advent is a side-scrolling 2-D action game featuring light platforming elements. A hunter camp serves as the hub area from which you will undertake missions, sending you off to a variety of locations that each culminate in a boss battle. Upon defeating the boss, Mega Man absorbs both its suit and abilities. As is typical in the series, different challenges arise throughout the game that require using these abilities to further progress. Each power is easily selectable via the DS's lower screen or by hitting the X button and scrolling through a list. Either way, accomplishing the transformation is quick. The abilities themselves are sometimes harder to pull off, entailing several properly timed button presses, and with so many powers, it isn't always easy to remember them on the fly.

Visually, the game is more than competent, featuring beautifully drawn, scrolling backgrounds and vibrant colors. The characters look great, although their small size does limit their attractiveness, but the animation is quick and fluid, making the game a very solid looking package.

ZX Advent also adds voice acting, a welcome addition, even though it sounds overly compressed with a slightly metallic ring to it. Furthermore, on a few occasions the voices disappear, leaving only text, which is quite noticeable considering how much voiced dialogue there is. The music, however, is pure joy. We have long appreciated Mega Man games for their spectacularly catchy theme songs, and ZX Advent doesn't disappoint.

Other embellishments include a revamped map system, which keeps you from getting lost in some of the more open-ended levels, even though the game is still incredibly challenging. Finally, there are a handful of mini games that you can unlock and play with a friend, providing some brief but fun distractions.

On the whole, ZX Advent is a very well rounded experience that is probably a must own for Mega Man fans of yesteryear who long for a return to the series' roots.

Our Final ScoreGood

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