Continuing on from yesterday’s article about some of the smaller games from E3 2018, here are three more titles that I think are worth talking about.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection
The Mega Man X series is one of the best in the medium, boasting tight controls, stellar level design, cool characters, and killer soundtracks. Capcom is finally bringing Mega Man X 1-8 to modern consoles, and it seems as though this will be the optimal way to play the series in the future.
Every port I played felt perfectly at home on the PS4 and Xbox One, though I found the Switch controls to be somewhat uncomfortable. Because the A and B buttons are placed opposite to the PS4’s X and Circle buttons, the control scheme is reversed and awkward on the Switch. Still, the controls are as responsive as ever and the other consoles have far better (and more accurate) control schemes. Visually, the games are as nice-looking as possible. While the PS1 titles certainly look dated (largely thanks to their blocky text and compressed visuals), this is to be expected. The sprites are still gorgeous and full of style, which is what really counts in this type of game.
The addition of X Challenge Mode is probably the highlight of the package, as it combines and remixes boss fights from across the entire series. You’re given the ability to select a few weapons from across the X series to battle paired-up bosses with. These bosses typically share a theme or element (fire, ice, etc.), and often compliment one anothers’ fighting styles. It’s a creative and incredibly fun mode that I’m excited to mess around with, as it serves as yet another reason to pick up this seemingly stellar collection.
Ninjala
Ninjala is an odd 3D action game that feels like the colorful child of Splatoon and ARMS. You play as bubblegum-chewing kid ninjas who beat one another with sticks and shoot one another with gum bubbles. It’s a strange title, but I had fun playing it with the MonsterVine staff. Running around on walls and ceilings while blowing huge bubbles to smack foes with is certainly creative, though it seemed as though the person who gains the lead in the beginning is pretty much set up to win the match. Still, I look forward to seeing more about Ninjala in the future.
Hyper Sports R
A sports collection was the last thing I expected to see when I made an appointment to check out an unannounced Konami game, but that’s what I got. Hyper Sports R is a track and field (plus beach volleyball) game compilation that prides itself on its two-button control scheme. This simplicity does make for some short bursts of intense competition as you do pole vaults and javelin tosses, but I would imagine the limited controls would get boring rather quickly. The inclusion of a story mode and different character relationships is a neat idea, though the character designs are somewhat bland. I’m assuming the visuals aren’t final, as the models moved in a janky fashion and had creepily blank expressions. Hopefully these things improve, though we’ll see within the year.
Which of these three titles interests you most? Let us know in the comments below!
