In a time where fragile peace is preserved through extreme force, an intelligent young girl and her band of freedom fighters make a desperate gamble. Fighting their way to the ruins of an abandoned laboratory, they awaken the slumbering robot warrior known as "Zero", a hero of legend who saved the world in centuries past. Zero quickly lives up to the stories; strong and steadfast, he wastes no time in fighting for the safety of the innocent. There's just one problem: Zero has lost his memory. Figures both old and new rise from the rubble of the legendary hero's murky history, and as Zero carves his chosen path he steadily moves closer to the truth of both the world and himself.
Agile and mighty, the strength that lent to Zero's legendary reputation is always within reach of the player. Metal-rending slashes and canyon-crossing leaps are available at the press of a button, and an extended arsenal of weapons allows Zero to showcase his combat prowess in ways never thought possible.
Experience a steadily unfolding story over four games as Zero faces this fierce world full of even fiercer foes, each with their own motivations and beliefs. Become the legend, and stay true to yourself in this harsh future!
Hey, is this really supposed to be "Mega Man"?
Though it didn't start that way, Mega Man is a franchise that has become more about a legacy than a single character; All Mega Man games belong to a possible subseries, and though there may be commonalities between them (such as a blue hero, a red rival/ally, and the ability to use the powers of your foes), some subseries are content to diverge entirely. Mega Man Zero is one of the many subseries that make up the Mega Man franchise; it's the fifth series release-wise (with its first game dropping in 2002), and the third in the main timeline's chronology (coming after Original and X, but before ZX and Legends). With its darker storyline, more modern anime influenced visuals, and emphasis on close combat, it's also easily one of the most drastic departures for the franchise to date!
The "Mega Man" of the Zero series is Zero, who was previously the deuteragonist of the Mega Man X series. Unlike the other protagonists, Zero is a red-armored character in a pointy helmet, rather than a blue-armored character in a round one. He is also presented with a stoic, resolute disposition, lacking the more openly kindhearted outlooks of the heroes before him. Probably most distinct about Zero, however, is his preference for close combat. Unlike prior main characters in the franchise, Zero loves to mix it up close with his Z-Saber, though he's just as capable at ranged play too.
Mega Man Zero was one of the first games I ever played for the Game Boy Advance, though my first experience with it was actually through using an emulator! I started with Mega Man Zero 4 and didn't understand the specifics of the plot; I was just happy to get right into cutting up robots. Prior to that, my only experience with Mega Man were a few flash games and the first Legends game. I was drawn in by its unique and striking art style, its desolate world, and the surprisingly involved storytelling for a series of games that had up to that point, been relatively simple affairs. Mega Man Zero uniquely ignores the "one self-contained plot per game" approach of Mega Man X and instead commits to telling an overarching narrative through its quadrilogy. Through all four games you'll follow Zero and various other characters as they work steadily towards a better future. Probably most remarkably is that each game has a completely different main antagonist! While the original Mega Man always had the threat be Dr. Wily, and Mega Man X's main threat was always Sigma in some form, Mega Man Zero has four different main antagonists, as well as several memorable minor villains too. Each of them have their own motives, backstories, and connections to the hero, and it helps give the stories the narrative punch they deserve.