So there are times when a game gets by on charm alone and there are times when a game gets by on its gameplay and design. Mega Man Legends is one that manages both very very well. It couples are fairly solid 3D platform map of the 1997 variety with dungeon exploration and a story, which for its time manages to pair childlike whimsy with actual relative depth. It's an example of the sort of post post-apocalyptic story we would see in shows like Adventure time and it also helps that it's actually fun to play.

Graphically they've managed to rig up PS1 polygons with this cell-shaded look which is vibrant and consistent and actually still holds up in a modern context, possibly more than it would have done at the time. It also manages to get all of this on a relatively small game size that doesn't require anywhere near the sort of load times that are often seen on the PlayStation hardware. The game runs basically instantaneously. In all cases you move between different areas and dungeons and there aren't load screens or at least not ones which are noticeable

The protagonists are the kind of '90s kids showed land which is perfectly serviceable and doesn't necessarily detract from proceedings. Really where the characterizations absolutely shine are in the villains of the piece or more the semi-villains of the piece. The Bonne family are a collection of sky pirate misfits that are utterly charming in almost every case, served by little Lego men style servbots who also just are the right kind of bumbling for Saturday cartoon show madness. but it's the World building that brings us into a more adult oriented Adventure. It has that hayao miyazaki kind of vibe where there was a world before that Maybe was even more corrupt than the world that we are faced with in the game, and that people live with this background of apocalypses beforehand. It reminds me very much of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or of Laputa with this ancient tech and theme of humanity’s repeated mistakes coming to haunt them. To me at least the immediate threat of sky piracy coupled with the mysterious background threat of ancient technology and the forces behind it marry up in a way that is thoroughly engaging.

The island the game takes place on is home to enormous interconnected complexes where the bulk of the action and the bulk of the mystery lie. Infested with killer robots and mysterious treasure in equal measure the game makes a corridor based shooting loop a genuinely exciting time through a use of atmosphere and a sheer joy of Mega Man's movement options.

Now you can tell this is definitely the early days of the 3d platformer, you have to adjust yourself to the eccentricities of a time before dual analogue was the norm. However despite a few wonky systems and the occasional frustrating mission it all holds together and is most importantly, fun.

If anything this first entry feels all too brief to me. Clocking, in my case, at a brisk 8 hours of playtime, having at least done some optional content and exploration. Admittedly this might be a product of the modern age where 40 hour sandboxes littered with activities are the norm. But the world of this game and the joy of controlling Megaman Volnutt made it feel like a mere first episode in a larger series (sadly not large enough), as opposed to a complete package in its own right.

If there is a single criticism it is that there could have been more of a difficulty curve rather than a single difficulty spike.