It’s hard to find a fan of video games who would argue that Mega Man isn’t a classic. It took a platforming game at a time when that was the dominant genre in the industry and turned it into a successful franchise. While a lot of games tried to tweak their formula with every installment, Mega Man took what was working and didn’t try to reinvent its gameplay.
Even when the games moved to a next generation of console, they still remained true to the story and the style play that fans have come to know and love. Here is a list of games that Mega Man fans would enjoy.
10 Lies Of P
Lies Of P is a game that’s completely separate from Mega Man in terms of genre. It’s an action-adventure that is extremely difficult in a way that Mega Man just can’t seem to match given its rudimentary style of play. However, fans who love the lore and story behind Mega Man’s mythology will find something to enjoy in Lies Of P.
The story follows a very similar path about a robot uprising and a unique robot that has to go out and stop the takeover.
9 Carrion
Carrion is another game that may be surprising on a list of games similar to Mega Man. It also may be the most unique. It’s about a blob monster stuck in a lab that has to traverse the facility through vents, killing people along the way and growing in strength in order to escape.
Mega Man has nothing to do with that. But Mega Man does have a very strong 2D side-scrolling format, which Carrion takes full advantage of in a very original and horrific way.
8 Cuphead
In many ways, Cuphead is the natural evolution of the Mega Man genre. It has a strong emphasis on side-scrolling and defeating enemies in a level before taking on very difficult bosses.
The main difference between the two games is in the form of art style. Mega Man is heavily influenced by the 8-bit generation of gaming while Cuphead is inspired by the Golden Age of Animation. Despite these differences, the gameplay similarities should be enough for fans of one to also be fans of the other.
7 Super Mario Bros.
In terms of sheer popularity, Super Mario blows Mega Man out of the water, which is saying something given how large of a fan base Mega Man has. But there’s a reason for this. Mario has a much simpler 2D side-scrolling format.
It also is a lot more whimsical as Mario fights anthropomorphic turtles instead of revolting robots. Mario’s style of levels may differ from the way Mega Man does things, but the platforming nature of both games is similar enough that fans of the genre can see some crossover.
6 Super Meat Boy
While playing Mega Man, players may want to take their time and have patience when traversing the levels. Super Meat Boy takes things in the opposite direction by ramping up the intensity and speed of play.
Both games focus on a 2D art style and platforming, but they take their gameplay in two opposite directions. That doesn’t mean Mega Man fans won’t enjoy Super Meat Boy. It just means they are going to have to expect a certain level of difficulty when navigating its levels.
5 Journey To Silius
When games come out today that are inspired by Mega Man, they’re doing so out of nostalgia. But when Mega Man was first released, it had the type of style it did out of necessity. So many other games released during that time had a very similar world of play, as well.
Journey To Silius is one of them. It never spawned a huge franchise the way Mega Man did, but for players who grew up during that era, the game created a world that is very similar to the Blue Bomber.
4 Mighty No. 9
This is the game on the list that most closely resembles Mega Man’s long legacy, and that’s not by accident. The game was designed by a project lead who actually worked on previous Mega Man titles. It’s even considered a spiritual successor to Mega Man by many.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the game promised to be extremely influenced by Mega Man in terms of level design, character concepts, and style of play. It did not receive the reception that many Mega Man fans were hoping for, but it’s still worthy of trying out.
3 Shovel Knight
The great thing about the indie game revolution is that it’s empowered a lot of developers to try new and interesting things while paying homage to the games that came before it. Shovel Knight is a great example. It’s about a knight that traverses levels and takes out bad guys using a shovel as a weapon.
It’s a ridiculous premise, but that’s kind of the point. It uses the Mega Man style play as inspiration to do something wild and crazy that fans will enjoy.
2 Neon Abyss
It’s hard not to see the influence Mega Man played on Neon Abyss. Because of the time of its release, the very first Mega Man games were very limited in what they could accomplish. They had classic platforming levels, blasting enemies, and facing difficult bosses.
Neon Abyss takes this same concept and blows it up in scope. The levels are bigger, there are more collectibles, and the characters are more elaborate, but the heart of the gameplay remains the same. It’s a 2D side-scrolling game that’s all about taking out enemies.
1 Dead Cells
It’s hard to find a game that’s more intense and difficult than Dead Cells. Like Neon Abyss, Dead Cells is a game that forces players to undergo runs. Players have to try to go through the game from beginning to end, starting from scratch every time without weapons or abilities.
Mega Man had a much more simple style of play, but the foundations for what Dead Cells would become can be seen in the early Mega Man installments. For fans of the classic franchise looking for a challenge with hard bosses, Dead Cells is a no-brainer.