1Up: 4 Ways Mega Man Legends Beat Ocarina of Time to the Punch
Posted on November 30 2012 by Nathanial Rumphol-Janc
Often considered one of the biggest innovators in 3D Console gaming, is Ocarina of Time actually given a bit of unearned credit? 1Up was able to point out 4 key aspects credited to Ocarina of Time of which Mega Man Legends actually did first.
- Z-Targeting
- Facial Animation and Voice-Acted Cut Scenes
- 3D Dungeons
- An Interconnected World
Don’t believe your eyes? Well, of everything on the list, it’s the Z-Target that naturally garners the most acclaim. Here is what they had to say about Mega Man Legends version of this mechanic:
Mega Man Legends came into being in a pre-Dual Shock world, so Capcom didn’t have the luxury of a right analog stick that could effortlessly nudge the perspective in the proper direction. Instead, they implemented a lock-on button, previously seen in vehicle combat sims, but rarely (if ever!) in a character action game; pressing it centers an enemy in the middle of the screen, allowing Mega Man to circle around his foe and destroy it from a variety of angles. Ocarina of Time’s Z-targeting gave players a little more nuance, and required multiple enemies to wait their turn before taking a shot at Link, but Mega Man Legends’ targeting solution still felt sophisticated at the time—especially considering the PlayStation’s digital-only control options during its early life.
For those wondering, Mega Man Legends came out roughly a full year before Ocarina of Time. Of course, none of this ends up mattering. Who did what first, and who did it better, is practically irrelevant. The only thing this really gives us an excuse to talk about is Capcom, and why the hell they are forgetting entirely about Mega Man.
The last major Mega Man game that was being developed was given the axe, and it’s almost as if Capcom is just forgetting that Mega Man was essentially their mascot for years. I could go on and on about what Mega Man meant to my childhood, but instead I would rather like to hear about your own Mega Man experiences. Do you care that Mega Man did these things first? Did you play Mega Man when you were younger? What are some of your fondest memories?
