27/40

By Charles - March 15, 2026

I'm picking up the NES Mega Man series again with Mega Man 4. This game is the point in which the formula begins to be perfected, giving the developers the challenge of finding ways to keep things interesting. While 4 was never my favourite in the series, it still holds up.

Mega Man 4

NES, 1991

~$900 Sealed

~$60 Used

Other Releases:

Virtual Console

Mega Man Legacy Collection

Mega Man Anniversary Collection

Presentation

7

Mega Man 4 looks even better than 3 with more refined level tiles and backgrounds. Many backgrounds contain animations as well, making the levels feel more alive. The level bosses look great, especially some of the big fortress bosses. There's even a new opening cutscene. The composition of the music is pretty good, but the soundfront is very poor. Most of the instruments sound very grating and annoying. Many sound effects also sound very weird. Another issue with presentation is the new weapons screen, as it's not a pop-up menu anymore, slowing the gameplay. Energy bars also take forever to fill up, making things even slower.

The Robot Masters still have great designs.

Controls

9

Mega Man controls perfectly in this entry of the series. All of the special weapons have very unique and useful effects. Mega Man keeps the slide and also gains a brand new charge shot, which gives you a lot more flexibility in fighting enemies and bosses. This is a fantastic addition to the series and should have been kept in every game. There are also new secret weapons that help with Mega Man's mobility. Unfortunately, Rush is not very useful anymore. The Rush Jet was nerfed and is more annoying than fun to use, and the Rush Marine is still useless.

Backgrounds and level tiles look great as always.

Content

4

Spoiler alert - the NES Mega Man games don't get any longer. I beat the whole game in maybe 2 hours. The Stage Select system is great as usual, and a little more depth is added with the secret weapons, but there are still only 16 levels. The difficulty isn't terrific either. Most of the levels feel very simple, easy, and boring, while the bosses all have simple patterns but do way too much damage. You're given a lot of E-Tanks once again, so it's easier to just brute force your way through everything. Mega Man 4 is absolutely full of mini-bosses which get annoying very fast. Ring Man's stage, for example, has 4. That's not fun. I also don't get Eddie, who shows up to give you a random item. I like him, but I don't see what he adds.

Mini-Bosses are everywhere in Mega Man 4.

Fun Factor

7

Mega Man 4 is a solid title in the series, but it just feels like more of the same. It's well done and feels more refined than 3, but it's lacking in creativity and uniqueness where 3 excelled. The charge shot is neat, but it doesn't save the game if there's nothing interesting to use it on. This game is good but not great. I think the music was a big failure as the level music has always been a strong point for Mega Man. The tracks in this game feel out of place and make the whole experience a bit off. I simply got bored by the end, despite it being months since I played Mega Man 3.

Bosses are creative but have very few attacks.

Worth the Time?

Worth the Money?

If you've got to Mega Man 4, just keep going. If you have to play just one, this isn't it.

Unless you want a full Mega Man NES collection, I don't think the cartridge is worth it - Mega Man 4 isn't particularly iconic. Mega Man Legacy Collection is great for just playing.

Screenshots from [Mega Man X Legacy Collection] © [Capcom/Capcom], used for review purposes.