Mega Man Legacy Collection

Mega Man Legacy Collection arrived on the 3DS as a portable version of the collection that gathered the first six entries of the classic NES-era action platformer series, faithfully emulated and supplemented with a range of modern conveniences. Players could relive Mega Man's campaign against Dr. Wily across all six games on a single cartridge, from the pioneering first entry to the supremely polished sixth game, including the series' signature system of absorbing weapons from defeated robotic bosses, which can then be used to weaken their fellow bosses – a mechanic that made the series famous and remains one of its hallmarks to this day.

The collection adds features that make playing and studying the games easier, such as save states available at any point during play, a gallery of period concept art and promotional materials, and special remix challenges that combine elements from different entries into new, demanding sequences that test more experienced players. The sound stays true to the 8-bit chiptune music, among the most iconic in gaming soundtrack history, and even after all these years retains the energy and catchiness that made its individual melodies synonymous with the entire NES era.

Contemporary reception was largely positive, with critics particularly praising the care given to emulation accuracy and the collection's value as an accessible gateway to the classics for new generations of players who never experienced the original NES games. On the 3DS, the collection found its niche as an ideal format for playing in short bursts on the go, and to this day it serves as a reliable archive of one of the most important and influential action platformer series ever made. For many players, it was also their first chance to try out the difficulty the series is notorious for in a controlled environment with the option to save at any time, which made it easier even for those who had previously avoided demanding NES platformers.