Right off the bat, it must be said that this game controls a lot better than the first game, with movement that is much less slippery and a bit slower to help keep things flowing better. This is indeed a Mega Man-style game and while it definitely does not live up to the best of the Capcom series, it is not bad at all. The are a series of stages to explore that start out feeling a bit bland and samey, but they soon pick up in intensity, both in terms of challenge and creative level design, creating a worthwhile experience.
It should be noted that this is not exactly like Mega Man, with some big differences being present. You will not be finding any new weapons or amazing power-ups, but this actually helps the game in some ways. The challenge is not in how to manage different powers against certain enemies, but how best you can make it using what you are given, which does change the experience quite a bit. You have techniques like a charge shot, and there is a form of powerup to get turbo shots, but how far you will go is all dependent on your skill.
There is a story in Cyber Citizen Shockman 2: A New Menace, and it is actually superior to the original game, with more enjoyable writing and characters. The Ryho Empire are great villains and the shades that serve as rivals give the villains a more personal stake. Whereas the story in the first game felt a bit random, everything is on point here and the experience is all the better for it.
There is something else that should be noted, and that is that Cyber Citizen Shockman 2: A New Menace breaks up the platform action sections, by adding in shmup sections as well. These take place in spaceship or submarine sections and are some of the most fun sections in the game, as well as the most creative, but there is a bit of a catch. These sections are far harder than the rest of the game due to how your life meter is handled, so they can be a bit frustrating, but at the same time, we have the advantages of Ratalaika’s porting techniques.
Ratalaika has, as always, added in a number of Quality of Life improvements with the emulation and features, such as rewinding and save states that will help you get past most of the game’s frustrating points. What is even better is that there are three choices of versions of the game to play: the Japanese original, the original Shockman translation from its first Western release, and a new localization that falls in line with the localization of the first game and keeps the continuity clear. There are also extra materials like scans of the instruction manuals, promo art, and some additional options to make the game playable to your liking.
Cyber Citizen Shockman 2: A New Menace is far superior to the first game, even with the radical changes in the gameplay style. The visuals and audio are amazing and have aged better than the first game, and the shmup sections really add a lot to the game to make it stand out more. This was a drastic shift from what came before, and it honestly feels worth it. If you like Classic Mega Man-style games or the earliest Mega Man X-style games, you will definitely want to check out this classic to see for yourself just how fun it can really be. This is an easy one to recommend.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
