Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection [REVIEW] – A Revived Constellation of RPG Classics 

Capcom has been on an absolute tear lately when it comes to reviving their classic catalogue, and their latest effort, the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection, takes us back to the mid-2000s Nintendo DS era, shining a spotlight on a brilliant but often overlooked chapter of the Blue Bomber’s history. Bundling together all three mainline entries – including three variations of the first game, and two apiece for the sequels – you are looking at a MASSIVE seven-game package. And sure, it shows its age in a few ways, but this action-RPG compilation is still a deeply satisfying ride that Mega Man fans won’t want to ignore. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

If you have never touched a Mega Man Star Force game before, forget EVERYTHING that you know about traditional Mega Man platforming. As a spiritual successor to the Battle Network games, Star Force is a fully-fledged RPG. You step into the shoes of Geo Stelar, a kid who has completely isolated himself from the world following the mysterious disappearance of his astronaut father. His life gets turned upside down when he crosses paths with an abrasive alien made of electromagnetic waves named Omega-Xis, and by merging together, they can see a hidden world of digital creatures and fight off an impending intergalactic threat. 

Honestly, the story is a massive highlight here, with Geo’s journey from a closed-off shut-in to someone who slowly learns to trust and build friendships handled with genuine care, making for a surprisingly emotional triumph that I wasn’t quite expecting before playing. What is even more impressive is how cohesive the narrative stays across the entire trilogy – character growth isn’t magically reset between games, but instead, the cast matures, the futuristic world’s technology naturally evolves, and the stakes get higher, peaking with an incredibly exciting third instalment. You’ll want to stick with all three games to see the tale through to its conclusion, and believe me, you won’t be disappointed. 

“It breathes new life into a forgotten gem, offering a heartfelt story and addictive tactical combat that’s easy to lose hours with.” 

When it comes to combat, Star Force shifts the camera to a third-person perspective sitting right behind Geo. Instead of the wider arenas from the Battle Network days, you are restricted to moving left and right across a tight, three-space horizontal grid, and while that might sound like a downgrade, it actually makes fights feel incredibly fast and focused. You are constantly balancing your standard buster shots with a customisable deck of battle cards, all while throwing up shields, locking on to enemies, and timing your counterattacks… it is a brilliant system that rewards quick reflexes and smart preparation. The only real downside is that the core combat loop barely changes across all three games, so by the time you reach the final hours of the trilogy, things can start to feel very repetitive. It’s still fun, sure, but it lacks the strategic depth and sense of progression seen in similar RPG releases. 

Outside of battles, well… this is where Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection can show its age. Exploring the invisible aerial roads is fun, the dungeons usually feature clever little gimmicks to keep things fresh, whilst Capcom have done a stellar job adapting the old touch-screen mechanics for modern controllers, so things like drawing constellations work perfectly without a stylus. However, the mission design hasn’t aged gracefully at all – side quests are simple enough, but the game forces you to only take on one at a time, turning optional content into an absolute chore. The games also have a bad habit of giving you painfully vague directions, leading to plenty of aimless wandering until you accidentally stumble into the right cutscene trigger. It can make progression a real drag at times, again, especially when compared to modern RPGs that are often a lot more approachable within their exploration mechanics. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

Thankfully, Capcom have also packed this release with some modern quality-of-life updates that iron out a lot of the retro friction, such as letting you seamlessly tweak the old dual-screen layouts however you fancy. There are brilliant assist options too: you can speed up the gameplay, boost your money drops, dial down incoming damage, and even completely turn off random encounters when you just want to explore in peace, which does help alleviate some of the frustrations with the somewhat antiquated design choices within gameplay. 

There’s also a massive gallery with over a thousand pieces of art and a fantastic music player to dive into, whilst diehard fans will be thrilled to know that all the old Japan-exclusive physical event cards and crossover unlocks are fully included. However, there are a couple of letdowns in the modern polish. There is an optional HD smoothing filter, but it looks quite muddy, and whilst online multiplayer is included for battling and trading cards, there is no crossplay. Small things, sure, but the sort of things that would have allowed Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection to stand out as a masterclass of preservation and accessibility in gaming. 

Developer: Capcom 
Publisher: Capcom 
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3500390/Mega_Man_Star_Force_Legacy_Collection/