2. Mega Man 2 (NES – 1988)
Gotta admire a series that nailed it this early in its life. Mega Man 2 took the great simplistic action platforming experience of the original, and polished it to perfection, removing all the flaws the first one had. The sprite-work is timeless and iconic, even modern indie titles try to replicate this look. The soundtrack is obviously up there with the very finest video game soundtracks, and it is 8-bit!
The option to choose between 8 different stages from the get go, is an effective way to increase replayability. The fact that you gain different power-up, that all have their use against other bosses and for other challenges in the game, is such a sophisticated design choice. An the execution is just the best in this game. The difficulty is more fair than in other games in the series, while the challenge is still high. The length is satisfying, without ever dragging. This is a game that has truly stood the test of time. Now that Capcom has released the game in the Mega Man legacy collection on pretty much everything, there is no reason not to try this game.
