After years of dormancy, the Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX games are returning in a Legacy Collection of their own.
Shortly after most of the announcement had already leaked, Capcom has announced the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch with a release date of January 21st, 2020. This is hot off the heels of the Mega Man Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Legacy Collection, which reportedly did quite well.
This collection includes six games: Mega Man Zero 1–4, Mega Man ZX, and Mega Man ZX Advent. It promises an artwork gallery, music player, and a new Z Chaser mode (which sounds like a sort of time attack) with leaderboard. The Zero games were notoriously difficult, so this compilation also includes a “Casual Scenario Mode” and “Save Assist” to let you enjoy the story at your own pace, building upon the features present in the DS Zero collection. The Nintendo Switch box art doesn’t mention any required downloads, so every game should be on the cart at launch.
The Mega Man Zero and ZX games appeared on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS platforms, respectively. They take place hundreds of years after the Mega Man X games and star either the sword-wielding Zero or a cast of new characters transforming into Zero characters through Biometals. They were notable for their use of alternative mission structures and a slightly RPG-like power-up mechanic. ZX allowed you to play as a male or female protagonist for the first time in the series, and ZX Advent, as well as sporting a metroidvania-like structure, also allowed you to control every boss you defeated. These were among the earliest games made by Inti Creates, who went on to develop the Mega Man-like series Azure Striker Gunvolt.
The Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on January 21st, 2020. Hopefully, after this we can see Battle Network and Legends compilations as well – and new games for some of these series, of course.