It was kind of a strange prospect for me to get a hands-on preview of Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection because a preview, by definition, is meant to give you, the reader, an idea of what to expect in an upcoming game. It is not meant to be overly critical like a review, just a little appetizer, so I struggle to think of how to approach this in a way that an announcement trailer could not.
But I am nothing if not professional, and CAPCOM was generous enough to let me take an early look, so I will do my very best to relay my experience to you, the reader. In a lot of ways, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a brand new experience for me as well. When it was originally released in 2007, I was in my last year of high school. Halo 3 had just come out, I was pretty obsessed with Guitar Hero, and I had just discovered Professor Layton and the Curious Village.
And while I was a huge fan of both the Nintendo DS and the Mega Man Battle Network series on the Game Boy Advance that preceded it, Mega Man Star Force seemed to totally slip by me. Thankfully, this collection arranges everything in a neat little package filled with extras alongside some genuinely impressive games.
“Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection feels like a true labour of love.”
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection feels like a true labour of love, since none of these games saw massive commercial or critical success when they first launched. Nevertheless, CAPCOM has put in a great deal of work to bring these underrated classics to the modern age. It starts with the most basic of conveniences: inclusion.
When they were first released, the Mega Man Star Force games had separate versions, not unlike the Pokémon franchise. Depending on which version players chose, Mega Man could access incredibly powerful transformations that not only increased battle capabilities but also unleashed devastating elemental special attacks based on the version selected.
Continuing the precedent set by the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, this new release contains all the individual versions of Mega Man Star Force 1, 2 and 3. It also includes brief explanations of the abilities each version contains to help players make their decision. On top of this, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection features a range of modern updates designed to make the experience feel fresh.
“Like any strong collection, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection also includes a wealth of bonus content.”
These updates range from cleaner pixel visuals to a newly arranged soundtrack. Players can choose to use the “original” or “modern” settings, or select a custom option that allows them to mix elements of both. In addition, the battle graphics, which were originally rendered in 3D rather than pixel art, have been cleaned up and made noticeably crisper and smoother.
Like any strong collection, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection also includes a wealth of bonus content, including concept art, finalized game images, artwork for all the games’ battle cards and a full jukebox for each title’s soundtrack. One of the biggest concerns for fans purchasing legacy collections is whether they include meaningful extras to properly celebrate the series’ history, and CAPCOM clearly intends to deliver on that front.
It’s been a pretty solid year for CAPCOM, coming out strong with both Resident Evil Requiem and now the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection. It’s good to see a higher standard being set with these Legacy Collections, and that CAPCOM, in particular, is still showing a massive amount of love to the Blue Bomber.
Mega Man Star Force Legacy releases for Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on March 27th, 2026.
