This week, our guest writers wrap up their Mega Man Zero recollections with their final posts about Mega Man Zero 4. Today we have Protodude from Protodude’s Rockman Corner . Heat Man from the Mega Man Network wrote about his recollections yesterday, so be sure to check that out! Also, be warned, there are some spoilers in the ending paragraph of this entry. 

From Protodude:

The finale of Mega Man Zero 3 left gamers’ appetites wanting more. In response, Inti Creates quelled demands with Mega Man Zero 4, the exciting pivotal finale to the Zero quadrilogy.

Zero 4 immediately leapfrogs into the action: Humans, opposing Neo Arcadia’s growing corrupt rule, flee the supposed utopia in flocks — in caravans led by photo journalist Niege. Zero and Ciel find themselves in the middle of this pilgrimage, and as good Samaritans, aid the humans in their escape.

Hit the jump for more!

Shortly afterward, it becomes apparent that something big is about to go down: Dr. Weil, the de facto ruler of Neo Arcadia, plans utilizing the forbidden Ragnarok weapon to destroy Area Zero, one of the last remaining natural habitats that can support human life. With Area Zero destroyed, the fleeing humans will be forced to return to Neo Arcadia and back under Weil’s jurisdiction. Zero sets out one last time to put an end to Weil’s rule and liberate humanity from his grasp.

There was something about Zero 4’s presentation that made it feel like this was it; this was the end of the line for the series, and that the stakes were higher than ever before. Those final moments tied up everything so perfectly, so natural that there was, for the first time in the franchise’s history, no need for a sequel. Zero 4 marked the first time a Mega Man series came to a definitive end, not abruptly due to low sales, but because the story reached its ultimate conclusion — Capcom and Inti finally told a story from start to finish. No other MM series at that time ever actually “finished”, and for that, Zero stood out from its brethren as something truly unique.

From a gameplay standpoint, I felt Zero 4 was a small step up from its predecessors, offering only a more streamlined experience. More of the same, yes, but a bit more polished. With exploration stripped down to mere hallways, the game puts more of an emphasis on action than ever before. The Weather System allowed players to alter the layout of stages to their advantage/disadvantage, the Cyber Elf system was revamped once again with the abilities of previous Cyber Elfs available at your disposal from the-get-go; while the Z-Knuckle, the latest weapon in Zero’s arsenal, brought a bit of classic Mega Man series flare to the Zero series. The weapon enabled Zero to, literally, rip apart his foes and utilize their fallen parts as weaponry. It was a more extreme, awesomer version of classic Mega Man and X’s ability to copy the weapons of defeated bosses. To top it all off, Z4 boasted a new armor system which required players to gather parts and scraps form defeated foes to construct a variety of armors, which enhanced Zero’s various abilities. You could mix and match parts however you pleased, so you had this sense of creating “your very own, unique Zero.”

Finally, the introduction of an easy mode from the start made things a bit more accessible for series newbies, and taking a cue from Zero 3, Z4 offers a handful of mini games, should one grow tired of playing the main game.

*Spoilers Alert*

In closing, Zero 4 is a wonderful package wrapped in an excellent and satisfying plot. I came into Zero 4 knowing we’d see Zero meet the same fate as we had time and time again, so I was certain I’d feel nothing; I’ve grown accustomed to seeing Zero go out in a blaze of glory, mind you. However, I was wrong. I did feel something. The sheer epicness of those final moments, Zero’s selfless sacrifice, Ceil’s vocalized song (in the Japanese version, at least), and that final image — all of it got to me and I felt a true sadness in parting with the series.