“Mega Man” Collection offers satisfying romp down memory lane

“Mega Man Anniversary Collection”

•••• (out of four).

Capcom for PlayStation 2 (also for GameCube), $29.99.

Rating: E (Everyone).

Ahhh, sweet memories. When “Mega Man” burst onto the gaming scene in 1987, I was instantly hooked. Who could forget the colorful, zany characters including Guts Man, Bubble Man and Plant Man?

I remember playing those games like it was yesterday. Mega Man’s blinking eyes. His dog Rush. His girlfriend Roll.

Wait, it was yesterday. The classic “Mega Man” adventures are back to play again, in the pixel-perfect “Anniversary Collection” for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube.

Thankfully, everything from the series’ first eight outings has made the jump to the current-generation consoles intact. In fact, a handful of extras also were thrown in to satisfy longtime fans of Mega Man, including parts of two “Mega Man” arcade games never before released in the United States.

Capcom cleverly made all of the game play additions (the remixed music, the rapid fire and the hint- offering Navi mode) optional, so you can blaze through the games the way they were, complete with the old flickering graphics and occasional slowdown.

But don’t let all of my fond memories fool you: This collection isn’t just about nostalgia. The recent “Mega Man” titles haven’t lived up to the grand tradition, and this collection underscores that. Even with the blocky, old-school graphics, these first games are some of the best ever made.

The play control is tight as ever, demanding quick reflexes and precision timing to jump and blast to victory.

While I could fuss over the lack of a controller configuration option (which GameCube players will find extremely frustrating as the jump and fire buttons are flipped) and the omission of “Mega Man Soccer,” you won’t find a more entertaining stroll down memory lane. Not for less than $30, anyway.

– Ryan Huschka, Detroit-Free Press