Mega Man Star Force: Dragon

Fans of the past Battle Network series may enjoy the little heightened difficulty. [JPN Import]

Mega Man Star Force can be either good or bad, depending on how you approach it. If you want something that's completely different and pushes the envelope, you'll likely be disappointed with the end product. On the other hand, if you've grown accustomed to Capcom reinventing its franchise series by increments, you might just warm up to Star Force.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, someone blue--that's what you get in Mega Man Star Force, the latest adventure of Capcom's ever-vigilant hero. [Oct 2007, p.88]

Still, overall it offers an enjoyable plot combined with a good battle system and interesting characters, making this latest Mega Man game a welcome addition to the saga not just for fans, but also for those wanting their first taste of the Blue Bomber.

Here's hoping that Megaman gets back to his roots in the near future. [Jan 2008, p.82]

In a nutshell, Mega Man Star Force is an okay game, but it's just too much like the Battle Network games to really warrant a purchase. The story is all over the place, the graphics and sound look virtually unchanged, and the attempt at making a new battle system just seems a bit lazy.

Despite the name change, Mega Man Star Force inherits all the traits of Battle Network – the good and the bad.

Despite various minor improvements, Mega Man Star Force isn't significantly different than the GBA Battle Network games.

We have to admit to being a bit disappointed at how similar Star Force is to the Battle Network games. We were hoping that Capcom would take this opportunity to reboot the series into something fresh. Instead, we have more of a sidestep than a step forward.

Mega Man Star Force Dragon is the proverbial Yin/Yang. The combat - the true essence of Mega Man - is engaging and complex if you want it to be, and can best be described with one word: fun. The battle cards, albeit contrived, add a nice flavor to the game and building your deck to suit your style is quick and easy. But the other side, the story and accompanying cut scenes, have the ability to rip you right out of the game to look for something else to play.

There’s potential here, but Capcom needs to put more varied action in this action-RPG.

Mega Man Starforce is far from a bad RPG. It's just doesn't do anything that hasn't been done better before.

A strong action RPG title that, due to a meticulous and inflexible storyline, is sadly at times as impenetrable as a remake of "Van Helsing" cast by the Goons from "Popeye." [JPN Import]

There's not enough of an RPG foundation to keep RPG purists' attention, there's not enough action to appeal to the mainstream gamer, and the linear feel of the game will leave most gamers feeling trapped (though there are sidequests here and there).

Mega Man Star Force, despite all the changes they have made to the Battle Network formula, still feels, plays, and looks like its ancestor.

Considering Capcom announced Mega Man Star Force 2 before this game even came out, that should be reason enough to avoid it.

The battles are stale, the storyline is boring, and the graphics are fairly weak; what more does I have to say to make you avoid this title?