Well, it was only a matter of time before I played a game in this series.
When Mega Man Anniversary Collection was released in America, they kept the American version's title screen but added the "Press Start" sound from the Japanese screen.
Select Stage
As soon as you press Start...look at how much freedom you have. We take this for granted now, but back then nobody had ever seen a screen where you could pick any level you wanted before.
Unlike the other Mega Man games, this one only lets you select between six robots instead of the normal eight that would become a staple in the series.
Cut Man
First, it's on to Cut Man and one of the first (if not the first) well-known songs in the series.
Left and Right let you move left and right, B lets you shoot and A lets you jump. Select pauses the game proper (and only works in this game), while Start lets you go to the weapon select screen (which also pauses the game). Select your weapon with the Control Pad, then press Start when the one you want is flashing.
It should be mentioned that Mega Man does not stop on a dime in this game like he does in the sequels; he slides a little bit in the direction you were going when you stop.
After some of those flying divebombers, you'll see some new enemies that resemble little laser pods. Wait for them to open up and begin firing at them. The four bullets they shoot at you go in intermediate directions (10:30, 9:30, 8:30 and 7:30, respectively), so be careful when you tussle with one.
When you climb up the ladder here, you'll fight four more of these things. You'll keep fighting more of these little laser pods as you go up. When you reach the top of the building, you'll see what looks like a huge library book drop. If you walk past it, though, conjoined scissor blades come out of it and home in on you as you move around it. If you don't stop as you go past it, you'll be just fine.
You'll find what look like tiny robotic shrimp jumping around afterwards. These things go down in one hit, but they can be annoying at times. Then you'll meet what looks like a 4x4 square cross with an eye in the middle. These things will either move vertically or horizontally when they open their eye. Shoot them down as their eye is closed to deal some damage to them. Taking these things out is well advised, since they can be a pain in the butt in some of these tight spaces, especially later in the game.
The next few ladders have you fighting these things again as you make your way towards another ginormous library book drop. Get past that, then make your way to the right, take care of the three flying divebombers and take the large health power-up if you need it. Go down and you'll have to deal with some rather nasty flying spheres that move horizontally and stop periodically to open fire in eight directions. Thankfully, their lines of fire are all very linear.
When you've made it two screens down, watch out for the spikes. Unlike other games in the series, the spikes will still kill you even if you're flashing from making contact with an enemy or enemy fire. Sheesh, sometimes this game is unforgiving.
After a crusher robot that does a lot of contact if you're unfortunate enough to run into it, go through the door and you'll have to deal with spinning turrets. These things will fire in five directions, and they'll extend outwards and start spinning when you get close before they fire. They're easy to take down before they can do anything, though. Some of them will be on the ceiling, especially in later stages, so be careful with these things. Once again, their lines of fire are very linear.
Unlike every future game in the series, the corridors leading to the Robot Masters actually have enemies and obstacles, so when you go past the first door in the game, you're not exactly in the clear yet.
If you have Guts Man's power-up, pause the game to select it (it's the G, by the way), get near a large stone block (they look like brick walls) and press B to grab it when it turns white. Press B again to throw it. If any of the remnants of that block hit Cut Man, it'll do some major damage. If you don't destroy him with that, switch back to the arm cannon (it's the P on the weapon select) and take him down with it, since he's the easiest Robot Master to beat with the regular weapon, anyway. Cut Man will be knocked back when you hit him with it. Watch out for his scissor blades that he throws, they come back to him like a boomerang when they reach a certain distance, and the way they take the shortest route to him on the way back makes it seemingly look like it's homing in on you, especially when he's jumping. Fortunately, he's not too hard to take down with the regular weapon as long as you're careful. Rolling Cutter will soon be yours. Just grab the orb that drops down and you'll complete the stage and get your useless bonus points. You'll have to do this in every stage to finish the level, unlike in other games in the series
Elec Man
This stage is probably the hardest of the regular six. Either that, or it's Fire Man, since both have given me trouble in the past.
You'll be climbing a long vertical shaft for a while. You'll see a new enemy on the first screen: a low-lying spike trap that moves along the ground and cannot be destroyed unless you have Cut Man's weapon (signified by C on weapon select). When you're on the same level as this thing, it will accelerate in speed in an attempt to either hit you or get you to screw up on your jumping. Sometimes, it's definitely the latter.
The second screen is foreshadowing of sorts. The blocks with the two light blue spheres on them don't do anything...yet. Wait until you get into the next screen up. You'll find out they shoot out electric barriers at regular intervals. You'll definitely have to time your movements accordingly to keep from taking unnecessary damage, because these things can be annoying.
On the next screen, go back to the regular weapon. There will be six spheres on the screen, three on the left coming down and three on the right coming up. Shoot down the ones coming up as they open up their laser guns, and you'll take them down. Go up before the three on the right take you out, because it's a long way down if you get hit here! You'll be doing this for two screens.
Now you'll have to deal with what is a constant enemy of even the most avid Mega Man fan: the disappearing platform blocks. You'll have to watch these things in order to time your jumps right. The ones on this screen are simple, but in later stages (and later games) they can be a real pain.
After two screens of this, you get a horizontal segment where you finally hold Right on the Control Pad! About time! Go up the ladder, and you'll have two more to choose from. Take down the green robots that come after you in this vertical shaft, then make your choice. If you go up the left one, you'll have to deal with more of those low-lying trap bots. If you go take the right one, you'll deal with some electric barriers. The one on the right is easier, IMHO. You may feel otherwise. The next screen has those green robots again. Take them down before you get any higher.
Regardless of which one you take, both ladders bring you to a screen with three blocks you'll have to use Guts Man's weapon to throw around to get rid off. That thing behind them is the Magnet Beam, and you'll need it to finish the game. If you have Guts Man's Guts Fist or Elec Man's Elec Beam, you'll be able to get it. Otherwise, you'll have to face Elec Man, as there is no such as thing as the "Exit" item in this game. Yeah, that's right, the Robot Masters don't stay dead if you replay the level, unlike other games in the series.
Once again, you have a choice between two ladders at the next screen. The one on the left has low-lying trap bots, electric barriers, and electric barriers respectively on this and the following two screens. The one on the right has electric barriers, fewer electric barriers, and two shrimp bots and a Guts Man block. I prefer the left side, strangely.
After another horizontal segment, it's an easy screen followed by a screen with a crusher. Get past him, go through the door.
Once you climb up the ladder after the first door, you'll be waiting for energy beams to disappear before you can go further. Not taking damage here is a must, as taking a hit here will knock you off the ladder and send you back quite a ways, which is really annoying. Thankfully, these chambers are one screen wide in subsequent games.
Equip Cut Man's weapon and throw it at Elec Man. Stay far enough away from him so that you can avoid the electric beams that he fires. He'll go down in a few hits with the Rolling Cutter, which boomerangs back to you shortly after firing, sometimes allowing you two quick hits on Elec Man. You'll get the Elec Beam in no time!
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