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Welcome to another purchase reflection, where I walk you through my personal thought process when deciding whether to buy a game or not. Today’s subject is none other than MegaMan StarForce Collection on Nintendo Switch.
Again, I’m just like you, a Nintendo Switch gamer that doesn’t have the privilege of playing games early, meaning I need to rely on the same factors as you when deciding whether a game is worth my time and money or not.
That means my buying decisions are based on pricing, physical edition availability, marketing, available demos, and my experience with the franchise or genre.
And, based on all of this, I already concluded that I desperately need MegaMan StarForce Collection installed on my Nintendo Switch 2 as soon as possible.
Now, let’s go over why I think Mega Man Star Force Collection on Switch is worth it and why it should be on your radar.
Capcom Has Earned My Trust
First off, this will be the third time I’m purchasing a MegaMan Collection from Capcom.
The other two were the Battle Network and Mega Man ZX Legacy Collections. Together they feature some of my most memorable games from the Game Boy Advance era, and I was more than satisfied with what they offered in these compilations.
Since this trust has been built, I have no reason to doubt the quality of the MegaMan StarForce Collection.
Is MegaMan StarForce Collection Expensive?
MegaMan StarForce Collection costs €39.99/$39.99, and for this price you’ll be getting all 7 MegaMan StarForce games, whose prices have been steadily increasing in the retro market. So, if you look at it from this perspective, it’s not expensive at all.
However, you can argue that in reality we’re only getting 3 games, since there are 3 different versions of Mega Man Star Force and 2 versions for each sequel. We can all thank Pokémon for starting this trend!
Still, there is one thing that you need to know: this isn’t just a lazy port or ROM dump. This collection is packed with quality-of-life changes and new additions that make the price tag easier to justify.
MegaMan StarForce Collection Features
Let’s start with the display. The original dual-screen DS format has been adapted for single-screen gameplay, with adjustable screen layouts and a toggleable smoothing filter.
If you’ve played the MegaMan ZX Collection, you know more or less what to expect. While I’m not the biggest fan of the smoothing filter, I am a fan of being able to play DS games on my Switch!
I need to give Capcom props here for not being afraid of making these ports. It gives me hope that one day Game Freak sees this and takes some notes.
Then we have all the quality-of-life features that were already present in MegaMan Battle Network Collection and more! Everything from the Mega Buster Power-Up to easily dispatch your enemies, lowering the encounter rate, speed boost to traverse through areas faster, damage reduction, and many more.
That sounds terrible for someone who wants a challenge, but there is a reason you’d want to use this.
MegaMan StarForce Collection Has Online Battles and Trading!
Playing Battle Network online for the first time was amazing, and I can’t wait to try it on Star Force.
However, each version has an exclusive form, and you won’t be able to access the forms from the other versions. This means if you want to play with a different form, you’d need to play through the other game and build your deck up again.
Hence why the assist mode features are important—with them you can blaze through these games with ease.
And online also makes building your deck much easier since, besides battling, you can trade your chips! I know for a fact that I’ll be hopping on some Discord servers asking for help.
Why You Should NOT Buy MegaMan StarForce Collection
While I’m excited to purchase this collection, there are a couple of reasons why you should not.
First, none of the games included reach the same heights as Battle Network. While similar, the battle mechanics are seen as a step back from the GBA games, being less complex and slower paced.
The story takes an entirely different turn. We’re dealing with aliens, and the main character is not the hot-blooded Lan but Geo, a depressed teen. He does open up the more you progress, but the mood he’s in sets the tone for most of the scenes, especially in the first game.
I’ll be honest, as a kid I tried playing through the first game, and I didn’t get that far. But in hindsight, it’s probably because I wasn’t mature enough to understand its themes.
MegaMan StarForce Collection Doesn’t Have a Physical Release in Europe
This leaves me really sad. I live in Europe, and I know I won’t be getting a physical edition unless I import it, and doing so is always a risk since I might end up paying more than I should.
So, for all my European brothers and sisters, we’ll have to make do with the Nintendo Switch Digital Edition.
And this is important to highlight: there is no Nintendo Switch 2 Edition mentioned so far! But there are reports of the games loading faster on Nintendo Switch 2. And with the recent Handheld Boost Mode, we might be able to play it at 1080p in handheld mode, if it’s supported!
Should You Buy MegaMan StarForce Collection on Nintendo Switch?
I definitely recommend you give it a try, even if you have to wait for a discount.
As for me, the price is justified, Capcom can be trusted given its track record, and the fact that we can play online is the best functionality I could ask for.
Of course I’m afraid I’ll hit the same conclusion I did as a kid when playing through the original Mega Man Star Force, but I think this time I’m ready for what it has to offer.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll be seeing you in Online Ranked.
