Mega Man Zero 4



Mega Man Zero 4 is the fourth and last game in the Mega Man Zero line of Game Boy Advance games, in the Mega Man series made by Capcom.

Gameplay
The gameplay still remains the same as its predecessors. Zero still must navigate through tough obstacles while fighting and destroy Mavericks. The customization system from the third game returns in a more complex, detailed form. Players can mix and match different chips for Zero's body to modify and improve his abilities. In addition, the EX Skills return again. However, the player is no longer required to have an A Rank or higher at the end of the mission to gain one though only one EX Skill for the Buster Shot Gun can be equipped at a time as Elemental Chips no longer exist. In addition, Zero does not gain any new main weapons during the course of the game. This time, he starts out with the Z-Saber and Buster Shot Gun again, along with a new weapon, the Z Knuckle, a powerful weapon chip implanted in Zero's arm that allows him to attack enemies enemies with incredible physical force. In addition, when Zero defeats an enemy with the Z Knuckle, he can also steal that enemy's weapon and use it as his own though he can drop it if the player feels like discarding it or it runs out of ammo. The Cyber Elf system is simplified this time as he uses just one, but very powerful upgradable Cyber Elf named Croire though the player may choose another name if they choose to ask anyone else for a name. Depending on the name, her development will differ. This Cyber Elf can be upgraded by feeding her E-Crystals. The player may choose to talk to her for encouragement or hints at item recipes. In addition, the use of the Cyber Elf no longer penalizes the player for its usage except for when Croire's total level is set to the equal of that of the current max level. Though akin to a Satellite Elf, this one mimics abilities of other elves, allowing her to augment Zero's abilities of the Hacker, Nurse and Animal kind.

New to the series is a Weather System that affects the levels that Zero travels through. Depending on the weather, the terrain can be effected in a number of ways such as removing, obscuring or adding new obstacles. Levels which have a flashing border indicate a harder experience whilst non-flashing ones will be easier. This can be changed right before the mission briefing. Playing on a harder stage may amplify the boss's strength as well as grant them the use of their EX Skill. Completion of a level in its harder form will grant Zero an EX Skill, regardless of current rank while easier ones will not.

In addition, a new Easy Mode is exclusive to this game. Energy Crystals are non-existent and Croire starts out at Max Lv. 15 with Lv. 5 abilities but cannot level up any further. In addition, all levels are automatically set to 'Easy' thus no EX-Skills can be obtained. Lastly, instant death hazards are watered down (Ex: Spikes only damage Zero and the player cannot die from falling off screen as Zero will simply float back up)

Finally, the Chips system has been revamped. Players will have to collect parts from fallen items and use the corresponding recipes for them in order to create new chips for Zero to boost his aptitude. If 2-4 parts are incorrectly mixed together, a Junk part is created, which has no apparent use other than to make the Junk Armor. In turn, the Junk Armor (which simulates the Proto Form in appearance and abilities), when all three parts are equipped and all Cyber-elf abilities are deactivated, will double the attack power in exchange for halving Zero's defense.

Ultimate Mode can be unlocked by collecting all enemy parts in the game and fully upgrading Croire. In this mode, the player can utilize all of Croire's abilities without any penalties.

Story
The game starts when the Resistance is trying to protect a group of people that are escaping Neo Arcadia, due to the fact that now that Dr. Weil is in charge, he rules with an iron hand and takes out liberties from the humans, as the game progresses, the story of Craft and Neige develops, finalizing in the end of Craft by the hands of Zero.

Dr. Weil wants to destroy Area Zero using the Ragnarok, so humans will stop escaping from Neo Arcadia and he can rule over all. Of course, Zero and the Resistance mobilize to stop Weil's plans, protecting the humans and Area Zero. In the end of the game, Zero is believed to be dead, although many believe him to still be alive due to the image after the credits showing his broken helmet and a small silhouette in the sun's lens flare.

However, due to the ambiguous nature of the image, others believe that Zero did indeed die after Ragnarok collided with the Earth, and that the final screen does not represent his helmet and a silhouette but the remains of Ragnarok and shadows being cast by the surrounding landscape. Looked at carefully, the image is a not zoomed-in onto a helmet in the dust, but shows the entire crash scene of the Ragnarok.

Bosses
Eight bosses (Einherjar Eight Warriors):
 * Fenri Lunaedge
 * Heat Genblem
 * Mino Magnus
 * Noble Mandrago
 * Pegasolta Eclair
 * Popla Cocapetri
 * Sol Titanion
 * Tech Kraken

Other bosses:
 * SubDesert Core (First boss)
 * Carnage Force 0
 * Craft (Fought twice)
 * Hell the Giant
 * Randam Bandam
 * Cyball
 * Dr. Weil (Final boss)

Trivia

 * Although called Mega Man Zero 4, this is one of only two games in the entire metaseries that doesn't feature any Mega Man incarnation (If you don't count Zero as "Mega Man"). The other one, however, a spin-off, doesn't have the Mega Man tag on the title.
 * Most of the mini-games involve Zero's Z-Knuckle and the weapons it acquires.
 * "Believe" is a prominent theme with Zero throughout the game:
 * It's the translation of the default name of the Cyber-elf given to Zero by Alouette.
 * After his second battle against Craft, Zero expresses that he believes in the humans that his friend trusts, making the defeated Einherjar commander see the error of his ways.
 * It is expressed twice in Zero's final (and famous) lines: once to show who he's fighting for, and the second a direct message to Ciel.
 * In the final sequences of the game, Ciel openly believes that Zero is still alive against all the odds.
 * Because of the features of the Zero Knuckle, Mega Man Zero 4 has the largest number of weapons for a single character in the entire Mega Man series.
 * With the release of this installment, Mega Man Zero is the first Mega Man series to ever be given an official conclusion. The second one to follow, approximately seven months later, is the Battle Network series.
 * The final mission, where Zero must stop Ragnarok from crashing into Earth, is reminiscent of the final mission of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. In that game's final mission, the player must stop the Space Colony ARK from crashing into Earth. Chikao Ohtsuka also voiced both main villains/instigators of it as well (Dr. Weil and Professor Gerald Robotnik, respectively, though the latter was nothing more than a transmission.)
 * Originally, Mega Man Zero 4 was supposed to take place between Mega Man Zero and Mega Man Zero 2, and that Mega Man Zero 3 was meant to be the last title. However, for various reasons (namely the fans feeling that there was more to the story, and that Inti creates didn't "want the story to go into a tangent"), it was ultimately made to be the final game of the series.