RECOMMENDED WITH CAVEATS.
I’ll cut to the chase on this and not wax on about my history with the series too much. I own the Star Force series on DS and they are quite good. They are the direct follow up series to the Mega Man Battle Network games and maintained a similar RPG action card-based combat to Battle Network that used the more powerful DS hardware to make the battles 3D and over the shoulder. I like them and if anyone reading enjoys Battle Network like I do this will likely be an enjoyable experience, but I will say that like the latter half of the Battle Network games, Star Force never really hits the highs that its predecessor achieves.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: PC (reviewed), Xbox, PlayStation, Switch
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
Before I even start talking about the collection itself, there’s only three games in this collection if we view the different releases like how Pokémon doesn’t consider the two versions of each game as completely separate campaigns. Battle Network (which started dividing releases with BN3) and Star Force mostly follow the same story throughout, but Battle Network put a lot more into making the two games unique with unique bosses and story sequences as well as playable characters in BN5, that isn’t here in Star Force (SF3 has more unique content per game but generally it’s a few chips, a boss battle, and a transformation limited to the version being played). Star Force Legacy Collection is a great collection more because the Star Force games, like its Battle Network brethren, are stupid expensive. A quick rundown of the approximate cost for the original DS games, cartridge only as of writing this:
- SF1: Dragon – $55
- SF1: Leo – $25
- SF1: Pegasus – $35
- SF2: Zerker/Saurian – $34
- SF2: Zerker/Ninja – $33
- SF3: Black Ace – $45
- SF3: Red Joker – $47
So even if you’re not crazy enough to play every version, the games alone, if you get the least expensive option, come to over $100. This is actually after a huge price drop, likely due to the announcement of this collection which is the best way to play these games. Nothing is lost, leaving the DS which is lacking online support in 2026 while this collection is not.
The screen switching options work extremely well, the new text blends in better on this release than it did on the more pixelated Battle Network series (although there is no retranslation as far as I could tell). The pixel art looks sharp, and the polygonal battles are run at a resolution that isn’t the DS’s 256×192. It’s beautiful to see these models as sharp as they are here even though they are very low poly because they had to run on DS hardware, but the original visuals are there for purists including original character portraits over the new renders. Plenty of aspects of the game can be changed and to vary up the comfort of playing including screen location, volume of audio channels, as well as difficulty including speed boosts, encounter rates, and damage reduction. Outside of the options the gallery menu (which includes beautiful digital reproductions of development art and official artwork including all the Battle Cards) allows players to set favorite tracks (and with free DLC tracks from the Battle Network series can be added) that will randomize in battle which is a great addition to break up monotony during grinds for specific Battle Cards.
Before I summarize, I want to say that most of the Mega Man Legacy Collections have been missing something and Star Force Legacy Collection is no different. In Japan there was a remake of the original Battle Network game for DS that had extra elements tying in the Star Force games. While a fan translation has been available it is slightly disappointing that it isn’t here (I could excuse MMBN5: Double Team not being on the Battle Network Legacy Collection because it was both somewhat redundant and a DS game when the rest were Gameboy Advance titles). It’s just odd and has me wondering when and if these game will be reissued and in some cases released for the first time in North America.
Between the cost of the games separately on original DS hardware and all the changes Capcom has made to make the experience more enjoyable, there is zero reason to return to the DS originals. I won’t be and I own them. It’s another great collection in the Mega Man series and from one of their most overlooked renditions of the blue bomber himself.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
