Product Info

Platform

Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC

Publisher

Capcom

Developer

Capcom

Series

Mega Man

Genre

Action, RPG

Players

1 (1-2 online)

File Size (Minimum)

6.1 GB

Release Date (NA)

Mar 27, 2026

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Microsoft Store

Steam

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is the latest set of games from the Mega Man franchise and is the best option to play the tactical role-playing games (RPGs) along with quality-of-life improvements.

When the Stars Align

Our preview coverage dives into some of the details of the Star Force games for additional reading. 

Mega Man Star Force may not have gathered a large following compared to the original Mega Man and Mega Man X series, but it’s a series that Mega Man fans should explore or those who have missed out. The RPG series was originally released on the Nintendo DS in the mid-2000s, and finding them now will cost much more than the Legacy Collection itself.

The Legacy Collection contains seven games, but three of them are main titles. The first Star Force has three versions (Pegasus, Leo, Dragon), Star Force 2 has two versions (Zerker x Ninja, Zerker x Saurian), and Star Force 3 also has two versions (Black Ace, Red Joker). Each version of the main titles contains the same story and gameplay mechanics, but there are some variations such as Mega Man forms, collectibles, and enemy variations. Think of it as similar to Pokémon‘s various releases. Saying seven games included is true but a little delusional as three of them have different main stories.  

The series follows a young boy named Geo Stelar whose fate intertwines with an alien with an electromagnetic wave body named Omega-Xis (Mega). When the two fuse together, they are known as Mega Man. However, mysterious beings from space seek to cause havoc on Earth. Mega Man will need to summon all his courage and rely on the power of friendship to stop the forces of evil (sounds like your Saturday morning cartoon). The first entry explores the character development of Geo and Mega, along with new friends such as Sonia, Luna, Bud, and Zack. Character designs are vibrant, matching their personalities throughout the games. Fans will have their favorite characters picked right away, such as Sonia, whose transformed state resembles Roll from the original Mega Man series. The Star Force soundtracks are great with catchy tunes and carry strong scores. Coming from a classic game franchise with a strong history of excellent scores, there’s high expectations for this series.

The Star Force series carries an emotional and strong storytelling. The story is well-crafted with twists and character development that shape the path for the other entries. Star Force 2 continues after the events of the first game with another global threat from Dr. Vega and the use of ancient technology, but overall but doesn’t surpass the story development of the first. Star Force 3 continues to carry on the story with a darker and more compelling storytelling than the second, fighting against a criminal organization using “waves” to threaten Earth. A good storytelling game is enough to carry you through the Star Force games, despite challenges with gameplay mechanics. For those craving more storytelling, there is also an anime series available for a limited time on Capcom’s YouTube channel.

A 3D Perspective

The first Star Force entry introduced this new setup in the Mega Man series in a 3D environment, which carries a resemblance from older Mega Man series, Mega Man Battle Network. However, it still shows some rough spots with maneuvering on the battlefield and the depth of deck-building. Star Force 2 improves its mechanics with a faster flow in battles, more strategy in the Tribe transformations, and user interface improvements. Star Force 3 goes even further with smoother combat, deeper deck-building, and the Noise Change system that can turn the tide of battles in your favor, making it the most well-polished game of the three main Star Force games.

Battles in the Star Force games take place on a three-dimensional plane on a 3×5 grid. Mega Man can move left to right with his back exposed to the player and is located in the row closest to the screen. Depending on the enemy, they will move to different squares to shoot projectiles or launch close-range attacks at Mega Man. With a set of battle cards, you can initiate various powers to take down foes easier, add status ailments, or heal yourself. When you return to battle, players will have to wait until the Custom Gauge refills before grabbing more cards. It’s a different style of Mega Man than previous titles, and for those looking for a Mega Man experience with tactical role-playing mechanics, you’ll find this collection an interesting pickup. 

While playing, the mechanics can feel a bit clunky due to how old the battle mechanics are. Trying to dodge attacks, counter, land successful attacks with your deck, and its 3D perspective makes it challenging on its own, especially for newcomers. With the Legacy Collection, there are more ways to adjust battles to your liking. Players can adjust the game’s random battle amount from none to maximum, adjust damage taken and given, and more. It’s like a cheat code integrated into the system, or a Game Genie for those ’80s and ’90s players. It adds a pace to your style on how you want to learn the battle or just want to get through parts of the game to watch the story unfold. It’s now your choice to choose the way you want to fight. 

Exploring the world in each Star Force game is laid out in 3D environments with 2D character sprites. Pathways are strict and narrow. Players can swap between the “real world” and the “wave world”. When you transform into Mega Man, you are exploring the waves that integrate with the real world. Here, most of your battles are done in this world. You can find various items and key points that will push the game’s story along. Exploring can feel repetitive, especially in the first game, due to the consistent style and lack of variety. The visuals of these worlds look better and better in each main Star Force game, which is why Star Force 3 is the most polished. Though you should not skip to the third if you want to follow a good storyline. If you adjust the game’s settings to practically make yourself invisible, you can beat one of the main games within a day.

More Ways to Power On

As previously mentioned regarding adjusting the game’s quality of life settings for battles, the game offers the option to allow Geo to run faster. Additionally, autosaves occur in the Legacy Collection to help prevent frustration during upcoming battles. Originally developed on the Nintendo DS console, Capcom has provided alternate ways for players to display the two screens on their platform’s single screen. Players can adjust the sizes so that the main action occupies over half the screen and the secondary screen at various sizes such as 25%, or explore other visual options such as layering them in different positions. Whichever option you choose, the game will automatically adjust the screens or stack them correctly depending on events within the game. For example, the game will stack the two screens on top of each other like a DS if not altered for this setup when you are shooting missiles at enemies on the top screen. While it would be ideal if the games were re-programmed to eliminate the need for a second screen, it seems more cost-effective for Capcom to offer this solution in order to sell the collection at a fair price. Players with smaller screens may encounter some difficulty, but the option to adjust the screen sizes and placements is a great feature. The more options available for players to choose from, the better.

 Star Force Legacy Collection introduces new content that will excite fans, such as multiplayer mode. Now players can engage in ranked, casual, or friend matches. In ranked matches, players can earn points to climb leaderboards, while casual and friend matches are for enjoyment. Matches are one-on-one, with no tag team matches, and are based on the version of the game being played to prevent overpowered decks from different games. Players can also trade cards with friends or other players online, which aligns well with the game’s mechanics of the card-based RPG. During the review, we encountered difficulty finding opponents to play against, which is one of the drawbacks of this collection. Online play is not cross-platform, meaning PlayStation players can only play with other PlayStation players, and the same goes for PC and Nintendo Switch players due to platform restrictions.

Beyond multiplayer, the game offers a library of music and artwork. There is no need to earn points to unlock this content, as players can access the visuals and audio immediately to explore the full library. While this setup is standard for Capcom’s Mega Man collection sets, it is still a valuable feature to have available.

Despite having three main titles with various variations and limited online functionality, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is the best way to experience all titles on your modern platform without having to invest in the original Nintendo DS games.

The Final Wave

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection offers a classic set of RPG gems with a great story, unique gameplay, and modern quality-of-life upgrades for a MEGA ride. It’s stellar!

A PlayStation 5 review code provided for this review. Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection arrives on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Steam) on March 27, 2026. Players can visit the official website for additional information and purchasing options.