Earlier this year iam8bit teamed up with Capcom to develop limited edition cartridges for their classic NES game Mega Man 2 and SNES game Mega Man X. Pre-orders for these carts went up earlier this year with shipments reaching customers at the end of September. While these 30th anniversary cartridges are limited to 8500 units each there appears to still be stock left of both games. What better gift to give your Mega Man fan at home than a brand new tribute to history!

Design

Photo Credit: iam8bit

Each game comes in a premium box with fold-out art, embossed lettering and foil accents that are quite stunning to see. The original cover art for each game still graces the front of each box while the fold-out features a wonderful concept piece of each game’s cast. Like the front, the art and design of the back of each box mirrors that of the original release. While Nintendo-specific branding has been removed, you will find in its place the mark of the Legacy Cartridge Collection.

Inside the box you will find the games. Each cartridge has been made to the same specs and design as their North American releases. The biggest difference to be found here is in color! Mega Man X sports a clean looking white cartridge and Mega Man 2 sports a slick sky blue. Each cartridge also has the possibility of coming in a limited transparent dark blue glow in the dark shell. The label for each game is glossier than original NES and SNES cartridges and they look fantastic on the colored shells. Finally each game also comes with a complimentary dust cover reminiscent to those included with original NES and SNES games.

To round out the collection iam8bit has included a full color instruction booklet reprinted from the originals. Each booklet now includes a foreword detailing the importance of each game and their impact. Bonus posters of the same art found in the box fold-out are also a nice bonus and being dressed up as a mail-in offer is just a great nostalgic touch for those who remember having to mail order things like a fanny pack.

Photo Credit: iam8bit

Gameplay

Each game is a perfect reproduction of the original for the game ROM. The boards inside have the advantage of being smaller than the original copies but that is about the only real difference. Nothing has been changed or added for these releases so expect them to play on your NES or SNES exactly as an original copy of the game. Expect all slowdown and graphical glitches in the exact same places as the original versions. These are still NES and SNES games after all.

Verdict

While the $100 asking price is steep, the attention to authenticity and premium quality provided have more than justified that cost in my mind. Even though I still own original copies of both games, there is just really something special about owning a tribute to a franchise that has been around since the early days of gaming. If you are a huge Mega Man fan, or have one in your life, check out the iam8bit Mega Man 30th anniversary carts. They might just be the perfect gift idea this year!