In his 20 years of existence, Mega Man has been through multiple incarnations, most of which are interconnected through an elaborate storyline that goes far deeper than one would have expected from the simple "shoot the evil robots" premise of the original game in the series. It has been some time since the "classic" Mega Man games spawned the anime-influenced Mega Man X games, which fast-forwarded the story 100 years into the future. More recently, the Mega Man Zero series for GameBoy Advance skipped the plot ahead another 100 years and focused on a world where Mega Man X's partner, Zero, was the main character.

Now, the ever-evolving story continues on the Nintendo DS with the Mega Man ZX games. Set 200 years after the Zero series, ZX's human protagonists are able to Megamerge with sentient devices called Biometals in order to become Mega Men. The humorous part is that, despite the advancement of the story by multiple centuries and the borderline incomprehensible story that gets us there, the game still boils down to "shoot the evil robots."

Mega Man ZX Advent is the second title in the ZX series, and as you might expect, it plays an awful lot like its predecessor. It retains the old-school 2-D platforming that defined the Mega Man series, but adds exploration elements akin to the Metroid games. Instead of a series of individual levels, all of the areas in Advent are part of an extensive map, and you're free to roam around them at your leisure. Of course, certain sections will be inaccessible to you until you obtain a specific power-up or item from another area, so the game isn't entirely non-linear. At most times, you'll have the option of visiting two to four different areas, recreating the feel of the original Mega Man titles, in which the main strategy was to determine which levels to complete first, as the bosses were vulnerable to weapons acquired from other bosses in the game. Even with these fairly stringent limitations, you still get the feeling that you are exploring an actual world as opposed to a series of unrelated levels. Keep in mind, however, that despite appearances, this isn't Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Not surprisingly, the "swipe a boss' weapon" mechanic returns in Advent, though with a greater amount of variety than that to which you might be accustomed. In addition to the eight Pseudoroid bosses (each with an animal theme), there are also five rival Mega Men against which you'll face off. The Mega Men equip you with new armor and weapons, and defeating the Pseudoroids allows you to transform into them and take advantage of their unique abilities. Instead of each boss supplying you with a single weapon, each form here grants you a new move set, making your character much more versatile. Sure, there are a couple forms that you'll only use a couple of times, but with 13 different variations (in addition to your default armor and human form) there are some fun powers with which to mess around.

While sporting the other Mega Men's armor, the DS' touch screen comes into play, as each outfit grants an extra ability. New skills like altering the direction of your shots, analyzing enemy weak points, and scanning for hidden items come in quite handy. When you're not using these skills, the touch-screen displays a simple map of the world. You can scroll around the map to get a better feel for the world or you can zoom in on your current area to get a better peek at your immediate surroundings.

The map was one of the biggest faults in the previous ZX game, and although this one isn't quite as detailed as the ones that you would find in, say, the recent Castlevania adventures, it's leaps and bounds better than before. Also improved is the teleportation system. With more locations to which you can instantly warp, there is a lot less tedious backtracking through the stages (and their re-spawning enemies).

Although the game is fairly simple on its Easy setting, Normal mode provides a decent challenge. There's also an Expert mode that unlocks upon completing Normal mode. There are also a few bonuses that can be uncovered, like a somewhat dull quiz game where you must identify obscured character sprites, and the multiplayer puzzle game, Gem Buster. The most impressive goodie is a mini-game called Mega Man a. Here, you play through an 8-bit interpretation of a level complete with a blocky version of the main character and Nintendo-Entertainment-System-quality music and sound effects. By completing a series of tasks in the main game, you can unlock the 8-bit character model there, as well.

As is the case in most Mega Man titles, the level design features a healthy mix of diabolical enemy placement and environmental hazards. The ever-present spikes and bottomless pits return to aggravate even the most hardened platformer fan. Likewise, the catchy (if not entirely memorable) soundtrack will put you in that Mega Man mood. Just watch out for the ample voice acting in the game. There's a lot of it, but it often sounds stilted and unenthusiastic. The game does make a good argument for sprite-based graphics with its nice animation and lush backgrounds.

The Mega Man formula has been serving Capcom well for two decades, now. Although the quality of the games tend to rise and fall, ZX Advent is a marked improvement over the previous game in the series, and it's one of the better third-party platform games on the DS. Newcomers might be a bit lost in the story, but they'll appreciate the quality gameplay as much as the most die-hard fan.

This review was based on retail version of the game purchased by Crispy Gamer.