It’s funny how such a small change can make a big difference in the way a game plays. I have to admit that I wasn’t fully aware of Megaman’s slippery footing until I tried the game with and without the patch, and I was impressed at how well it worked.

Megaman’s decelerating walk comes from a time when developers were trying to do more with the power of the NES, and one idea was giving players a more natural sense of how their character should move. That being said, I have a feeling that this was probably why our hero needs that sliver of time to stop moving completely, but this also creates a problem in which precision stops are much harder to pull off.

With this patch applied, tight platform jumps are much easier to handle, and this is especially helpful for a number of situations, including the narrow ledges in Elecman’s stage, the moving platforms in Gutsman’s stage, and the disappearing blocks in Iceman’s stage. Granted, ice slicks are still miserable to traverse, but it’s such a big jump in quality of life that I can’t see myself ever going back to the base game. Give this one a go and don’t look back.