Retrospective reviews for the game have been mixed. "1UP.com"s Nadia Oxford elaborated, "Mega Man often has to fight with his enemies in such close quarters, he might as well hold their hands and try his luck at a friendship. The constant screen-scrolling and sticky controls makes for a very frustrating game, although the Game Gear's low battery life ends the torment in a couple of hours anyway." "GameSpot" contributors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer described it as "a decent, if somewhat sluggish, translation of the "Mega Man" series". Damien Butt from "Retro Gamer", while giving it praise for its graphics, was more mixed towards its gameplay, criticizing its difficulty and the enemies moving too fast for the player. Robert Workman for "GameZone" believed the game deserved a second chance for re-release, praising it for its controls, visuals, and sound.