Running and Gunning Since 1987: A Look Back at 30 Years of Mega Man

    

Running and Gunning Since 1987: A Look Back at 30 Years of Mega Man
December 12, 2017
By Ryan Porzl

Back in 1987, a new video game character burst onto the scene in Mega Man. After having humble beginnings, the Blue Bomber has since become one of the most popular and enduring characters in video game history with multiple sequels and many spin offs that have since followed. With the 30th Anniversary fast approaching, what better way to celebrate such an incredible milestone than to look back at every main Mega Man game from 1 through 10 and everything about them.


The Mega Man games largely play the same. Each game sees the player take control of Mega Man and have to defeat at least six to eight different humanoid robot bosses. Once a player picks a boss to fight, they're sent to a level where they fight their way through robot enemies, traps, pits, and other stuff like spikes which guarantee instant death. After fighting their way through the level, they'll face the robot boss at the end of the level. If they get game over at any point, the player gets the choice to either continue or choose another robot boss to fight. If successful, the player gets a new power from the boss which is usually they're signature attack that they can have a limited use of until running out of energy though there is energy packs that enemies drop. After defeating all six to eight bosses (depending on the game), the player will go to Dr. Wily's base which each usually have four to six levels to go through (depending on the game). In each game, the first three to five levels are different with a certain boss while the fourth or sixth is usually the same with the player running a gauntlet against the six to eight robot bosses before finally confronting Dr. Wily who should they defeat, will win the game. Unlike most games especially those in the 1980s when the franchise began, Mega Man was nonlinear as players are able to choose which robot boss to tackle first though the Wily Fortress levels were linear. However, each robot boss has a weakness so there is a preferred route for the player to take with one robot boss being easy to defeat with Mega Man's mega buster and from there facing robot bosses based on if the player has the weapon that is that specific robot boss' weakness.

Main Characters

Mega Man (Rockman in Japan)- The main protagonist of the series. He was originally designed as a helper and assistant to Dr. Light named Rock before volunteering to become a fighting robot so he could fight Dr. Wily and the robots he's taken control of in order to save the world. Since then, he's continually had to foil Wily's plots to take over the world in every game fighting henchmen, robot masters, and Wily himself all the while having to confront new enemies while also gaining new friends, allies, weapons, and items over the years. His main weapon is his arm cannon called the mega buster and is able take the main weapon of the robot bosses he defeats. In later games, his mega buster is capable of charging and releasing a powerful shot with each charge.

Dr. Thomas Light (Dr. Thomas Right in Japan)- A renowned robot designer and creator who creates robots that are intended to be used to help mankind. Light's work is successful at first until his creations are reprogrammed by his former rival Dr. Wily who seeks to use them for world domination. In response to this, he converts his lab assistant Rock into the fighting robot Mega Man. His dream is for humans and robots to live and work together in harmony and equality. Though a pacifist, he does realize that sometimes fighting is necessary against evil and that only by destroying those who spread war can peace be achieved.

Dr. Albert W. Wily- The main antagonist of the series. A mad scientist who was once a colleague of Dr. Light's. Despite enjoying success and awards in his career, he was always in the shadow of Light and it damaged his ego. Eventually, he disappeared to the Pacific Ocean where he built a robot factory while plotting world domination. Eventually, he also took control of Light's robots including six humanoid industrial robots to help in his quest to take over the world with only Mega Man standing in his way. In later games, he designs his own robots or has others design them while working in the shadows.

Roll- Mega Man & Proto Man's little sister and another humanoid robot who was designed by Dr. Light as a housekeeper. Her dream is to open a hospital in order to help people. She mostly plays a minor character in the series except in Mega Man 10 where she along with many robots are stricken with the robot illness "Roboenza".

Proto Man (Blues in Japan)- The "older" brother of Mega Man and Roll as well as the first robot created by Dr. Light. Originally a prototype robot that was supposed to be the first robot capable of thinking for himself and making his own decisions. Unfortunately, his energy core had a problem that would eventually make him unable to function. When Light attempted to fix him, Proto Man fled as he worried Light's modification would alter his personality. Debuting in Mega Man 3, Proto Man appears at various points in the game to battle Mega Man as a way to test him and see if he could defeat Wily. He appears in later games largely to assist Mega Man and eventually becomes a playable character in Mega Man 9 and later Mega Man 10. He's also known for his signature whistle.

Bass (Forte in Japan)- Bass is a humanoid robot created by Dr. Wily in an attempt to create his own Mega Man. Though created by Wily, he does go off on his own and has even battled him on occasion. Bass debuted in Mega Man 7 where he presents himself to Mega Man as a potential ally in an attempt to earn his trust until he's able to travel to Dr. Light's lab where he trashes it, steals enhanced parts, and reveals his true intentions. Since then, he's become a rival to Mega Man and the series' anti-hero as he seeks to become the most powerful robot of all time. Instead of being able to charge his arm cannon, he can rapidly fire bullets. Bass is playable in Mega Man & Bass and later Mega Man 10.

Rush (Rasshu in Japan)- Mega Man's dog who was created by Dr. Light to assist Mega Man in his missions. Debuting in Mega Man 3, Rush is able to assist Mega Man by changing into various forms that can assist Mega Man in advancing through the game including as a jet Mega Man can ride or a coil that allows Mega Man to jump high and reach places he normally couldn't.

Treble (Gospel in Japan)- A wolf created by Dr. Wily as an equivalent to Rush. Like Rush, Treble can change into various forms to assist Bass in battle. Like Bass, Treble debuted in Mega Man 7.

Eddie (Edi in Japan)- A robot that is a head with feet that stores items in itself. Debuting in Mega Man 3, Eddie appears and can give Mega Man an item though in some games, the item is random so it may or may not be an item the player needs. He can fight alongside Mega Man in certain stages in Mega Man 8.

Beat (Bito in Japan)- A robot bird that's created by Dr. Cossack to assist Mega Man in his adventures. Beat first appears in Mega Man 5 and since then usually assist Mega Man either by helping him fight or by protecting him or in later games, being able to catch him if he falls into pits. Beat can fight alongside Mega Man in certain stages in Mega Man 8.

Auto (Raitotto or Rightot in Japan)- A robot likely created by Dr. Light who is an inventor. Auto debuting in Mega Man 7 and in each game is able to create items from screws Mega Man gives him that can help Mega Man in his journey. Auto can also fight alongside Mega Man in certain parts in Mega Man 8.

Dr. Mikhail Cossack- A Russian robot engineer who appears in Mega Man 4 as he's blackmailed by Dr. Wily into fighting Mega Man for him after Wily kidnaps his daughter Kalinka. Eventually, Wily's plot is foiled during Cossack's battle with Mega Man after Proto Man rescues Kalinka who reveals to Mega Man that Wily is forcing her father to fight him. Though he doesn't appear again, Cossack is part of Mega Man 5's story as he assists Mega Man after Dr. Light is captured by giving him Beat and powering his mega buster.

Duo (Dyuo in Japan)- A robot from outer space who appears in Mega Man 8. His mission to eliminate evil energy throughout the universe which he's able to do with his left hand. He crash lands on Earth and after some misunderstanding assists Mega Man is trying to purge the evil energy that's come to Earth and fallen into the hands of Dr. Wily.

Mega Man (1987)

The official story takes place in 200X where it has become more common for robots to be created to help mankind thanks to Dr. Thomas Light, a renowned robot designer and creator. Unfortunately, his robots start attacking people and go berserk which include six humanoid robots named Cut Man, Guts Man, Ice Man, Bomb Man, Fire Man, and Elec Man who were originally created by Light to assist in industrial purposes. Light deduces that the man responsible was his old rival Dr. Albert W. Wily who intends to use the robots to help him take over the world. After not being able to come up with a way to stop Wily, a solution presents itself thanks to his robot lab assistant and helper Rock. Despite only being created to be a helper and not much more, Rock, who held a strong sense of justice, volunteers to be converted into a fighting robot who can combat the robots and Wily. Despite being a pacifist, Light agrees and converts Rock into the super fighting robot Mega Man (Rockman in Japan). Armed with his mega buster arm cannon among other abilities, Mega Man must now face off against Wily's forces before confronting and defeating the mad scientist himself.

In the original Western release, the story was largely the same except that Wily was depicted as Light's assistant who helped him create Mega Man and the six robots only to betray him and reprogram the six robots. The setting in the game was also named Monsteropolis which didn't exist in the original plot.

Along with the main characters, there are the six robot bosses. While Mega Man is nonlinear, there is a recommended path. The robots are listed in the order to tackle them.

Bomb Man (Bonbaman or Bomberman in Japan)- Bomb Man is one of the six industrial robots created by Dr. Light that Dr. Wily takes control of. He was to be used for demolition and land development as he would blow up debris which cleared the way for construction projects. His weapon is the Hyper Bomb which is a bomb he and (later) Mega Man can throw during battle. His main weakness is Fire Man's Fire Storm.

Guts Man (Gattsuman in Japan)- Guts Man is the second of six industrial robots created by Dr. Light that Dr. Wily takes control of. He was to work alongside Bomb Man for land reclamation and demolition. Guts Man is able to lift things such as boulders that weigh as much as 80 tons which allow him to transport heavy objects. His weapon is the Super Arm which allows him and (later) Mega Man to pick up boulders and big blocks. His main weakness is Bomb Man's Hyper Bomb.

Cut Man (Kattoman in Japan)- Cut Man is the third of six industrial robots created by Dr. Light that Dr. Wily takes control of. Cut Man was designed for land reclamation including deforestation. His main weapon is the Rolling Cutter which is a scissor like boomerang that he & (later) Mega Man can use during battle. His main weakness is Guts Man's Super Arm which allows Mega Man to throw big blocks at him.

Elec Man (Erekiman in Japan)- Elec Man is the fourth of six industrial robots created by Dr. Light that Dr. Wily takes control of. Elec Man was designed to control the voltages at nuclear power plants. At one point, he was considered the greatest robot Light ever designed as he showed a razor sharp judgment and agility not seen until Mega Man 2's Quick Man. His main weapon is the Thunder Beam which is bolts fired in various directions and is capable of going through one enemy thus being able to destroy multiple enemies on screen as well as solid rocks that he & (later) Mega Man can use during battle. His main weakness is Cut Man's Rolling Cutter.

Ice Man (Aisuman in Japan)- Ice Man is the fifth of six industrial robots created by Dr. Light that Dr. Wily takes control of. Ice Man was designed to do certain tasks that humans were unable to do because of extreme weather conditions. His main weapon is the Ice Slasher which is an sharp ice blade that's blown from his mouth that can freeze anything as it's temperature is 200 degrees below zero that he & (later) Mega Man can use during battle. His main weakness is Elec Man's Thunder Beam.

Fire Man (Faiaman in Japan)- Fire Man is the sixth of six industrial robots created by Dr. Light that Dr. Wily takes control of. Fire Man was designed to be used at an incinerator at a waste management facility due to his ability to wield flames as high as 7,000-8,000 degrees. His main weapon is the fire storm which allows Fire Man and (later) Mega Man to shoot a fireball from their cannon while four briefly surround them like a shield that can also damage enemies who touch it. His main weakness is Ice Man's Ice Slasher.

Oil Man (Oiruman in Japan)- Oil Man is a new robot that only appeared in the 2006 Mega Man Powered Up remake. Oil Man was designed as a maintenance robot that produces special oil that works on any machine. His main weapon is the Oil Slider which can be used as a weapon but also can be used for Oil Man & (later) Mega Man to slide with.

Time Man (Taimuman in Japan)- Time Man is a new robot that only appeared in the 2006 Mega Man Powered Up remake. Time Man was designed for time travel experiments but was a prototype and his functions are not completed since Light hadn't perfected his time travel theory. Mega Man 2's Flash Man is arguably a "finished" version of Time Man seeing as how Time Man can only slow time down while Flash Man is capable of stopping it. His main weapon is Time Slow which allows him & (later) Mega Man the ability to slow down time while also firing arrow projectiles.

Mega Man would be one of Capcom's first original home games as prior to it's release, Capcom mostly focused on Arcades while the home games were usually ports though the original plan was to only release Mega Man in Japan. Mega Man creator Akira Kitamura served as Director while Street Fighter creator Takashi Nishiyama was Producer. The development team only consisted of six people, most of which were young and new talent. The most notable one was a college graduate named Keiji Inafune who would go on to be a big and influential part of the Mega Man franchise over the next two decades. Inafune, who was just coming off working on the first Street Fighter months ago, would be the designer and illustrator who came up with most of the game's characters and enemies along with the Japanese Rockman box art, logo, and instruction manual. Inafune's inspiration for Mega Man was the manga Astro Boy while his signature color blue was chosen because of the NES' (Nintendo Entertainment System) technical limitation. Though Inafune designed most of the characters, the sprites of Roll and Dr. Light were already done before Inafune came onboard while Cut Man, Ice Man, Fire Man, and Guts Man were in development. Inafune's first creation was Elec Man who was inspired by American comic books. Dr. Light's design was based off Santa Claus while Dr. Wily's was Albert Einstein. The game was inspired by the game "Rock-Paper-Scissors" in terms of the fact that each weapon delivers significant damage to one specific robot master but does little to no damage to the others all the while there was no weapon that was stronger than the others. The music was composed by Manami Matsumae who later co-composed the theme to Air Man's stage in Mega Man 2, composed Mega Man 10, Dynasty Warriors, was one of the composers for the first Final Fight, and Mighty No. 9 (the latter saw her reunite with Inafune).

Mega Man was the only game in the series to have a score system but it's only about getting a high score instead of gaining extra lives after reaching a certain number of points like most. The game also featured an infamous glitch involving the select button. If the player shoots something like Elec Man's Thunder Beam and then repeatedly taps the select button, they can cause more damage as the Thunder Beam slowly passes through an enemy until the enemy is destroyed or the Beam is no longer touching them. This is mostly used in the first level of Dr. Wily's fortress against the Yellow Devil boss.

The names "Rockman" and "Roll" were based off of the music genre "Rock & Roll". This would be the first time the series used music to name characters which they did many times over the years including Proto Man's Japanese name "Blues" as well as Bass & Treble's names. Other names considered were "Mighty Kid", "Knuckle Kid", and "Rainbow Man" with Rainbow Man being thought of because Mega Man's colors changed with each weapon he used. Original plans had Roll have a bigger part in the game as someone that either gets captured with Mega Man rescuing her being his mission in the game or having to fight a giant version of her but neither ended up happening.

For the American Localization, then Capcom Senior Vice President Joseph Marici decided to change the name of the game and protagonist from "Rockman" to "Mega Man" as he considered the Rockman name "horrible" while 1UP.com's Nadia Oxford claimed another reason for the change was Capcom thought "Mega Man" would sound more interesting to American children. Another notable difference was the box art which has become infamous. As mentioned, the plan was only to release the game in Japan but after the game was deemed somewhat successful due to limited quantities being released, the decision was made at the last minute to green light an American Localization. Unfortunately, because of the rushed localization, the President of Capcom USA only gave the marketing representative 24 hours to come up with a cover which resulted in a friend of the representative drawing one up in six hours. Because the representative and his friend weren't that familiar with Mega Man, they created a cover that had nothing to do with Mega Man with Mega Man being depicted as a middle age dark skinned man instead of a boy while wearing blue and yellow armor instead of just blue and carrying a handgun instead of his signature arm cannon. The cover is considered one of the worst in video game history and Inafune even blamed it as a reason why Mega Man didn't sell well in America.

The first Mega Man was originally released on December 17, 1987 in Japan as Rockman on the Nintendo Famicom (short for Family Computer) while also being released in North America on December 1987 but wouldn't be released in Europe until two years later on December 13, 1989 both on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was received good reviews but did not sell well. Reviews mostly praised it for it's gameplay, graphics, and music while the general consensus is that the game was difficult with some liking it while others considered it a detriment. AllGame rated it 5 out of 5 stars, IGN scored it 8 out of 10, Nintendo Power rated it 4.1 out of 5, The Game Machine scored it 83%, and Famitsu rated it 24/40. Mega Man has been honored on many lists since it's release as IGN ranked it #30 in their "Top 100 NES Games of All Time" list. Nintendo Power ranked it #20 on it's "100 Best Nintendo Games of All Time" list for their 100th issue while ranking it #61 in it's "Top 200 Games" for their 200th issue. 1UP.com would list it as one of the "Top Five Overlooked Prequels" and ranked it #17 on their "Top 25 NES Games" list.

Since it's release, Mega Man has been re-released many times on many consoles including an enhanced version in Mega Man: The Wily Wars in 1994 on the Sega Mega Drive and a remake called Mega Man Powered Up on the PSP in 2006 which featured two new robot bosses in Time Man and Oil Man. The original has also been released on Playstation as part of the Japanese exclusive Rockman Complete Works in 1999 as well as the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox in 2004 (Gamecube and Playstation 2) and 2005 (Xbox). It's also been released on the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U Virtual Consoles as well while the Complete Works version was released on the online Playstation Store. It has also been released as part of the Mega Man Legacy Collection in 2017.

   

Mega Man 2 (1988)
Mega Man 2 takes place a year following the events of the first. Dr. Wily returns but this time creates eight of his own robot masters named Bubble Man, Air Man, Quick Man, Heat Man, Wood Man, Metal Man, Flash Man, and Crash Man while also creating new henchmen and a new fortress. Mega Man is sent out to once again battle the mad scientist and his new creations from conquering the world.

Flash Man (Furasshuman in Japan)- Flash Man is the first of Dr. Wily's eight robot masters. He was created as way to finally figure out the concept of controlling time. He's said to be an improved version of Time Man given his ability to stop time as opposed to just slowing it down. His main weapon is the Time Stopper which stops anything in it's tracks though he also has an arm cannon that he can fire at his victims as they're frozen in time. His weaknesses is Metal Man's Metal Blade and Crash Man's Crash Bomber.

Quick Man (Kuikkuman in Japan)- Quick Man is the second of Dr. Wily's eight robot masters. Originally based off of Elec Man's design, Quick Man was built from lighter weight materials which allows him to move very fast but makes him prone to getting blown away from Air Man's Air Shooter. Quick Man is considered one of the fastest robot masters in the whole Mega Man series. His main weapon is the Quick Boomerang which are small razor like boomerangs that he can shoot rapidly from his right arm launcher. His weakness is Flash Man's Time Stopper which not only freezes him but also does damage making him the only robot who takes damage from the Time Stopper.

Metal Man (Metaruman in Japan)- Metal Man is the third of Dr. Wily's eight robot masters. Based on Cut Man's design, Metal Man was created specifically for Wily's revenge against Mega Man. His weapon is the Metal Blade which are ceramic titanium made saw blades and light in weight which allows them to be thrown at high speed. Because of a flaw, his weakness isn't just Mega Man's mega buster but his own Metal Blade which can be used against him in the second battle at Wily's fortress while Quick Man's Quick Boomerang is his weakness during the first battle.

Wood Man (Uddoman in Japan)- Wood Man is the fourth of Dr. Wily's eight robot masters. Unlike other robots, Wood Man actually is designed by wood with only a little metal used for extra protection. His unique design is a double edge sword as it makes him very strong and highly resistant but at the same time, it makes him slow and vulnerable to fire and cut like weaponry. He's also been a favorite of Wily. His main weapon is the Leaf Shield, sharp leaves made of ceratanium that can be elevated through electromagnetism can be used as both a shield and then a weapon by launching them at enemies. His weakness is Metal Man's Metal Blade.

Air Man (Eaman in Japan)- Air Man is the fifth of Dr. Wily's eight robot masters. Air Man is unique as his head is built into his torso supposedly for intimidation and would later be used for future robots like Mega Man 3's Magnet Man. Air Man is able to use the fan on his torso to either blow enemies away or to him and create typhoons. His main weapon is the Air Shooter which allows him to attack enemies with tornadoes. His main weakness is Wood Man's Leaf Shield.

Crash Man (Kurasshuman in Japan)- Crash Man is the sixth of Dr. Wily's eight robot masters. Crash Man was built with Wily using both Bomb Man and Guts Man's designs which gives him speed and agility, allows him to use explosives, and he wears powerful armor which allows him to withstand all types of explosions. His main weapon is the Crash Bomber which is a powerful bomb that resembles a drill and can latch onto enemies before exploding. His weakness is Air Man's Air Shooter.

Bubble Man (Baburuman in Japan)- Bubble Man is the seventh of Dr. Wily's eight robot masters. Bubble Man was originally created for underwater combat. Unfortunately, as great as he is underwater and his ability to move fast, he has a flaw in his programming that prevents him from walking on land and can only jump around to move which Wily found amusing. His main weapon is the Bubble Lead which he can fire from both his arm cannon and from a gun on his head. He's able to use it as a weapon, as a shield, and larger bubbles to trap enemies while Mega Man can only use it as a weapon by shooting it and it then rolls on the floor. His main weakness is Metal Man's Metal Blade, Crash Man's Crash Bomber, and Quick Man's Quick Boomerang.

Heat Man (Hitoman in Japan)- Heat Man is the eighth of Dr. Wily's eight robot masters. His body is that of a zippo lighter with his head inside the lighter with the lid being able to protect his head but it can close on him accidentally on occasion. He is created to be resistant to all forms of heat including fire and magma. His main weapon is the Atomic Fire which allows him and Mega Man to produce bursts of fire that are as hot as 12,000 degrees Celsius or 21,362 degrees Fahrenheit. His main weakness is Bubble Man's Bubble Lead.

Despite Mega Man not selling well, Mega Man director and creator Akira Kitamura wanted to make a sequel and was able to convince Capcom to greenlight a sequel but Capcom would only agree if Kitamura and his team would continue working on other games at the same time while doing Mega Man 2. The team would spend their free time adding more content to Mega Man 2 in an attempt to improve it. Inafune was invited back to work on it but like the rest of the Mega Man 2 development team, he was working on another game at the time. Inafune's involvement increased as he not only worked as an artist but also on the production side of things. Because of cartridge space limitations, ideas such as enemies were left out of Mega Man However, Capcom returned to them by adding them into Mega Man 2. Kitamura decided to open the game up for fans by requesting them to write in ideas or designs. Ultimately, Capcom received 8,370 letters though the designs Capcom used would be tweaked. Takashi Tateishi scored the game though Matsumae did co-compose a part of the song used in Air Man's stage.

The game saw some new things such as the removal of the score system from the first game but included a signature bit in the series: Energy Tanks. Energy Tanks can be collected during the game and used at any point during the pause screen to replenish Mega Man's health. This was added in part due to complaints that the first game was considered difficult. The select button glitch was also corrected from the first game. A password system was added with a password being shown after beaten each level though the password system didn't work in the later Dr. Wily levels as the player had to play every level in Wily's fortress in a row without skipping. The North American version also had a difficulty setting.

Mega Man 2 was released in Japan on December 24, 1988 as Rockman 2: Dr. Wily no Nazo (The Mystery of Dr. Wily) on the Nintendo Famicom followed by a North American release in June 1989 and an European release in the Winter of 1990 both on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Upon release, the game received critical acclaim and has been considered the best game in the series along with being one of the greatest games of all time. Since it's release, the game has sold over 1.5 million copies making it the highest selling game in the Mega Man franchise. Critics praised it for it's gameplay, visuals, and improved audio along with the additions of the Energy Tanks and Password System. However, the difficulty was again mixed with some liking the game not being as difficult while others thought it could've been more challenging. EGM scored the game 8 out of 10, Famitsu scored it 28 out of 40, IGN scored it 9.5 out of 10, Mean Machine scored it 95%, and Total! scored it 83%. Mega Man 2 has also been given many honors including being one of Nintendo Power's "Top 30" list by the end of 1989, it ranked #33 in Nintendo Power's "Top 200 Nintendo Games Ever", #60 in Official Nintendo Magazine's "100 Best Nintendo Games" list. In 2007, IGN's America, United Kingdom, and Australia listed it at #67 on their Top 100 Games List while placing it #4 on their "Top 100 NES Games". Mega Man 2 was also the first game on the cover of Electronic Gaming Monthly.

Since it's release, Mega Man 2 has been re-released many times on many consoles including a Tiger Electronic Handheld Version in 1990, an enhanced version in Mega Man: The Wily Wars in 1994 on the Sega Mega Drive. The original has also been released on Playstation as part of the Japanese exclusive Rockman Complete Works in 1999 as well as the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox in 2004 (Gamecube and Playstation 2) and 2005 (Xbox). It's also been released on the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U Virtual Consoles, a mobile phone version in 2007, an iOS version in 2009, and the Complete Works version was released on the online Playstation Store. It's also been re-released on Mega Man Legacy Collection for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018.

  

Mega Man 3 (1990)
Mega Man 3 takes place during 20XX. After being foiled by Mega Man in the last two games, Dr. Wily approaches Dr. Light, claims to have turned a new leaf, and learned his lesson. Following this, the two create a new robot named "Gamma" who is created to keep the peace as well as eight new robot masters named Magnet Man, Hard Man, Top Man, Shadow Man, Spark Man, Snake Man, Gemini Man, and Needle Man. However, the robot masters who are in charge of "mining worlds" go beserk and take Gamma's eight crystals which results in Mega Man having to go after them and reclaim the crystals. Now joined by his dog Rush, Mega Man sets out to fight the eight robot masters to get the crystals back but along the way is forced to fight a mysterious robot who keeps popping up named "Break Man". After defeating the robots, Mega Man must revisit four of the locations to battle a robot called "Doc Robot" who copies the data and fighting style of a robot master from Mega Man 2. After defeating the robot eight times (two times in each stage), Wily drops his charade and reveals his true intentions as he steals Gamma with the hope of using it instead to conquer the world. Eventually, Mega Man battles his way through Wily's new fortress destroying Gamma and defeating Wily before being saved by "Break Man" who Dr. Light eventually reveals is really Proto Man, Mega Man and Roll's older brother.

Magnet Man (Magunettoman in Japan)- Magnet Man is the first of eight robot masters. Created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, Magnet Man is able to generate powerful magnetic forces. His main weapon is the Magnet Missile which shoots horseshoe shaped magnet missiles from his wrist. He can also generate a magnetic field that brings metallic robots to him and thus allows him to attack at close range. His main weakness is Spark Man's Spark Shock.

Hard Man (Hadoman in Japan)- Hard Man is the second of eight robots masters. Created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, Hard Man is made of ceratanium which gives him a hard body that gives him great protection from all sorts of attacks. Unfortunately, due to the fact he weighs over three tons, he's not fast while also making him lazy and a tendency to complain. His main weapon is the Hard Knuckle which allows him to fire his arms from far away at his opponents. His main weakness is Magnet Man's Magnet Missile.

Top Man (Tappuman in Japan)- Top Man is the third of eight robot masters. Created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, Top Man is built with an auto balance system that allows him to spin as a top hence the name "Top Man". His main weapon is the Top Spin which he can use as a weapon to attack enemies while also using it as defense to deflect objects and projectiles. Mega Man can also spin at his enemies like a top once he gets Top Spin. However, Top Man can't spin for too long as it can cause dizziness and damage his internal mechanism. He can also shoot small tops from his arm cannon and head. His main weakness is Hard Man's Hard Knuckle.

Shadow Man (Shadoman in Japan)- Shadow Man is the fourth of eight robot masters. Reprogrammed and remodeled by Dr. Wily, Shadow Man is a ninja like robot and appropriately enough is mysterious as not much is known about him. Rumors are he was created by an alien race but was deactivated and the fact he's been created by a metal not seen on Earth seems to prove this. He was eventually discovered by Dr. Wily and was both remodeled & reprogrammed by the mad scientist. His main weapon is the Shadow Blade which is a hira shuriken that is also made from a metal not found on Earth. His main weakness is Top Man's Top Spin.

Spark Man (Supakuman in Japan)- Spark Man is the fifth of eight robot masters. Created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily and true to his name, Spark Man was designed to resemble a spark plug and has no hands but rather two electrodes that are capable of creating powerful sparks of electricity. His main weapon is the Spark Shock which is produced through his electrodes and allows him to shoot electric sparks in multiple directions while also being able to immobilize opponents. His weakness is Shadow Man's Shadow Blade.

Snake Man (Sunekuman in Japan)- Snake Man is the sixth of eight robot masters. Created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, Snake Man was created specifically to investigate in narrow places and survey topography on uninhabited planets. He's capable of working in any terrain thanks to being quick while his body is light in weight. His main weapon is the Search Snake which is a small snake missile that crawls on the floor and are capable of walking on walls. His weakness is Needle Man's Needle Cannon along with the Mega Buster.

Gemini Man (Jeminiman in Japan)- Gemini Man is the seventh of eight robot masters.  Created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, Gemini Man is able to create holographic images of himself to confuse his opponents and give him opportunities to attack. His main weapon is the Gemini Laser which is a blue laser that reacts to someone's thoughts while bouncing off walls and other objects which have no thoughts. His weakness is Snake Man's Search Snake.

Needle Man (Nidoruman in Japan)- Needle Man is the eighth of eight robot masters. Created Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, Needle Man was originally created for working in energy mines, specifically for land mining and destroying boulders. His needles are strong enough to pierce through ten inch thick stone. His main weapon is the Needle Cannon which is a weapon capable of firing needles at a rapid pace. His weakness is Gemini Man's Gemini Laser.

Behind the scenes, work on Mega Man 3 was an absolute nightmare. After having directed the first two Mega Mans, Akira Kitamura quit Capcom before work began on Mega Man 3. Ghost & Goblins co-composer Harumi Fujita was the original composer but was forced to back out after giving birth and was replaced by future Breath of Fire co-composer Yasuaki Fujita. Inafune also had to become the main planner after the game lost it's original main planner along with his usual responsiblities. Inafune would also consider the last two months to be problematic after having to assess and divide up tasks for the team members who weren't meeting deadlines. The development team also felt the game was released before they were able to polish it. Inafune admitted he didn't enjoy working on Mega Man 3 the same way he did the first two. While Rush and Proto Man were created by the developer, Capcom again held a contest for designs on the robot masters and got 50,000 submissions while using 8.

Mega Man 3 saw some new things and character debuts. It marked the first game to allow Mega Man to slide which helps him dodge attacks or reach places like small areas that he can't run to. The game also saw the debut of Mega Man's dog Rush and Proto Man. Rush is able to assist Mega Man during the game by changing into various things including having a coil on his back which Mega Man can jump off of to reach high places, a jet Mega Man can ride on, and a marine that Mega Man can ride underwater. There were plans to have a drill that would allow Mega Man to tunnel underground but this was left out. Proto Man was introduced as a way for players to wonder where his allegances lied and his looked was inspired by anime while being given a scarf and shield to make him look "tougher" than Mega Man. Originally, Proto Man was named "Blues" in Japan as a take on Mega Man being called "Rock" and "Rockman" while Roll was Roll but since Rockman was called Mega Man in America and the music names could be lost to North American audiences because of it, Capcom USA felt the name "Blues" made no sense and changed it to "Proto Man" which Inafune was against.

Mega Man 3 was released on September 28, 1990 on the Nintendo Famicom as Rockman 3: Dr. Wily no Saigo!? (The End of Dr. Wily!?) followed by a North American release in November 1990 and a European release on June 23, 1992 both on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game would earn good reviews and was successful, selling 1.17 million copies which makes it Capcom's 48th highest selling game. Like the first two games, Mega Man 3 was praised for gameplay, graphics, and music. However, some critics complained about the difficulty thinking it was too difficult. IGN would even consider it a big improvement over the first and even better than the second thanks to the storytelling, the game's length, and the fact there's eight new robot masters along with Doc Robot using the styles and moves of the robot masters from Mega Man 2. AllGame scored the game a 4 1/2 out of 5, Dragon scored it 3 out of 5, EGM & Eurogamer both scored it 9 out of 10, Famitsu scored it 23 out of 40, IGN scored it 9.5 out of 10, and Nintendo Power scored it 4 out of 5. EGM listed it "The Best Sequel to an Existing Game" in it's 1991 Video Game Buyer's Guide. It was voted the third best game of 1990 to the readers of Nintendo Power in Nintendo Power's "Nintendo Power Awards". Nintendo Power also listed it as the 11th best NES game in their 20th Anniversary issue. GamePro ranked it the third greatest 8 bit game of all time.

Since it's release, Mega Man 3 has been re-released many times on many consoles including an enhanced version in Mega Man: The Wily Wars in 1994 on the Sega Mega Drive. The original has also been released on Playstation as part of the Japanese exclusive Rockman Complete Works in 1999 as well as the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox in 2004 (Gamecube and Playstation 2) and 2005 (Xbox). It's also been released on mobile phones in Japan in 2005 & North America in 2008 followed by the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U Virtual Consoles while the Complete Works version was released on the online Playstation Network. It was later re-released on Mega Man Legacy Collection for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018


Mega Man 4 (1991)
Following the events of Mega Man 3, it appeared as though Dr. Wily was dead and peace was finally here. However, a new threat emerged in a mysterious Russian scientist named Dr. Mikhail Cossack who unleashed eight robot masters named Toad Man, Bright Man, Pharaoh Man, Ring Man, Dust Man, Skull Man, Dive Man, and Drill Man in attempt at world domination. Dr. Light arms Mega Man with a new chargeable mega buster and sends him out to put a stop to them. After stopping the eight robots, Mega Man heads to Cossack's fortress when he battles the scientist until Proto Man rescues Cossack's daughter Kalinka who then reveals to Mega Man that Cossack had been blackmailed by Dr. Wily into fighting him. With Wily revealed to be alive and out of the shadows, Mega Man journeys to Wily's new fortress to again stop him.

Toad Man (Todoman in Japan)- Toad Man is the first of eight robots created by Dr. Cossack. Originally, Toad Man was built for irrigation purposes as he was used for irrigating crops during times of drought but was altered for combat when Wily began blackmailing Cossack. Toad Man's main weapon is The Rain Flush which summons acid rain that attacks enemies. His main weakness is Drill Man's Drill Bomb.

Bright Man (Buraitoman in Japan)- Bright Man is the second of eight robots created by Dr. Cossack. Originally, Bright Man was built for the purpose of exploring dark places but was altered for combat when Wily began blackmailing Cossack. His main weapon is The Flash Stopper which allows Bright Man to emit an extremely bright light with ten million watts or power from the light bulb on his head which results in an activation of a safety device in robots which blinds and stuns them briefly which allows Bright Man to attack. His main weakness is Toad Man's Rain Flash.

Pharaoh Man (Faraoman in Japan)- Pharaoh Man is the third of eight robots created by Dr. Cossack. Originally, Pharaoh Man was built with the ability to explore ancient ruins such as pyramids but was altered for combat when Wily began blackmailing Cossack. Pharaoh Man is very agile and strongly resistant but after being modified, he was also giving great attack power to battle Mega Man. His main weapon is The Pharaoh Shot which is a sphere that's solar powered that eventually releases destructive energy that hurts enemies. Once Mega Man gets it, it, along with the mega buster, is capable of being charged. His weakness is Bright Man's Flash Stopper.

Ring Man (Ringuman in Japan)- Ring Man is the fourth of eight robots created by Dr. Cossack. Unlike most of the robots, Ring Man was created specifically for fighting and to battle Mega Man. His main weapon is the Ring Boomerang which is a fast and powerful boomerang that resembles an Indian chakram. He's weakness is Pharaoh Man's Pharaoh Shot.

Dust Man (Dasutoman in Japan)- Dust Man is the fifth of eight robots created by Dr. Cossack. Originally, Dust Man was originally created for sanitation purposes but was altered for combat when Wily began blackmailing Cossack. His main weapon is The Dust Crusher, a bomb enclosed in scrap metal that launches debris after making contact with something. His weakness is Ring Man's Ring Boomerang

Skull Man (Sukaruman in Japan)- Skull Man is the sixth of eight robots created by Dr. Cossack. Like Ring Man, Skull Man was specifically built for combat against Mega Man. Because of this, he has a balanced in both offense and defense. Interestingly enough, he only moves when Mega Man moves and attacks when Mega Man attacks but will fire from his arm cannon if Mega Man jumps. His main weapon is The Skull Barrier which is skull shaped energy fields that serve as a shield. His weakness is Dust Man's Dust Crusher.

Dive Man (Daibuman in Japan)- Dive Man is the seventh of eight robots created by Dr. Cossack. Originally, Dive Man was created to be a submarine like robot that does stuff like catch fish but altered for combat when Wily began blackmailing Cossack. Dive Man is capable of launching himself like a missile at his opponents but this is considered a design flaw. His main weapon is the Dive Missile which is a special missile that is shot from his chest. Originally, it was designed to catch fish but after Dive Man was converted for combat, it became a homing missile that can home in and explode at opponents. His main weakness is Skull Man's Skull Barrier.

Drill Man (Doriruman in Japan)- Man is the eighth of eight robots created by Dr. Cossack. Originally, Drill Man was originally built for digging in construction sites but was altered for combat when Wily began blackmailing Cossack. Drill Man has no hands but drills that allow him to tunnel underground as well as a drill on his head. His main weapon is The Drill Bomb which is a drill he shoots out that's equipped with a bomb His weakness is Dive Man's Dive Missile.

After the difficult period of making Mega Man 3, Inafune claimed work on Mega Man 4 was much better and had very few problems. Mega Man 4 was the first game for designer Hayato Kaji who came up with the idea of the chargeable mega buster and would work on many Mega Man games in the years to come. The musical score was composed by Minae Fujii while Yasuaki Fujita returned to work on the sound effects. Inafune created the new characters of Dr. Cossack and Kalinka for the game. Originally, Inafune planned on Cossack to be an American named "Dr. Vice" before settling on making him Russian. The only trait to stay was Cossack was younger than Light & Wily. The character of Kalinka was created since there were so many male characters already but Inafune didn't want her to be compared to Roll. The concept of Eddie was first thought of during Mega Man 2 but wasn't used. The idea was Eddie was like a lottery either giving the player an item they wanted and needed or one they didn't. Fans submitted 70,000 ideas for robot bosses with Kaji claiming they were very happy with the ideas. The team especially loved the concept of Skull Man so much that they went as far as to scrap a level already being worked on and start over just to give Skull Man one. The eight fans who's designs were used were given special edition golden cartridges of Mega Man 4. Only eight have been created which makes them extremely rare and command large price tags for collectors.

Mega Man 4 saw the debut of the chargeable mega buster and the character of Eddie. The chargeable mega buster has since become a staple in Mega Man games and have not only been used in every Mega Man game since but have also appeared in Mega Man spinoff's such as the Mega Man X series. Eddie would appear in every Mega Man game from here on as someone who provide Mega Man with items and even fought alongside him in Mega Man 8. In later games, Eddie appears after Mega Man purchases Eddie whistles. Mega Man 4 was also the first game that began to incorporate "fake outs" by trying to fool fans into believing Mega Man was facing a new menace only for it to be revealed to be Dr. Wily pulling the strings all along. This concept would be used many more times over the years including Mega Mans 5, 6, and Bass while also continuing in the Mega Man X series with Sigma.

Mega Man 4 was released in Japan on December 6, 1991 as Rockman 4: Aratanaru Yabo!! (A New Ambition!!) on the Nintendo Famicom followed by a North American release in January 1992 and an European release on January 21, 1993 both on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game again received positive reviews mostly for it's graphics, gameplay, and sound effects. However, since the games initial release, many have argued Mega Man 4 was the beginning of a decline in quality with some arguing the formula was getting tiresome and it didn't help it came out on the Famicom and NES despite the Super Famicom and Super Nintendo Entertainment System both having since been released. The concept of the chargeable mega buster was mixed with an argument being that it hurt the balance of the game and made the special weapons not as valuable. Nevertheless, the game received good scores as GamePro scored it 5 stars out of 5, IGN scored it 8/10, Nintendo Power scored it 3.95 out of 5, Nintendo Magazine scored it 81%, and Total! score it 88%. IGN later listed it #95 on their "Top 100 NES Games". Mega Man 4 also earned the Best Overall Game Award in Nintendo Power's 1992 Awards.

Since it's release, Mega Man 4 has been re-released a few times. It has been released on Playstation as part of the Japanese exclusive Rockman Complete Works in 1999 as well as the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox in 2004 (Gamecube and Playstation 2) and 2005 (Xbox). It's also been released on mobile phones in Japan in 2005, the Playstation Network also only in Japan, later on the Wii, 3DS, & Wii U Virtual Console, and finally, re-released on the Mega Man Legacy Collection for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018


Mega Man 5 (1992)
Set two months after the events of Mega Man 4, a new army of robots emerge and attack the world including eight robot bosses named Star Man, Gravity Man, Gyro Man, Crystal Man, Napalm Man, Stone Man, Charge Man, & Wave Man. Even more shocking is that they appear to be lead by Proto Man who captures Dr. Light. Mega Man must now set out with allies Rush, Eddie, and newcomer Beat who was created by Dr. Cossack (who also upgraded Mega Man's chargeable mega buster) to face this new threat, rescue Dr. Light, and may have to fight his brother. After fighting his way through the eight robot bosses, Mega Man eventually heads to "Proto Man's" fortress where he confronts him only to find out the truth as "Proto Man" is exposed as a robot named "Dark Man" by the real Proto Man. It turns out Dr. Wily is behind it all and Mega Man must once again put a stop to him.

Star Man (Sutaman in Japan)- Star Man is the first of eight robot masters designed by Dr. Wily. Star Man was created for space exploration and combat. His main strengths are his great agility and fighting at his best in low gravity environments. At the time of the game, Star Man was supervising the remodeling of an abandoning satellite station that orbited the Earth. His main weapon is The Star Crash which created a star shaped shield that served as protection and as a weapon that allowed him to launch at enemies. His weakness is Wave Man's Water Wave.

Gravity Man (Gurabitiman in Japan)- Gravity Man is the second of eight robot masters designed by Dr. Wily. As his name suggests, Gravity Man is capable of controlling gravity near him thanks to a device installed into him. He occupies an anti-gravity research institute which he used against Mega Man. Along with his arm cannon, his main weapon is The Gravity Hold which allows him to control the gravity of both his opponents as well as himself and can use it to drop himself onto his opponents. His weakness is Star Man's Star Crash.

Gyro Man (Jairoman in Japan)- Gyro Man is the third of eight robot masters designed by Dr. Wily. Gyro Man resembles a helicopter which is largely due to Wily having to replace a flying device with a propeller. According to sources, this was likely since Wily's original design failed and he ran out of money. Despite this, Gyro Man prefers the propeller. Gyro Man takes over a hanging garden which would allow him to collect money from the admission fee but attendances fell after he took over and he became bored as a result. His main weapon is The Gyro Attack which are cutters that are shaped like little propellers that can move upward or downward. His weakness is Gravity Man's Gravity Hold.

Crystal Man (Kurisutaruman in Japan)- Crystal Man is the fourth of eight robot masters designed by Dr. Wily. He was created to make artificial crystals that can be sold and help finance Wily's operation. His main weapon is The Crystal Eye which are crystal orbs that can bounce off walls and break into smaller orbs upon hitting targets. His weakness is Gyro Man's Gyro Attack.

Napalm Man (Napamuman in Japan)- Napalm Man is the fifth of eight robot masters designed by Dr. Wily. Napalm Man was originally created to guard Wily's secret weapon facility. While there, he's spends his time as a weapons collector as he seeks weapons that are strong and even stronger than he is. Napalm Man is an enthusiast of weapons and is armed with all sorts of explosive weaponry. His main weapon is The Napalm Bomb which are bombs that are launched out of his arm cannons that can bounce on the ground and on walls before exploding after a few seconds or making contact on an enemy. His weakness is Crystal Man's Crystal Bomb.

Stone Man (Sutonman in Japan)- Stone Man is the sixth of eight robot masters designed by Dr. Wily. He was built to look and be as tough as bricks. He was sent to take over a mountain to help Gyro Man take over a hanging garden. Despite his size and weight, Stone Man is capable of jumping very high but if he jumps too high or gets hit with a powerful attack, his body will break into pieces although he can rebuild himself. His main weapon is The Power Stone which allows big stones to circle around him and are capable of nailing anything with heavy force. His weakness is Napalm Man's Napalm Bomb.

Charge Man (Chajiman in Japan)- Charge Man is the seventh of eight robot masters designed by Dr. Wily. He resembles a steam train which allows him to pass off as a regular train and thus being able to make shipments to Wily's areas. Unlike most robots, Charge Man is powered by coal and water but it results in expensive operating costs. Along with launching flaming coal from his smokestack, he's capable of charging into his opponents with the latter becoming Mega Man's power upon defeating Charge Man called the Charge Kick. His weakness is Stone Man's Power Stone.

Wave Man (Webuman in Japan)- Wave Man is the eighth of eight robot masters designed by Dr. Wily. Wave Man was originally built infiltrate and take over the water quality administration. Wave Man is able to fire harpoons from his arm cannon and most of his attacks are range attacks which makes him easier to face up close. His main weapon is The Water Wave which allows him to produced pressurized columns of water that are fired from the ground where his opponent is standing. His weakness is Charge Man's Charge Kick.

For Mega Man 5, Inafune worked under a new project leader who he helped along with team members due to his experience in working on previous games mostly to prevent making what he thought would be an "unreasonable game". Due to this, he believes Mega Man 5 had an easier difficulty. Hayato Kaji was brought back for Mega Man 5 while it was in the middle of development since, according to him, the game was taking awhile to come together. The thought going into Mega Man 5 was trying to come up with more "powered up versions of everything" since they felt they accomplished all the gameplay they could with Mega Man 4. For the robot bosses, Capcom decided to go a new direction by teaming up with Nintendo Power Magazine to hold a contest for fan submissions. Capcom ultimately got 170,000 submissions but Inafune recalled having a tough time getting the green light on the chosen robot bosses and had to re-illustrate them many times. Despite having trouble on designs, balances, and colors, Inafune still considered work on Mega Man 5 to be fun.

Mega Man 5 saw the debut of the robotic bird Beat who was created by Dr. Cossack. Beat was originally considered for Mega Man 3 along with Rush but only Rush made it to the game. Unlike the robot bosses, Inafune had no problem getting Beat green lit as he was approved during the first draft. Like Rush and Eddie, Beat has appeared in every Mega Man game since. In Mega Man 5, Beat can only be used by collecting plates that spell "MegamanV" that are scattered throughout each level.

Mega Man 5 was released in Japan on December 4, 1992 as Rockman 5: Blue's no Wana!? (Blue's Trap!?) on the Nintendo Famicom followed by a North American release in December 1992 and an European release on March 10, 1993 both on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game received positive reviews upon release with critics again praising the graphics and music but was criticized for a lack of innovation regarding the gameplay and plot. Many specifically praised the game for it's graphics, controls, music, and difficulty. IGN praised it as one of the best in the series in terms of the fact it's one of the easiest which means you could casually pick it up and play it. However, the lack of innovation saw GamePro say it was "Deja Vu all over again" while 1UP.com said it was "painfully phoned-in". Still, scores for it were still great as AllGame gave it 4 stars out of 5, both EGM & Game Informer gave it a 7.75 out of 10, GamePro gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5, IGN gave it an 8.5 out of 10, and Nintendo Power gave it 3.825 out of 5. IGN also listed Mega Man 5 as the 84th Best Game on the NES.

Since it's release, Mega Man 5 has been re-released a few times. It has been released on Playstation as part of the Japanese exclusive Rockman Complete Works in 1999 as well as the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox in 2004 (Gamecube and Playstation 2) and 2005 (Xbox). It's also been released on mobile phones in Japan in 2005, the Playstation Network also only in Japan, later on the Wii, 3DS, & Wii U Virtual Console, and finally re-released on the Mega Man Legacy Collection for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018


Mega Man 6 (1993)
Mega Man 6 takes place after Mega Man 5 with the story being that due to Dr. Wily's repeated attacks, a group called the Global Robot Alliance was formed with the hopes of countering Wily's attacks. A year after forming, a mysterious man named Mr. X who ran the equally mysterious X Foundation hosted a tournament to decide which robot is the strongest. Because he was a pacifist, Dr. Light decides not to participate but still sends Mega Man to supervise. During the tournament, Mr. X comes out and announces he's reprogrammed eight of the robots to help him conquer the world. Mega Man then confronts him wondering why he's doing this with X claiming that he'd been the one manipulating Wily all along. Mega Man then proceeds to battle his way through the eight robots before heading to Mr. X's fortress where he confronts and beats Mr. X only for it to be revealed as another facade as Mr. X turns out to be Dr. Wily in disguise. Mega Man then fight his way through Wily's new fortress and beats him but this time, he actually arrests him seemingly putting an end to Wily once and for all.

Flame Man (Fureimuman in Japan)- Flame Man is the first of eight robots that are controlled by Mr. X. Flame Man was originally built with his power source being thermal energy which he can generate huge amounts of. Though outdated, it give him a more stable power source as opposed to solar power which most robots used. His main weapon is The Flame Burst which creates walls of fire from the ground. His weakness is Wind Man's Wind Storm.

Blizzard Man (Burizadoman in Japan)- Blizzard Man is the second of eight robots that are controlled by Mr. X. He was originally created to monitor the Antarctic's weather and won three gold medals in skiing in the Robot Olympics before being converted into a fighting robot. His main weapon is The Blizzard Attack which allows him to create snow and ice crystals from the humidity. His weakness is Flame Man's Flame Burst.

Plant Man (Purantoman in Japan)- Plant Man is the third of eight robots that are controlled by Mr. X. He was originally created as a keeper of a botanical garden and can communicate with plant. He can also disguise himself due to his resemblance to plants. He was converted for combat in order to compete in the First Annual Robot Tournament. His main weapon is The Plant Barrier which is a barrier of flower pedals. His weakness is Blizzard Man's Blizzard Attack.

Tomahawk Man (Tomahokuman in Japan)- Tomahawk Man is the fourth of eight robots that are controlled by Mr. X. Tomahawk Man was one of the few robots built specifically for the First Annual Robot Tournament. His main weapon is The Silver Tomahawk which he is capable of throwing at opponents that are as far as 100 meters or 328 feet. However, it's thrown upward which leaves a safe area for enemies but to make up for this, he's able to fire feathers horizontally from his headdress.

Yamato Man (Yamatoman in Japan)- Yamato Man is the fifth of eight robots that are controlled by Mr. X. Yamato Man was built to resemble a samurai warrior. Despite the look of his armor, it's actually built lightly in an attempt to help his mobility but at the cost of lowering his defense. His main weapon is The Yamato Spear which allows him to throw spear heads at opponents of his but due to a limited number, he's forced to pick them up after running out. He also knows martial arts and fights with a spear in close combat.

Knight Man (Naitoman in Japan)- Knight Man is the sixth of eight robots that are controlled by Mr. X. Like Tomahawk Man, Knight Man was also built specifically for fighting. While his weight slows him down and affects his mobility, he makes up for it with great attack power and defense. Unlike a lot of the robots, Knight Man has fought many times before as he's supposedly defeated 1,000 robots. His main weapon is The Knight Crusher which is a powerful flail with a chain connected to his arm which allows him to deliver strong attacks from afar. His weakness is Yamato Man's Yamato Spear.

Centaur Man (Kentaurosman in Japan)- Centaur Man is the seventh of eight robots that are controlled by Mr. X. Centaur Man originally worked as a tour guide before being converted into a fighting robot. He is equipped with a special arm cannon that shoots bullets which spread upon making contact. He can also teleport short distances. Unlike other robots, Centaur Man resemble the mythical Centaur which gives him four legs. As a result, he has excellent agility, resistance, and speed but is unable to jump. His main weapon is The Centaur Flash which distorts space and briefly stops time. However, because it's a powerful weapon, he needs to consume a lot of energy in order to use it. His weakness is Knight Man's Knight Crusher.

Wind Man (Unidoman in Japan)- Wind Man is the eighth of eight robots that are controlled by Mr. X. He was originally created for agriculture and the harvest. Wind Man has jet engines on his feet which allow him to hover and move faster. His main weapon is The Wind Storm which allows Wind Man to generate powerful winds that can reach speeds of 200 m/s which he can uses to pull enemies and increased speed if damaged. His weakness is Centaur Man's Centaur Flash.

Development for Mega Man 6 was interesting since it was being worked on at a time when the spin off Mega Man X, the first game in the Mega Man X series, was being made. As was the case in previous games, a contest was held for fans to submit designs. This time, it would be different as not only Capcom held a contest but so did Nintendo Power. In the end, 200,000 designs were submitted. Of the eight designs, six were Japanese while two were American from the Nintendo Power contest with Knight Man and Wind Man being the American submissions. Nintendo of America paid homege to the designers by having Knight Man and Wind Man appear on the North American cover. As a result, Mega Man 6 is the first Mega Man to allow submissions from outside of Japan. Though the process became stressful since some of the last characters designed were not meeting the rest of the team's schedule, Inafune says they got a lot done and enjoyed adding "unique flavor of different countries into the game" since the theme was "The World is our Stage".

Mega Man 6 was released in Japan on November 5, 1993 as Rockman 6: Shijo Saidai no Tatakai!! (The Greatest Battle Ever!!) on the Nintendo Famicom followed by a North American release in March 1994 on the Nintendo Entertainment System but a European release didn't happen due to the NES being on it's way out and wouldn't be released in Europe until it was released 20 years later on the 3DS Virtual Console on June 11, 2013. Due to the Famicom and NES coming to an end, the releases of Mega Man 6 were weird and interesting. Originally, Capcom only intended for a Japanese release date. However, with Nintendo releasing the NES-101 or "Top Loader" version of the NES, Nintendo of America not only released it at $49.99 but they planned to release some new games in an attempt to get more people to buy it including Zoda's Revenge: Star Tropics 2, the NES version of Wario's Woods, and Mega Man 6. As a result, Mega Man 6 was not published by Capcom in North America but Nintendo of America. The game received good reviews with the gameplay, difficulty, controls, and new power-ups getting the most praise but some did find it redundant. GamePro liked the new enemies and larger mid-stage bosses but didn't like the recycling of master weapons that were seen before. Destructoid considered it the best of the series and was "retro before retro was cool" due to it's release on the NES despite the fact the next generation of consoles had been out for years. However, 1UP.com didn't care for the storyline and considered the villains an insult to the fans and outweighed the good like the soundtrack and power-ups. EGM's review panel agreed the series was repetitive with one going as far to say it needed to end. EGM scored the game a 6.8 out of 10, Famitsu scored it 23/40, GamePro scored it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, Nintendo Power gave it a 3.65 out of 5, and Game Players gave it an 88%. IGN later listed Mega Man 6 as the 58th Best Game in the NES.

Since it's release, Mega Man 6 has been re-released a few times. It has been released on Playstation as part of the Japanese exclusive Rockman Complete Works in 1999 as well as the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox in 2004 (Gamecube and Playstation 2) and 2005 (Xbox). It's also been released on mobile phones in Japan in 2005, the Playstation Network also only in Japan, later on the 3DS & Wii U Virtual Console, and finally re-released on the Mega Man Legacy Collection for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018


Mega Man: The Wily Wars (1994)
Though a compilation, The Wily Wars does have a story as it sees Dr. Wily travel back in time in an attempt to stop Mega Man during one of the their first three battles. Mega Man must now relive the first three games and defeat robot masters of the past that he tangled with before. After doing this, he must face Wily Tower where three new robots called "The Genesis Unit" await as does Wily.

Buster Rod G. (Basuta Roddo G in Japan)- Buster Rod G. is the first of three new robot masters created by Dr. Wily that resides in Wily Tower. Buster Rod is a skilled martial artist and the leader of the Genesis Unit. He is based on the character Sun Wukong from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. He's fought twice with the first being in his stage with his main weapon being (appropriately) a rod that extends and can allow him to attack from afar. He also can twirl it around to block attacks as they ricochet off. When fought the second time in the third Wily Tower, he attacks with his arm cannon and jumps on platforms that fall throughout the battle. His weakness is Hard Man's Hard Knuckle.

Mega Water S. (Mega Wota S in Japan)- Mega Water S. is the second of three new robot masters created by Dr. Wily that resides in Wily Tower. Mega Water is the brains of the Genesis Unit but doesn't have much confidence in himself. He is based off the character Sha Wujing from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. His main weapon is a harpoon that he fires at Mega Man while Mega Man is underwater. He can also shoot water from his arm cannon if Mega Man jumps onto his platform thus pushing him back into the water and can create a water shield to protect himself but a few attacks will destroy it. His weakness is Ice Man's Ice Slasher and Bomb Man's Hyper Bomb.

Hyper Storm H. (Haipa Sutomu H in Japan)- Hyper Storm H. is the third of three new robot masters created by Dr. Wily that resides in Wily Tower. Hyper Storm is the muscle of the Genesis Unit but not very bright as he's easy to fool. He is based off the character Zhu Bajie from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. His main weapon is his breath as he can either suck Mega Man into him or blow him into non lethal spikes on the walls while also being able to shoot from his mouth as he's blowing. He also can make met robots (the hardhat robots) fall from the ceiling when he jumps and lands on the ground. His weakness is Bomb Man's Hyper Bomb while Fire Man's Fire Storm is also quite effective.

Inafune claimed work on Mega Man: The Wily Wars was tough due to the development being outsourced and slow while saying the debugging process was "an absolute nightmare" so he had to help out. As mentioned, Inafune based the three new robots on characters from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Other than them, Inafune's only other illustrative work was Mega Man & Rush on the box art. The music was largely a 16-bit version of the previous songs outside of Wily Tower which featured new scores. To date, Capcom has yet to officially name the composer but it's been said to have been Castlevania and Mega Man X3 composer Kinuyo Yamashita.

Mega Man: The Wily Wars was released in Japan on October 21, 1994 as Rockman: Mega World on the Sega Mega Drive followed by a North American release on December 31, 1994 on the Sega Channel and a European release came on April 3, 1995 on Sega Mega Drive. The Wily Wars is the only Mega Man game released on a Sega console and the first not to be released on a Nintendo one. The North American release was complicated as it was only released on Sega's Sega Channel, an online gaming service that served as a pay-to-play service that used cable television to deliver content. A cartridge version was planned for the Sega Genesis but never came out as it was first put on hold indefinitely due to graphical issues before being cancelled in 1996. The game received good reviews with two reviewers on GameSpot and one from Sega-16 saying it was a must have but 1UP.com said it wasn't worth it due to designing issues preventing it from aging as well as the NES counterparts. Editors at Nintendo Power consistently ranked it high as a game they would want to see on the Wii Virtual Console (which ultimately never happened).


Mega Man 7 (1995)
Mega Man 7 takes place several months after the events of Mega Man 6. At the end of Mega Man 6, Mega Man finally brought Dr. Wily to justice and it appeared as though his reign of terror was over. However, Wily knew this day could happen and had a back up plan in case. Wily built several robots and stored them away to be hidden. If the robots hadn't heard from Wily in six months, they would be released and set out to find him. After six months, four robots named Burst Man, Cloud Man, Junk Man, and Freeze Man are released and wreck havoc in search of Wily before eventually helping him escape. Mega Man heads out but is unable to stop Wily from escaping. During Wily's escape, Mega Man battles a new robot named Bass. After the fight, Bass and his wolf Treble present themselves as allies who are also after Wily. Mega Man sets out and fights off Wily's robots. After defeating the four robots, Wily unleashes four more named Spring Man, Slash Man, Shade Man, and Turbo Man but Mega Man beats them as well. During this time, Bass seemingly gets damaged and is allowed to visit Dr. Light's lab for repairs. However, Bass reveals his true colors by trashing Light's lab and stealing enhanced parts Light was building for Mega Man. Bass reveals himself and Treble to have been built by Wily and is determined to prove he's the best fighting robot of all time. Despite the enhancements, Mega Man is still able to defeat Bass and fights his way to Wily before defeating him. This time around, Mega Man considers killing Wily believing he should've done it a long time ago but before he can, Wily is saved by Bass and Treble ensuring this isn't the last time he's seen Wily or Bass.

Burst Man (Basutoman in Japan)- Burst Man is the first of Dr. Wily's eight robots. Unlike most robots, Burst Man was neither created by Dr. Light nor Dr. Wily but was a robot who was originally built to protect a chemical plant but was stolen by Wily and modified into a fighting robot. Burst Man has explosives and a soapy substance on his body which allows him to trap enemies into bubbles as well as use his main weapon The Danger Wrap which allows him to shoot a bubble with a bomb contained in it. His weakness is Turbo Man's Scorch Wheel and Freeze Man's Freeze Cracker.

Cloud Man (Kuraudoman in Japan)- Cloud Man is the second of Dr. Wily's eight robots. Like Burst Man, Cloud Man was originally for weather control but was also stolen by Wily and modified into a fighting robot. After being modified, his rainfall equipment was removed while his lightning equipment was enhanced. Cloud Man has no legs but moves by hovering. His main weapon is The Thunder Bolt which is a fast lightning bolt that creates four electric spheres that go by the floor when it hits the ground. His weakness is Burst Man's Danger Wrap.

Junk Man (Jankuman in Japan)- Junk Man is the third of Dr. Wily's eight robots. Junk Man's name is appropriate as he was created by old parts from other robots and pieces of garbage that's held together by electromagnetic forces. His main weapon is The Junk Shield which uses electromagnetism to summon scrap metal to serve as a shield and be used as a weapon. His weakness is Cloud Man's Thunder Bolt.

Freeze Man (Furizuman in Japan)- Freeze Man is the fourth of Dr. Wily's eight robots. Freeze Man was a prototype robot for non-polluting energy before Wily modified him into a fighting robot. Freeze Man is capable of altering normal temperatures into the ambient into high and low with high temperatures being used for as an energy source while low temperatures can be used for attacks. His main weapon is The Freeze Cracker which is a projectile that resembles a snowflake. His weakness is Junk Man's Junk Shield.

Slash Man (Surasshuman in Japan)- Slash Man is the fifth of Dr. Wily's eight robots. Slash Man was originally created by Dr. Wily for deforestation which would make way for Wily to construct secret bases and may have been based off the design of Pluto from Mega Man 5 (Gameboy version). Slash Man put in charge of a dinosaur robot army though they have a hard time keep up with him due to his temperament and speed. One of his weapons is binding opponents in a red substinance which allows him to attack as his opponent is stuck but he's vulnerable to changes in temperature. His main weapon is The Slash Claw which is a portable wave looking cutting device that's used to cut asteroids that's released from claws on his forearms (like Wolverine). His weakness is Freeze Man's Freeze Cracker and Turbo Man's Scorch Wheel.

Spring Man (Supuringuman in Japan)- Spring Man is the sixth of Dr. Wily's eight robots. Spring Man is created with over 2,000 springs which makes him light and able to jump to very high places but he has a hard time moving around especially with stairs. His main weapon is The Wild Coil which are spiked springs he shoots from in front and back of him. His weakness is Slash Man's Slash Claw.

Shade Man (Shedoman in Japan)- Shade Man is the seventh of Dr. Wily's eight robots. Shade Man was built as a robot designed to look like a vampire and to be used for an amusement park but was stolen and modified into a fighting robot by Wily. His main weapon is The Noise Crush which allows Shade Man to shoot a powerful and destructive sound wave. Originally, Wily intended for the weapon to use certain sound waves to control human minds but a wiring error resulted in The Noise Crush. His weakness is Spring Man's Wild Coil.

Turbo Man (Taboman in Japan)- Turbo Man is the eighth of Dr. Wily's eight robots. Turbo Man was built by Wily from parts from his car due to running out of parts to use and uses petrol as an energy source. Turbo Man is able to change into a racing car due to the way he was built but since it wasn't finished, ultrasonic wave can hurt him. However, Cloud Man's Thunder Bolt can charge him and briefly make him invincible while he's able to attack multiple times while in his car mode. His main weapon is The Scorcher Wheel which is a flaming wheel that rolls on the ground. His weakness is Shade Man's Noise Crush.

Mega Man 7 marked the first numbered game in the series to appear on a 16 bit system and was the only one on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (though Mega Man & Bass appeared in Japan on the Super Famicom). Development on Mega Man 7 proved difficult due to the Mega Man X series being worked on at the time and a tight schedule which resulted in the development team only being given three months to complete it. Despite this, Inafune considered it a fun experience due to the team being highly motivated. The character of Auto was created by Inafune who was inspired by "Tin Man" type robots he saw as a kid. Bass and Treble was also created by Inafune who did rough sketches of them under the names "Baroque" and "Crush" before handing them off to Kaji to finish. Speaking of Inafune and Kaji, Inafune handed over some of his duties to Kaji who became the new head illustrator. The music was done by a team of 10 people including Mega Man X2 sound designer and future Mega Man 9 & 10 composer Ippo Yamada. Mega Man 7 continued the tradition of holding a contest for robot master designs and got 220,000 submissions. One of the things the development team hoped to accomplish with Mega Man 7 was to create secret locations that can only be accessed through the use of a certain special weapon that can be used to interact with the environment. Inafune also wanted a secret battle mode which was included one week before it went beta and only added on the condition only Mega Man & Bass be playable characters and there would be no bugs. It was completed and added within two days. Despite being added, Capcom decided to make it only available through the use of a secret password. Meanwhile, the team intended for Wily to be very tough to beat. Originally, Capcom planned to not release it outside of Japan despite having finished an English version but eventually did after gamers became angry and demanded it. Unfortunately, it was undershipped and not many games were originally released.

Mega Man 7 saw the debut of characters Bass, Treble, and Auto as well as some new features. Bass would serve as the series anti-hero from here on out with Treble not far behind. Auto is a mechanic that usually appears in future Mega Man games as someone who can create items for Mega Man to use like extra lives, energy tanks, and weapon tanks. Mega Man 7 also introduced the concept of buying items. Mega Man can use screws that the player either finds or gets from enemies who drop them and can buy items with them with Auto using the screws to create the items. Items include extra lives, energy & weapon tanks, Beat & Eddie calls, Rush upgrades, etc. It was also the first Mega Man to have an opening stage and a middle stage once the player is half way through. Mega Man 7 was also more linear. Unlike the previous games where players can pick which ever robot master they wanted to tackle first, the player is only able to pick from four at first and then after a middle stage can pick the last four. This concept would be used in Mega Man 8.

Mega Man 7 was released in Japan on March 24, 1995 as Rockman 7: Shukumei no Taiketsu! (Showdown of Destiny!) on the Super Famicom followed by a North American release on September 1, 1995 and a European release on November 20, 1995 both on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game received average to somewhat positive reviews. The biggest complaint being that it didn't add much to the series and it came off inferior compared to the Mega Man X series with Mega Man X having only been released a little more than a year earlier while Mega Man X2 was just coming out and Mega Man X3 would be out a year later. GamePro even considered it "a nice holdover" until the next X game came out. However, the game did get positive reviews for it's colorful presentation, controls, and difficulty. GameSpot contributors loved it and said it was a real upgrade from the original on the SNES after years of sequels which they said crippled the series and while they said it was a bit late to recover the series former popularity, it was still a solid game. One IGN reviewer said it was one of the weaker games despite the upgrades with some falling flat but still said it was worth a play while another said it's greatest contribution to the series was the introduction of Bass. EGM scored it a 7.4 out of 10, Game Informer, IGN, and VG&CE each scored it a 7 out of 10, GamePro scored it a 3.75 out of 5, Nintendo Power scored it a 3.425 out of 5, Super Play scored it a 79%.

Since it's release, Mega Man 7 has been re-released a few times. It has been released on the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox in 2004 (Gamecube and Playstation 2) and 2005 (Xbox). It's also been released on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014 and on the Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018.


Mega Man 8 (1996)
Mega Man 8's story begins when a meteorite crashes onto an island and Mega Man heads out to investigate. Unfortunately, the island is a secret island where Dr. Wily is and Wily is able to steal an energy source before Mega Man can reach it first. Mega Man notices an unconscious robot in the crater who is sent to Dr. Light's while Mega Man heads out. Afterwards, Wily then unleashes four robots each containing purple energy. After defeating them and retrieving the energy, Mega Man heads back only for the robot to take the orbs and heads out. After a brief misunderstanding, the robot introduces himself as Duo and says his mission is to travel the universe to destroy these purple orbs named "evil energy". Mega Man then needs to face four more robots before finally being able to enter Wily Tower where he again faces Bass and then Wily who he defeats but gets infected with the rest of the evil energy after Wily Tower gets destroyed but Duo cleanses Mega Man and leaves with the evil energy on Earth having been destroyed.

Grenade Man (Gurenedoman in Japan)- Grenade Man is the first of eight robot masters from Dr. Wily. Grenade Man was designed to resemble an MK 2 grenade and a head piece that looks like a striker lever. He's a sadomasochistic as he enjoys both inflicting as well as receiving pain especially when he gets caught in explosions he causes. Thanks to an overdrive system, he can move very quickly as well as enjoy a boost in power for a short time. Grenade Man is stationed in Chile at an ammunition factory. His main weapon is The Flash Bomb which is a bomb he shoots out of his arm cannon. Along with being able to fire one or multiple bombs, he can also shoot them at walls which drop debris from the ceiling. His weakness is Search Man's Homing Sniper.

Frost Man (Furosutoman in Japan)- Frost Man is the second of eight robot masters from Dr. Wily. Originally built from Clown Man's extra parts, Frost Man is one of the biggest and strongest robot which is something he's very proud of. However, as is usually the case, he's not very smart and vulnerable to explosions due to poor oil circulation. He's able to drop heavy blocks of ice onto his enemies. His main weapon is The Ice Wave which allows him to create surges of cold energy from the ground by punching the ground. His weakness is Burst Man's Flash Bomb.

Tengu Man (Tenguman in Japan)- Tengu Man is the third of eight robot masters from Dr. Wily. Originally created as an experimental robot that can create typhoons, Tengu Man was converted into a fighting robot by Wily. His name and look are based off the Japanese yokai the Tengu. He has a retractable triple bladed weapon and razor winged jet engines which allows him to fly and at high speeds. His main weapon is The Tornado Hold which allows him to create tornadoes that trap enemies and drop them to their death. His weakness is Frost Man's Ice Wave.

Clown Man (Kurauman in Japan)- Clown Man is the fourth of eight robot masters from Dr. Wily. Originally created for an amusement park, Clown Man was stolen and converted into a fighting robot by Wily. He's able to briefly surround themselves in electric balls and bounce around in a fast and erratic way. His main weapon is The Thunder Claw which allows him to extend his arms and create high voltage electricity. His weakness is Tengu Man's Tornado Hold.

Astro Man (Asutoroman in Japan)- Astro Man is the fifth of eight robot masters from Dr. Wily. Astro Man was originally built to work in a planetarium but was stolen and converted into a fighting robot by Wily. He was stationed somewhere in Northeastern Europe. He can attack with two orb that orbit around him. His main weapon is The Astro Crush which allows him to use a meteor shower on enemies. His weakness is Clown Man's Thunder Claw.

Aqua Man (Akuaman in Japan)- Aqua Man is the sixth of eight robot masters from Dr. Wily. Originally, he was built to operate a waterworks bureau that manages water quality until Wily stole him and converted him into a fighting robot. Aqua Man is a robot capable of storing water and firing it from his arm cannon though he's weak against attack that deal heavy impact. His main weapon is The Water Balloon which allows him to fire spheres full of water at enemies. His weakness is Astro Man's Astro Crush.

Sword Man (Sodoman in Japan)- Sword Man is the seventh of eight robot masters from Dr. Wily. Sword Man was originally built after Wily stole an ancient sword which has been installed on Sword Man's arm hence his name. However, Sword Man's upper body has an anti gravitational device due to the heaviness of the sword. As a result, his upper and lower bodies can act independently. His main weapon is The Flame Sword which allows him to engulf his sword with fire which enhances the sword's power. His weakness is Aqua Man's Water Balloon.

Search Man (Saichiman in Japan)- Search Man is the eighth of eight robot masters from Dr. Wily. Search Man was designed to resemble a camouflaged soldier. Search Man was created with two heads due to Wily believing two minds can make it wiser and stronger. However, Wily forgot to give it two personalities which resulted in Search Man switching from head to head which can confuse him. He was stationed in the forest of the Congo. His main weapon is The Homing Sniper which allows him to fire a homing missile that targets enemies.

Mega Man 8 saw a change behind the scenes as long time producer Tokuro Fujiwara left Capcom and Inafune replaced him as producer while Kaji became director. Inafune claimed the team was overwhelmed during production due to the game using anime cutscenes and coordinating releases on two systems as they weren't familiar with either. For the anime cutscenes, the team brought in the animation studio Xebec. Inafune had wanted to have anime cutscenes in Mega Man games going all the way back to the first game and ended up being happy with the final product. The character of Duo was originally created for this game but had made his debut in the arcade fighting game Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters which came out the same year. Kaji originally planned to have Duo be designed by Dr. Cossack but it was changed when it was decided that Duo would come from space and due to this, Kaji altered the character so as not to appear as Russian though some things like his headwear were retained. Capcom again held a contest and got over 110,000 ideas. In an interesting idea, Sword Man, Clown Man, and Search Man were given base skeletons and Capcom allowed fans to come up with features for them. Tengu Man & Astro Man were already created before the contest (coincidentally or not, these two would return for Mega Man & Bass).

With Mega Man celebrating it's 10th Anniversary in 1997, Capcom decided to release Mega Man 8 as part of a 10 year anniversary celebration that eventually followed with all sorts of merchandise in Japan including figures, toys, stationary, furniture, and a vinyl record. A 43 track disc containing instrumental music followed in 2007 for the franchise's 20th Anniversary.

Mega Man 8 was released in Japan on December 17, 1996 (9 years to the day that the first was released) & January 17, 1997 as Rockman 8: Metal Heroes on the Sony Playstation & Sega Saturn, respectively. It was followed by a North American release in January 1997 on both systems and a European release in 1997 on the Sony Playstation. Originally, Sony refused to sell the North American version due to a push for 3D graphics at the time but eventually changed their minds when they found out Sega would release it on the Saturn. However, Sony only agreed to release it on the condition it got exclusive content so as not to give Sega an advantage which resulted in the first editions coming with a 12 page full-color anthology book to celebrate the franchise's ten year anniversary. The game received somewhat positives though almost all reviewers agreed that the game didn't offer anything new as far as gameplay and it was more same old, same old. Other issues were that the game didn't take advantage of the graphical capabilities of the Playstation and Saturn while the voice acting for the anime cutscenes were among some of the worst in the history of video games. Despite this, GamesRadar ranked Mega Man 8 #23 out of their list of "the 25 best Sega Saturn Games of all time". The game also sold very well with Electronics Boutique and Babbages reporting that they sold 55% of their stock within 3 days after release while Electronics Boutique reported to have sold 75% of their stock within 10 days while some Babbages claimed to have sold out by then. CVG scored the PS version 3 out of 5 stars, EGM scored the Sega Saturn version an 8.5 out of 10, Famitsu scored it 28/40, GameFan scored the PS version an 86/100, Game Informer scored it a 7/10, GamePro & PSM both scored the PS version a 4 out of 5 stars, Game Revolution scored the Saturn version a B, GameSpot scored the PS version a 6.3/10 while scoring the Saturn version a 6/10, IGN scored the PS version a 6/10, Next Generation scored the PS version a 2 out of 5 stars, and Ultra Game Players scored the PS version an 8.1/10. 

Since it's release, Mega Man 8 has been re-released a few times. The Playstation version was re-released in 2002 as part of Sony's "Greatest Hits" label. It has been released on the Mega Man Anniversary Collection on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox in 2004 (Gamecube and Playstation 2) and 2005 (Xbox). It's also been released on the Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018.


Mega Man & Bass (1998)
One year after the events of Mega Man 8, a mysterious robot named King breaks into Dr. Wily's lab and then to a robot museum to steal data blueprints from Dr. Light's creation. Mega Man is sent by Dr. Light to the museum to stop him while Bass heads out to prove himself as the stronger robot by defeating King. Proto Man makes there first but King stops him by cutting him in half with his ax which forces Proto Man to go to Dr. Light for repairs but not before revealing his plan which is to wage war with human and create a utopia for robots. Mega Man & Bass then set out to face King's eight robot masters Cold Man, Burner Man, Pirate Man, Ground Man, Tengu Man, Magic Man, Astro Man, and Dynamo Man. After beating them, they head to King's fortress where they defeat King with some assistance from Proto Man. With King damaged, Mega Man offers for him to go to Dr. Light for repairs but reveals that he'll explode if anyone other than Dr. Wily work on him revealing Wily was behind it all along. Wily then wants King to fight but he doesn't want to fight other robots for humans so brainwashes and powers him up but is still defeated. King seemingly parishes in the explosion of his base. Mega Man & Bass then head to Wily's lab where they fight the previous eight robots before putting a stop to Wily. If the player plays as Bass, Wily reveals he did all this to test Bass and create a stronger King which would make them an invincible pair but Proto Man destroys Wily's plan and tells Bass he'll never be stronger than Mega Man since he has nothing to fight for despite his free will and strength. If the player plays as Mega Man, the ending reveals King survived, thanks Mega Man for showing him the error of his ways, and that he will atone for his crimes.

Cold Man (Korudoman in Japan)- Cold Man is the first of eight robot masters from King's Army. Originally, Cold Man was a refrigerator to preserve prehistoric DNA of dinosaurs at absolute zero until King modified him into a guard robot. He's able to release enemies from his head to slow opponents down and can freeze areas from far distances. His main weapon is The Ice Wall which allows him to create a rectangle ice walls which he can push into Mega Man that can slam him into walls. His weakness is Dynamo Man's Lightning Bolt.

Burner Man (Banaman in Japan)- Burner Man is the second of eight robot masters from King's Army. He was originally created to destroy the environment. Upon joining King's Army, King lied to him by telling him he had a self-destruct device in him that would go off unless he destroyed a forest every day. Despite it being a lie, Burner Man fell for it and has destroyed forests believing his existence depended on it. His main weapon is The Wave Burner which allows him to shoot green flames like a flame thrower. His weakness is Cold Man's Ice Wall.

Pirate Man (Pairetsuman in Japan)- Pirate Man is the third of eight robot masters from King's Army. Pirate Man is what you would expect from his name as he resembles a pirate, attacks cargo ships, is ruthless, and loves profit. It's also been said that he's been responsible for the attacks on ships that took place during King's rebellion. He's able to attack enemies by rolling around a room while in a bubble. His main weapon is The Remote Mine which are remote controlled bombs he's capable of firing usually three at a time. His weakness is Burner Man's Wave Burner.

Ground Man (Gurandoman in Japan)- Ground Man is the fourth of eight robot masters from King's Army. To no surprise given his name, Ground Man was originally created by King to excavate ruins but has hoarded treasures he's found behind King's back. It's been said that Ground Man is King's most powerful robot master. He's able to use a giant drill when in the ceiling and turn into a drill machine. His main weapon is The Spread Drill which is a giant drill that can break into various smaller drills. His weakness is Pirate Man's Remote Mine.

Tengu Man (Tenguman in Japan)- Tengu Man is the fifth of eight robot masters from King's Army. Tengu Man first appeared in Mega Man 8 but was destroyed. He was then revived by King after King used data that he stole from the robot museum. He has a retractable triple bladed weapon and razor winged jet engines which allows him to fly and at high speeds. His main weapon is The Tengu Blade which allows him to slash enemies with his triple bladed weapon. Tengu Man is one of two robot masters to return from Mega Man 8. His main weakness is Ground Man's Spread Drill.

Magic Man (Majikkuman in Japan)- Magic Man is the sixth of eight robot masters from King's Army. As his name would lead you to believe, Magic Man is built to look like a magician. He originally was part of a circus but decided to join King's Army as a way to show off his skills. His main weapon is The Magic Card which is a throwing card able to drain the energy of his opponents and restore his own. His weakness is Tengu Man's Tengu Blade.

Astro Man (Asutoroman in Japan)- Astro Man is the seventh of eight robot masters from King's Army. Astro Man was originally built to work in a planetarium but was stolen and converted into a fighting robot by Wily. Astro Man first appeared in Mega Man 8 but was destroyed and later revived by King after King used data he stole from the robot museum. He can attack with two orbs that orbit around him and the ability to summon enemies. His main weapon is The Copy Vision which allows him to create a hologram of himself that attacks opponents. His weakness is Magic Man's Magic Card.

Dynamo Man (Dainamoman in Japan)- Dynamo Man is the first of eight robot masters from King's Army. Originally, Dynamo Man was built as a robot guide for school children on field trips to a power plant until King modified him and gave him a powerful electric field around him. His main weapon is The Lightning Bolt which shoots lightning bolts around the area. His weakness is Astro Man's Copy Vision.

Despite Mega Man 8 appearing on the 32 bit consoles the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn, Mega Man & Bass was released on the Super Famicom. Inafune (who returned as producer) explained the reason for this was because it was intended for younger gamers who likely still had a Super Famicom and couldn't get a Playstation or Saturn which denied them the opportunity to play Mega Man 8. Despite it coming off as going backwards and Inafune telling the developers to make it as "Hardcore as Possible", designer Hideki Ishikawa described the experience as "one big party" as the developers looked to make a game that didn't fall in the same repetitive traps that other long running video game franchises fell into and had fun doing it. Despite appearing on the Super Famicom, Mega Man & Bass used the same sprites and graphics from Mega Man 8 along with reusing Tengu Man & Astro Man. Unlike every Mega Man game since Mega Man 2, there was no contest held for robot designs as the six other robots were designed by three designers named Hitoshi Ariga, Yoshihiro Iwamoto, and Koji Izuki which each designer creating two masters each. Each robot master was given their own characteristics so players could identify them by their look and personality. During development, some of the robot masters had different names as Burner Man was Blast Man, Cold Man was Freezer Man, and Ground Man was Drill Man despite Mega Man 4 already having a Drill Man. Mega Man & Bass had three composers including Akari Kaida who later worked on Mega Man 10. The composers didn't work together but made their own songs.

Mega Man & Bass had the distinction of being the first to feature the character of Bass as a playable character. Both Mega Man and Bass had their similarities as well as differences. Mega Man can fire his mega buster one bullet at a time and can charge his mega buster while Bass can rapidly fire his buster. Mega Man can only fire horizontally while Bass can fire in every direction. Mega Man can fire while running while Bass can't without an upgrade. Mega Man can slide while Bass can dash, double jump, and jump dash. Bass would eventually return as a playable character in Mega Man 10 via downloadable content. The game also introduced the feature of collectible CDs which players can find scattered through the levels. Each CD offers a profile of every Mega Man character from 1 to Mega Man & Bass. Some CDs can't be gotten at first as a certain power or power up is needed so the player will need to back track. Mega Man & Bass is probably the most linear game in the Mega Man series as players can't pick all eight robot masters anytime they want. Instead, the player can only start with Cold Man, Astro Man, and Ground Man. Defeating Cold Man opens up Burner Man & Pirate Man, defeating Astro Man opens up Dynamo Man, Tengu Man, and Pirate Man, and defeating Ground Man opens up Magic Man and Pirate Man. Prior to going to the fortress, the player has to go to a security room where the player needs to go to eight rooms with each room containing a crystal that the player needs to destroy but each room requires a defeating special weapon. After getting all eight special weapons and destroying all eight crystals, the player can advance to the fortress which contains three levels.

Mega Man & Bass was released in Japan on April 24, 1998 as Rockman & Forte on the Super Famicom. It was eventually followed by a North American release in March 11, 2003 and a European release on March 31, 2003 both on the Nintendo Gameboy Advance as part of Mega Man's 15th Anniversary. Originally, plans were for it to only be released in Japan through Nintendo Power's game service at Lawson convenience stores but became popular enough that Capcom released it in cartridge form. According to Famitsu, the game sold 91,097 copies between it's August 10, 2002 release to December 23, 2002. The game received positive reviews with the reviewers believing it was a solid yet conventional action-platformer that successfully adheres to the classic Mega Man formula. EGM praised Mega Man & Bass as "one of the best action games on GBA" while saying it has plenty of replay value due to the CDs that players can collect. GamePro liked it as it stayed true to the previous games as opposed to Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Zero which were also on GBA but played differently. However, Gamespy didn't like it for being repetitive. The game's high difficulty was brought up in many reviewers reviews. Gamerankings scored it 79%, Metacritic scored it 79/100,  EGM, Game Informer, & IGN each scored it 8.5/10, Famitsu scored the Super Famicom version 24/40 & the Gameboy Advance version 26/40, GamePro scored it 4 out of 5 stars, GameSpot scored it 7.2/10, GameSpy scored it 2 out of 5 stars, and Play scored it 80%. The game was later ranked it as the 14th greatest GBA game of all time by Nintendo Power in it's 20th Anniversary edition in 2008.

Since it's release, Mega Man & Bass has only been re-released once when it was ported to the Gameboy Advance in Japan in 2002 before it was released for the first time in the North American and European markets on GBA.


Mega Man 9 (2008)
Mega Man 9's story begins with robots that have been created by Dr. Light going berserk and video comes out that Light declaring he's seeking world domination while Dr. Wily wants nothing to do with it. Due to the robots having been his as well as the video, Light is blamed while Wily asks for money donations in order to build robots to combat Light's robots. Mega Man doesn't believe it and sets out to clear Light's name while exposing Wily. Mega Man then fights off the eight robots named Splash Woman, Concrete Man, Galaxy Man, Jewel Man, Plug Man, Tornado Man, Magma Man, and Hornet Man during which time Light is arrested but the truth starts to come out. It turns out the robots had expired and were about to be recycled. After defeating all eight robots, Mega Man acquires a memory chip which reveals that Wily manipulated the robots into working with him instead of being recycled and lies claiming he's the only one who cares. Unfortunately, Wily steals the chip and Mega Man heads to his fortress to retrieve the chip. He eventually fights his way through the fortress and then Wily but Wily escapes while Proto Man rescues Mega Man after the fortress comes down on him. With the chip, Light's name is cleared, everything is back to normal, and Light rebuilds the robots with new functions in order to work with Light and his other robots.

Splash Woman (Supurasshu Uman in Japan)- Splash Woman is the first of eight robots created by Dr. Light that eventually joins Dr. Wily. Built to resemble a mermaid, she was originally built to rescue people and ships that are lost at seas due to her being a great swimmer but she struggles on land. She's able to attack with her trident and summon robot fish by singing. Her main weapon is The Laser Trident which is a laser that resembles a trident that can pierce tough surfaces like shields and ship's hulls. Her weakness is Hornet Man's Hornet Chaser.

Concrete Man (Konkuritoman in Japan)- Concrete Man is the second of eight robots created by Dr. Light that eventually joins Dr. Wily. As his name would suggest, he was a construction robot specifically built to supervise dam constructions. His main weapon is The Concrete Shot which see Concrete Man shoot cement from his arm cannon before turning into a block when it makes contact with anything and can trap opponents. His weakness is Splash Woman's Laser Trident.

Galaxy Man (Gyarakushiman in Japan)- Galaxy Man is the third of eight robots created by Dr. Light that eventually joins Dr. Wily. Galaxy Man was originally built to work at a space research center where he was to instantly calculate the trajectories of rockets. His main weapon is The Black Hole Bomb which allows him to suck opponents in a black hole and drain certain enemies of health. His weakness is Concrete Man's Concrete Shot.

Jewel Man (Jueru Man in Japan)- Jewel Man is the four of eight robots created by Dr. Light that eventually joins Dr. Wily. Originally, Jewel Man was created to work in a diamond mine where it would be his job to cut and polish rocks. His main weapon is The Jewel Satellite which allows Jewel Man to create a shield made of jewels that can shield him as well as use as a weapon. His weakness is Galaxy Man's Black Hole Bomb.

Plug Man (Puragu Man in Japan)- Plug Man is the fifth of eight robots created by Dr. Light that eventually joins Dr. Wily. Plug Man was originally built to inspect a television factory's quality control, specifically each unit. His main weapon is The Plug Ball which allows Plug Man to fire spark balls which travel the ground, walls, and ceiling until making contact with an enemy. His weakness is Jewel Man's Jewel Satellite.

Tornado Man (Torunedo Man in Japan)- Tornado Man is the sixth of eight robots created by Dr. Light that eventually joins Dr. Wily. Tornado Man was originally built to work at a weather regulation center. He was equipped with fans on his arms which allow him to fend off tropical storms. His main weapon is The Tornado Blow which see Tornado Man shoot four gusts that travel upward throughout the area. This weapon also results in Mega Man being able to jump higher but at the risk of touching spikes on the ceiling. His weakness is Plug Man's Plug Ball.

Magma Man (Maguma Man in Japan)- Magma Man is the seventh of eight robots created by Dr. Light that eventually joins Dr. Wily. Magma Man was originally designed to manage a geothermal power plant while overseeing it's safety operations due to his ability to withstand extremely high temperatures. His main weapon is The Magma Bazooka which sees him shoot charged shots when the flames on his head are ignited. His weakness is Tornado Man's Tornado Hold.

Hornet Man (Honettoman in Japan)- Hornet Man is the eighth of eight robots created by Dr. Light that eventually joins Dr. Wily. Originally he was built to manage a flower park and pollinate flowers using his knowledge of flowers from around the world. His main weapon is The Hornet Chaser which allows him to release hornet robots from his honeycomb chest. His weakness is Magma Man's Magma Bazooka.

For Mega Man 9, Capcom teamed with Inti Creates to develop the game. Inti Creates was a development company that featured former Capcom staff members that also previously worked on the Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX series prior to Mega Man 9 while later working on Inafune's Mega Man spiritual successor Mighty No. 9. Inafune had wanted to work on a Mega Man 9 since 2004 and envisioned it to be a throwback to the NES games. However, the idea laid dormant until the popularity of the Wii Virtual Console and other retrogaming services allowed the project to be greenlit. Originally, management allowed the game but wanted it to have 3D graphics instead of 8 bit due to thinking that 8 bit would only appeal to Mega Man fans. There was the thought of giving players the option to choose whether to play it 3D or 8 bit but it was eventually decided to go only 8 bit. Due to Mega Man 2 being considered the best game by most fans, the thought was to try to surpass that instead of Mega Man 8 which resulted in producer Hironobu Takeshita to consider Mega Man 9 as "the new Mega Man 3". Mega Man 9 had a 20 people on the development team. Despite the NES look and feel, Mega Man 9 doesn't use NES technology but rather a new engine that emulated 8 bit games. There were also plans to release a cartridge for it but due to the current systems not using cartridges and not being able to, the idea was dropped. Like Mega Man & Bass, 9 didn't have a contest as Inafune created Plug Man & Splash Woman while the designers created the other six robot masters. Inafune used Plug Man to show the younger designers into making characters with simple yet unique features. The idea of Splash Woman was at the request of the planning team who wanted a female robot master. Originally, Hornet Man was to be it with the name "Honey Woman" but the idea was dropped and he became Hornet Man after Inafume presented Splash Woman. Ippo Yamada returned to help with the music and sound along with three other co-composers. Yamada didn't want NES music but rather "the spirit of NES music" as no such restrictions were present as they were when developing the first six games. Computers using Music Macro Language were used to produce the game's sound effects. Yamada said taking away the sound of the charging mega buster was to allow more sound waves that it would have blocked out and layers of background music was deliberately designed to drop out when simultaneously heard with certain sound effects like Mega Man 2.

Along with the feel of the classic NES games, Mega Man 9 saw the return of the nonlinear format as players were again able to pick whichever of the eight robots they wanted to tackle first like the first six games. Despite debuting in Mega Man 3, 9 became the first game where Proto Man was playable via downloadable content. Proto Man largely played the same with some exceptions including being able to take double the damage. The game also featured new content such as Time Attack mode and 50 additional challenges that require the player to do certain things in order to beat the challenge.

Mega Man 9 was released in Japan as Rockman 9: Yabo no Fukkatsu (Revival of Ambition!!) on WiiWare, the Playstation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade on September 24, 2008, June 24, 2009, & June 24, 2009, respectively. It followed with a North American released on WiiWare, the Playstation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade on September 22, 2008, September 25, 2008, and October 1, 2008, respectively. Finally, it was released in Europe on WiiWare, the Playstation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade on September 26, 2008, September 25, 2008, and October 1, 2008, respectively. Originally, the game was to be exclusive to the WiiWare but was quickly changed to be available for the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade as well. The game received positive reviews with most praising the old school graphics and challenges. Though no numbers have been released, it was said Capcom was said to be happy with the results. Metacritic scored the WiiWare version 83/100, the PSN version 82/100, and XBLA 77/100. 1UP.com scored it a B+, Edge scored it a 6/10, Eurogamer scored it 8/10, GameSpot scored it 8.5/10, IGN scored it 8.6/10, ONM scored it 90%, OPM (UK) scored it 5/10, and OXM (UK) 7.5/10. The game earned several honors as it earned IGN's "Editor's Choice" award for all three platforms. The WiiWare version earned Nintendo Power's "Best WiiWare Game" for 2008 by both staff and readers. It was nominated for "Best Platforming Game for the Wii" by IGN in it's 2008 Video Game Awards. Gaming Target put it on it's "40 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2008" list. IGN gave Mega Man 9 as one of the top 15 WiiWare games available and then listed it as the 5th best WiiWare game and the 14th best PSN game of all time in 2011.

Since it's release, Mega Man 9 has been re-released a few times as it was released on mobile phones in 2010 but only in Japan and then released on Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018.


Mega Man 10 (2010)
Mega Man 10's story follows a viral epidemic called "roboenza" a virus that only affects robots which causes them to malfunction and eventually go berserk. A month after the outbreak began, Roll becomes one of the victims of the virus while Dr. Wily comes to Mega Man for help claiming he inventing a cure but the machine was stolen by a robot. Mega Man and Proto Man both head out to retrieve it. In the meantime, Bass sets out to defeat their robots to prove his superiority. After defeating four robots, Wily is able to create a prototype antidote and gives it to Roll. After defeating the last four, Mega Man gets infected with roboenza and Wily reveals to everyone that he created the virus and proceeds to blackmail every robot to come work for him if they want the antidote. Roll reveals she saved her medicine in case a very sick robot needed it and gives it to Mega Man so he can stop Wily. Mega Man heads to Wily's fortress where he fights his way through during which time, Proto Man gets sick before Mega Man is able to cure him. If playing as Bass, then Treble cures him. After beating Wily, they chase Wily to his new fortress in outer space where they defeat him again. Afterwards, Wily becomes very sick so Mega Man takes him to a hospital. A few days later, Wily escapes but possibly out of gratitude, leaves enough medicine to cure the robots.

Sheep Man (Shipuman in Japan)- Sheep Man is the first of eight robot masters that is infected with roboenza. As his name would suggest, Sheep Man was originally built as a sheep herding robot before taking a job in the static resistance test division of a circuit board manufacturer. His main weapon is The Thunder Wool which allows him to turn into four clouds of wool that each shoot thunderbolts. His weakness is Strike Man's Rebound Striker.

Pump Man (Ponpu Man in Japan)- Pump Man is the second of eight robot masters that is infected with roboenza. Originally, Pump Man worked at a wastewater treatment plant to purify the water that came through. His main weapon is The Water Shield which surrounds him with drips of water that can be used as a shield and can be fired in many directions. His weakness is Sheep Man's Thunder Wool.

Solar Man (Sora Man in Japan)- Solar Man is the third of eight robot masters that is infected with roboenza. Solar Man originally worked at a sunlight research lab before going berserk. His main weapon is The Solar Blaze which allows him to absorb energy that's fired at his head and then shoot energy balls from the energy he absorbed. His weakness is Pump Man's Water Shield.

Chill Man (Chirudoman or "Chilled Man" in Japan)- Chill Man is the fourth of eight robot masters that is infected with roboenza. Originally, Chill Man worked as an arctic natural observation robot who's job was to prevent glacial melting caused by global warming. His main weapon is The Chill Spike which can freeze opponents and allows him to jump on them. His weakness is Solar Man's Solar Blaze.

Nitro Man (Nitoro Man in Japan)- Nitro Man is the fifth of eight robot masters that is infected with roboenza. Originally, Nitro Man was a stunt robot who has appeared in movies and TV. He's able to turn himself into a motorcycle. His main weapon is The Wheel Cutters which are spiked wheels that he can shoot out. His weakness is Chill Man's Chill Spike.

Commando Man (Komando Man in Japan)- Commando Man is the sixth of eight robot masters that is infected with roboenza. Commando Man once served as a mine sweeping robot who was used remote detonations to clear mine fields. He can stun enemies by pounding the ground. His main weapon is The Commando Bombs which are homing missiles that target enemies. His weakness is Nitro Man's Wheel Cutter.

Blade Man (Bureidoman in Japan)- Blade Man is the seventh of eight robot masters that is infected with roboenza. Originally, Blade Man was a guide used to tour an ancient castle. His main weapon is The Triple Blade which allows him to shoot three swords in different directions. His weakness is Commando Man's Commando Bombs.

Strike Man (Sutoraikuman in Japan)- Strike Man is the eighth of eight robot masters that is infected with roboenza. Originally, Strike Man was built to be a batting practice robot at a baseball stadium before getting infected. He's capable of attacking enemies by spinning and bouncing around like a ball. His main weapon is The Rebound Striker which are fastballs that he throws at opponents. His weakness is Blade Man's Triple Blade.

Capcom once again teamed up with Inti Creates for Mega Man 10 and decided to go back to the retro 8 bit style of Mega Man 9. Inafune said doing the 8 bit style was a huge success and decided to go back to that as a way of listening to both old school gamers and former Mega Man players who hadn't played recent video games. An easy mode was made due to some fans complaining about Mega Man 9's difficulty. According to Inafune, the only challenge was to meet the ever-increasing expectations that come with a sequel. The game was composed by four composers including Ippo Yamada along with the return of several former Mega Man composers including Mega Man 1 composer Manami Matsumae. Yamada claimed that unlike Mega Man 9 which was considered a spiritual successor to Mega Man 2, Mega Man 10 featured new pixel art and chip music so it was neither a remake nor a revival.

For Mega Man 10, Proto Man and Bass are once again playable characters via downloadable content. Proto Man is similar to Mega Man except he can slide, charge his cannon for more powerful shots, and block certain attacks with his shield but takes twice as much damage, can get knocked back farther, and can only shoot two bullets at a time instead of three. Bass plays similar to the way he did in Mega Man & Bass in that he can fire rapid shots, he can fire in multiple directions, and dash but can't slide, his shots deliver half the damage, and can't fire while running at the same time.

Mega Man 10 was released in Japan as Rockman 10: Uchu kara no Kyoi!! (Threat from Outer Space!!) on WiiWare, the Playstation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade on March 9, 2010, March 9, 2010, & March 31, 2010, respectively. It followed with a North American released on WiiWare, the Playstation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade on March 1, 2010, March 11, 2010, and March 31, 2010, respectively. Finally, it was released in Europe on WiiWare, the Playstation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade on March 5, 2010, March 11, 2010, and March 31, 2010, respectively. The game received positive reviews with IGN praising it for it's gameplay and challenge mode but criticized it for it's length mostly bringing up that Mega Mans 4 to 6 had two fortress'. 1UP.com considered it fun but said that it failed to capitalize on it's predecessor in any meaningful way by saying the gameplay was similar while the level design was uninspiring and the music was forgettable. Metacritic scored the WiiWare version 81/100, XBLA version 79/100, and PSN 78/100. 1UP.com scored it a B, GameSpot scored it 8/10, and IGN scored it 8.5/10.

Since it's release, Mega Man 10 has been re-released on Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch release coming in 2018.

In the end, I think it's safe to say that the Mega Man series has a rich history and a huge reason to celebrate this upcoming milestone. 30 years of great games that led to great memories and great times had by all. With all of that, there's only one thing to say: To Mega Man, his universe, and the people who worked hard to make it possible. To 30 years of great games, and with the recent announcement of Mega Man 11 we can say, and many more.