Mega Man 2

Last updated

Mega Man 2
Megaman2 box.jpg
North American box art by Marc Ericksen
Developer(s) Capcom
Publisher(s) Capcom
Director(s) Akira Kitamura
Producer(s) Tokuro Fujiwara
Programmer(s) Nobuyuki Matsushima
Artist(s)
Composer(s) Takashi Tateishi
Series Mega Man
Platform(s) Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, Mobile phone, iOS, Android
Release
December 24, 1988
  • Famicom / NES
    PlayStation
    • JP: September 2, 1999 [4]
    Mobile phone
    iOS
    Android
    • WW: January 5, 2017
Genre(s) Action, platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Mega Man 2 [lower-alpha 1] (stylized as MEGA MAN II) is an action game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan in 1988 and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2 continues Mega Man's battle against the evil Dr. Wily and his rogue robots. It introduced graphical and gameplay changes, many of which became series staples.

Contents

Although sales for the original Mega Man were unimpressive, Capcom allowed the team to create a sequel. They worked concurrently on other Capcom projects, using their free time to develop the game, using unused content from the first game. Takashi Tateishi composed the soundtrack, with Yoshihiro Sakaguchi serving as a sound programmer.

Mega Man 2 is the second best selling Mega Man game, with more than 1.51 million copies sold. Critics praised its audio, visuals and gameplay as an improvement over the first game. Many publications rank Mega Man 2 as the best game in the series and one of the greatest video games of all time. The game's soundtrack has also been considered one of the greatest video game soundtracks of all time. It has been included in several game compilations such as Mega Man Legacy Collection , rereleased for mobile devices, and become a part of console emulation services. A sequel, Mega Man 3 , was released in 1990.

Plot

After his initial defeat, Dr. Wily, the series' main antagonist, creates his own set of Robot Masters in an attempt to counter Mega Man: Metal Man, Air Man, Bubble Man, Quick Man, Crash Man, Flash Man, Heat Man, and Wood Man. He also constructs a new fortress and army of robotic henchmen. Mega Man is then sent by his creator, Dr. Light, to defeat Dr. Wily and his Robot Masters. [7] Mega Man defeats the eight new Robot Masters and then challenges Wily himself. [8] During the final fight, Dr. Wily flees into the caves beneath his fortress and when Mega Man follows, attempts to trick Mega Man into thinking he is a space alien, but Mega Man defeats the alien revealing it to be a holographic projection device which malfunctions showing Dr. Wily at the controls. After the scientist begs for mercy, Mega Man spares Wily and returns home.

Gameplay

Mega Man uses the floating platform items to jump to a difficult-to-reach ladder in the Crash Man stage. MegaMan2 Platforms.jpg
Mega Man uses the floating platform items to jump to a difficult-to-reach ladder in the Crash Man stage.

Like its predecessor, Mega Man 2 is a platform and action game. The player controls Mega Man as he traverses eight stages to defeat the bosses, Dr. Wily's Robot Masters: Metal Man, Air Man, Bubble Man, Quick Man, Crash Man, Flash Man, Heat Man, and Wood Man. Each Robot Master features a unique weapon and a stage related to their weapon's power. For example, Air Man shoots small tornadoes and is fought in a sky-themed level, while Wood Man can use a shield of leaves and is found in a forest-themed stage. [7] After defeating a boss, their signature weapon becomes available to the player. Each Robot Master is weak to the weapons of certain other Robot Masters; therefore, choosing the order in which the levels are played is a vital component of the gameplay. [8] [9] After completing certain stages, Mega Man receives a special item. [9] These items create platforms that allow Mega Man to access areas that he otherwise could not. [7]

After defeating the eight Robot Masters, the player proceeds to Dr. Wily's fortress, which consists of six levels that are played linearly. [7] As in the first game, the player is required to fight each Robot Master a second time in Dr. Wily's fortress. However, these battles take place in a single room rather than a series of linearly connected rooms. The room contains teleportation devices that lead to each Robot Master. The devices can be entered in any order, but are not labeled. Once the bosses are defeated again, the player must fight Dr. Wily.

Mega Man 2 features a few gameplay changes from the original Mega Man. [8] A new item, the Energy Tank, allows a player to refill Mega Man's health at any time. [9] Also introduced is a password system. [7] A password is displayed after defeating each Robot Master, allowing the player to return to that particular point in the game after restarting the system. [9] The password stores the particular list of completed Robot Masters, as well as the number of accumulated Energy Tanks. Unlike the first game, Mega Man 2 does not feature a score counter, and the player is unable to return to Robot Master levels once completed.

Development

So we, of our own accord, got together, spent our own time, we worked really, really hard, you know, just 20-hour days to complete this, because we were making something we wanted to make. Probably in all my years of actually being in a video game company, that was the best time of my working at Capcom, because we were actually working toward a goal, we were laying it all on the line, we were doing what we wanted to do. And it really showed in the game, because it’s a game, once again, that we put all our time and effort and love, so to speak, into it, designing it.

Keiji Inafune, April 2004 [10]

The first Mega Man game—released in 1987—was not successful enough to justify the immediate development of a sequel. [11] According to Roy Ozaki, director Akira Kitamura had wanted to make a sequel to Mega Man, but producer Tokuro Fujiwara was against it. [12] Kitamura then went to Capcom Vice-President to get permission to make the game. [13] Capcom allowed the development team to create a sequel on the condition that they work concurrently on other projects as well. [10] [14] [15] The staff spent their own time on the project to improve upon the original by adding more levels and weapons, as well as improving the graphics. [11] The project supervisor of the first Mega Man invited Inafune to the sequel's development crew; Inafune was working on a separate game at the time. [1] On the previous game, Inafune worked as an artist and character designer but became more involved in the production process of the sequel. [16] "Working on [Mega Man 2] marked my second year at this, and I even got to mentor a 'new kid', which opened up a whole new world of stress for me," Inafune recounted. The development time for the game was only three to four months. [1] [17]

Due to the limited amount of cartridge space available for the first game, elements such as planned enemy characters were omitted from the final product. The unused content was later transferred to Mega Man 2. [18] The team was limited by the graphical capabilities of the Nintendo Entertainment System, and designed characters as pixel art to maintain consistency between the designs and final product; some design elements, however, were lost in the transition. [16] The gameplay system from the original game was kept for Mega Man 2, but the team included more traps for the player to navigate. The game's three support items were added to aid the player because of complaints from consumers and Capcom's marketing department regarding the original game's high difficulty. [1] Inafune's supervisor was "especially unsure" about the usefulness of the Energy Tanks. [1]

The first game did not have any influence from fans, but for the second game, Kitamura wanted to get ideas from players and put them in. [19] The developers allowed input from the public by including boss designs created by fans. [20] Capcom received 8,370 boss submissions for the game, although even the designs for the final eight Robot Masters were "tweaked". [1] [21]

Inafune intended his artwork for Mega Man 2 to be more "anime-ish" than in the first game. [1] A second difficulty setting was added for the North American release. The original version was labeled "difficult", and a "normal" setting was created that made the "arm cannon" and boss weapons more powerful. [22] Veteran video game cover illustrator Marc Ericksen painted the North American box art, which included Mega Man firing a pistol instead of his trademark Mega Buster. Ericksen explained that he was unfamiliar with the game and was directed by the Capcom America creative team to give Mega Man a pistol. [23]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Mega Man 2 was composed by Takashi Tateishi (credited as Ogeretsu Kun), with Mega Man composer Manami Matsumae (credited as Manami Ietel) included for having her work on the credits theme from the first game repurposed for the title screen, and for co-composing a minor part of the melody for Air Man's stage. [24] Matsumae had been moved to the arcade division, considered more prestigious at the time, which necessitated a new composer. Matsumae and Tateishi worked closely during their time at Capcom, with Tateishi assisting Matsumae with U.N. Squadron in a similar manner during the period, albeit uncredited. Tateishi's musical background was unusual compared to his contemporaries at Capcom, in that he had not been classically trained but was instead drawing on his experience performing in a band. He sought to consciously move away from the more classical sounding themes that were common at the time. [25] He was also relatively new to the games industry, having only been hired by Capcom earlier that year for Mad Gear (1988). Tateishi would not remain with the franchise after Mega Man 2, as he and Kitamura both resigned from Capcom soon afterwards to work on Cocoron . [26]

Tateishi's initial compositions for the game were of varying moods, with some of them being considered "too cute" by Kitamura, requesting them to be changed to fit in with the rest of the soundtrack. A single fragment of this declined concept remains in the game as Crash Man's stage theme. Tateishi has indicated that "no one has" the earlier, softer score. Stylistically the score was influenced by Mezzoforte and Yellow Magic Orchestra. [26]

The widely praised piece used for the first two Wily stages was heavily compromised due to data limitations, with Tateishi being forced to use the first eight measures of the song multiple times throughout it. Tateishi intended to compose a song exclusive to the second stage, but also abandoned this idea for the same reasons. [27]

As with the previous game, the sound programming was handled by Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, credited as Yuukichan's Papa. [28]

Reception

Though the first Mega Man game had relatively low sales, Mega Man 2 was a huge success. Since its 1988 release, Mega Man 2 has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. The game is the second highest selling in the Mega Man series and Capcom's 58th highest-selling game. [33]

Mega Man 2 was critically praised. Electronic Gaming Monthly 's four reviewers—Steve Harris, Ed Semrad, Donn Nauert, and Jim Allee—rated the game favorably, each scoring it 8 out of 10. They stated that it was better than the first Mega Man, citing the improved audio-visuals, new power-ups, and password system. Nauert and Allee, however, expressed disappointment that the game was less difficult than the first game. [34] Nadia Oxford of 1UP.com complimented its aesthetics and gameplay. She further stated that Mega Man 2 improved the gameplay of its predecessor by removing excessively difficult elements. [15] Mean Machines ' two reviewers, Julian Rignall and Matt Regan, praised several aspects of the game. Rignall lauded the gameplay, citing its addictiveness and the puzzles. Regan praised the difficulty and called the gameplay balanced. Both reviewers complimented the graphics, calling them detailed and stunning, and described it as a great platform game. [3] Retro Gamer editor Richard Burton described it as a "must-have" game for the system, comments echoed by two of Electronic Gaming Monthly's reviewers. [34] [35] Zach Miller writing for Game Informer attributed the success of the game to the players' option to defeat the stages in the order of their choosing. He praised the simple control scheme and the variety of weapons and items. [36] GamesRadar ranked it the second-best NES game ever made, calling it "the pinnacle" of the 8-bit Mega Man games. [37]

The game's soundtrack has been well received by critics. Joey Becht of IGN listed three stage themes from Mega Man 2 along with the main title song among the best in the series. [38] In 2008, Game Informer listed Mega Man 2's introduction sequence as the fifth-best video game opening, citing the build up of excitement that the music and appearance of the character instills. [39] The "Doctor Wily Stage Theme" was ranked second in ScrewAttack's "Top 10 Video Game Themes Ever" video. [40] Nintendo Power' editorial staff praised the music in 2008, stating it is among the best on the platform. [41] In 2009, Gamasutra's Brandon Sheffield describe the music as easily recognizable and lamented that contemporary video game music lacked that trait. [42] The opening riff from the "Crash Man" stage's theme inspired the theme music for the YTV program Video & Arcade Top 10 .[ citation needed ]

Mega Man 2 is a favorite among Mega Man fans, with many calling it the best in the series. [31] [43] [44] Critics have also referred to the game as the series' best. [45] Oxford considered it one of the most memorable game in the series, and Burton and Electronic Gaming Monthly both called the game the best in the series. [15] [35] [46] IGN's Levi Buchanan listed three of the game's bosses among the "Top 10 Mega Man Robot Masters". [47] Several publications consider the game a critical success and have listed it high on "top game" lists. At the end of 1989, it was the top ranked game on Nintendo Power 's Top 30 list. [48] In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly named it the 73rd best console video game of all time, saying it was the most appealing and challenging game in the series. [46] In August 2008, Nintendo Power listed Mega Man 2 as the third best Nintendo Entertainment System video game. The editorial staff praised the polished improvements over the previous game. [41] GameSpot named Mega Man 2 as one of "The Greatest Games of All Time". [49] It ranked number 33 in Nintendo Power 's "Top 200 Nintendo Games Ever" list and number 60 in Official Nintendo Magazine 's "100 Best Nintendo Games" list. [50] [51] Miller considered it one of the greatest games of all time. [36] In 2007, IGN's three editorial offices—United States, United Kingdom, and Australia—compiled a list of top 100 games. They listed Mega Man 2 as number 67, citing the action and strategic elements along with the impact it had on the series. [22] Mega Man 2 was placed 4th on IGN's list of the Top 100 NES Games. [52] Mega Man 2 was the first game on the cover of Electronic Gaming Monthly. [53] Game Informer placed the game 32nd on their top 100 video games of all time in 2001. [54]

Legacy

Original Japanese box art Rockman 2 1988.jpg
Original Japanese box art

Kitamura chose to leave Capcom and joined the company Takeru, where he worked on the game Cocoron instead of Mega Man 3 . [55]

Keiji Inafune claims the success of Mega Man 2 is what made the Mega Man series a hit that continues to spawn sequels. [11] 1UP.com commented that the game helped establish the series as a prominent and commercially successful video game franchise. [44] IGN cited Mega Man 2 as helping define the platforming genre. [22] Retro Gamer credited it with helping the series obtain the global presence that allowed spin-offs and more sequels to be created. [8] Many of the conventions of the original Mega Man series were defined by the first game, but Mega Man 2 added crucial conventions that were retained for the rest of the series. [8] [31] The traditional number of Robot Masters for the series is eight as used in Mega Man 2, rather than the six used in the original. [16] [22] [31] It was the first in the series to include an opening cinematic. [38] Mega Man 2 also introduced the Energy Tank item, special movement items, teleporter room, and password system, which became staples in future games. [22] [31] The Energy Tank became the series' iconic health refill item and later served as inspiration for a promotional "Rockman E-Can" drink. [56] In developing Mega Man 9 , producer Inafune and Hironobu Takeshita looked to the first two games in the series for inspiration, with Mega Man 2 serving as a standard to surpass in order to meet fans' expectations. [16] [43] Mega Man Universe was to feature a remake of Mega Man 2's story campaign, as well as feature customizable characters and levels. [57] However, Capcom has officially announced the game's cancellation due to "various circumstances." [58] In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U , Wily Castle, as depicted in Mega Man 2, appears as a selectable stage in both versions of the game. The stage returned in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate .

Rereleases and adaptations

Tiger Electronics released an LCD version of the game. Mega-Man-2-Tiger-small.jpg
Tiger Electronics released an LCD version of the game.

In 1990, Tiger Electronics produced a handheld electronic version with abridged gameplay. [59] Mega Man 2 was remade in 1994 for the Sega Genesis game Mega Man: The Wily Wars , featuring updated graphics and sound. [60] In 1999, Mega Man 2 was rereleased for the PlayStation as the second of six Rockman Complete Works discs, though only in Japan and under the original title Rockman 2. [4] It is largely identical to the original NES release, but had a number of bonuses, such as a "navi mode" for beginners that presents the player with a slightly remade version of the game, detailed encyclopedic content, image galleries, and remixed music. [61] Mega Man 2 was included with nine other games in the series in Mega Man Anniversary Collection for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, released between 2004 and 2005. The game's emulation is identical to the re-release contained in Rockman Complete Works. [62] Also in 2005, Mega Man 2 was released alongside other Capcom games as part of a "Plug It In & Play TV Games" peripheral by Jakks Pacific. [63] Mega Man 2 made its way to mobile phones in 2007. [64] The game was added as a part of the Wii Virtual Console service in PAL regions on December 14, 2007. [65] In celebration of the ninth game's release in September 2008, Capcom Japan released the game on August 26, 2008 in Japan and a North American release on September 15, 2008. [66] [67] In March 2009, Capcom released the game for iPhone OS, while in September of the same year the Complete Works version of Mega Man 2 was released on the Japanese PlayStation Store, making it available for download on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. [6] [68] Inafune expressed a desire to remake Mega Man 2, similar to Mega Man Powered Up, but stated that such a project was dependent on the commercial success of the latter. [69] A tech demo for the Nintendo 3DS called Classic Games was shown at E3 2010, displaying more than a dozen classic games, including Mega Man 2, using 3D effects. Reggie Fils-Aimé announced that the games were slated for release on the 3DS and would possibly use the 3DS' features, such as 3D effects, analog control, or camera support. [70] The game was released on the 3DS via the Virtual Console in Japan on August 8, 2012 [71] and was released in Europe and North America on February 7, 2013.

Mega Man 2 was novelized in the Worlds of Power series published by Scholastic in 1990. The novel mostly follows the game, even offering game hints at the end of some chapters. [72] Besides the added dialogue, the one major variation in the novel is that Dr. Light fears Mega Man's chances against Dr. Wily's more powerful new robots and while attempting to duplicate him, accidentally turns him into a human being, a difficulty Mega Man must endure throughout the story. [72] The book's cover also lacks the gun depicted on the North American box art of the game, due to a "no weapons" policy that Worlds of Power writers had to abide by. [73]

The game was also adapted into the third story arc for the Archie Comics Mega Man comic, "The Return of Dr. Wily." In the arc, the Robot Masters are intended to either defeat Mega Man or infect him with a virus bit by bit as he absorbs their Special Weapons. All the Robot Masters are defeated but Mega Man ends up under Dr. Wily's control until the Mega Man Powered Up Robot Masters come to his rescue. Dr. Wily escapes and sets his course for the Lanfront Ruins in South America, foreshadowing an adaptation of Super Adventure Rockman.

Influence on nerd rock scene

The Mega Man 2 soundtrack is one of the most widely remixed soundtracks in gaming, and a great many covers were produced in the 2000s by various artists. [74] Mixdown magazine described the soundtrack as one that would be "rehashed and reimagined at conventions and festivals until the end of time" and further that covering it had been a rite of passage in the early period of the nerd rock scene. [75] Numerous artists and bands performed all or part of the soundtrack on studio albums in the 2000s, including The NESkimos on Battle Perfect Selection (2002), [76] Chromelodeon on Year 20XX (2003), The Minibosses on Brass (2005), Mega Ran on his self titled album (2007), and The Megas on Get Equipped (2008). [77] Many bands of the era additionally drew their stage names from the series, such as Armcannon, The Protomen and DJ Cutman.

Capcom endorsed some of these groups, officially licensing Mega Ran's 2007 cover album and bringing him to San Diego Comic-con that year. [78] In 2010 The Megas were hired by Capcom to produce music for a Mega Man Universe trailer. [79] All of these groups performed at the gaming music event MAGFest through the 2000s and 2010s. [80] Tateishi himself appeared at Super MAGfest 2019. [81] [82]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Rockman 2: Dr. Wily no Nazo (Japanese: ロックマン2 Dr.ワイリーの謎, Hepburn: Rokkuman 2: Dr. Wairī no Nazo, lit. 'Rockman 2: The Mystery of Dr. Wily')

Related Research Articles

Mega Man is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a character named "Mega Man". The original game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, and spawned a franchise that expanded to over 50 games on multiple systems. As of October 2023, the series has sold 41 million units worldwide.

<i>Mega Man 3</i> 1990 video game

Mega Man 3 is an action-platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third game of the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on September 28, 1990. The game was released in North America later in 1990 and in European regions by Nintendo in 1992. Taking place after the events of Mega Man 2, the plot follows the titular hero as he helps his creator, Dr. Light, and a supposedly former enemy, Dr. Wily, collect parts for a peace-keeping robot by defeating several Robot Masters that have gone haywire.

<i>Mega Man 4</i> 1991 video game

Mega Man 4 is an action-platform game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan in 1991. The game was localized in North America the following January, and in Europe in 1993.

<i>Mega Man 5</i> 1992 video game

Mega Man 5 is an action-platform video game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fifth game in the original Mega Man series and was released in Japan on December 4, 1992. It saw a release during the same month in North America and in 1993 in Europe.

<i>Mega Man & Bass</i> 1998 video game

Mega Man & Bass is an action-platform video game developed and published by Capcom. It is a spin-off game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan for the Super Famicom on April 24, 1998. It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld in 2002, and localized in English and released the following year.

<i>Mega Man 8</i> 1996 video game

Mega Man 8 is a platform game developed and released by Capcom in 1996. It was directed by Hayato Kaji and produced by Keiji Inafune, both of whom had previously worked on the series as artists. It is the eighth installment in the original Mega Man series, and was initially released in Japan on the PlayStation in 1996. The following year, Mega Man 8 saw a release on the Sega Saturn and was localized for both consoles in North America and the PlayStation alone in PAL regions. Mega Man 8 is the first game in the series made available on 32-bit consoles. The plot follows series protagonist Mega Man as he is called to investigate an energy reading coming from a recent meteor crash on an island. Mega Man discovers that his nemesis Dr. Wily has run off with the energy source, and sets off to stop Wily's evil plans to use the energy, and to discover the purpose of a mysterious alien robot found at the crash site.

<i>Mega Man</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is a platform game developed and published by Capcom in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was directed by Akira Kitamura, with Nobuyuki Matsushima as lead programmer, and is the first game of the Mega Man franchise and the original video game series. Mega Man was produced by a small team specifically for the home console market, a first for Capcom, which previously focused on arcade video games.

<i>Mega Man V</i> (Game Boy) 1994 action-platform video game published by Capcom

Mega Man V is a video game published by Capcom for the Game Boy handheld game console. It is the fifth game in the Game Boy version of the original Mega Man series. The game follows the adventures of the protagonist Mega Man as he must defend the Earth from a group of powerful robots from outer space called the Stardroids. Mega Man V is unique among the Game Boy Mega Man games as it features original bosses rather than recycling those from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Mega Man games.

<i>Mega Man X</i> (video game) 1993 action-platform game

Mega Man X is an action-platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off to the original Mega Man series that began on the Super NES's predecessor, the Nintendo Entertainment System. Mega Man X was released in Japan on December 17, 1993 and was released in both North America and Europe the following year. Taking place a century after the original Mega Man series, Mega Man X is set in a futuristic world populated by both humans and "Reploids", robots capable of thinking, feeling, and growing like their human creators. Because of these complex attributes, many Reploids are prone to destructive, renegade activity and are thereafter referred to as "Mavericks". The plot of the game follows the protagonist X, an android member of a military task force called the "Maverick Hunters". With the help of his partner Zero, X must thwart the plans of Sigma, a powerful Maverick leader wishing to bring about human extinction.

<i>Mega Man X2</i> 1994 video game

Mega Man X2, known as Rockman X2 (ロックマンX2) in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994, and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the direct sequel to Mega Man X, released one year prior. Mega Man X2 takes place in the near future in which humans try to peacefully coexist with intelligent robots called "Reploids", with some of the Reploids going "Maverick" and threatening daily life. The plot follows the android protagonist X, a "Maverick Hunter" who has saved humanity from the evil Sigma six months earlier. A trio of Mavericks calling themselves the "X-Hunters" has arisen, intent on destroying X by luring him with bodyparts of his comrade Zero, who died in the conflict with Sigma's right hand robot named Vile.

<i>Mega Man IV</i> (Game Boy) 1993 action-platform video game published by Capcom

Mega Man IV is an action-platform video game by Capcom for the Nintendo Game Boy. It is the fourth installment in the handheld version of the Mega Man series. The game continues the quest of the protagonist Mega Man in the struggle with his long-time nemesis Dr. Wily, who sends out a disruptive radio signal to cause a rampage, citywide destruction from dormant robots. Mega Man IV features the traditional action platforming gameplay of the prior games while introducing one new feature, the ability to purchase items with power-ups found throughout each stage. As with previous Game Boy releases, the game incorporates gameplay elements and bosses from two sequential Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games: Mega Man 4 and Mega Man 5. The game has received a warm critical reception. In 2013, Mega Man IV was made available on the Virtual Console of Japan's Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS. It was later released in the North American and PAL region eShops the following year.

<i>Mega Man III</i> (Game Boy) 1992 action-platform video game published by Capcom

Mega Man III is an action-platform video game by Capcom for the Nintendo Game Boy. It is the third game in the handheld version of the Mega Man series. The game follows the title character Mega Man as he fights the evil Dr. Wily, whose latest attempt to conquer the world involves sucking energy from the Earth's core to power a new machine. Along with foes from his past, Mega Man must contend with the next robot in Wily's line of "Mega Man Killers", Punk. Like its two consecutive predecessors on the Game Boy, the game combines elements from two previously released Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) titles: Mega Man 3 and Mega Man 4. In 2013, Mega Man III was made available on the Virtual Console of Japan's Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS. It was later released in the North American and PAL region eShops the following year.

<i>Mega Man II</i> (1991 video game) 1991 action-platform video game published by Capcom and Nintendo

Mega Man II is an action-platform video game by Capcom for the Game Boy. It is the second game in the handheld version of the Mega Man series after Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge. It is noteworthy for having been developed by a different company than the rest of the Mega Man titles on the Game Boy.

<i>Mega Man: Dr. Wilys Revenge</i> 1991 action-platform video game published by Capcom and Nintendo

Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge, also known as Mega Man in Dr. Wily's Revenge or in Japan as Rockman World is an action-platform video game by Capcom for the Nintendo Game Boy. It is the first game in the handheld series of the Mega Man franchise. It was released in Japan on July 26, 1991, and was localized in North America that December and in Europe the following year. The game continues the adventures of the android hero Mega Man as he once again confronts the evil Dr. Wily, who has dispatched his revived "Robot Masters" and a new "Mega Man Killer" named Enker.

<i>Mega Man Powered Up</i> 2006 video game

Mega Man Powered Up is a side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game console in March 2006. It is a remake of the original Mega Man game released in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Players control the eponymous star Mega Man who must stop Dr. Wily from conquering the world using eight robots called Robot Masters. Unlike the original game, players can control these eight Robot Masters under the right circumstances. Other new features include a level creator mode and a challenge mode.

<i>Mega Man 9</i> 2008 video game

Mega Man 9 is a 2008 action-platform video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series, and the first home console game in the series since Mega Man & Bass (1998). Mega Man 9 was the first game in the series not to have a physical release, and was initially released only on the downloadable gaming services WiiWare, PlayStation Network (PSN), and Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA). In June 2017, it was announced that Mega Man 9 and 10 would have a physical and digital release with their inclusion in Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, as well as the Nintendo Switch in May 2018.

<i>Mega Man 6</i> 1993 video game

Mega Man 6, known in Japan as Rockman 6: The Greatest Battle in History!!, is an action-platform video game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sixth installment in the original Mega Man series. It was originally released in Japan by Capcom in 1993, and in North America by Nintendo in 1994. It was included in the Mega Man Anniversary Collection released in 2004. Its first release in Europe and PAL region was June 11, 2013, for the 3DS Virtual Console, nearly twenty years after the game's initial release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega Man (character)</span> Video game character

Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is the title character and the protagonist of the Mega Man series by Capcom. He was created by Akira Kitamura for the first Mega Man game released in 1987, with artist Keiji Inafune providing detailed character artwork based on Kitamura's pixel art design.

<i>Mega Man 10</i> 2010 video game

Mega Man 10 is an action-platform video game developed by Inti Creates and Capcom. It is the tenth main entry of the original Mega Man series. The game was released as a downloadable title for the console gaming services WiiWare, PlayStation Network (PSN), and Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) during March 2010. The game was also given a physical release along with four other Capcom titles from different franchises in the Capcom Essentials Pack for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was later released again for a physical and digital release as part of Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 alongside Mega Man 7, Mega Man 8 and Mega Man 9 for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, as well as the Nintendo Switch in May 2018.

<i>Mega Man 7</i> 1995 video game

Mega Man 7 is an action platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the seventh game in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan on March 24, 1995 and was localized later in the year in North America and Europe.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mega Man: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. pp. 10–5. ISBN   978-1-897376-79-9.
  2. ↑ Nintendo staff. "NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Rignall, Julian; Matt Regan (January 1991). "Mega Man II Review". Mean Machines . No. 4. EMAP. pp. 16–19. ISSN   0960-4952.
  4. 1 2 Mega Man: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. pp. 96–7. ISBN   978-1-897376-79-9.
  5. ↑ Vasconcellos, Eduardo (June 26, 2007). "Mega Man II Review". IGN . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Buchanan, Levi (March 26, 2009). "Mega Man II on App Store". IGN . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Nintendo Power Staff (July–August 1989). "Mega Man II". Nintendo Power . No. 7. Nintendo of America. pp. 8–23. ISSN   1041-9551.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Retro Gamer Staff (May 2008). "The Classic Game: Mega Man II". Retro Gamer . No. 49. Imagine Publishing. pp. 36–7. ISSN   1742-3155.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Capcom, ed. (July 1989). Mega Man 2 Instruction Booklet. Capcom. pp. 6–9.
  10. 1 2 Hoffman, Chris (April 2004). "The Best Damn Mega Man Feature Period". Play . Vol. 3, no. 4. Imagine Publishing. ISSN   1747-7859.
  11. 1 2 3 Hoffman, Chris (September 2007). "Playback: Mega Man 2". Nintendo Power . No. 219. Nintendo of America. p. 82. ISSN   1041-9551.
  12. ↑ Szczepaniak, S.M.G (2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Gold. America: SMG Szczepaniak. p. 238. ISBN   978-0992926021.
  13. ↑ Szczepaniak, S.M.G (2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Gold. America: SMG Szczepaniak. p. 240. ISBN   978-0992926021.
  14. ↑ IGN Staff. "Top 100 Game Creators of All Time: Keiji Inafune". IGN. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  15. 1 2 3 Oxford, Nadia (May 10, 2007). "Mega Man Retrospective: Getting Equipped With 20 Years". 1UP.com . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Elston, Brett (July 23, 2008). "Mega Man 9 - exclusive interview with the mind behind the machines". GamesRadar . Future plc . Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  17. ↑ Inafune, Keiji (1997). "Rockman 10th Anniversary Celebration Plans". CFC Style Fan-Book (in Japanese). Capcom. 3: 24.
  18. ↑ Interviewee: Keiji Inafune (November 20, 2003). "Mega Man". Game Makers. Season 2. Episode 19. G4. Archived from the original on September 17, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
  19. ↑ Szczepaniak, S.M.G (2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Gold. America: SMG Szczepaniak. p. 759. ISBN   978-0992926021.
  20. ↑ Niizumi, Hirohiko (September 23, 2007). "TGS '07: Mega Man celebrates 20th anniversary". GameSpot . CBS Interactive . Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  21. ↑ Mega Man: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. pp. 118–9. ISBN   978-1-897376-79-9.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 IGN Staff (2007). "IGN Top 100 Games 2007: 67 Mega Man 2". IGN. Archived from the original on April 10, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  23. ↑ Ericksen, Marc. "MegaMan 2, What's with the pistol??!!" . Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  24. ↑ Taher, Mohammed. "A Conversation with Manami Matsumae". Koopa Soundworks. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Takashi Tateishi Interview: A Career After Mega Man 2". VGMO -Video Game Music Online-. November 25, 2010.
  26. 1 2 "Takashi Tateishi". Brave Wave Productions. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  27. ↑ Reploid21XX. "Go Behind the Scenes of Mega Man 2 with Composer Takashi Tateishi". Rockman Corner. Retrieved February 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ↑ Greening, Chris. "Interview with the Mega Man 1 & 2 Sound Team: Reunited 20 Years On". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  29. ↑ Famitsu staff (January 6, 1989). クロスレビュー[Cross Review]. Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 65. Enterbrain. p. 19.
  30. ↑ "ロックマン 2" [Rockman 2]. ファミコン通信 〜 '89全ソフトカタログ[Famicom Tsūshin: '89 All Software Catalog]. Famicom Tsūshin. September 15, 1989. p. 53.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 Thomas, Lucas M. (September 16, 2008). "Mega Man 2 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  32. ↑ Andy (June 1992). "Life, the Universe and Nintendo Games". Total! . Future Publishing. ISSN   0964-9352.
  33. ↑ Capcom staff. "Capcom Platinum Titles". Capcom. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  34. 1 2 Harris, Stever; Ed Semrad; Donn Nauert; Jim Allee (July 1989). "Electronic Gaming Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 2. Ziff Davis. p. 11. ISSN   1058-918X.
  35. 1 2 Burton, Richard (September 2008). "Back to the Nineties: The Latest News from January 1991". Retro Gamer . No. 54. Imagine Publishing. p. 22. ISSN   1742-3155.
  36. 1 2 Miller, Zach (January 2007). "Greatest Game of All Time". Game Informer . No. 165. GameStop. p. 121. ISSN   1067-6392.
  37. ↑ "Best NES Games of all time". GamesRadar . April 16, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  38. 1 2 Becht, Joey (October 31, 2008). "Top 10 Mega Man Musical Moments". IGN . Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  39. ↑ Game Informer Staff (November 2008). "The Top Ten Video Game Openings". Game Informer . No. 187. GameStop. p. 38. ISSN   1067-6392.
  40. ↑ ScrewAttack staff (2008). "Top 10 Video Game Themes Ever". ScrewAttack . ScrewAttack's Top 10 . GameTrailers . Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  41. 1 2 Nintendo Power staff (August 2008). "Nintendo Power: The 20th Anniversary Issue!". Nintendo Power . No. 231. Future US. p. 71. ISSN   1041-9551.
  42. ↑ Sheffield, Brandon (May 1, 2009). "Opinion: What's Wrong With Game Music?". Gamasutra . UBM plc . Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  43. 1 2 Nutt, Christian (August 4, 2008). "He Is 8-Bit: Capcom's Hironobu Takeshita Speaks". Gamasutra . UBM plc . Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  44. 1 2 Bailey, Kat. "Top 5 Overlooked Prequels". 1UP.com . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  45. ↑ "The Top 10 Video Games Before 2000". TechGYD.COM. July 2, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  46. 1 2 "100 Best Games of All Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. p. 114. Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.
  47. ↑ Buchanan, Levi (July 1, 2008). "Top 10 Mega Man Robot Masters". IGN . Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  48. ↑ Nintendo Power Staff (September–October 1989). "Nintendo Power Top 30". Nintendo Power . No. 9. Nintendo of America. p. 80. ISSN   1041-9551.
  49. ↑ GameSpot Staff (October 24, 2003). "The Greatest Games of All Time". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 17, 2006. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
  50. ↑ Nintendo Power staff (February 2006). "NP Top 200". Nintendo Power . No. 200. Nintendo of America. p. 59. ISSN   1041-9551.
  51. ↑ East, Tom (February 23, 2009). "100 Best Nintendo Games: Part 3". Official Nintendo Magazine . Future plc. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
  52. ↑ IGN Staff (2011). "Top 100 NES Games - #4 Mega Man 2". IGN . Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  53. ↑ RacketBoy (2012). "First Issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly". Racketboy . Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  54. ↑ Cork, Jeff. "Game Informer's Top 100 Games Of All Time (Circa Issue 100)". Game Informer. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  55. ↑ Pane, Salvatore. "How Mega Man Survived Its Creator Leaving Capcom". Kotaku. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  56. ↑ Kohler, Chris (August 15, 2008). "Guzzle Some Mega Man E-Tank Drinks". Wired . Condé Nast Publications . Retrieved August 25, 2008.
  57. ↑ Dutton, Fred (September 18, 2010). "Mega Man Universe based on Mega Man 2 News". Eurogamer . Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  58. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (March 31, 2011). "Mega Man Universe Is Totally Canceled". Kotaku . Gawker Media . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  59. ↑ Tiger Electronics, ed. (1990). Electronic Mega Man 2 LCD Game. Tiger Electronics. Model 7-811.
  60. ↑ Elston, Brett (June 30, 2008). "The ultimate Mega Man retrospective". GamesRadar . Future plc . Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  61. ↑ Nutt, Christian & Speer, Justin. "The History of Mega Man". GameSpot . CBS Interactive . Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  62. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (June 22, 2004). "Mega Man Anniversary Collection (PS2)". 1UP.com . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  63. ↑ "JAKKS Pacific Offers TV Games GameKey For Classic Capcom Games". Toy News International. March 9, 2005. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  64. ↑ Stern, Zack (April 13, 2007). "Street Fighter, Mega Man on mobile phones". Joystiq . AOL . Retrieved August 15, 2007.
  65. ↑ Nintendo staff (December 14, 2007). "Now on Virtual Console". Nintendo . Retrieved May 25, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  66. ↑ Capcom staff. "Capcom News". Capcom. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
  67. ↑ "Mega Man 2 for Wii". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  68. ↑ Spencer (September 9, 2009). "Mega Man 2 Brings Robot Fish To PS3, PSP". Siliconera. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  69. ↑ Theobald, Phil (September 17, 2005). "Mega Man on PSP -- Keiji Inafune and Tatsuya Kitabayashi Interview". GameSpy . IGN . Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  70. ↑ Jackson, Mike (June 20, 2010). "SNES, NES classics set for 3DS return". Computer and Video Games . Future plc . Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  71. ↑ Ishaan (August 3, 2012). "Mega Man 2 Blasts To 3DS Virtual Console In Japan Next Week". Siliconera. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  72. 1 2 Miles, Ellen (1990). Mega Man 2. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. pp. 4–6, 16, 23, 36, 39, 50, 57, 61, 66, 71. ISBN   0-590-43772-0.
  73. ↑ Struck, Shawn; Scott Sharkey (August 3, 2006). "8-Bit Lit: Behind the NES' Worlds of Power Series". 1UP.com . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  74. ↑ "The Megadrive megamix – how classic videogame soundtracks went from background noise to cratedigger gold". the Guardian. August 27, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  75. ↑ Brewster, Will (September 15, 2022). "The 20 Greatest Video Game Soundtracks of All Time - Part One". Mixdown Magazine. Retrieved December 8, 2022.[ permanent dead link ]
  76. ↑ "NESkimos - Complete Collection (2002-2012)". 2012.
  77. ↑ Hassiotis, Christopher. "Five Killer Bands Inspired By Video Games". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  78. ↑ Thill, Scott. "Straight Outta Capcom! Random Honors Mega Man". Wired.
  79. ↑ Good, Owen S. (October 6, 2019). "Mega Man Universe's soundtrack turns up, along with Robot Master art". Polygon. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  80. ↑ "Magfest Releases the Full Musical Lineup for its January 2013 Event". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  81. ↑ "Musical Guests". Super Magfest. May 10, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  82. ↑ Yllobre, Carlos A. (February 15, 2019). "El compositor de Mega Man 2 comparte detalles sobre la creación de la música para el título". Nintenderos (in European Spanish). Retrieved December 8, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.