Mega Man V (Game Boy)

Last updated
Mega Man V
Megamanvbox.jpg
North American cover art
Developer(s) Minakuchi Engineering
Publisher(s) Capcom
Producer(s) Tokuro Fujiwara
Artist(s) Keiji Inafune
Composer(s) Kouji Murata [ citation needed ]
Series Mega Man
Platform(s) Game Boy
Release
Genre(s) Action, platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Mega Man V [lower-alpha 1] 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.

Contents

Mega Man V is an action platformer in which the player selects stages in a non-linear fashion and acquires the weapon of each boss defeated to use as their own. Although it plays nearly identical to other games in the series, Mega Man V features a new default weapon (the powerful "Mega Arm") and introduces Tango, a new assistant character. Mega Man V received a positive critical reception. In 2013, Mega Man V was made available on the Virtual Console of Japan's Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in the North American and PAL region eShops the following year. [4]

Plot

The game opens in an unspecified year in the 21st century ("20XX AD"), several months after the events of Mega Man IV and another failure by the infamous Dr. Wily to conquer the world. Mega Man and his sister Roll are strolling through a grassy field, when they are confronted by a mysterious robot who calls himself Terra. Mega Man attempts to fight Terra, only to find that his "Mega Buster" arm cannon has no effect on him. [5] Mega Man is knocked unconscious, and powerful robots calling themselves the "Stardroids" attack Earth, defeating numerous robots, including Robot Masters from previous Mega Man games. [1] Waking up in Dr. Light's laboratory, Mega Man is presented with the new and powerful "Mega Arm" to help him fight the Stardroids in his newest mission to save the planet. [6]

After defeating all the Stardroids, including Terra (after he tells Mega Man he has meddled in his plans for the last time), Mega Man finds out that his archenemy Dr. Wily was ordering them to dominate Earth. Mega Man sets off to the mad scientist's new base, the Wily Star (a reference to the Death Star) to stop him. In the base, Mega Man has rematches with four foes from his previous adventures (Enker, Quint, Punk, and Ballade) as well as all of the Stardroids (minus Terra). Then after Mega Man defeats Dr. Wily in a battle, Wily releases an ancient robot called Sunstar to destroy Mega Man. [7] However, Sunstar attacks Wily instead, and then turns his attention to Mega Man. Mega Man wins the battle and tries to convince Sunstar to be repaired by Dr. Light. However, Sunstar is already too badly damaged, and minutes later he explodes, taking the Wily Star with him. Mega Man escapes using Rush. He walks through a field, pondering the recent events, when Wily makes one last, unsuccessful attack. The game ends with Mega Man chasing Wily off the screen. [8]

Gameplay

The player fires the Mega Arm at an enemy. A Super Game Boy border surrounds the screen. Mega man v gameplay.jpg
The player fires the Mega Arm at an enemy. A Super Game Boy border surrounds the screen.

The gameplay in Mega Man V is largely similar to other games in the Mega Man series. As the protagonist Mega Man, the player is presented with a set of action and platform-style levels to complete. Mega Man's primary weapon is his staple arm cannon. However, rather than being able to charge and fire a more powerful blast with the trademark Mega Buster, the Mega Arm is used in essentially the same manner. Charging up and releasing the firing button causes Mega Man's arm to detach, strike an enemy, and then reattach. [9] [10] Destroying the boss at the end of each stage adds its special weapon to Mega Man's arsenal for the rest of the game. As each boss is weak to specific weapon, the player is encouraged to complete some stages before others. These bosses are known in game as "Mercury", "Venus", "Mars", "Jupiter", "Saturn", "Uranus", "Neptune", and "Pluto", named after the first, second, fourth, and fifth through eighth planets in our Solar System. Pluto was, at the time the game was made, considered a planet, unlike from 2006 and onwards. Terra is named for the Latin word for Earth. Defeating some bosses will allow the player to access Mega Man's robot dog Rush, who can transform into useful "Coil" and "Jet" modes for easier stage navigation. [9] Mega Man V also introduces Tango the cat, another robotic pet to help Mega Man. Like the bird Beat from previous installments in the series, Tango will appear on the screen when summoned to attack enemies, transforming into a buzzsaw and ricocheting around the room. [10] [11] As in Mega Man IV, the player can return to Dr. Light between stages to purchase items using "Power Chips (P-Chips)" scattered throughout the game. [9]

Mega Man V breaks an established trend in the Mega Man games released on the Game Boy handheld. Prior to its release, games in the series on the system featured a set of four "Robot Masters" boss characters from their titular NES counterpart and a second set of four from the succeeding NES game in the series. [11] [12] [13] Mega Man V instead features entirely original enemy characters with the Stardroids, who are all named after the planets in the Solar System: Neptune, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn and Terra (Earth). [11] [14]

Development

Mega Man V was developed by the same third-party company that worked on three of the four previous Game Boy Mega Man games. According to Mega Man series artist Keiji Inafune, the fifth installment took the longest time to develop of all five of these titles. [1] Inafune was responsible for the game's character designs after their initial concepts were devised. "When you have a theme to follow, it can make things easier and harder at the same time," Inafune recounted. "Especially with a theme as vague as space." [1] He additionally recalled having "a lot of reservations" when designing the Stardroids. [15] Tango was included as a support character not featured in the home console games; his name, like other characters in the series, is part of musical motif. [1] Inafune, who always enjoyed working on animal support characters, was especially pleased to design Tango due to the artist's personal fondness for cats. [15] Mega Man V is the final installment in the Game Boy line of games based on the original Mega Man series. Inafune stated, "In the end, I think we had a lot of fun working on this series". [1] Mega Man V was developed with Super Game Boy support, which allows the game to be played with a custom color scheme and border on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). [9] [10] [14] It was one of the first games available with added support from the peripheral. [3] It was also the last time the classic 8-bit Mega Man sprite was used for a game released on an 8-bit console, and last until Mega Man 9 in 2008.

Reception and legacy

Overall critical reception for Mega Man V has been positive. While many aspects of the game were commended, critics found very little change from previous installments in the series. [17] [19] [20] [21] VideoGames summarized, "If you don't have a Mega Man game for your Game Boy, this one is a good as any. It's entertaining...it's Mega Man. If you're thinking 'rehash', you might be right and it's still a pretty fun game, though." [21] Nintendo Power was impressed by its gameplay and graphics, but felt that the game is too short, "especially when you sit down with the Super Game Boy and cruise". [20] GamePro was contrastingly unimpressed with the controls on the SNES, considering the use of Game Boy much simpler. [19]

In 2008, Nintendo Power listed Mega Man V as the 14th best Game Boy or Game Boy Color video game, praising it as the best of a quality series of portable Mega Man games. [22] Game Informer 's Ben Reeves called it the 11th best Game Boy game due to its relative ambition compared to its Game Boy predecessors. [23] Mega Man V was available for the similarly named Nintendo Power cartridge service in Japan on April 13, 2001 alongside its four Game Boy Mega Man predecessors. [24] Outside Japan, the game is considered to be quite rare. [11] [12] All five games on the Game Boy were to be released as part of a Game Boy Advance compilation in 2004 titled Mega Man Anniversary Collection , but it was delayed indefinitely, renamed Mega Mania, and eventually cancelled. [25] In 2011, IGN listed the game among titles they wished to see downloadable from the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS. [26] On July 18, 2013, it was confirmed that Mega Man V is planned for release on the 3DS Virtual Console; [27] it came out November 6, 2013 in Japan, on May 22, 2014 in North America. [28] and August 28, 2014 in the PAL Region.

Other media

The characters and plotline for Mega Man V were incorporated into the Mega Man Gigamix comic books by Hitoshi Ariga, with the battle against the Stardroids acting as a finale.

They were also present in the Mega Man series from Archie Comics, with a full adaptation of Mega Man V being foreshadowed in various stories but not coming to pass before the series went on indefinite hiatus. The comic storyline takes unique action of linking the Stardroids with Mega Man 3 's Shadow Man and Ra Moon, the primary antagonist of Super Adventure Rockman , as well as giving them a history with the alien robot Duo and Trio, his unnamed antagonist from Mega Man 8 . Ra Moon's intent during Super Adventure Rockman to prepare the Earth for the arrival of its Stardroid creations; when its defeat at Mega Man's hands made this impossible, it sent a signal to the Stardroids aboard their craft, the future Wily Star. Terra appeared briefly in issue 20 of the series while Mega Man was caught up in a time travel adventure, and later during a flashback in which he sent Ra Moon to Earth under the protection of the Kuiper Droids, a group of bodyguard robots of whom Shadow Man is the last surviving member. Dr. Light later witnessed the Stardroids' future invasion in a vision experienced during issue 55, the last issue before the series went on hiatus.

Related Research Articles

<i>Mega Man 2</i> 1988 video game

Mega Man 2 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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Wily</span> Fictional Mega Man character

Doctor Albert W. Wily is a video game character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series, as well as Mega Man's archenemy and is also the creator of Bass and Zero. He appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series. In Japanese, he is voiced by Takeshi Aono in all appearances except Mega Man: The Power Battle and its sequel, as well as Mega Man: Upon a Star, where he instead was voiced by Kenichi Ogata; in English, the character is voiced by Douglas Kendall, Dean Galloway, Keith Silverstein, Ian James Corlett, and Scott McNeil voicing the character in Mega Man 8, Mega Man Powered Up, Mega Man 11, Captain N: The Game Master, and the animated series, respectively.

<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 X</i> (video game) 1993 video game

Mega Man X is a 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 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> (Game Boy) 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>Super Adventure Rockman</i> 1998 interactive movie video game published by Capcom

Super Adventure Rockman is a 1998 interactive movie/rail shooter video game developed by Kouyousha and published by Capcom for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn; it is a spin-off of the Mega Man series and follows Mega Man as he attempts to stop an ancient alien supercomputer called "Ra Moon" from taking over the world; the game only saw a Japanese release, and has not been re-released since.

<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. Known in Japan as Rockman World 5 (Japanese: ロックマンワールド5, Hepburn: Rokkuman Wārudo Faibu)
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mega Man: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. pp. 71–6. ISBN   978-1-897376-79-9.
  2. Nintendo staff. "Game Boy (original) Games" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-15. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Overton, Wil (April 1, 1995). "Viva Le Mega Man". Super Play . Future Publishing (30): 30–1. ISSN   0966-6192.
  4. "Minish Capcom > Manage Blog". Archived from the original on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  5. Capcom (September 1994). Mega Man V (Game Boy). Capcom. Terra: So, you are the famous Mega Man! I am Terra - and you will soon be my slave! Mega Man: What?! My Mega Buster has no effect on him...
  6. Capcom (September 1994). Mega Man V (Game Boy). Capcom. Dr. Light: Mega Man, our world is once again in chaos. The alien robots call themselves "Stardroids" and have conquered most our major cities. They are constructed of alien material which render our weapons useless. But, I have done some analysis and constructed a new weapon for you. It will replace your Super Mega Buster. It is called the "Mega Arm" and it allows you to charge energy in your fist before you fire it.
  7. Capcom (September 1994). Mega Man V (Game Boy). Capcom. Dr. Wily: Behold Mega Man, I have awakened the ancient weapon Sunstar! Its Nova Weapon will destroy you!
  8. Capcom (September 1994). Mega Man V (Game Boy). Capcom. Sunstar: Mega Man... why? Why are you helping me? Mega Man: Because we are both robots. Sunstar: Yes. And we were both created to fight! Mega Man: No, you're wrong! I only fight when I am forced to protect the world from those who would pit machines against humans. I believe humans and robots can live in peace! Sunstar: Maybe... but I will never know. My fusion reactor is going critical and when it does, it will destroy this entire fortress.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Capcom, ed. (September 1994). Mega Man V Instruction Booklet. Capcom Entertainment, Inc. pp. 5–16. DMG-W5-USA.
  10. 1 2 3 Nintendo Power staff (October 1994). "Mega Man V". Nintendo Power . No. 65. Nintendo of America. pp. 84–9. ISSN   1041-9551.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Nutt, Christian & Speer, Justin. "The History of Mega Man". GameSpot . CBS Interactive . Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  12. 1 2 Parish, Jeremy (May 10, 2007). "The Mega Man Series Roundup". 1UP.com . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  13. Elston, Brett (June 30, 2008). "The ultimate Mega Man retrospective". GamesRadar . Future plc. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  14. 1 2 Electronic Gaming Monthly staff (August 1994). "Mega Man V". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 61. Ziff Davis. p. 144. ISSN   1058-918X.
  15. 1 2 Mega Man: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. p. 125. ISBN   978-1-897376-79-9.
  16. "Mega Man V Reviews". Gamerankings.
  17. 1 2 Electronic Gaming Monthly staff (August 1994). "Review Crew: Mega Man V". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 61. Ziff Davis. p. 36. ISSN   1058-918X.
  18. Famitsu staff (1994). クロスレビュー [Cross Review]. Famitsu (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  19. 1 2 3 Scary Larry (September 1994). "ProReview: Mega Man V". GamePro . No. 62. Infotainment World, Inc. p. 130. ISSN   1042-8658.
  20. 1 2 3 Nintendo Power staff (October 1994). "Now Playing: Mega Man V". Nintendo Power . No. 65. Nintendo of America. pp. 106–7. ISSN   1041-9551.
  21. 1 2 3 VideoGames staff (August 1994). "Review: Mega Man V". VideoGames . No. 79. LFP, Inc. ISSN   1059-2938.
  22. Nintendo Power staff (August 2008). "Top 20 Game Boy/Game Boy Color Games". Nintendo Power . No. 231. Future US. p. 72. ISSN   1041-9551.
  23. Reeves, Ben (2011-06-24). "The 25 Best Game Boy Games Of All Time". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2013-12-06.
  24. Nintendo staff. ゲームボーイ用のアクション系ソフト:4 (in Japanese). Nintendo. Archived from the original on February 3, 2003. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  25. IGN staff (February 4, 2004). "Mega Man Mania Change". IGN . Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
  26. Drake, Audrey (January 31, 2011). "Bringing the Game Boy to the 3DS". IGN . Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  27. "Classic Game Boy Mega Man Titles Coming To 3DS Virtual Console". 18 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  28. http://www.nintendo.com/eshop/mega-may Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine Nintendo