Mega Man (character)
Encyclopedia
Mega Man, known as in Japan
, is a cybernetic video game character
, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom
since 1987. The pixel art
for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series
, credited under the pseudonym "A.K", and later turned into a refined illustration by Keiji Inafune
. Since then, he has become one of the company's primary original characters and continues to be one of the video game industry's most recognizable icons. Having appeared on many gaming systems since the Nintendo Entertainment System
, Mega Man has had a wide gaming audience, and his games continue to evolve with the ever-changing hardware
demands of modern gaming systems. Mega Man's fictional universe can be divided into seven categories, each featuring different variations and incarnations of a cyborg boy hero. Although "Mega Man", or "Rockman", is usually the name used to describe only the original Mega Man from the classic series, it can also be used less specifically to describe the Mega Man series of fictional works
, or the group of adherently named main characters within.
The several spin-off
series that have emerged over the past years, each one continuing the Mega Man mythos
in some unique way, includes but isn't limited to the Mega Man X
, Mega Man Legends
, Mega Man Battle Network
, and Mega Man Star Force
series. A resulting animated series was also produced originally in Japan as well as a number of toy
s, comics
, and collectables available both in and outside of Japan
.
Mega Man's role in the original story is to battle the mad scientist
Dr. Wily
and his ever-growing army of cyborgs, and stop them from taking over the planet by using their own special abilities against them. Utilizing his special Mega Blaster arm cannon (becomes the Mega Buster starting with Mega Man IV), and his ability to copy a defeated cyborg's special weapon. Mega Man must travel the world and traverse harsh environments in order to bring Wily's menace to an end. With the help of his creator Dr. Light and his assorted cybernetic companions, Mega Man's eventual goal is to one day achieve "everlasting peace".
moniker. The name "Rainbow Man" was also proposed, due to his ability to change color. The word "Rock" in Rockman is a reference to the music genre
rock and roll
, and is meant to work in tandem with his sister robot, Roll. However, Capcom Consumer Products Division president Joe Morici changed the name from Rockman to Mega Man because he simply didn't like the name stating "The title was horrible." Such music
-themed naming conventions are present in a number of Keiji Inafune's other character designs, such as Blues. In addition, the original Mega Man titles intentionally incorporated a "Rock, Paper, Scissors
" gameplay mechanic into defeating certain enemies.
His most notable appearances have been within his own self-titled games, beginning with Rockman
for the Nintendo Famicom
in 1987. This, and all future Mega Man games released in North America
and Europe
, would bear the title "Mega Man" due to Capcom USA's early decision to change the name. Prior to decision on the name "Mega Man" which was proposed by Joseph Morici, Capcom had even considered the name "Rainbow Man" as a possible title due to the nature of Mega Man's color change when using different Robot Master weapons.
Nearly all of the classic series Mega Man titles have been two-dimensional
sidescroller
s involving horizontal movement through various levels. This mechanic continues even on titles developed for high performance platforms, such as the Sony PSP
release of Mega Man Powered Up, which features 3D graphics
, yet movement to both the background and foreground is restricted. The main series on both the NES and Nintendo Game Boy
would follow this approach in the design of every game developed on those systems, and set the standard for all platformer
Mega Man games to come. Mega Man himself has evolved very little cosmetically since his initial release, but has often been given new techniques in each game. The Mega Buster, for instance, which was introduced in Mega Man 4
, allowed him to charge up a shot. The slide was introduced in Mega Man 3
. It was these
which were needed in order to help him exceed any new challenges added by the level designers. However, In Mega Man 9
Mega Man's abilities were restricted back to that of the original game.
Capcom, regarding Mega Man as a versatile character, has placed him in several different video game genres outside of his usual series. He has since been seen as a sports star in the Super Nintendo
game Mega Man Soccer
, a race car
driver in Mega Man Battle & Chase
, and a board game
piece in Wily and Right's RockBoard. A limited release arcade
fighting game
series containing Mega Man: The Power Battle
and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
pitted Mega Man against several boss characters
from his original series.
Though Capcom owns the rights
to all Mega Man games and has been responsible for the development of all of his console titles, it has in the past licensed the Mega Man character to other companies for PC
releases. Mega Man and Mega Man III (with no relation to the NES games of the same name) were developed by the US-based Hi Tech Expressions
, and the Mega Man
game published on the Game Gear
by Sega
, and Rockman Strategy was developed and released exclusively in China
by AcerTWP. Neither title has since been regarded by Capcom as an official Mega Man series game.
Mega Man had several iterations in for the canceled Mega Man Universe
. These included a new look Mega Man simply called 'Mega Man', the classic Keiji Inafune styled Mega Man referred to as 'Rock Man', and 'Bad Box Art Mega Man', who's based on the North American boxart of Mega Man
.
characters such as Ryu
, Strider Hiryu
, and Captain Commando. He has also been featured in the 3D shooter
Cannon Spike
and the collectible card game
simulators SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
and Card Fighter 2: Expand Edition
. Non-playable cameo appearance
s by Mega Man occur most often in other Capcom licensed games, and he's often seen as a background character. Such appearances include Capcom World 2
, Street Fighter Alpha 3
, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
, Pocket Fighter
, Mighty Final Fight
, Power Stone 2
, Boktai
, Boktai 2
, Lunar Knights
, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne
, Onimusha Blade Warriors
, and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars. Animated incarnations of Mega Man were common in the early 1990s, particularly in North America
.
, which features a myriad of characters that had appeared on Nintendo
consoles up until that time. They all aid the title character, Captain N, in his quest to save the world of Videoland, encountering many villains, including Mega Man's own enemy Dr. Wily
. Mega Man is voiced in this series by Doug Parker, and his character had a tendency to add the prefix "mega-" to words for emphasis.
A three-episode Japanese anime
OVA titled Mega Man: Upon a Star
was produced in 1993 in an attempt to help spread information on Japanese culture
. In it, Mega Man crosses paths with his adversary, Dr. Wily, while learning various facts about Japanese society, and receiving occasional help from Proto Man. He also appeared in the animated Mega Man TV series
.
The story of Mega Man's origin and his bittersweet victory over the robotic forces of Dr. Wily has been adapted by The Protomen
, a band from Tennessee who perform an original dystopian rock opera
based on the dynamic between Mega Man and Protoman. During the show, the band members wear costumes inspired by their take on the series, including motorcycle helmets with built-in microphones fashioned to look like those of Mega Man and Protoman, and the iconic arm-blaster.
The Megas
, a Los Angeles rock band, also perform songs based on the Mega Man series as well as covering music directly from the games.
MegaRan performs a number of rap songs about Mega Man.
The show MegaMan NT Warrior
, also known as Rockman.EXE, features him as does the 25 minute OVA The Day of Σ (alternatively spelled 'The Day of Sigma').
The version of Mega Man from the Battle Network series has briefly appeared in the first two games in the Mega Man Star Force
series to give the main character a rapid fire weapon called the Battle Network Blaster or BN Blaster.
In May 2010, a live action full feature fan film was released directed by Eddie Lebron. The film using a mix of CGI and people in extreme sport equipment for the fighting robots based itself on the first game with slight modifications to the story and character designs to work. The film can currently be viewed for free at its own website.
robot
(though in some direct translations he is referred to as a cyborg
). This robot would demonstrate an advanced artificial intelligence
program that would allow it to make decisions for itself based on stimulus and basic directions. He called the robot project "Robot Master", because the resulting robot would be able to supervise the work of other, less intelligent machines.
Before Dr. Light ever constructed what would eventually become Mega Man, he first designed the Robot Master known as "Proto Man" ("Blues" in Japan), named because it was a prototype of his future creations. Proto Man had the ability to lead a small squad of other robots in military applications. However, before Dr. Light could begin testing the true potential of his AI
, the robot went rogue, escaped, and was thought to have been destroyed.
Because of the disappearance of Proto Man, Light decided to create another robot. Dr. Light, fearing that the disappearance of Proto Man was because he didn't have a peer, created two other robots at around the same time to work as a pair. These robots were called "Rock" (ロック) (Mega in the Powered Up remake) and "Roll". Rock was created as Dr. Light's lab assistant. His purpose was a general-purpose tool user. Simply by studying how a tool was used, he could mimic its use using a Variable Tool System, thus making him the ideal lab assistant. His "sister" (though not actually a sister, but a robot partner), Roll, was designed for housekeeping.
With the success of these two test-type robots, Light designed and built six production-type robots, mainly to be used in the construction and maintenance of public works. These robots were Cut Man, a timber felling robot; Guts Man, a construction
and excavation robot; Ice Man, a robot designed for exploration
in extreme freezing temperatures; Bomb Man, a land reclamation robot; Fire Man, designed for waste management
; and Elec Man, designed to oversee and control atomic energy
power plant
s. The enhanced remake Mega Man Powered Up has also retconned into existence Oil Man, designed for maintenance by generating oil for machinery and firing it through his arm cannon, and Time Man, designed to research time travel
with his ability to slow down time, though was incomplete. Each of these robots had full use of the Robot Master's intelligence and reasoning potential. However, little did Dr. Light know that all of these robots including the missing Proto Man would later serve as the key to unlocking Rock's destiny.
The time finally came for Dr. Light to be recognized by the world for his brilliant contributions to science. Dr. Albert W. Wily
, a colleague at that time and future rival, grew jealous when his unique research, which he studied with Dr. Light, was utterly overshadowed by his partner. He stumbled upon Proto Man one day, who was dying when his energy system was malfunctioning. He repaired him, using his specifications to create the police robot, Sniper Joe. He discovered while analyzing Proto Man that he had found a way to reprogram Light's robots. He decided that he could use these new robots to exact revenge. When Dr. Wily arrived at Dr. Light's laboratory, he failed to realize Rock and Roll's potential, claiming that helper robots are as good as scrap metal to him. He took and reprogrammed the six (eight in Mega Man Powered Up) construction robots so they were misled and forced under his rule. With his new followers, Wily constructed many more robots to use for destructive purposes with the aim of world domination, and seized control of the city demanding recognition. This string of events set in motion what would later become the purpose for Mega Man's existence.
Realizing that it would be very difficult for the armies to stop Wily without harming the city, Dr. Light knew something had to be done. Due to his programmed sense of right and wrong, Rock volunteered to be converted from his current state as a lab assistant into a fighting robot. Thus, from that day forth, he became known as "Mega Man" (Rockman in Japan).
From that day forward Mega Man volunteered himself for action against crime and serving to support and protect humankind's existence and coexistence with robots within society.
Mega Man along with help from his friends, thwarted the evil plans of Dr. Wily and other such villains numerous times, while saving lives and inspiring justice in the hearts of others.
Throughout his many adventures, Mega Man has encountered several enemies that have appeared to be too powerful for him to overcome on his own, yet in typical heroic fashion, Mega Man's pure intentions and strong will tend to be the determining factor in his steadfast battle for everlasting peace.
Constantly being tested and rivaled, most notably by his estranged "brother," Proto Man (aka Blues), Mega Man fought not for personal glory, unlike his adversaries, as exemplified during the 1st Annual Robot Tournament, held to determine which robot was truly the strongest. Mega Man didn't enter the tournament because he was a pacifist. However, in an attempt to bring Dr. Wily's crimes to an ultimate end, Mega Man considered killing him, but was quickly reminded by Wily that robots can't harm humans
. Mega Man refuted this argument stating that he was more than a robot, suggesting that he was independent from his programming. Nevertheless, Mega Man didn't go through with this action, but only due to Wily's escape.
listed Mega Man as their fourth favourite hero, citing his ability to steal weapons from downed Robot Masters. GameDaily
listed Mega Man as the best robot in video games, stating that no other video game robot has achieved similar success. They added that he's also an inspiration to gamers and one of the best video game characters of all time. UGO Networks listed Mega Man as one of their best heroes of all time, and called him "one of the most iconic video game heroes of all time".
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, is a cybernetic video game character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
since 1987. The pixel art
Pixel art
Pixel art is a form of digital art, created through the use of raster graphics software, where images are edited on the pixel level. Graphics in most old computer and video games, graphing calculator games, and many mobile phone games are mostly pixel art.- History :The term pixel art was first...
for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
, credited under the pseudonym "A.K", and later turned into a refined illustration by Keiji Inafune
Keiji Inafune
is a video game producer and illustrator. He was the former head of Research & Development and Online Business and Global Head of Production at Capcom, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the character Mega Man, as well as the producer of the Onimusha and Dead Rising video game series...
. Since then, he has become one of the company's primary original characters and continues to be one of the video game industry's most recognizable icons. Having appeared on many gaming systems since the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, Mega Man has had a wide gaming audience, and his games continue to evolve with the ever-changing hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
demands of modern gaming systems. Mega Man's fictional universe can be divided into seven categories, each featuring different variations and incarnations of a cyborg boy hero. Although "Mega Man", or "Rockman", is usually the name used to describe only the original Mega Man from the classic series, it can also be used less specifically to describe the Mega Man series of fictional works
Mega Man
Mega Man is a video game franchise from Capcom, starring the eponymous character Mega Man, or one of his many counterparts. The series is well-known and comprises well over fifty releases, easily making it Capcom's most prolific franchise. As of December 31, 2010, the series has sold approximately...
, or the group of adherently named main characters within.
The several spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series that have emerged over the past years, each one continuing the Mega Man mythos
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
in some unique way, includes but isn't limited to the Mega Man X
Mega Man X
The Mega Man X series is the second Mega Man franchise released by Capcom. It debuted December 17, 1993 in Japan on the Super NES/Super Famicom and spawned sequels on several systems, with the PC platform notably having the most releases within the series...
, Mega Man Legends
Mega Man Legends
Mega Man Legends may refer to:* Mega Man Legends series, a Mega Man series occurring after the Mega Man ZX series* Mega Man Legends , the first game in the series...
, Mega Man Battle Network
Mega Man Battle Network
The Mega Man Battle Network series is one of Capcom's Mega Man series and debuted in 2001 on the Game Boy Advance. It is a spin-off series based on the original Mega Man. In Japan, as of the release of Rockman EXE Transmission in 2003, the series has been known as Rockman EXE; prior to this it was...
, and Mega Man Star Force
Mega Man Star Force
Mega Man Star Force, known in Japan as , is a Mega Man action role-playing video game published and developed by Capcom for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console...
series. A resulting animated series was also produced originally in Japan as well as a number of toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s, comics
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, and collectables available both in and outside of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Mega Man's role in the original story is to battle the mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
Dr. Wily
Doctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
and his ever-growing army of cyborgs, and stop them from taking over the planet by using their own special abilities against them. Utilizing his special Mega Blaster arm cannon (becomes the Mega Buster starting with Mega Man IV), and his ability to copy a defeated cyborg's special weapon. Mega Man must travel the world and traverse harsh environments in order to bring Wily's menace to an end. With the help of his creator Dr. Light and his assorted cybernetic companions, Mega Man's eventual goal is to one day achieve "everlasting peace".
Conception and design
Although originally the names "Mighty Kid" and "Knuckle Kid" were proposed, Capcom eventually settled on "Rockman" as Mega Man's JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
moniker. The name "Rainbow Man" was also proposed, due to his ability to change color. The word "Rock" in Rockman is a reference to the music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, and is meant to work in tandem with his sister robot, Roll. However, Capcom Consumer Products Division president Joe Morici changed the name from Rockman to Mega Man because he simply didn't like the name stating "The title was horrible." Such music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
-themed naming conventions are present in a number of Keiji Inafune's other character designs, such as Blues. In addition, the original Mega Man titles intentionally incorporated a "Rock, Paper, Scissors
Rock-paper-scissors
Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game played by two people. The game is also known as roshambo, or another ordering of the three items ....
" gameplay mechanic into defeating certain enemies.
In Mega Man video games
His most notable appearances have been within his own self-titled games, beginning with Rockman
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
for the Nintendo Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in 1987. This, and all future Mega Man games released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, would bear the title "Mega Man" due to Capcom USA's early decision to change the name. Prior to decision on the name "Mega Man" which was proposed by Joseph Morici, Capcom had even considered the name "Rainbow Man" as a possible title due to the nature of Mega Man's color change when using different Robot Master weapons.
Nearly all of the classic series Mega Man titles have been two-dimensional
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
sidescroller
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
s involving horizontal movement through various levels. This mechanic continues even on titles developed for high performance platforms, such as the Sony PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
release of Mega Man Powered Up, which features 3D graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
, yet movement to both the background and foreground is restricted. The main series on both the NES and Nintendo Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
would follow this approach in the design of every game developed on those systems, and set the standard for all platformer
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
Mega Man games to come. Mega Man himself has evolved very little cosmetically since his initial release, but has often been given new techniques in each game. The Mega Buster, for instance, which was introduced in Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4, known in Japan as , is a 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 on December 6, 1991...
, allowed him to charge up a shot. The slide was introduced in Mega Man 3
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 3, known as in Japan, is a 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 localized in North America later in 1990 and in European...
. It was these
which were needed in order to help him exceed any new challenges added by the level designers. However, In Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series. Mega Man 9 is the first, new home console game in the original Mega Man series since Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass, which were released at least one...
Mega Man's abilities were restricted back to that of the original game.
Capcom, regarding Mega Man as a versatile character, has placed him in several different video game genres outside of his usual series. He has since been seen as a sports star in the Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
game Mega Man Soccer
Mega Man Soccer
Mega Man Soccer, known in Japan as , is a soccer video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game is based on the original Mega Man series of action-platform games...
, a race car
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
driver in Mega Man Battle & Chase
Mega Man Battle & Chase
Mega Man Battle & Chase, known in Japan as , is a PlayStation racing video game based on the original Mega Man series from Capcom. The game was released in Japan on March 20, 1997 and in PAL territories in April 1998. Although it was not released individually in North America, Mega Man Battle &...
, and a board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
piece in Wily and Right's RockBoard. A limited release arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
series containing Mega Man: The Power Battle
Mega Man: The Power Battle
Mega Man: The Power Battle, known in Japan as , is an arcade video game and a spin-off title for the Mega Man series. It was released in Japan in 1995 and was followed by a sequel, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, the following year...
and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, known in Japan as , is an arcade video game, released in Japan in 1996 as a fighting game in the Mega Man series of games. It is the direct sequel to Mega Man: The Power Battle released the previous year...
pitted Mega Man against several boss characters
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
from his original series.
Though Capcom owns the rights
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
to all Mega Man games and has been responsible for the development of all of his console titles, it has in the past licensed the Mega Man character to other companies for PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
releases. Mega Man and Mega Man III (with no relation to the NES games of the same name) were developed by the US-based Hi Tech Expressions
Hi Tech Expressions
Hi Tech Expressions was an American console game company headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City.Hi Tech existed during the early 1990s. During the course of its existence, the company made primarily juvenile-oriented games for young boys and girls...
, and the Mega Man
Mega Man (Game Gear)
Mega Man is a video game for the Sega Game Gear. It was developed by Freestyle, licensed by Capcom, and published by U.S. Gold only in North America in 1995. It is the only game in the original Mega Man series to be released for the handheld...
game published on the Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, and Rockman Strategy was developed and released exclusively in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
by AcerTWP. Neither title has since been regarded by Capcom as an official Mega Man series game.
Mega Man had several iterations in for the canceled Mega Man Universe
Mega Man Universe
was an upcoming 2.5D action platformer game in the Mega Man series being developed by Capcom for Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network, and has since been cancelled. Mainly based on Mega Man 2, the game would have allowed players to create their own levels and customize characters...
. These included a new look Mega Man simply called 'Mega Man', the classic Keiji Inafune styled Mega Man referred to as 'Rock Man', and 'Bad Box Art Mega Man', who's based on the North American boxart of Mega Man
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
.
In other games
Mega Man has made appearances in several game projects outside of his original series. He appears as a playable character in the Marvel vs. Capcom fighting game series (assisted by Rush) alongside other prominent CapcomCapcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
characters such as Ryu
Ryu (Street Fighter)
is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
, Strider Hiryu
Strider Hiryu
is a fictional character jointly owned by Capcom and Moto Kikaku.Although primarily known as a game character, Hiryu debuted in 1988 as the protagonist of a manga published exclusively in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten...
, and Captain Commando. He has also been featured in the 3D shooter
Shooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
Cannon Spike
Cannon Spike
Cannon Spike, known as ガンスパイク in Japanese arcades, is a multi-directional shooter arcade game released in 2000 by Psikyo and later in the same year for the Dreamcast by Capcom. It uses Capcom-designed characters and runs on Sega's Naomi Hardware...
and the collectible card game
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
simulators SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash is a series of SNK Playmore games between 1999 and 2006 for hand-held consoles.This game has a CCG theme, spun off from the popular series of fighting games by SNK and Capcom, and also including references to many other kinds of games from both companies. The...
and Card Fighter 2: Expand Edition
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash is a series of SNK Playmore games between 1999 and 2006 for hand-held consoles.This game has a CCG theme, spun off from the popular series of fighting games by SNK and Capcom, and also including references to many other kinds of games from both companies. The...
. Non-playable cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by Mega Man occur most often in other Capcom licensed games, and he's often seen as a background character. Such appearances include Capcom World 2
Capcom World 2
is a quiz game released in exclusively in Japan by Capcom in as a coin-operated video game. It was the 20th game released by Capcom for their CP System hardware, as well as Capcom's fifth quiz game for the arcade...
, Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3, known as in Japan and Asia, is a fighting game by Capcom originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware. It is the third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series, following Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams and Street Fighter Alpha 2...
, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
is the fourth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game produced by Capcom . It is a sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter which replaces most of the X-Men characters with characters from Marvel Super Heroes. In an attempt to balance the previous games' problems, the game engine was altered, although it...
, Pocket Fighter
Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix
Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix, released in Japan as , is a fighting game released by Capcom in September 1997 for the CPS II arcade system. It was ported to the PlayStation , Sega Saturn, and WonderSwan, as well as PlayStation 2 as part of the Street Fighter Alpha Anthology.The game uses the same...
, Mighty Final Fight
Mighty Final Fight
Mighty Final Fight is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System in . It is a spinoff of Capcom's arcade game Final Fight, which was previously ported to the Super NES in two different editions...
, Power Stone 2
Power Stone 2
Power Stone 2 is a multiplayer fighting game that built on the innovative gameplay introduced by its predecessor, Power Stone. Power Stone 2 allows up to four players to choose from multiple characters and utilize items such as tables, chairs, and rocks in battle.Power Stone 2 originated as an...
, Boktai
Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand
, is a video game released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003 by Konami. Produced by Hideo Kojima.The player takes the role of Django, a vampire hunter, who uses a weapon called the "Gun Del Sol" , that fires bolts of sunlight at enemies. Boktais game cartridge includes a photometric light sensor...
, Boktai 2
Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django
, also known as Zoktai, is a video game that was developed and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. Released in North America and Japan in 2004 and in Europe in 2005, it is the sequel to Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand.-Plot:...
, Lunar Knights
Lunar Knights
Lunar Knights, known in Japan as and abbreviated Boktai DS, is a science-fantasy game and is the fourth title in the Boktai series of games developed by Kojima Productions, announced at E3 2006. It begins a new story arc, and follows new protagonists and hence has also been marked as the beginning...
, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne
The Misadventures of Tron Bonne
The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, known in Japan as , is a video game that was developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation. Released in Japan in 1999 and in North America and Europe in 2000, the game is part of the Mega Man Legends series and the prequel of the first Legends game...
, Onimusha Blade Warriors
Onimusha Blade Warriors
Onimusha Blade Warriors, released in Japan as , is a multi-player game from the Onimusha series. Similar to Super Smash Bros., Blade Warriors is a simple 2D fighter game featuring many of the characters of the Onimusha franchise....
, and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars. Animated incarnations of Mega Man were common in the early 1990s, particularly in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
In other media
His first animated appearance was as a main character in the series Captain N: The Game MasterCaptain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
, which features a myriad of characters that had appeared on Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
consoles up until that time. They all aid the title character, Captain N, in his quest to save the world of Videoland, encountering many villains, including Mega Man's own enemy Dr. Wily
Doctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
. Mega Man is voiced in this series by Doug Parker, and his character had a tendency to add the prefix "mega-" to words for emphasis.
A three-episode Japanese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
OVA titled Mega Man: Upon a Star
Mega Man: Upon a Star
Mega Man: Upon a Star, known in Japan as , is a Japanese anime original video animation series produced by Ashi Productions and based on the popular Capcom video game franchise Mega Man. Created in 1994, the series was presented by the Japan Center for Intercultural Communications. The OVA is...
was produced in 1993 in an attempt to help spread information on Japanese culture
Culture of Japan
The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America...
. In it, Mega Man crosses paths with his adversary, Dr. Wily, while learning various facts about Japanese society, and receiving occasional help from Proto Man. He also appeared in the animated Mega Man TV series
Mega Man (TV series)
Mega Man, known in Japan as , is a Japanese-American animated television series multi-produced by Capcom Productions, Ruby-Spears Productions, Ashi Productions and Ocean Group and is based on the game series of the same name. The TV series began in 1994 and ended in 1995, and was aired on many...
.
The story of Mega Man's origin and his bittersweet victory over the robotic forces of Dr. Wily has been adapted by The Protomen
The Protomen
The Protomen is an American rock band best known for composing original concept albums loosely based on the popular video game series Mega Man...
, a band from Tennessee who perform an original dystopian rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
based on the dynamic between Mega Man and Protoman. During the show, the band members wear costumes inspired by their take on the series, including motorcycle helmets with built-in microphones fashioned to look like those of Mega Man and Protoman, and the iconic arm-blaster.
The Megas
The Megas (band)
The Megas is a Los Angeles based independent video game cover band based on the Capcom franchise, Mega Man. They differentiate themselves from artists who have played Mega Man music in the past by adding original lyrics and composing new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions...
, a Los Angeles rock band, also perform songs based on the Mega Man series as well as covering music directly from the games.
MegaRan performs a number of rap songs about Mega Man.
The show MegaMan NT Warrior
MegaMan NT Warrior
Mega Man NT Warrior or Mega Man Battle Network, known in Japan as , is an anime and manga series based on the Mega Man Battle Network video game series...
, also known as Rockman.EXE, features him as does the 25 minute OVA The Day of Σ (alternatively spelled 'The Day of Sigma').
The version of Mega Man from the Battle Network series has briefly appeared in the first two games in the Mega Man Star Force
Mega Man Star Force
Mega Man Star Force, known in Japan as , is a Mega Man action role-playing video game published and developed by Capcom for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console...
series to give the main character a rapid fire weapon called the Battle Network Blaster or BN Blaster.
In May 2010, a live action full feature fan film was released directed by Eddie Lebron. The film using a mix of CGI and people in extreme sport equipment for the fighting robots based itself on the first game with slight modifications to the story and character designs to work. The film can currently be viewed for free at its own website.
Character
Fictional history
In the year 20XX, robotics genius Dr. Thomas Light worked to create a humanoidHumanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
(though in some direct translations he is referred to as a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
). This robot would demonstrate an advanced artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
program that would allow it to make decisions for itself based on stimulus and basic directions. He called the robot project "Robot Master", because the resulting robot would be able to supervise the work of other, less intelligent machines.
Before Dr. Light ever constructed what would eventually become Mega Man, he first designed the Robot Master known as "Proto Man" ("Blues" in Japan), named because it was a prototype of his future creations. Proto Man had the ability to lead a small squad of other robots in military applications. However, before Dr. Light could begin testing the true potential of his AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, the robot went rogue, escaped, and was thought to have been destroyed.
Because of the disappearance of Proto Man, Light decided to create another robot. Dr. Light, fearing that the disappearance of Proto Man was because he didn't have a peer, created two other robots at around the same time to work as a pair. These robots were called "Rock" (ロック) (Mega in the Powered Up remake) and "Roll". Rock was created as Dr. Light's lab assistant. His purpose was a general-purpose tool user. Simply by studying how a tool was used, he could mimic its use using a Variable Tool System, thus making him the ideal lab assistant. His "sister" (though not actually a sister, but a robot partner), Roll, was designed for housekeeping.
With the success of these two test-type robots, Light designed and built six production-type robots, mainly to be used in the construction and maintenance of public works. These robots were Cut Man, a timber felling robot; Guts Man, a construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
and excavation robot; Ice Man, a robot designed for exploration
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
in extreme freezing temperatures; Bomb Man, a land reclamation robot; Fire Man, designed for waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
; and Elec Man, designed to oversee and control atomic energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
power plant
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
s. The enhanced remake Mega Man Powered Up has also retconned into existence Oil Man, designed for maintenance by generating oil for machinery and firing it through his arm cannon, and Time Man, designed to research time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
with his ability to slow down time, though was incomplete. Each of these robots had full use of the Robot Master's intelligence and reasoning potential. However, little did Dr. Light know that all of these robots including the missing Proto Man would later serve as the key to unlocking Rock's destiny.
Doctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
, a colleague at that time and future rival, grew jealous when his unique research, which he studied with Dr. Light, was utterly overshadowed by his partner. He stumbled upon Proto Man one day, who was dying when his energy system was malfunctioning. He repaired him, using his specifications to create the police robot, Sniper Joe. He discovered while analyzing Proto Man that he had found a way to reprogram Light's robots. He decided that he could use these new robots to exact revenge. When Dr. Wily arrived at Dr. Light's laboratory, he failed to realize Rock and Roll's potential, claiming that helper robots are as good as scrap metal to him. He took and reprogrammed the six (eight in Mega Man Powered Up) construction robots so they were misled and forced under his rule. With his new followers, Wily constructed many more robots to use for destructive purposes with the aim of world domination, and seized control of the city demanding recognition. This string of events set in motion what would later become the purpose for Mega Man's existence.
Realizing that it would be very difficult for the armies to stop Wily without harming the city, Dr. Light knew something had to be done. Due to his programmed sense of right and wrong, Rock volunteered to be converted from his current state as a lab assistant into a fighting robot. Thus, from that day forth, he became known as "Mega Man" (Rockman in Japan).
From that day forward Mega Man volunteered himself for action against crime and serving to support and protect humankind's existence and coexistence with robots within society.
Mega Man along with help from his friends, thwarted the evil plans of Dr. Wily and other such villains numerous times, while saving lives and inspiring justice in the hearts of others.
Throughout his many adventures, Mega Man has encountered several enemies that have appeared to be too powerful for him to overcome on his own, yet in typical heroic fashion, Mega Man's pure intentions and strong will tend to be the determining factor in his steadfast battle for everlasting peace.
Constantly being tested and rivaled, most notably by his estranged "brother," Proto Man (aka Blues), Mega Man fought not for personal glory, unlike his adversaries, as exemplified during the 1st Annual Robot Tournament, held to determine which robot was truly the strongest. Mega Man didn't enter the tournament because he was a pacifist. However, in an attempt to bring Dr. Wily's crimes to an ultimate end, Mega Man considered killing him, but was quickly reminded by Wily that robots can't harm humans
Three Laws of Robotics
The Three Laws of Robotics are a set of rules devised by the science fiction author Isaac Asimov and later added to. The rules are introduced in his 1942 short story "Runaround", although they were foreshadowed in a few earlier stories...
. Mega Man refuted this argument stating that he was more than a robot, suggesting that he was independent from his programming. Nevertheless, Mega Man didn't go through with this action, but only due to Wily's escape.
Reception
Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
listed Mega Man as their fourth favourite hero, citing his ability to steal weapons from downed Robot Masters. GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Mega Man as the best robot in video games, stating that no other video game robot has achieved similar success. They added that he's also an inspiration to gamers and one of the best video game characters of all time. UGO Networks listed Mega Man as one of their best heroes of all time, and called him "one of the most iconic video game heroes of all time".