Mega Man 10
Encyclopedia
Mega Man 10, known in Japan as , is a video game 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...

 and Inti Creates
Inti Creates
is a Japanese video game development company formed by ex-Capcom staff in May 1996, best known for the creation of the Mega Man Zero series and Mega Man ZX series...

. 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
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...

, PlayStation Network (PSN), and Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...

 (XBLA) during March 2010.

Mega Man 10 takes place in the 21st century, in which a disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...

 called "Roboenza" begins infecting and disabling 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...

s, hampering daily life for humans. The disease eventually causes many of the robots to malfunction and attempt to take over the world. The evil scientist 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...

 seeks help from the hero Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
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...

. Wily states that a machine he devised, capable of finding a cure for the illness, is stolen by an infected robot. Mega Man decides to retrieve the machine; his brother and ally, Proto Man, decides to join him. Mega Man 10 is a traditional 2D
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...

 side-scrolling
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...

 game with action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...

 and platforming
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...

 elements. Taking control of either Mega Man or Proto Man, the player must clear a set of eight stages. Destroying each stage's "Robot Master" boss adds its special weapon to the player's arsenal. Downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...

, including extra stages and Bass as a third playable character, has been made available.

Mega Man 10 is a direct follow-up to 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...

, which was released on the same three gaming services in 2008. Mega Man 9 was developed to resemble the original 8-bit
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...

 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...

 (NES) entries in the Mega Man franchise. The positive response from fans and critics prompted Capcom to continue this same style in Mega Man 10. The tenth installment has also enjoyed a very favorable reception.

Plot

Mega Man 10 takes place during the 21st century
21st century
The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. The years from 2001 to 2010 are historical; the years from 2011 to 2100 are subject to futurology and...

 ("20XX") and continues the adventures of the android hero Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
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...

. An illness
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...

 known as "Roboenza" suddenly begins infecting robots all over the world, causing them to malfunction and hamper human life. Mega Man's sister Roll becomes one of the disease's victims. A month following the outbreak, many of the infected robots go berserk and attempt to take over the world. The villain 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...

 comes to Mega Man and Dr. Light, claiming that he was building a machine making medicine to cure the disease before one of the infected robots stole it. Mega Man decides to help retrieve the machine and soon runs into his brother Proto Man, who quickly joins him. Meanwhile, Mega Man's rival Bass sets out on his own to challenge these new robots. Mega Man halfway finishes his journey when Dr. Wily completes a prototype antidote, which is given to Roll.

After all eight "Robot Masters"—Sheep Man, Commando Man, Blade Man, Strike Man, Solar Man, Chill Man, Nitro Man, and Pump Man—are defeated, Mega Man himself appears to have contracted Roboenza. The situation worsens once Dr. Wily appears on television and reveals that he created the virus, and only developed a cure so he could bribe all the infected robots into coming to work for him. Roll gives Mega Man his medicine, saying she had saved it in case "a really sick robot was brought in." Mega Man reluctantly takes Roll's dose so that he can go defeat Wily and bring back enough medicine for everyone else. During the raid on Wily's fortress, Proto Man comes down with Roboenza as well, only to be saved by Mega Man, who acquired an extra sample of the cure. A similar incident happens to Bass, the difference being that it is his robotic wolf Treble, who provides him with the cure. After chasing Wily out of his new fortress into his base in outer space, the heroes defeat him once again, only to discover Wily has become dangerously sick himself. He is taken to the hospital, where he escapes a few days later. Perhaps out of debt to having his life saved, Wily leaves behind enough of the cure to restore the infected robots.

Gameplay

Mega Man 10 is an action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...

-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...

 like the games that came before it. The player is initially tasked with completing an octet of stages from a select screen. Each of these 2D
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...

 side-scrolling
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...

 stages contains obstacles and traps to overcome and enemies to shoot. Various power-ups such as health and weapon ammunition can also be found or picked up from defeated enemies. The end of the stage presents a boss battle with a Robot Master. Victory over the boss will earn the player its special weapon, which can be used throughout the remainder of the game. An in-game shop allows the player to use screw
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...

s picked up in the stages to buy extra lives
1-up
1-up , pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra life, to complete the game. In certain games, it is possible to receive multiple extra lives at once...

, energy tanks for refilling health and weapon power, and other useful items. At the start of Mega Man 10, the player is able to choose and play through the game as either Mega Man or Proto Man. Though the two characters play similarly, there are some fundamental differences. For example, unlike Mega Man, Proto Man is able to charge up his arm cannon for more powerful attacks, slide along the ground, and block small enemy shots with his shield. However, Proto Man takes twice the damage that Mega Man does, is knocked back twice as far when hit, and can only have two shots onscreen at a time versus Mega Man's three. Both characters have optional support abilities. Mega Man can call on his dog Rush to reach high platforms or traverse long distances in the air. Proto Man has the same capabilities in two generic support items.

Mega Man 10 includes several difficulty
Difficulty level
In general usage, difficulty level refers to the relative difficulty of completing a task or objective.In computer and video games, the term specifically delineates the ease or difficulty with which an average user may complete a game or a part of a game. Arcade games as well as many early console...

 modes, which alters level layouts, enemy AI, and damage done to the player character. The game also includes a challenge mode where players can practice their skills in 88 mini-stages, which typically require the player to reach a goal or defeat an enemy. In April 2010, Capcom made downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...

 for Mega Man 10 available for purchase. This content includes a third playable character, three "Special Stages", and an endless
Eternity
While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existence for a limitless amount of time, many have used it to refer to a timeless existence altogether outside time. By contrast, infinite temporal existence is then called sempiternity. Something eternal exists outside time; by contrast,...

 stage. Like Mega Man and Proto Man, the third protagonist, Bass, has unique abilities. He has a rapid-fire arm cannon that can fire in seven directions, but each shot does half the damage of one of Mega Man's shots, his shots cannot pass through walls, and he cannot move while shooting. He also has a dash maneuver for longer jumps and the ability to summon his wolf Treble to allow him to fly, provide him with power-ups, and save him from bottomless pits. The three Special Stages are based on levels in the 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...

 Mega Man entries and have bosses named "Mega Man Killers" from three of those games: Enker from Mega Man in Dr. Wily's Revenge
Mega Man in Dr. Wily's Revenge
Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge, known as in Japan, is a platforming 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 first released in Japan on July 26, 1991 and was localized in North America that December and in Europe...

, Punk from Mega Man III
Mega Man III (Game Boy)
Mega Man III, known as in Japan, is a video game developed 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 titular character Mega Man as he fights the evil Dr. Wily, whose latest attempt to conquer the world involves...

, and Ballade from Mega Man IV
Mega Man IV (Game Boy)
Mega Man IV, known as in Japan, is a video game developed 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 a neverending struggle with his long time arch nemesis Dr...

. Only Mega Man is able to acquire their special weapons and use them in the main game.

Development

Mega Man 10 was co-developed by Inti Creates
Inti Creates
is a Japanese video game development company formed by ex-Capcom staff in May 1996, best known for the creation of the Mega Man Zero series and Mega Man ZX series...

 and 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...

, who had also collaborated on the downloadable console game 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...

in 2008. Both games share "retro
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...

" 8-bit
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...

 graphics and sound, resembling the first six games in the original Mega Man series for the NES
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...

. Producer 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...

, who was involved with nearly the entire franchise, stated that choosing such a "retro
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...

" style for Mega Man 9 was a huge, overwhelming success for the developers. The team decided that for the tenth installment, they should listen to both old-school gamers and former Mega Man players who have not recently played video games. The only challenge with creating the game, Inafune explained, was to meet the ever-increasing expectations that come with yet another installment.

The game's music was composed by Ippo Yamada
Ippo Yamada
Ippo Yamada is the alias of a video game music composer and producer. He has contributed music to such titles as Mega Man Zero , Mega Man ZX , and Mega Man 9...

, Ryo Kawakami, Hiroki Isogai, Yu Shimoda, Manami Matsumae
Manami Matsumae
is a freelance composer of video game music. She used to work for Capcom's Alph Lyla group. In addition to the games with that group, her individual contributions include composition for Magic Sword, Mercs, Dynasty Wars, and sound programming for the original Mega Man. She got married to a...

, Bun Bun
Bun Bun
Bun Bun is a video game composer and sound designer best known for his work with Capcom. His real name is .During the NES era, he worked on the music for Mega Man 3 , Tenchi wo Kurau II, The Little Mermaid, and Darkwing Duck for Capcom...

, Minae Fujii, Mari Yamaguchi, Yuko Takehara, Makoto Tomozawa, Akari Kaida
Akari Kaida
is a video game music composer. She has composed musical scores for Capcom games including Resident Evil, Dino Crisis and Ōkami...

 and Shusaku Uchiyama. Two official soundtrack albums were released. Rockman 10 Original Soundtrack is the first of two albums to be made. It was released March 24, 2010 by Inti Creates
Inti Creates
is a Japanese video game development company formed by ex-Capcom staff in May 1996, best known for the creation of the Mega Man Zero series and Mega Man ZX series...

. The album contains the music from the original game itself. The second is Rockman 10 Image Soundtrack, which contains remixes of the songs from the game. The 2nd album was released on April 30, 2010.

Rockman 10 Original Soundtrack
Rockman 10 Image Soundtrack

Reception

Christian Svensson, Capcom's Senior Vice President of strategic planning and business development, stated that the company was pleased with the sales of Mega Man 10. The game has received positive reviews, with aggregate Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

 percentages of 81, 79, and 78 on WiiWare, XBLA, and PSN respectively. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 gave the game a score of 8.5, praising its gameplay and its challenge mode, although expressed disappointment in its length, citing other games in the series with two ending castles. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....

gave the game a B grade, calling it fun but saying that it fails to capitalize its predecessor in a meaningful way because of similar gameplay, uninspiring level design and music from previous games in the series.
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