Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Encyclopedia
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. Both games were ported to home consoles in North America
in 2004 as part of the Mega Man Anniversary Collection
for PlayStation 2
, Xbox
, and GameCube
and in Japan during the same year as part of two game compilation titled , also for the PlayStation 2. An adaptation of both games for the Neo Geo Pocket Color
, titled , was also made.
once the player beats the game. However, in The Power Fighters, the epilogues are more detailed and have more to do with past and future Mega Man games, providing vague explanations regarding characters and canon
, most notably the Evil Energy incident from Mega Man 8
and how Dr. Wily created Zero
from the Mega Man X series.
, Proto Man, Bass and Duo, with Duo being a new addition to the cast. The four characters feature different attributes and abilities. When playing 2-Player, only one of the players can get the Robot Master's weapon.
As in The Power Battle there are three "stories" to choose from after; finding Dr. Wily, saving Roll, and recovering the stolen parts. All stories have different Robot Masters to fight, and halfway through it the player is given a different power-up
. Unlike the previous game, The Power Fighters lets the player choose freely between Robot Master stages, and is given some hints on what the Robot Masters weaknesses are. Each of the characters can perform a special attack, which is executed by releasing a full buster charge while holding the joystick up. Megaman's special move, the "Mega Upper," is simply a jumping uppercut (like the Shoryuken); Protoman's special move, the "Proto Strike," allows him to shoot a massive, short-ranged burst of energy; Bass' special move, the "Crescent Kick," (Which is like the Flash Kick, another Street Fighter
ability), lets him perform a somersaulting kick; Duo's special move, the "Giant Knuckle," is a standing uppercut that flings the enemy upwards (if the attack button is pressed again after the uppercut, Duo will jump up and slam the enemy down to the ground).
As the player damages the Robot Masters, various energy pellets pop out from them. Some of these are just for points, but others will restore health, weapon energy, or both. When the robot master is defeated, a multitude of these pellets are released, as well as a capsule containing the boss's special weapon. During a two-player game, only the player who picks up the capsule will get the special weapon (similar to those seen in Mega Man 8). One of the items that can appear during battle will summon a robot helper. Mega Man summons Rush, who will do a dash attack towards the enemy when Mega Man fires a charged shot, and can be bounced from using the Rush Coil. Bass summons Treble, who will fire plasma shots each time Bass fires his buster, and perform a dash attack similar to Rush's when Bass fires a charged shot. Protoman and Duo both summon Beat, who will give them an energy shield that makes them completely invincible for a short time. These summoning abilities will last until their energy runs out, and they cannot be cancelled. While a helper or their effect is active, special weapons cannot be used. Lastly, each Robot Master now has an Overdrive mode; after a Robot Master loses half or more of their health, the screen will go dark, they will flash, and their attack patterns will change. Some Robot Masters will gain new moves, some will gain new weapons, and others will simply become much harder to hit.
on September 21, 1996 in Japan only. The soundtrack contains pieces arrange from previous Mega Man games written by Yuki Iwai, Yuko Kadota, Syun Nishigaki, Setsuo Yamamoto, Hideki Okugawa, Masato Koda, and Tatsuro Suzuki. They were performed by Hekiru Shīna, Jin Yamanoi, Koji Tobe, Takashi Nagasako, and Takko Ishinori.
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...
video game, released in 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...
in 1996 as a 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...
in the Mega Man series of games. It is the direct sequel to 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...
released the previous year. Both games were ported to home consoles 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 2004 as part of the Mega Man Anniversary Collection
Mega Man Anniversary Collection
Mega Man Anniversary Collection a compilation of video games developed by Atomic Planet Entertainment and published by Capcom. It was released exclusively in North America on June 23, 2004 for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2 and on March 15, 2005 for the Microsoft Xbox...
for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
and in Japan during the same year as part of two game compilation titled , also for the PlayStation 2. An adaptation of both games for the Neo Geo Pocket Color
Neo Geo Pocket Color
The Neo Geo Pocket Color , is a 16-bit colour handheld game console by SNK. It was the last console they produced in the Neo Geo family...
, titled , was also made.
Plot
Like The Power Battle, each character has an epilogueEpilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
once the player beats the game. However, in The Power Fighters, the epilogues are more detailed and have more to do with past and future Mega Man games, providing vague explanations regarding characters and canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, most notably the Evil Energy incident from Mega Man 8
Mega Man 8
Mega Man 8, known as in Japan, is a video game released by Capcom. It is the eighth installment in original Mega Man series, and was originally released in Japan on the PlayStation on December 17, 1996. The following year, Mega Man 8 saw a release on the Sega Saturn and was localized for both...
and how Dr. Wily created Zero
Zero (Mega Man)
is a video game character present throughout the Mega Man franchise. First appearing in the 1993 game Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo, Zero has since been the star of the Mega Man Zero series and has played a supporting role in other game series such as the Mega Man ZX series.First developed by...
from the Mega Man X series.
Gameplay
The gameplay is roughly the same as in Mega Man: The Power Battle, as it keeps the controls, stages and weapon-copying. There are however several new additions. The playable characters are Mega ManMega 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...
, Proto Man, Bass and Duo, with Duo being a new addition to the cast. The four characters feature different attributes and abilities. When playing 2-Player, only one of the players can get the Robot Master's weapon.
As in The Power Battle there are three "stories" to choose from after; finding Dr. Wily, saving Roll, and recovering the stolen parts. All stories have different Robot Masters to fight, and halfway through it the player is given a different power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
. Unlike the previous game, The Power Fighters lets the player choose freely between Robot Master stages, and is given some hints on what the Robot Masters weaknesses are. Each of the characters can perform a special attack, which is executed by releasing a full buster charge while holding the joystick up. Megaman's special move, the "Mega Upper," is simply a jumping uppercut (like the Shoryuken); Protoman's special move, the "Proto Strike," allows him to shoot a massive, short-ranged burst of energy; Bass' special move, the "Crescent Kick," (Which is like the Flash Kick, another Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
ability), lets him perform a somersaulting kick; Duo's special move, the "Giant Knuckle," is a standing uppercut that flings the enemy upwards (if the attack button is pressed again after the uppercut, Duo will jump up and slam the enemy down to the ground).
As the player damages the Robot Masters, various energy pellets pop out from them. Some of these are just for points, but others will restore health, weapon energy, or both. When the robot master is defeated, a multitude of these pellets are released, as well as a capsule containing the boss's special weapon. During a two-player game, only the player who picks up the capsule will get the special weapon (similar to those seen in Mega Man 8). One of the items that can appear during battle will summon a robot helper. Mega Man summons Rush, who will do a dash attack towards the enemy when Mega Man fires a charged shot, and can be bounced from using the Rush Coil. Bass summons Treble, who will fire plasma shots each time Bass fires his buster, and perform a dash attack similar to Rush's when Bass fires a charged shot. Protoman and Duo both summon Beat, who will give them an energy shield that makes them completely invincible for a short time. These summoning abilities will last until their energy runs out, and they cannot be cancelled. While a helper or their effect is active, special weapons cannot be used. Lastly, each Robot Master now has an Overdrive mode; after a Robot Master loses half or more of their health, the screen will go dark, they will flash, and their attack patterns will change. Some Robot Masters will gain new moves, some will gain new weapons, and others will simply become much harder to hit.
Audio
Rockman 2: The Power Fighters was created by the Capcom Sound Team. It was released by Victor EntertainmentVictor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
on September 21, 1996 in Japan only. The soundtrack contains pieces arrange from previous Mega Man games written by Yuki Iwai, Yuko Kadota, Syun Nishigaki, Setsuo Yamamoto, Hideki Okugawa, Masato Koda, and Tatsuro Suzuki. They were performed by Hekiru Shīna, Jin Yamanoi, Koji Tobe, Takashi Nagasako, and Takko Ishinori.