Mega Man 5/Wave Man

Wave Man's stage presents you with some interesting challenges, but it's nothing you can't handle. I recommend going in with Charge Kick, but the stage is certainly beatable with just the Mega Buster.

In the first section, you're dealing with broken pipes that vent steam. Dodge this, it's as harmful as any enemy. You can also use Charge Kick (if you have it) to slide through the steam without taking damage. Girees will roll towards you and can be difficult to jump over if you're not quick and precise. Try to get past them as soon as they spawn.

About halfway through the stage, you'll encounter a scenario of bubbles being propelled upward, big and small. The big ones don't pop, and you can safely stand on them, but the little ones will pop after about a second of you standing on them. To successfully reach the next area, you need to jump back and forth between the two big bubbles, using the small ones at platforms. It sounds tricky, and it is. Just stick it out, and it's not too tough.

For the final third of the stage, you're forced to pilot a waverunner-like contraption. Keep in mind you can't charge your shot while on the waverunner. There are three types of enemies in this section. You can either shoot the buoys or jump over them, whatever seems to work best for you. On the other hand, you should definitely try to avoid the dolphins. You'll take a lot more damage trying to shoot them than if you dodge them. Try to accelerate forward while they're above you so they just pass you by. They only take one hit though, so shoot them if they're about to jump into you and it's too late to dodge. Unlike the others, Rider Joes will come at you from behind, but all you have to do is jump backwards as they ride forward and quickly shoot them in the back.

You'll encounter a mini-boss in this area who surfaces and sinks, and fires at you when he surfaces. Dodge his shots, and shoot the green spot in his forehead. Make sure not to jump too early or he'll shoot you out of the air. He's pretty easy to beat if you focus on playing it safe; he can't take many hits by mini-boss standards.

After that, it's just another round of buoys, dolphins, and Rider Joes. The Beat Letter will show up in this section. It's floating above you in plain sight, but you may have a hard time getting it due to all the action on the screen. Just concentrate and don't let it pass by.

Wave Man fights in a pretty predictable pattern, and he's not too tough to bring down. His weapons include water from the floor made to gush up at you, jumping, and fired harpoons. Dodge all of this stuff and bring him down with the Charge Kick, if you have it. The secret to winning this fight is to be on your toes and focus on dodging whatever he throws your way. Only attack when you know you can do it safely.