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First time playing a Mega Man game? It's definitely an archetypal platform action game, so you better learn the series well!

Like most NES games, there are minimal instructions in this game, so you'll be plopped right into making decisions and action before you know what's happening.

First of all, know that the game is open ended, but linear. You can choose to progress through the levels and bosses in any order, but in the end you'll have to defeat them all and then some.

[edit] Names

The Japanese version of the game is titled "Rockman;" notice how the boss names are similar in syntax: Gutsman, Cutman, etc. However, the English version, Mega Man, and all of the rest of the English games in the series denote the robot master names with a space between the name and the "Man" part. Thus, Guts Man and Gutsman are both acceptable spellings for the same character. Sadly, Rock Man and Mega Man don't work in this same way; however Capcom's site denotes Mega Man in their title bar.

[edit] Level Description

The first six stages (Robot Masters) can be attacked in any order.

• Cut Man
• Guts Man
• Ice Man
• Bomb Man
• Fire Man
• Elec Man

After defeating the first six Robot Masters, you can select to attack Dr. Wily. Dr. Wily's stage has four parts. You do NOT get weapon energy recharges after beating one of the following stages.

1. Dr. Wily Part 1 - The front gates to Wily's castle are guarded by Big Eyes (large, jumping enemies) and the flying platforms from Iceman's stage. Later on you need the Magnet Beam to progress. At the end is Yellow Devil, who disassembles himself into chunks that fly at Mega Man.
2. Dr. Wily Part 2 - The roof of Wily's castle, where lots of precarious platform jumping takes place. Cutman and Elecman also make a repeat appearance. At the end is the Clone Machine, which creates a Copy Robot that can use any of Mega Man's weapons.
3. Dr. Wily Part 3 - The plumbing of Wily's castle, this is a very short level. Near the end Mega Man gets flushed down a long pipe under intense water pressure. After all that is CWU-01P, a robot encased in a large bubble that rotates around the room and is difficult to dodge. The Super Arm works well on them, but you have only four blocks, and seven incarnations of CWU-01P to dispatch.
4. Dr. Wily Part 4 - The depths of Wily's castle. This is another short level, but a lot takes place here. You have to fight Bombman, Fireman, Iceman, and Gutsman, one after the other. Then you have to defeat two forms of the Wily Machine. Don't miss the Yashichi, which refills all weapon and player energy to maximum before the quadruple-Robot Master steel-cage matchup.

[edit] Extended Story/Plot

Brilliant scientist Dr. Wright (Dr. Light) develops six human-like robots with unique abilities to perform specific everyday duties. Dr. Wright, along with his assistant Dr. Wily (who was not his assistant in the PSP version, and thus not involved in the creation of Dr. Light's robots), develop their very first near-human robot named Rock (Mega). The other six robots were programmed to perform prescribed rituals:

• Cutman: Designed to function as a lumberjack. Powerful saw-toothed scissor-like instrument protrudes from head, capable of gnawing through giant forest timbers.
• Gutsman: A bulldozing character capable of lifting and transporting huge boulders.
• Iceman: Impervious to chilling sub-zero temperatures, capable of human-like performances under extreme climatic conditions.
• Bombman: A real "blaster" as a heavy duty laborer who uses intensely powerful explosions to clear lands for Dr. Wright's construction projects.
• Fireman: Melts and molds metals with flame throwing torch from atop his head.
• Elecman: Dr. Wright's electrifying creation. Planned for conducting electrical operations, even supervising nuclear power plants.

Roll was also created, but the story in the instruction manual does not acknowledge her, and she only appears in the ending of the game.

But, with the exception of Rock, all of Dr. Wrights robots were re-programmed by Dr. Wright's assistant, Dr. Wily, who turned disloyal. Dr. Wily is now able to control the world and its resources completely unless something is done.

Rock volunteers to be converted into a fighting robot. He is now known as Mega Man, has a Mega Buster weapon, has the ability to take weapons from other robots and is ready to destroy six Robot Masters and Dr. Wily.

Over the course of the game, Mega Man will fight the six Robot Masters in their own habitat, in an order of his choosing. After this, he can attack Dr. Wily, who has a four-part stage.