As one of the most requested third-party characters, Mega Man joins the fray with a huge variety of Robot Master weaponry. As a fighter, Mega Man feels very different from any other character, with a lot of projectiles and few melee attacks. Obviously, this means Mega Man has incredible defensive power, able to pepper foes with a barrage of projectiles, but it also leaves Mega Man with fewer options when opponents get close. With some very unorthodox attacks in his moveset, Mega Man might feel weak at first. Once you get the hang of it, the Blue Bomber will function much like in his own games, weaving around and using his wide arsenal of weapons to cover any situation.
Mega Man has average dash speed on the ground and movement in the air, since he is focused more on projectile usage than mobility. Mega Man's sidesteps and rolls are decently quick, but their distance is quite average. Mega Man is around the center of the weight spectrum, being just slightly heavier than Mario. In this game, Mega Man borrows the wall jump technique from his successor, X, giving you another method of recovering when close to a wall.
Mega Man shoots up to three pellets from his Mega Buster, which fly in a straight line and hits enemies for minor damage and flinching. The damage and knockback is slightly higher at point blank range. This move is one of Mega Man's three Mega Buster moves, all of which involve firing his primary weapon. Mega Man can smoothly transition between these three moves anytime before firing the set of three pellets. Use this feature to remain mobile as you harass foes with chip damage. The standing version of the Mega Buster is usually not used very often, since it is the only version that requires you to remain stationary.
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Walking Mega Buster
Mega Man fires his Mega Buster while walking forward. As mentioned above, this move is a Mega Buster attack, and can transition into each of the other Mega Buster attacks as long as Mega Man hasn't fired all three shots. Unlike the other Mega Buster moves, there is no point blank sweetspot. This attack lets you close the distance between you and your opponents, which may force an action out of them that you can predict and try to cover. If you've marched right next to a foe, you can stop moving or jump to knock them away with the point blank sweetspot of the other Mega Buster moves, keeping you save from harm during the ending animation of the move.
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Mega Upper
Mega Man does an uppercut based on his appearance in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, launching opponents hit by it upward. The attack has an especially strong sweetspot if Mega Man hits a close foe at the very start of the move, which lets it function as a potent KO move. Enemies a bit further away take less, but still significant, knockback, which decreases slightly more in the air. The move sends Mega Man quite high in the air, and can actually be a decent anti-air attack if you're not saving it for KOs. Mega Man cannot act until he falls back to the ground, so you leave yourself very vulnerable if you miss. Save it after Metal Blade combos or if your opponent makes a crucial mistake.
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Slide
Mega Man slides across the ground, kicking enemies in the way. It is pretty fast, can knock foes away at close range, protect you from shield grabs since you slide past shielded opponents, and can be a decent substitute for a crawl since Mega Man does not have one. It can also be used as a punish for opponents at mid-range if you desire more power than your projectiles. This attack can also be used as an alternate movement option to dashing, and it is certainly faster for short distances.
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Top Spin
Mega Man spins around rapidly, sucking up opponents in his way and dealing multiple hits. It is a decent Dash Attack that can trap foes, rack up damage, drag them away from their current positions, and moves Mega Man forward faster than just dashing. It does have slight s
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Mega Man does a sweep kick as he climbs up.
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Smash Attacks
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
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Charged Shot
Mega Man charges up his Mega Buster to fire a burst of energy. Charging up the attack increases its range and size. It is a projectile, which means it can be reflected. One of Mega Man's KO moves, its range is very helpful for getting KOs without being in the fray. If you're relying on other moves to nab KOs, you can also use this move as a punish tool, simply to hit opponents at mid-range hard. It has noticeable startup and recovery lag, making it less suitable at close range.
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Spark Shock
Mega Man holds up his hands, which turn into metal rods that discharge a ball of electricity above him. The electric orb is multi-hit and can KO, although not as well as Mega Man's other KO moves. It can be a good anti-air due to its duration, multiple hits and slightly disjointed hitbox, and serves as a decent launcher as well. Note that some characters can evade the move simply by crouching close to the ground. Like all of Mega Man's smash attacks, the move leaves you slightly open to attacks, and can easily be punished if you attempt to spam it.
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Flame Blast
Mega Man thrusts both hands at the ground and creates two flame pillars on either side of him. This is one of Mega Man's best KO moves, nearly tied with his sweetspotted Strong Up Attack in terms of power. However, all of that KO potential is only available at the very start of the move, as the knockback of the move gradually lessens. It is still strong enough to send overzealous opponents away, but the duration of the move prevents you from getting any follow-ups off of it. The move has pretty quick startup, but you're a sitting duck throughout the long duration of the move, so use it sparingly.
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Air Attacks
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
Air Mega Buster
Mega Man fires three pellets from his Mega Buster. As mentioned before, this attack makes up one of three Mega Buster moves that Mega Man can freely transition between as long as the set of three pellets have not finished firing. Notably, this is the only Mega Buster move that you can use while retreating, and its point blank sweetspot is fairly strong. This is the best Mega Buster move to spam with, since you can use your aerial movement to control your distance from your foes.
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Flame Sword
Mega Man swings the Flame Sword downward. The move is slightly stronger at the tip of the sword, and deals less damage if you hit opponents near the end of the attack. This move is a great aerial tool, as it has great range and reach, letting Mega Man rack up damage at mid-close range. It suffers from weak knockback, which can sometimes get you punished due to the lack of hitstun, but this also means it can still combo fairly well at higher percentages.
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Slash Claw
Mega Man slashes three times behind him, with the final hit launching opponents sideways. Another awesome close range move, this attack has around the same reach as the Flame Sword, but lacks its wide arc for better knockback. This makes it a better alternative for spacing against your opponents, a reliable move to knock any enemy too close for comfort away. At high percentages, it can even KO if it isn't knockback staled from repeated use. Mega Man can combo it at the edge after using the Mega Buster as a quick way to end foes. See this video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=IB_Sy5C8B3Y
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Air Shooter
Mega Man shoots a small twister into the sky, which traps any enemies in its path as it hits them multiple times. The move will not cause your foes to flinch if they are hit after the tornado has travelled some distance, but it will still drag your target up. It is a projectile, so it can be reflected. This move is a pretty strong juggling tool that can keep your opponents in the sky if you're accurate enough. You have enough time to launch a new Air Shooter by the time they are freed, although this gives them the chance to airdodge past the projectile. Nevertheless, it is usually worthwhile to set up Up Air chains due to the damage they can potentially inflict. It can even act as a KO move due to how high it drags your opponents up.
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Hard Knuckle
Mega Man fires a projectile fist downward, with the projectile having the potential to meteor smash. The attack has considerable startup, ending and landing lag which will leave you very open to attacks if you use it too often onstage. This slow attack is best used for edgeguarding, possibly netting you an early KO if your aim is right. The fist is a rather strong meteor smash, and it is harder for foes to hit you out of your attack while recovering. Even if you don't land the meteor smash, it is still possible that the move might knock them away from the stage.
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Throws
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
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after grab
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Super Arm Squeeze
Mega Man squeezes the grabbed opponent. It has average speed and damage for a pummel.
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Super Arm Throw
Mega Man throws the held foe forward. It is a standard sideways throw and plays the same role, to get some distance from your enemies or get them offstage to edgeguard. This is especially important as Mega Man always likes to have some breathing room to throw out projectiles.
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Super Arm Toss
Mega Man throws the held opponent behind him. It's pretty similar to Forward Throw except being a tad stronger. Use it for the same purposes, whether to keep foes out or get them offstage.
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Super Arm Fling
Mega Man flings the held opponent upward. Another normal throw, this one sends foes a bit too high to combo, but it does let you start throwing out Up Air Attacks for pressure or damage. For purposes of repositioning an opponent, a sideways throw is better, as vertical distance can be closed more easily than horizontal distance.
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Super Arm Dunk
Mega Man slams the held opponent into the ground, bouncing them back up. The throw sends your target at a slightly diagonal angle, and has low enough knockback for you to follow up at low percentages. Even at higher percentages, it still leaves your opponent close enough to the ground that you can try to predict and punish their counterattacks or dodges.
Mega Man throws a circular saw in one of eight directions, doing multiple hits and low knockback to opponents it hits. Mega Man can even throw it at the ground and pick it up as a projectile, which deals more damage than if you simply throw it. However, take note that anyone can pick up the Metal Blade and throw it back at you. This is a decent projectile among Mega Man's array of weapons, and its main draw is its multiple directions. This lets you cover a variety of angles, useful to hit foes approaching at odd angles or for air to ground harassment. Note that if your Metal Blade is held, even if by an enemy, you will be unable to throw another one.
The Metal Blade can be useful at certain scenarios. During edge-guarding, Mega Man can drop the blade and follow up with a Hard Knuckle. In addition, Mega Man can throw it diagonally down at an opponent and follow up with Flame Blast, Spark Shock, Mega Upper, or his grab. He can even use it along with the Mega Buster to trap his opponents if they do not roll away! See this video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Vpn2-NQdPeA?t=36s
Hyper Bomb
Mega Man throws an arcing bomb in one of eight directions, which detonates when it hits terrain or an enemy. It has slightly longer startup delay than Metal Blade. Although it is more powerful, the arcs make it usually impractical. Each of the eight directions throw the bomb in a slightly different arc, so learning these trajectories will help you land Hyper Bombs more often. By jumping and throwing it downward, you can catch the bomb as you fall and throw it as an item. Like the Metal Blade, this is practical for edge-guarding.
Shadow Blade
Mega Man can toss a four-sided star in four directions that travels a set distance before moving back the direction it was sent. The Shadow Blade can not be picked up, so while you can not store it for later, you don't have to worry about foes tossing it back at you. Shadow Blade has a reduced range compared to Metal Blade, but it is a stronger projectile at mid-range, since the boomeranging trajectory of the blade can trap opponents, letting you set up combos or nab dodging foes. The Shadow Blade will knock foes toward you when returning, which lets you get an easy hit in, one that may potentially KO.
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Crash Bomber
Mega Man fires a flashing bomb which attaches to any walls or opponents. After a short while, the Crash Bomber will explode, doing multiple hits to the character it is attached to and any nearby players, including the user. The final hit knocks opponents diagonally upward. The trajectory of the projectile is a straightforward horizontal line, so you shouldn't have trouble aiming with it. However, Crash Bomber can then be transferred between characters whenever two players bump into each other and can hit you when you try to punish the foe, so be careful, especially with fast characters like Sonic. Once the bomb attaches to the foe, pressure the foe with the Mega Buster and Charge Shot, or play it safe by staying away.
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Ice Slasher
Mega Man shoots an icy projectile that pierces through players and freezes them, but doing less damage than the Crash Bomber. Frozen enemies can usually mash out of their disabled state pretty quickly, so it's a bit difficult to follow up on a successful hit. At higher percentages, the freeze sends foes really high up, which can let you set up Up Air chains or attempt to hit them with an upward KO move. The piercing nature of Ice Slasher makes it better in matches with multiple opponents, since you get to spread damage from one projectile across multiple foes. It can also pierce through items and stage features that might block normal projectiles, making it useful in those situations as well.
Danger Wrap
Mega Man fires an explosive contained in a bubble, which will float upward and explode when it hits an enemy. The total damage of the move is more than Crash Bomber and it is certainly more reliable at inflicting damage when it hits, but the vertical trajectory of the Danger Wrap limits its use. It is best used to hit foes recovering high, or used in conjunction with Up Air to harass and annoy airborne opponents trying to land. If you manage to hit someone high up with Danger Wrap, its upward knockback can be enough to KO.
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Rush Coil
Mega Man summons his faithful robot dog Rush, who bounces Mega Man high up. Any character can also use Rush themselves before it teleports out. Like many other Up Special moves, this one is used for recovery, and a rather straightforward one at that. It does no damage, so you are vulnerable to attacks while you ascend, but it sends you up high enough to let you make it back from offscreen in most situations. However, you can still do airdodges, double jump or attack after using the move, so you can keep yourself safe as you return back to the ground.
Outside of recoveries, it can also be used to escape weak hitstun or to launch you out of reach of your enemies on stage, making this a great way to escape combos. Mega Man can even launch himself up in the air to make Air Shooter more accurate. Advanced players can use Rush to create early KOs, but be sure to air dodge. See this video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=2DnhTHYAQ4k
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Tornado Hold
Mega Man drops a small plate that generates a tall tornado, blowing Mega Man slowly upward. Opponents caught in the tornado will also be dragged upward while being hit multiple times. This move is a lot slower than Rush Coil, but its does have an attacking component to protect Mega Man against edgeguarders. It still doesn't leave Mega Man helpless after the move's completion, so it can also be used to launch foes upward onstage along with yourself, letting you follow-up with an aerial attack. The tornado generator will fall when used in midair, so you may also use it to do extra damage to recovering foes. Even with the tornado protecting you, you are still vulnerable to attacks due to the slowness of your ascent, so be more tactical with when you use it.
Beat
Mega Man grabs on to his robot bird partner Beat, which carries him upward at a moderately slow speed. This recovery move does not hit enemies and lets Mega Man jump and attack after it ends, but it is slower than Rush Coil. The main advantage of using Beat is better control and horizontal distance, which can be more important when facing certain characters compared to the straight, speedy ascent of Rush Coil. The added maneuverability lets you close some distance from the stage and evade edgeguarders as you fly toward the ledge.
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Leaf Shield
Mega Man creates a ring of four leaves that circle around him, canceling projectiles and doing damage to nearby foes. A leaf is used up whenever it blocks a projectile or hits an enemy. Pressing either attack button while the shield is active will make Mega Man send the shield forward, hurting opponents in its way. Overall, this is a poor special move because it is slow in startup and throwing, short, limits offensive capabilities, can prevent effective recoveries, and isn't good at protecting yourself. Overall, switch it off with the Plant Barrier if possible.
There are a few situations the move is good for. Since you can still grab while the shield is active, you can use the leaves to do extra damage on a grabbed foe, although this tactic is very predictable. The best use for Leaf Shield is edge-guarding by dragging recovering foes down with the leaves, but you must recover immediately after the move ends to avoid getting KO'd yourself.
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Skull Barrier
Mega Man creates a ring of four ghostly skulls that do no damage while they orbit around Mega Man. They push nearby opponents away slightly and doesn't travel as far when thrown. However, the main selling point is the reflector. While it still disables most offensive capabilities, a timely reflect could create an opening for you to turn the tide of battle, and the Skull Barrier's moderately long duration gives some more leniency for timing it against projectiles.
Plant Barrier
Mega Man creates a circle of four petals that pulsates as they orbit around Mega Man. The petals do more damage and do not disappear after hitting a foe, but the whole move lasts shorter. This move is potentially a better substitute for Leaf Shield, as it has boosted offensive and defensive capabilities at the cost of duration, which can actually be detrimental for the Leaf Shield. All of the extra uses stated for Leaf Shield can also be applied for Petal Barrier users, and they are more effective due to their higher damage. You are also less likely to self-destruct if you used the move by mistake offstage due to the reduced duration.
Taunts
Control
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
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Mega Man holds up his Mega Buster and strikes a pose.
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Mega Man turns his back to the camera and strikes a pose.
Mega Man fires a Black Hole Bomb which travels moderately slowly across the screen. If a player gets too close to the projectile or once it travels its full range, the bomb triggers and sucks in nearby enemies into a dark vortex. Opponents trapped by the black hole will enter a cinematic cutscene, where Mega Man teams up with his counterparts Mega Man X, Mega Man.exe, Mega Man Volnutt, and Geo Stelar to fire their beams on the caught foes, sending the target flying sideways. This is a trapping Final Smash and requires at least one foe to be caught by the Black Hole Bomb to succeed. The initiation projectile travels pretty far and has a decent trigger radius, making this one of the easier Final Smashes to land. However, its power is also slightly lower than average, only starting to KO reliably at around 70%.
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