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Remakes/Re-releases
Rockman Mega World (Japan): Mega-Drive
Mega Man: The Wily Wars (Europe): Mega-Drive
European Release Date: October 20, 1994
Japanese Release Date: October 21, 1994
Publisher: Capcom Co., Ltd.
Rockman (Rockman Complete Works): Sony PlayStation (Japan)
Release Date: August 5, 1999
Publisher: Capcom Co., Ltd.
Mega Man: Anniversary Collection: GameCube, PlayStation 2, XBox
GC and PS2 Release Date: June 22, 2004
XBox Release Date: March 15, 2005
Publisher: Capcom Co., Ltd.
Mega Man: Powered Up: Sony PlayStation Portable
Release Date: March 14, 2006
Publisher: Capcom Co., Ltd.
Overview
Mega Man was the first of many games released in a series of action/platforming titles by Capcom, Inc. and created by Keiji Inafune. This title was originally released in December of 1987 on the Famicom/NES and would be re-released on the PlayStation, GameCube, PS2, and XBox, and even remade on the PlayStation Portable.
The first title differs from later sequels in that it contains a point system, no way to save (no passwords or save feature), and only six Robot Masters (although Mega Man: Powered Up compensates for these shortcomings).
Backstory
To understand the story of Mega Man, one must look back at the events which occur before the game takes place, and to do so, once can look to sources such as Rockman Perfect Memories which have taken the time to document the information reported by Capcom over the years in regards to the series:
The story of the Mega Man universe begins in the mid-20th century with the birth of Thomas Light and Albert W. Wily (circa 1958). These men would become friends and attend the same university, studying the field of electronics and eventually receiving PhDs. By the 1990s, the two men would go into business together and form a company called Light Labs, a team whose ambition it was to use computer and electronic technology to benefit mankind in the coming era.
In the early 21st century, Light Labs made its first leaps in the field of robotics, creating the Sniper Joe police robots, Mettool construction robots, and various others to benefit mankind. Yet, Light and Wily both realized the potential of their project. They wanted to create robots that were human-like. They wanted to build robots that contained artificial intelligence within them.
Thus, around the year 2005, Light Labs produced the first one of such robots- Proto Man. Proto Man was based off of the design of the Sniper Joe robots, but was instilled with an artificial intelligence unlike anything the world had ever seen. Yet, Proto possessed a true sense of independence, one that made him much like true human beings, and because of this he ran from the lab before his diagnostic testing was completed.
Still, Light and Wily did not give up. The following year they set to work on building a pair of robots, thinking that two would work together and overcome the independence issue. It was thus that Rock and Roll were born. Rock became the lab's new assistant and Roll became a housekeeper. With the success of this project, the two scientists went on to create eight more robots, each for industrial assistance purposes: Fire Man, Ice Man, Bomb Man, Cut Man, Guts Man, Elec Man, Oil Man, and Time Man.
It was for the success of these projects that Dr. Thomas Light received the Nobel Prize for Robot Master Design in 2007, an award which Wily felt he deserved as well. [1]
Note: In the original version of the story, Doctors Light and Wily only built six robots in their industrial series, but Capcom modified the story with the release of Mega Man: Powered Up to contain two additional Robot Masters in order to make the game more in-line with its sequels.
Story
In December of 2008, Dr. Albert W. Wily had finally had enough of living in the shadow of his colleague, Thomas Light. Light's reception of the Nobel Prize the previous year, as well as his winning the LIT Manual Design Contest drove him over the edge. Wily realized the potential of what he and Dr. Light had been designing with the Light Labs team. Robots with true A.I. built for industrial purposes could be used for other means. It was to this line of thinking that Wily turned one night that month when he snuck down into the lab and reprogrammed all of the robots that he could get his hands on. However, he failed to get past the programming on Rock and his "sister," Roll. Still, Wily figured that in the end he wouldn't have much use for a lab assistant and a housekeeper, so he took his new army of industrial powerhouses and fled the lab.
When Light came in, he found his lab in shambles and soon discovered that his colleague was to blame. With Wily on the loose with an army of intelligent and powerful robots, Dr. Light knew that the world's police forces and armies weren't ready to deal with this new challenge.
It was thus that Rock, the lab assistant, volunteered to be converted into a fighting robot. Rock had a strong sense of justice and couldn't sit by and watch his "father's" work be destroyed before his very eyes. As such, Light reluctantly converted the former lab assistant into a robot of unimaginable potential. Equipped with titanium armor and a plasma cannon, Rock became known as the fighting robot Mega Man and set out for Wily's new fortress of Monsteropolis.
Would he be able to stop the evil madman from taking over the world?
Story from the NES Manual, (C) 1987 Capcom
It's MEGA MAN versus the powerful leaders and fighting forces of Monsteropolis -- that strange multi-faceted land of robot-like Humanoids. Brilliant scientist Dr. Wright conceived the construction of fully-operational human-like experimental robots to perform specific everyday duties. Dr. Wright, and his assistant Dr. Wily, encouraged with their very first near human robot -- MEGA MAN -- proceeded to develop six additional Humanoids, all programmed to perform prescribed rituals.
But, with the exception of MEGA MAN, all of Dr.Wright's near-human robot experimentation went awry. Assistant Dr. Wily turned disloyal, re-programming Dr. Wright's Humanoids, now bent on destroying opposition so Dr. Wily could control the world and its resources.
Resisting re-programming, MEGA MAN is chosen the defender of theuniverse and its inhabitants. MEGA MAN dares to single-handedly penetrate seven separate empires of Monsteropolis, eliminating the leaders and followers of these sovereignties.
Get ready for some very exciting challenges! [2]
Notes: In the NES version, Dr. Light is named Dr. Wright, but he is later renamed to Light. The time period is not stated for this game, but Mega Man 2, which takes place six months later, mentions the year of 200X (or sometime between 2000 and 2009). The dates are extrapolated from information from official sources, such as Capcom and Rockman Perfect Memories. [1]
Controls (NES)
- Mega Man will move to the left
- Mega Man will move to the right
- Mega Man will climb a ladder
- Mega Man will climb down a ladder
- Jump
- Shoot
- Opens the weapon sub-screen
- Pauses the game, also used for the Mega Man Select Trick
Major Characters
Dr. Thomas Light
Also Known As: Dr. Wright and Dr. Right
Born: Circa 1958
Died: Circa 2040
Strength: Light is a good-natured person.
Weakness: He is easily tricked.
Likes: The Internet.
Dislikes: Fighting/Violence.
Dr. Thomas Light was born circa-1958, and when he grew older he went off to school to study electronics and computer technology, a field which was beginning to really take off at the close of the twentieth century. It was in college that he met his friend and future colleague Albert Wily, and once the two graduated with their doctorate degrees, they went into research together, eventually forming what came to be known as Light Labs. Light Labs began to study computer and robotic technology in the 1990s, and by the early 2000s they released the first of a series of robotic creations on the world.
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Still, Dr. Light and his partner knew that much more was possible, and so over the next couple years they worked on what they called Proto Man, a modified version of the Sniper Joe police robot, but with a far more advanced artificial intelligence system. However, when Proto Man went awol in 2005, the two set their sights on developing a pair of robots named Rock and Roll, as well as a series of industrial robots to help mankind.
It was for this incredible research that Dr. Light received the 2007 Nobel Prize (for his creation of the Robot Masters). However, this caused much jealousy from his colleague, who felt that he should share in the triumph. Thus, that, shared with Light's winning of the LIT Manual Design Contest caused Wily to revolt in December of 2008.
Light would reluctantly convert his lab assistant, Rock, into the fighting robot that became known as Mega Man. Would this be the fate of his new creations? Would violence be the destiny of both human and robot kind? Light desired peace, but he knew that Rock had to stop Wily before it was too late. [3]
Dr. Albert W. Wily
Born: Circa 1958
Died: Circa 2040
Strength: Wily is a genius (especially as a scientist)
Weakness: He never gives up
Likes: Taking over the world
Dislikes: Admitting defeat
Albert W. Wily was born circa 1958 and would later attend the same university as Thomas Light. The two studied electrical systems together, and upon graduating would become colleagues and later found Light Labs by the 1990s. Wily was a brilliant partner to Dr. Light and the two work vigorously at the close to the twentieth century and into the early-2000s on a project to build robots that would help mankind. Early models, like the Sniper Joe police units proved successful, so the two would go on to build humanoid robots with more advanced A.I. units. Although Proto Man would go awol in 2005, the Rock and Roll project the following year proved to be a huge success, so the two worked hard to continue and build a series of industrial units to help in the world's labor force.
Wily felt a sense of pride in his work. As such, it came as a huge blow to him when, the following year, Dr. Light received the 2007 Nobel Prize for the Design of the Robot Masters. Wily felt like he should have shared in the accomplishment since he, too, designed every one of them. Light also won the LIT Manual Design Contest, and that proved to be the final straw.
Wily reprogrammed all of the industrial units and every robot that he could get his hands on in Light Labs one night in December of 2008, but he failed to get past the programming within Rock and Roll's A.I. However, he didn't see any use for a lab assistant and a housekeeper and figured that his army was massive enough. With that, the former colleague of Thomas Light left and built his own lab/fortress and made his intentions clear to the world- a new era of technology had been born (one under his rule!).
Was the world ready to deal with Dr. Wily's powerful new army yet? Would the former lab assistant robot, now converted into a fighting machine known as Mega Man, be able to stop him with no outside help? [3]
Note: Wily's age is mentioned in the Japanese Rockman & Forte (Super Famicom, 1998) manual as being 57. The game takes place circa 2015, and thus his birthyear is extrapolated to be circa 1958. Light and Wily are roughly the same age, so Light is estimated to be born around the same year. 2040 has been accepted as an estimated death year because by that year they would have been 82-years-old.
Mega Man
Also Known As: Rockman
Original Name: Rock
Serial Number: DRN. 001
Year of Creation: 2006
Height: 132 cm (4'4")
Weight: 105 kg (230 lbs)
Installed Capacity: 1500ps/1200rpm
Torque Capacity: 220kg-m/8500rpm
A.I. Fixed Age: 10 years
Strength: Rock possesses a strong sense of justice.
Weakness: He can sometimes be a little careless.
Likes: Animals.
Dislikes: Anything that disturbs peace.
Rock was the brainchild of doctors Thomas Light and Albert W. Wily, built after their first creation, Proto Man, went awol during its A.I. testing. Rock was built with a sister robot, Roll, and was designed to be a lab assistant who would work with the two scientists and help them with their day-to-day tasks in the lab. Light and Wily put a lot into their new creation, building it with the most advanced A.I. that they could come up with at the time (advanced in that it was very human-like, although they wanted it to behave like a child), but they were careful to adhere to Isaac Asimov's laws of robotics (especially that a robot will never harm a human being).
Things went well with the new project until, two years later, Dr. Wily reprogrammed all of the industrial robots in the lab and took all of the other robots that he could get his hands on and fled to wreak havoc on the world. He did, however, fail to get past the encryption in Rock and Roll's brains, but Wily didn't see any use for a lab assistant and housekeeper.
However, Dr. Light knew that the police forces and armies of the world would not be ready to face the new threat that Wily's powerful robot army now possed, but he wasn't sure what to do. It was Rock, who possessed a strong sense of justice, who volunteered to be converted into a fighting robot. He was equipped with a Plasma Cannon that had variable weapon capability and strong titanium armor and set out to take on his former friends.
Rock, who quickly became known as Mega Man, faced a powerful force unlike any the world had ever seen. Would he be able to stop the evil madman before it was too late? [4][3]
Roll
Serial Number: DRN. 002
Year of Creation: 2006
Strength: Roll takes good care of everyone.
Weakness: She's a scardy-cat.
Likes: Cooking and cleaning.
Dislikes: Cockroaches.
Roll was designed as the sister robot for Rock after the failure of the prototype humanoid robot known as Proto Man. Light and Wily believed that if they created two robots, their independence would be overshadowed by the bond that the two of them would share for eachother. Moreover, they were both designed with child-like minds, being the children of-sorts that Light never had.
Roll was designed to serve as a housekeeper to help out in the Light household and to assist whenever needed. Once Rock was converted into Mega Man, she provided excellent moral support while he was away trying to bring Dr. Wily to justice. [3]
Quick Walkthrough (Weaknesses)
Mega Man (NES, 1987)
Stage Select
- Fire Man (use Plasma Cannon -P)
- Bomb Man (use Fire Storm -F)
- Guts Man (use Hyper Bomb -B)
- Cut Man (use Super Arm -G)
- Elec Man (use Rolling Cutter -C)
- Ice Man (use Thunder Beam -E)
Fortress
- Yellow Devil (use Thunder Beam -E)
- Copy Robobt (use Fire Storm -F)
- CWU-01P (use Super Arm -G)
- Dr. Wily, Phase 1 (use Fire Storm -F)
- Dr. Wily, Phase 2 (use Rolling Cutter -C)
[7]
Mega Man: Powered Up! (PSP, 2006)
Stage Select
- Cut Man (use Mega Buster or Super Arm)
- Bomb Man (use Rolling Cutter)
- Ice Man (use Hyper Bomb)
- Fire Man (use Ice Slasher)
- Oil Man (use Fire Storm)
- Elec Man (use Oil Slider)
- Time Man (use Thunder Beam)
- Guts Man (use Time Slow)
Fortress
- Yellow Devil (use Fire Storm)
- CWU-01P (use Super Arm)
- Copy Robot, which takes the form of different Robot Masters and Mega Man (use their current weakness)
- Dr. Wily, Phase 1/Easy (use Mega Kick/Roll Swing)
- Dr. Wily, Phase 2, Medium/Hard (weakness of his current ability)
- Dr. Wily, Phase 3, Hard only (weakness of his current ability)
[7]
Cheats
The Select Trick
When fighting a boss, you can score multiple hits with the same shot by pausing the game after the first "hit". After the boss has stopped flashing, quickly hit select to unpause the game and then again to pause it again. You will score an additional hit. Keep hitting select until the boss is defeated. You can beat many bosses with one shot this way. This does NOT work with the standard arm cannon.
A less notable, but still occasionally useful, consequence of this is that when you press Select when Mega Man is hit, it will reduce the brief "knockback" period.
Turbo Arm
If you are using a controller with a Turbo capability (or an emulator that does the same) and activate the Super Arm weapon, sometimes you can pick up and throw blocks without the block actually disappearing. This comes in handy when fighting the boss at the end of the third leg of Dr. Wily's Castle.
Game Genie Codes
- OZSKPZVK - Infinite lives
- SZKZGZSA - Infinite Energy
- TAOOYTGA - Extra-high jump.
FAQs
1: Does the game take place in the year 200X or 20XX?
A: As mentioned previously, the best estimate for the exact year that the original Mega Man takes place (which is extrapolated from information in Rockman Perfect Memories), is the year 2008. This game takes place before Mega Man 2, which mentions the year 200X in its official story. However, Mega Man: Powered-Up! states the year in its official story as the year 20XX, but this is retro-connectivity (mainly because the game was made in 2006, or during the 200X time period). However, 20XX can refer to any date between the year 2000 and 2099, which still includes 2008, so people falsely assume that it must be a year such as 2010, 2025, etc.
2: What are Time Man and Oil Man's serial numbers?
A: The original Doctor Right Series only had nine robots that were numbered- Proto Man, Rock, Roll, and the six industrial robots (DRN. 000 - 008). However, Mega Man: Powered Up! added an additional two industrial robots into the storyline for retcon purposes (because all subsequent games had eight robot masters), and although their serial numbers are not given, most people have assigned Time Man as DRN. 009 and Oil Man as DRN. 010. However, this conflicts with the original numbering system, because Metal Man is listed as DWN. 009 and Air Man is listed as DWN. 010 (both from Mega Man 2). As such, some list Time Man and Oil Man as DRN. 009? and DRN. 010? to denote this numerical conflict.
References
[1]: Rockman Perfect Memories, ISBN 4-5751-6354-6
[2]: Atari HQ
[3]: GameFAQs- Rockman & Forte Database
[5]: MegaMan Matrix