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Editorials   Mega Man: 15th Anniversary Spectacular - The 16/32-Bit Handheld Era
- By Francis Bonnet

Rockman: Battle & Fighters
System: Neo Geo Pocket Color
Released: 2000 (Japan only)

It’s unfortunate that the Neo Geo Pocket died out rather quickly in the U.S. because if it had been popular, we may have seen this game here in the states. MM: Battle & Fighters was actually a collection of the arcade released Mega Man fighting games; Mega Man Power Battle and Mega Man Power Fighters. The game was set up like your standard fighting game, only with Mega Man-like controls – you could slide, shoot, jump and acquire enemy weapons. You were able to select Mega Man, Proto Man, Bass, or Duo (only in Power Fighters) and then fight your way through various bosses from Mega Man 1-8. Graphics looked like a beefed up NES with beautiful, colorful backgrounds and excellent animation. Unfortunately the huge variety of tunes available in the arcade was shrunk down to a mere three, but other than that Battle & Fighters was a quality title. Grade: B+



Rockman & Forte
System: Wonderswan
Released: 1999 (Japan only)

Don’t confuse this title with the Super Famicom game of the same name. Rockman & Forte for Bandai’s Wonderswan (a Japan-only handheld system) is completely different, and a monstrosity all its own. Where shall I begin… well first of all, Rockman & Forte is practically unplayable because of the Wonderswan’s extremely blurry screen. Enemies will shoot at you with little pellets that blend into the gray, bland backgrounds making them difficult to see and harder to avoid. The graphics are no better than the 12-year old original Gameboy Mega Man games, and in some cases, are even worse. The characters move like wooden bricks; minimal animation is used in conjunction with the poor play control. Did I mention that the Wonderswan was made for people with hands no bigger than that of a baby? You’ll get a cramp in all your fingers just from trying to hold this thing, and despite the creativity of being able to hold the system both horizontally and vertically, the latter makes playing impossible by any means. Add that up with the boring bosses, bland stages, and cheap difficulty level, Rockman & Forte for Wonderswan is easily the worst Mega Man side-scrolling game that I’ve ever played. Even a complete Mega Man nut should be weary of adding this title to their collection. Grade: F

Mega Man Battle Network
System: Gameboy Advance
Released: 2001

Mega Man Battle Network is a vast departure from previous Mega Man titles in both story and gameplay. One would almost have trouble calling it a Mega Man title because the main character in the game is a little boy named Lan, and Mega Man is his “virtual pet”. Battles take place not in the real world but on computers that you access by having Lan “jack in” thus giving control to Mega Man.EXE. You build up your abilities by collecting Battle Chips, which you can obtain from small enemies as well as bosses. Mega Man Battle Network was heavily influenced by “collector games” like Pokemon, Digimon, Dragon Warrior Monsters and Yu Gi Oh. Graphics have an anime style with cute characters and funny expressions. The tunes are good, but they sound very reminiscent of an 8-bit title in certain areas. Fortunately, though, Battle Network happens to be quite a fun and entertaining title, and promises many hours of gameplay. If you like RPG’s and don’t mind the slightly silly story, then you’ll be right at home with Battle Network. Grade: B



Mega Man Battle Network 2
System: Gameboy Advance
Released: 2002

Battle Network 2 took everything about the first game and improved upon it. There are twice as many Battle Chips to collect and even more areas to explore. The story actually takes place a few months after the first game so newcomers to the series may be confused as to the plot. Graphics and sounds remain faithfully the same, with new tunes and some slightly remixed ones. Mega Man.EXE now changes color as he evolves and becomes stronger - a feature that I always liked about the side-scrolling titles. Battle Network 2 was a continuation of the first so it’s almost a guarantee that if you liked part 1, you’re going to like part 2… I did. Grade: B

Mega Man Zero
System: Gameboy Advance
Released: 2002

MM Zero is by far the most difficult Mega Man game to date, and may frustrate newcomers to the series as well as long-time veterans. Taking place 100 years after the Mega Man X series, Mega Man Zero actually puts you in the roll of MM X’s partner Zero and his quest to put an end to the unjust destruction of good Reploids. Now who’s behind this horror, you ask? Wily? Sigma? Nope… it just so happens to be Mega Man X! Yes, you heard right, this time it’s Mega Man who’s the villian! MMZero features impressive graphics and music, some music is even remixes from the X series. Thre is also the addition of Cyber-Elves, cute little creatures that you collect to enhance your abilities. Instead of selecting one of eight stages, this time you’re send out on missions, sometimes you fight a boss, sometimes you don’t. It’s a nice way of spicing up the series and adding a few new features, but at its core Mega Man Zero is a quality addition to the long running side-scrolling series. Grade: B+

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