EN

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 + 2 – Robot Recap Vol. 3

Apr 14, 2018 // Kellen Haney

With both collections of classic Mega Man titles included in Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 + 2 , there are eighty-one Robot Masters for you to defeat between classic bosses and included DLC stages! With more Robot Masters joining the ranks when Mega Man 11 launches later this year, we’re wrapping up our look back at some of the best, weirdest, and just plain memorable Robot Masters from Mega Man’s history with memories and thoughts from fans right here at Capcom!

Tim Turi (Associate Brand Manager): Halloween is my favorite holiday, I love Ghosts ‘n Goblins, and Draculais my favorite novel. Obviously, my favorite Robot Master in Mega Man 7 is a robot vampire. Shade Man’s stage kicks off with classic horror drama – Mega Man gazing up at an ominous full moon as dark clouds part over the robot graveyard.

Shade Man himself oozes classic cartoon vampire, with Bela Lugosi’s popped collar, pronounced fangs, and a gloomy aura of aristocracy. After a cordial bow, Shade Man makes use of his Noise Crush weapon, bouncing sonar blasts off walls and back towards him to power up a deadly aural attack. In classic folk horror style, the robo-vampire can also petrify Mega Man with strange beams from his eyes. But finally, my favorite (and most feared) Shade Man attack is when he uses his giant bat wings to fly into the shadows at the top of the boss room. Should Mega Man flub one slide dodge, Shade Man swoops from above, seizes him in his metallic talons, and sucks the Blue Bomber’s energy from him – restoring his own health bar.

Shade Man is classic vampire with a decidedly Mega Man flair, and I adore him for it.

Kazuhiro Tsuchiya (Producer, Capcom Japan): I like the irony that despite it being a Robot Master that controls explosives, his character trait is that he’s afraid of explosives.

Patrick Kulikowski (Customer Support Representative): I’d have to go with Burst Man simply for his amazing, fast-paced music. Plus, his Danger Wrap, which encased Mega Man in a bubble that sent him straight up into a ceiling of deadly spikes, always kept me on edge throughout his entire fight. Shade Man is a close second, though. I love his purple getup, spooky castle and moody stage music.

Kellen Haney (Community Manager): My personal favorite from Mega Man 7 has gotta be Junk Man. As his name suggests, he’s made out of scrap metal and parts of other robots, all held together with electromagnets. You’d think he’d be a bit stiff and slow considering his size, but he’s constantly on the move, making him a tough target to hit! Junk Man is tough as nails too, which makes sense… there’s probably more than a few nails that make up his body.

I always thought Junk Man was a pretty intense Robot Master. Just look at the guy! He probably spent weeks perfecting that sneer in the mirror. Combine it with the patchwork body and the mismatched eyes, and you know you’re in for a world of hurt if he gets his hand on you.

Kazuhiro Tsuchiya (Producer, Capcom Japan): Sword Man has a particularly unique design with how his upper-half and lower-half were separated, and made him particularly cool.

Kellen Haney (Social Media Specialist):  The voices for Mega Man 8 are well-known for being a bit goofy, but Sword Man’s voice always stood out to me for having a regal tone to it. While other Robot Masters might taunt or insult you, such as Tengu Man saying “It’s just a kid,” Sword Man challenges you to a duel and compliments you with an “Impressive!” if you avoid taking damage from his Fire Slash. Despite being a Robot Master made by an evil mastermind determined to take over the world, he makes me think of a noble knight that you’d see in folklore.

Sword Man has clearly defined attack patterns that feel like they’re a test of skill over random chance, too. As a result, I always take my time to use the Mega Buster against him – after all, it only seems fair to challenge the regal knight to a duel instead of exploiting his weakness. If you find yourself in a bind, though, Water Balloon will stamp out his health bar in no time.

Tim Turi (Associate Brand Manager): I’m a sucker for unique Robot Masters that sometimes don’t gel with the rest of the lineup. I like to pinpoint who I think might be the biggest chump of the bunch and therefore easiest to defeat. Usually, goofy Robot Master aesthetics betray a tough boss fight (Wood Man, Top Man, and Sheep Man look silly, but will mess you up). Clown Man wins me over with just how absurd he is.

He’s an electrified robot clown who specializes in aerobatics and turning into a deadly sparking ball? Okay! His colorful, cheery level stands apart from other Robot Master themes. Plus, how odd is it that he says he’ll see Mega Man “in his dreams” after being defeated? That’s hard to do when you explode into pieces. In short: I like Clown Man because he’s a big, colorful weirdo.

Tim Turi (Associate Brand Manager): I’m not personally the biggest fan of water levels, but Mega Man games get them right. Not only are the aquatic challenges of Mega Man 9’s water stage tough but fair (classic descending Bubble Man-style spike pits!), it is also ruled by the enigmatic Splash Woman. This deadly siren of the sea blasts Mega Man with tridents made out of lasers, which are apt to make Neptune himself jealous. She also sings an adorable melody that beckons robotic fish to come attack Mega Man. Splash Woman’s vertical boss fight, varied move set, and adorable design earns her a spot in my heart. Plus, the Laser Trident weapon Mega Man inherits from her wrecks shop.

Patrick Kulikowski (Customer Support Representative): Mega Man 9 has a whole slew of Robot Masters I greatly appreciate, like Tornado Man and Galaxy Man, but Splash Woman just oozes of uniqueness. Having a female Robot Master for the first time in a classic Mega Man title felt fresh to me.

As per the Mega Man: Robot Master Field Guide, Splash Woman, like the game’s seven other Robot Masters, was tricked by Dr. Wily and re-programmed to be evil. She really stands out from the others, not only due to the long, deadly Laser Trident she’s packing, but also due to her bottom half resembling a scaly blue mermaid.

Kellen Haney (Social Media Specialist):  It’s a little hard for me to choose with Mega Man 9, but Hornet Man always stood out to me above the rest, with Splash Woman coming in at an incredibly close second. You can blame my vote for Hornet Man primarily on the incredible melody of his stage music, “Hornet Dance” – it’s one of the reasons I gravitated to his stage before the others early on, and why I still like to start with it to this day. The stage’s backdrop, enemy design, and music combine to create the feeling of a vibrant garden buzzing with life.

The weapon you get from the busy buzzy Robot Master, Hornet Chaser, has a horde of uses, too. Not only is it able to pick up enemy drops instantly or grab items that may otherwise be out of reach, but it homes in on enemy positions with amazing accuracy, a rarity for chase style weapons in Mega Man games. Plus, Hornet Man himself stays on theme. With his hive-like body, Hornet Man summons small hornet drones to protect him. While not too tough by themselves, the drones swarm towards Mega Man and act as a defensive wall, making Hornet Man difficult to hit. It’s a challenging fight with just the Mega Buster, but the weapon you get as a reward and sense of accomplishment is well worth it.

Tim Turi (Associate Brand Manager): If you’ve been reading these Robot Master favorites entries, you already know I have a weakness for goofy bosses. From the first moment I learned about Sheep Man I was in love with him. My emotional journey began with “Wait, what the heck?” and ended with “Well, of course, a sheep robot is amazing.”

Like Wood Man or Clown Man, if you’re expecting this odd Robot Master to be a pushover, you’re in for a rude awakening. Sheep Man’s wavering electric blasts (anyone reminded of Elec Man?) and his ability to turn into electrified clouds of wool make him the perfect weaponized sheep robot.

Patrick Kulikowski (Customer Support Representative): When Solar Man isn’t busy being taken over by Roboenza and attempting to incinerate Mega Man, he seems to be doing the environment a solid in researching sunlight in his lab. Converting solar energy is a beneficial thing; it’s always worth pointing out the initial good that exists in these man-made creations!

From a game design aspect, I love how challenging Solar Man’s fight is. His crenellated parapet of a noggin serves two purposes. Firstly, he charges his fiery Solar Blaze so he can lob it at Mega Man. Secondly, his head can absorb Mega Man’s Mega Buster blasts to further power the Solar Blaze. Mega Man has to strategically time his shots to avoid accidentally assisting his enemy. How cool! Or hot. Your call.

I also credit Solar Man with having one of the coolest stage tunes in Mega Man 10. Composed by Capcom alumnus Yasuaki “Bun Bun” Fujita, the “Solar Inferno” track sounds straight-up like 8-bit thrash metal. Once I heard it, I couldn’t get it out of my head.

Kellen Haney (Social Media Specialist):  “Get the Punk Out” is the name of Punk’s stage theme music from Mega Man 10, and I just can’t resist a good pun. Unlike the typical Robot Masters that go hand in hand with Mega Man games, Punk is one of three “Mega Man Killers” that Dr. Wily created for a singular purpose. Go ahead, guess what purpose that is. Just look at the guy – covered in sharp spikes and vicious blades. His main method of attack is to throw his special weapon, the blade-covered Screw Crusher, at his opponents. If that sounds more Metal than Punk, keep in mind that he can curl into a ball and throw himself at Mega Man, too.

Long-time fans might remember that Punk initially showed up in the handheld games Mega Man III and Mega Man V before re-appearing in Mega Man 10. While his signature track was originally a bit slower and more relaxed, the remixed version for Mega Man 10 ups the tempo and has a high-pitched tone that runs through most of the song. Sounds a bit like the lead vocalist, doesn’t it? Maybe Punk should form a band – I hear Splash Woman is a great singer, too.

***

That just about wraps things up for our Robot Master recaps! Join us in celebrating the 30 th anniversary of Mega Man with games and activities throughout the year, including bringing Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 and 2 to Switch on May 14 th , all eight Mega Man X titles to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC later this year. All of that is leading up to the Blue Bomber’s triumphant return with Mega Man 11 in late 2018, bringing eight brand-new Robot Masters into the fray! Stay tuned for more info, and keep an eye on Mega Man on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest news.

For part one of our Robot Recap, click here , and for part two, click here !

Mega Man will continue the fight for everlasting peace later this year when Mega Man 11 comes to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC!