Megaman, also known as the "Blue Bomber" in the West is one of Capcom's longest-running franchises. Having sold millions of copies, the series is forever lodged in the heats and minds of gamers around the world. Known as "Rockman" in Japan, JGC will take a four part look back at the series in our "Capcom" month this March.
First released in 1987, the first Rockman game was designed specifically for the NES/Famicom. In Rockman, the player takes control of the titular hero in a battle against six bosses, each with the suffix -man added based on their special powers. Designed by a small team of programmers, Rockman is by far the most simple game in the series.
Each boss can be beaten in a specific sequence, something that would become a series staple. Rockman games are famous for their difficulty, and the first game is no exception to that rule. This game is tough. Without the powerups and charge weapon of later game (of even a slide), Rockman has few tricks in his backpack to fight enemies. Jumps must be placed perfectly (just try the Gutsman stage). Timing is everything in Rockman games.
Like other Rockman games, you head to the evil Dr. Wily's castle after beating the initial six bosses. In the castle, you face off against the bosses again and face some new bosses. Beating the game will require patience and blood, sweat, and tears. While enjoyable, the music in the game is not quite on par with later games. The game was a minor hit in Japan. However, it would fail to make the major impact of its sequel. In the USA, sales of Megaman would quickly disappear after release. The game is somewhat rare on the NES.
If the first Rockman game made a ripple, Rockman 2 was a rogue wave, crushing its contemporaries in both sales and praise. As the first game was not a high seller, Capcom approved production on the sequel on the condition that the team (including Rockman maestro "Keiji Inafune") work on Rockman 2 at the same time as other projects. The resulting gamble would pay off for the team and Capcom.
Released in late 1988, Rockman 2 was a massive success. Selling millions of copies, the game was a massive commercial success. In addition to its sales, the game is still considered by many to be among the greatest games every made. Upping the bosses by 2, the game now featured eight total bosses. Stage design was excellent. Difficulty remained high, but was not unfair. Perhaps the highlight of the game was its music. Composed by Takashi Tateishi, the soundtrack is perhaps the most memorable in video game history. There is a band devoted to covering tunes from the Rockman/Megaman series. Rockman 2 is video game excellence.
Coming off the high-note that was Rockman 2, Capcom had its hands full with 1990's Rockman 3. Beset by internal troubles with the Rockman team at Capcom, Rockman 3 is regarded by many as an inferior game to Rockman 2. The core game-play remained the same, but boss design, music (which is still good), and game-play was not a refined and solid as Rockman 2.
Rockman 3 did bring in some new innovations. Expanding on the special abilities introduced in Rockman 2, Rockman 3 would introduce Rockman's new side-kick, Rush. A robot dog, Rush is used in the game to give Rockman special abilities such as higher jumps and platforms. Rush would become an integral part of the series, appearing the majority of games after part 3. Some prefer Rockman 3 to Rockman 2, although, to be frank. these individuals remain in somewhat of a minority. Despite fairly solid acclaim, Rockman 3 did not sell quite as well as Rockman 2.
Rockman 4 was released in 1991. Promotion for the game featured a new villain, Dr. Cossack. Featuring eight new bosses, the game would add some new features. Most notable was the charge shot for Rockman's blaster. The charge shot balanced game-play more, creating a more strategic approach for the game.
Rockman 4 was seen as a solid game and sold well enough (not as well as 2 and 3). Graphics were colourful and bright on the aging Famicom. Music remained top-notch for Rockman 4. However, like Rockman 3, the music would fail to dethrone Rockman 2. With Dr. Cossack revleaed to be Dr.Wily, the series would continue in the same direction for its next game.
Released in 1992, Rockman 5 would finally start to show some major cracks appearing the series. Critics stated that the game failed to innovate and add to the series. Many view the game as too easy, pandering to the criticism of the difficulty of previous games. Bosses were not exactly original and interesting. All in all, by number 5, Rockman needed a change. Decreasing sales for the series would increase with this release as gamers moved to Nintendo's 16-bit hardware.
Rockman 6 would arrive in 1993, 10 years after the release of Nintendo's Famicom. A very late Famicom release, the game failed to garner the interest of earlier titles. Bosses and levels were almost parodies of former games. Game-play was similar, yet somehow stale and tired. It was clear that Rockman needed a major facelife. He would get that in the Rockman X series on the Super Famicom.
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