Mega Man 2

aka: Mega Man II, Rock Man 2, Rockman 2, Rockman Complete Works: Rockman 2: The Enigma of Dr. Wily
Moby ID: 5084
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Description official descriptions

After defeating Dr. Light's six robots that were reprogrammed by the villainous Dr. Wily in Mega Man, it seemed like the world was safe. But it was not to be. Dr. Wily has escaped from prison and is madder than ever, this time creating eight new Robot Masters of his own to take over the world and crush Mega Man! Is the world doomed?

Mega Man 2 is the sequel to the NES game Mega Man. In this game, Metal Man, Air Man, Bubble Man, Quick Man, Crash Man, Flash Man, Heat Man and Wood Man are Dr. Wily's eight prize creations that have been sent to take over the world. As Mega Man defeats these bosses, he can steal their powers and use them for himself. Each Robot Master is weak against another's weapon, and through experimentation, Mega Man can gain the upper hand by using the weapon they're vulnerable against.

Other additions to the game include the 'E-Tank' - an item that can be used at any time to completely refill Mega Man's energy, and a Password System, which allows players to continue their game by recording which Robot Masters have been defeated and how many E-Tanks they have. Mega Man 2 also removes the scoring system from the original game.

Spellings

  • ロックマン2 Dr.ワイリーの謎 - Japanese spelling

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Credits (NES version)

61 People (20 developers, 41 thanks) · View all

Box Cover Illustrator (USA)
No. 009: Metalman
No. 010: Airman
No. 011: Bubbleman
No. 012: Quickman
No 013: Crashman
No. 014: Flashman
No 015: Heatman
No. 016: Woodman
Character Designer
Sound Programmer
Programmer
Planner
Producer (uncredited)
Special Thanks
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 89% (based on 39 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.1 out of 5 (based on 181 ratings with 5 reviews)

In 19xx Capcom created a masterpiece

The Good
In the first MEGA MAN game there was much promise - the non-linear level selection, the unique mechanic of stealing boss enemies' weapons and using them against the others, the bonus items that changed up your method of beating the platform challenges. There was depth, color, good music, and an appealing little Everybot hero. But it just wasn't fully-formed yet.

MEGA MAN 2 so perfectly encapsulates all the essential elements of the 8-Bit Mega Man franchise that these days it might have been named MEGA MAN 1.0 - it makes the original look like a beta test. This is the complete article.

Upgraded from 6, now you've got 8 enemy robots, each with a colorful, well-designed stage and unique musical theme. Truly, there's no 80's game soundtrack signature like the Mega Man Beat Box - those percussive, driving melodies that sent you sprinting through each stage. From those songs to the constant change-up of platform jumps to miniboss fights, enemies coming at you from sides, above, and below, MEGA MAN was about creating an energy as constant as its hero's mechanical high-speed jog.

And there was still a degree of rock-paper-scissors logic to the way the boss weapons interrelated to each other. Unlike the later games, where all intuitive order went out the window, with trial and error you could quickly develop a ritual cycle to take you to the all-important Dr. Wily stage.

The addition of energy tanks helped tweak the difficulty level down to a more accessible level, but the bold could still forgo them if they chose. The password system gave you that extra flexibility to take a breather and fight another day. The three numbered platform devices were a vast improvement over the glitchy Magna-Beam, and paved the way for MEGA MAN 3's introduction of Transformer Dog-sidekick Rush.

And besides the 8 stage bosses you had those oversized, colorful mini-bosses - who didn't feel a rush the first time a FLYING ROBOT DRAGON swooped up from below and started knocking aside the narrow ledges behind you? And remember the first time you walked through that final stage, no soundtrack but the evocative "drip-drip" echoing through the air, and watched Dr. Wily seemingly transform into a mutant bat-lizard right before your eyes? That's 80's Game Nonsense Heaven.

Last, and certainly not least, MEGA MAN 2 brought into the world the no-foolin' greatest auxiliary weapon in video game history - the Metal Blade. 8-direction flexibility, high-speed delivery, nearly infinite supply. Awwwwww yeah.

The Bad
The challenge level is arguably too far reduced - it's a dim gamer who can't eventually conquer it, and having a game that anyone can beat used to be a BAD thing. And as goofy and fun as the game's enemies are to look at, there wasn't a whole lot of animation to them, or variety to their attacks. It just became a question of finding the proper gun then blazing away.

This is pre-Power Slide and pre-Charge Shot, also, so there's not a lot of depth to the old Blue Bomber's movements and tactics.

The Bottom Line
If you've ever wanted to know what all the fuss is about, start here.

NES · by TheoryOfChaos (23) · 2006

Great game, great for beginners and polished players.

The Good
I loved the concept of having to defeat a boss, to move onto the next one. I also liked the music in this game, very original, and I loved how the tunes fit the levels perfectly. Every level had it's own music score, and even the boss theme had me tapping my toes and humming the tune as I fought the boss with everything I had.

The Bad
I didn't like the fact that this game was very short. I finished this game in less than 3 hours, so kinda short for my liking. But aside from that, still a true classic and a game that anyone can pick up and have fun with.

The Bottom Line
I would describe this game as a classic, a game that everyone should play. A game that gets the player excited, and really gets you into the action. And for it's time makes you feel as though you're there with mega man.

NES · by David Bryan (21) · 2007

The game that launched the franchise!

The Good
No, I am not mistaken. This is not only one of the best Mega Man games made, it is one of the best video games ever made.

"This reviewer lies," you say. "Never did such grace touch the Earth."

This is because you weren't there when the game originally came out. At the time, when you (or any of my friends when they came over) played Mega Man 2, the reaction was, "OH MY GOODNESS!! THIS GAME IS TOO GOOD!!" It is so charming that I would recommend this game to anyone who wants to experience the Mega Man universe.

So why was this game so darn good? Well, it took the strengths of Mega Man, made them better, cut out the bad stuff, added a password, and was extremely consistent with it.

-Password-

Although it wasn't a save feature, it did allow the player to stop anywhere in the game and resume. The password would remember what bosses you defeated, how many energy tanks you had, and if you got the special items.

-8 Robot Masters-

The original Mega Man only had 6 levels and bosses. Now there were 8!

-Immersive and unique levels-

Each level was oh so very different, had its own theme, and its own twist in the gameplay. Let's go through them:

Bubble Man (The stage starts you off battling robotic frogs over waterfalls. For the rest of the stage, you are underwater where your jump capability shoots you to the top of the screen! Unfortunately, there are spikes on top of the ceiling so you must be careful. Mega Man battles a fun variety of aquatic themed robots from shrimp to giant fish.)

Air Man (As you would expect, this stage takes place in the skies. Flying enemies are constant and they are mostly robotic birds. At the end, you move through taking over Zeus-imitating robots' flying platforms.)

Quick Man (There are only a couple of enemies in this stage. This is the strangest stage in the game and, indeed, it emphasizes 'quickness'. Beams of light would fast shoot from the sides of the screen and you had to move through the area as fast before they would connect as one touch will kill you. You jump, fall quickly as you rush to keep ahead of the beams.)

Heat Man (For most of the stage, you battle fire monsters and hop over lava. The latter part of the stage returns Mega Man 1's dreaded appearing platforms. However, these are much less frustrating this time. You must hop from appearing platform to appearing platform across a LONG area of lava.)

Wood Man (Ahh, the most innocent of levels. Robotic chickens, bunnies, bats, gorillas, among others appear here. The level goes through a forest, goes underground, and returns to the forest again. This is as close to a normal level you can get.)

Metal Man (The infamous Metal Man stage!! The entire level is composed of moving belts that either push you faster in the direction you want to go, or pushes you in the wrong direction which you must struggle to outrun. The vertical flying drills and the dropping weighted spikes also add nicely to the level, as do the clownish robots on giant gears. This level is genius.)

Flash Man (This level is all ice letting Mega Man slide around. What is unique about it is that there are multiple paths through this level, some featuring nice item rewards avoiding some enemies while others do not.)

Crash Man (Crash Man's stage is completely vertical. You start at the bottom and go up, and up, and up. You must ride lots of platforms and ladders to get to the top. Thankfully, this stage is no where near as insane as Gutsman stage was.)

-Very Useful Boss Weapons-

In Mega Man 1, some of the boss weapons weren't too useful or practical. Gutsman's strength? Even Cutman's weapon wasn't too useful.

Each weapon in Mega Man 2 (except for bubble man and flash man) is extremly practical. Quickman's shortrange boomerangs give small range, fast attacks. Heat Man's fire ball could be held down and released, unleashing a larger fireball! Metal Man's blade was the best weapon of the game as you could throw it in 8 directions around you. Woodman's circular leaf attack could be used as a type of 'shield'. Airman's tornadoes could get those annoying enemies on the ceiling. The weapons were very practical and are used throughout the game more than the other Mega Man titles.

-New Items-

In addition to getting weapons from each boss, three bosses gave you an extra item. These were not weapons but were used by Mega Man to overcome obstacles. One is a platform that climbs walls. Another is a jet sled. And a third is a flying platform. These were required in several puzzle like areas of Wily's Castle.

-Charm-

This game is very... HAPPY. The music is very strong and draws you in. The graphics are very cartoonish, colorful, and shiny. The game never gets frustratingly hard (unlike Mega Man 1. Those who complain about Quickman's stage are wimps.) The sound effects are very crisp. But more important the game stays consistant. The game stays fun throughout the very beginning to the very end, never losing momentum. While Mega Man 1 became a cult classic, Mega Man 2 turned into a red hot blockbuster. It is the game that launched the Mega Man franchise.

The Bad
Surprisingly little. There could have been more instances in the game when Flash Man's weapon was more useful. I really liked how they made Bubble Man's weapon useful by having it detect trapdoors (you would watch the bubbles fall into the spikes).

The game has quite a bit of content, yet you wish there was more because it was so good. There is nothing wrong with this title.

The Bottom Line
Just as some games reach a practical 'perfect' status such as Super Mario Brothers 3, Mega Man 2 reaches it with its consistant colorful fun that never wanes throughout the game.People argue that Mega Man 3 is superior. It may be, but it cannot be debated that Mega Man 2 is the most charming of Mega Man titles.

NES · by Jonathan Hollas (24) · 2005

[ View all 5 player reviews ]

Trivia

Development

Keiji Inafune actually had to create Mega Man 2 on his own time, to a certain extent. The original game hadn't been successful enough to warrant a fully produced sequel, but he so wanted to create another Mega Man title, that he was given permission to work on it so long as it didn't interfere with any of his other scheduled work.

Reception

Mega Man's creator Keiji Inafune considers Mega Man 2 his favorite Mega Man game. Thanks to its creative levels, cool weapons, excellent bosses, and fantastic music.

Sales

According to publisher Capcom, Mega Man 2 has sold 1.51 million copies worldwide since its initial release (as of June 30, 2016).

Awards

  • Electronic Gaming Monthly
    • December 1989 (Issue 5) - Best Sequel to an Existing Game (tied with Ghouls 'N Ghosts)
    • November 1997 (Issue 100) - ranked #73 (Best 100 Games of All Time)
  • Game Informer Magazine
    • August 2001 (Issue 100) - voted #32 in the Top 100 Games of All Time poll

Information also contributed by Andrew Shepard and Nick Rycar

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Related Sites +

  • Howard & Nester do Mega Man 2
    A regular feature in Nintendo Power magazine, Howard & Nester was a comic strip about two game whizzes who would one-up each other, while disclosing hints and tips, in the settings of various recently-released games for the NES platform. In the September/October 1989 two-page installment, Nester competes against a robotic version of Howard in a trivia contest organized by Dr. Wily -- hints and tips abound.
  • Mega Man 2 Trivia
    10 question quiz to test fans' knowledge about Mega Man 2.
  • OC ReMix Game Profile
    Fan remixes of music from Mega Man 2.

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 5084
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Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Satoshi Kunsai.

Wii U added by ResidentHazard. Nintendo 3DS added by CrankyStorming. Android, iPad added by Sciere. DoJa added by Kabushi. Wii added by gamewarrior. iPhone added by Ben K. Browser added by glik.

Additional contributors: PCGamer77, Shoddyan, chirinea, Alaka, gamewarrior, Pseudo_Intellectual, formercontrib, CalaisianMindthief, Thomas Thompson, A.J. Maciejewski.

Game added October 4, 2001. Last modified March 17, 2024.