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The ''Mega Man Classic'' series is the colloquial term referring to the original series of '' Mega Man '' games from Capcom , which debuted 17 December 1987 on the NES with the release of '' Mega Man ''. The main games in this series are simply titled ''Mega Man'', so the word "Classic" is added to disambiguate it from the later ''Mega Man'' series. SERIES HISTORY users as an exclusive game.) In addition, there have been numerous side-story games, such as the sports game ''Mega Man Soccer'' for the Super NES and the racing game ''Mega Man: Battle & Chase'' on the PlayStation (Japan and PAL territories only). Many of the games were Ported To or Remade For newer consoles, most notably the six Famicom games being re-released in Japan with remixed music and unlockable bonus features on the PlayStation and the previously Japan-only Super Famicom game being re-released worldwide for the Game Boy Advance . In 2004, the '' (Rockman Rockman in Japan), a remake of the first game, was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2006. Plans had also been announced to release a collection of all five original Game Boy Mega Man titles in color for the Game Boy Advance, also to be titled ''Mega Man Anniversary Collection'' (originally announced as ''Mega Man Mania''). Several projected and rumored release dates came and went, and currently the project's future is unknown. Rumors have surfaced that the game has been cancelled for a variety of reasons (one interesting rumor suggests that the game's source code was somehow lost, though this is entirely unsubstantiated at this time). GAMEPLAY Series conventions The games in this series generally give the player a "stage select" screen to choose any of the Robot Master bosses to combat. After a Robot Master has been selected, Mega Man enters a themed level associated with that Robot Master. Each level mimics the original function or capabilities of the controlling Robot Master. For example, in Snake Man's level ('' Mega Man III ''), the ground is made up of large, endless snakes; in Heat Man's level ('' Mega Man II ''), the player must navigate pools of fire and lava; and in Gravity Man's level ('' Mega Man V ''), antigravity fields often pull Mega Man to the ceiling. At the end of the level, Mega Man duels the boss one-on-one. When the boss is defeated, Mega Man gains a new weapon or ability related to the attacks used by that Robot Master. Each Robot Master is affected differently by the copied weapons: taking extra damage from some, being immune to others, or changing attack pattern when hit; this feature defines the unique gameplay of the series. According to series creator Keiji Inafune , this game mechanic was inspired by Rock-paper-scissors . When all Robot Masters are defeated, Mega Man proceeds to Dr. Wily 's fortress, where he will travel through a few more levels. (In most of the games, there are as many fortress levels as there are Robot Masters, giving the player many opportunities to use each copied weapon.) Near the end of the fortress, Mega Man will fight each of the game's Robot Masters once again before finally facing Dr. Wily. Gameplay evolution Each game in the series adds an additional twist to the familiar game mechanics outlined above. '' Mega Man (NES) '' had only six Robot Masters, instead of the series standard eight, and is the only Mega Man Classic game to include a scoring system. The powerups also look different. '' Mega Man II '' introduced the ''Items'' system, a set of mobile platforms which the player could use to reach high areas (the special "Magnet Beam" item which appeared in the first game can be thought of as a predecessor to these items). ' ''Mega Man II'' also introduced E-Tanks that could refill Mega Man's energy when the player needed, a password feature to save progress, and the teleporter room in Dr. Wily's fortress, where Mega Man would face all of the Robot Masters one after the other by going through the various teleporter pads in whatever order Mega Man chose. In '' Mega Man III '', Mega Man gained the ability to ''slide'' a short distance at a slightly greater speed, enabling him to gain access to special areas and avoid enemy attacks. The slide has been a staple feature of all the subsequent ''Mega Man'' games, and was the predecessor to the ''dash'' in the ''Mega Man X'' series. ''Mega Man III'' and later games replaced the Items from Mega Man II with '' Rush '', a shapechanging mechanical canine who could be temporarily summoned to provide Mega Man with increased mobility. In most appearances, Rush provides at least two functions:
'' Mega Man IV '' introduced the ''Charge Shot'', an ability that allowed Mega Man to charge his primary weapon, the Mega Buster , and release a blast much stronger than his normal attack. This innovation was carried on to all ''Mega Man'' games released afterwards. Mega Man V marks the first appearance of Beat, a bird robot that helps out Mega Man after the player collects eight parts of the name of the title, "M", "E", "G", "A", "M", "A", "N", and "V". In Mega Man Anniversary Collection, the "V" is changed to a "5". In the original release of Mega Man V, Nintendo Power magazine indicated that the Mega Buster was the best choice for every single Robot Master in the game. However, this violates the precedent created and renders all special weapons for this game absolutely useless. Mega Man VI includes a Rush adapter that allows Mega Man the ability to briefly fly. Mega Man VI's cover art predominatly displays this new found ability and was marketed as one of the major selling points of the game. Mega Man VI introduced the concept of fake bosses. In each of the levels for Tomahawk Man, Yamato Man, Knight Man, and Centaur Man, two separate boss chambers appear, one more difficult to reach than the other. If the player succeeds in reaching the more difficult of the two boss chambers, the player receives, in addition to the Robot Master's weapon, a set of "Beat parts," representing the letters B, E, A, and T. While each game has its own take on the formula and brings new ideas to the table, only the above have lasted for multiple games or have a profound impact on gameplay. NOTES The series is set in the ambiguous year of 20XX, that is, sometime in the 21st Century . The first two games in the series are set in the first decade, 200X. The English-version titles have generally used Roman numerals and a two-word ''Mega Man'' logo. In Japan, all the games use a one-word ''Rockman'' logo and Arabic numerals, and most of the games have subtitles. The English-version Game Boy games and ''Mega Man 1''-''7'' (NES and SNES) use Roman numerals, but ''Mega Man 8'' on the PlayStation used an adaptation of the Japanese logo and Arabic numerals. While it is by no means official, some fans contrast the use of Arabic and Roman numerals to tell apart the first five NES games and the five Game Boy games. The Game Boy games are often marked with Roman numerals for this purpose. In Japan, the Game Boy games are titled ''Rockman World'' so no such distinction is necessary. It could be argued that the change in numeric style for the eighth title was to discourage people from calling ''Mega Man X'' "Mega Man 10." There are considerable similarities between Mega Man and Osamu Tezuka 's Astro Boy . Many characters in the Mega Man series as well as the overall plot seem to have been inspired by the older Manga , and Keiji Inafune has confirmed that Astro Boy was an inspiration in multiple interviews. CAMEOS
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