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The Mega Man Battle Network series, known as the Rockman EXE (ロックマン エグゼ Rokkuman Eguze, also written as Rockman.EXE) series in Japan, is the fourth series in Capcom's Mega Man franchise, starting in 2001 with the release of the first game, Mega Man Battle Network. The mainline series was released for the Game Boy Advance with side games releasing on GameCube, WonderSwan Color, and mobile phones, with collections also being released on Nintendo DS and Nintendo Switch.

The six mainline games were released on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC in 2023 as part of Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, with both versions available for applicable games as well as several extras.

Development[]

Mega Man Battle Network was created by the same team that created the Mega Man Legends series, Capcom Production Studio 2. It is one of the only two series in the franchise to reach a definitive conclusion, the other being the Mega Man Zero series. After Mega Man Battle Network 2 every subsequent game in the series was released with two versions.

According to Director Masahiro Yasuma, the development team used some other works as reference for the creation of the first Mega Man Battle Network game. These include The Matrix (recommended by a producer), Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! (watched at the company together), Shaman King manga (for character designs and art), and a Game Boy Color Yu-Gi-Oh! game (for multiplayer) (likely Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories or Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters III: Tri-Holy God Advent) .[1]

Series composer Akari Kaida stated the series’ soundtrack synthesizer used mainly the RolandXV1080 and its expansion board. Battle Network practically didn’t have much memory allocated for the instrument data on the GBA ROM cassette. So it was originally a cheap old sound source that could be recorded, edited, and used easily. She felt they recorded from a number of SC-88’s and such.[2]

Early info of the series spelled it as ロックマンEXE with roman letters, but the EXE became phonetic Japanese for the final title: ロックマンエグゼ[3].

In an interview with Game Informer, Mega Man 11 director Koji Oda said that he's "well aware that there is a voice out there that wants something new for games like Mega Man Legends and Mega Man Battle Network."[4]

Premise[]

The series is set in the year 20XX, in a parallel universe from the original Mega Man series. The Internet has become integrated with almost every piece of electronic equipment, from TVs to ovens. In fact, it's become so complicated that special programs called Internet Navigators (NetNavis for short) are used to efficiently process all of the data. NetNavis are stored in hand-held devices called PErsonal Terminals (PETs). These devices act as phones, pagers, instant messengers, news beams, and hacking devices all rolled into one.

The main characters of the series are a fifth-grader named Lan Hikari and his NetNavi MegaMan.EXE, this universe's incarnation of Mega Man. Although MegaMan.EXE has no physical body, he can traverse cyberspace and explore computer systems as if they were alternate worlds. Together, Lan and MegaMan cooperate to fight off cyber criminals and viruses.

Mainline games[]

Mega Man Battle Network[]

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Mega Man Battle Network promo art.

The first game in the series. 11 year-old Lan Hikari and his NetNavi MegaMan find themselves clashing with the mysterious criminal organization WWW, who are seeking the four elemental programs for devious purposes. As Lan and MegaMan battles the WWW's agents they also encounter ace NetBattler Eugene Chaud and his stoic Navi ProtoMan, who find the former duo to be a nuisance.

Rockman.EXE Operate Shooting Star[]

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Rockman.EXE Operate Shooting promo art.

It was later re-released only in Japan for the Nintendo DS as Rockman.EXE Operate Shooting Star, an enhanced port and crossover with sequel series Mega Man Star Force.

Mega Man Battle Network 2[]

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Mega Man Battle Network 2 promo art.

Peace has been broken again, but the culprit is not WWW, it's a new Net Mafia called Gospel. Lan and MegaMan work to stop crises as they pop up, and eventually learn Gospel's plan: to create a Super Navi and rule the Net. Can our dynamic duo stop them in time?

This game refined the Battle Network series' game mechanics and also introduced Style Change, an all-new power affecting MegaMan's abilities.

Mega Man Battle Network 3: White and Blue[]

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Mega Man Battle Network 3 promo art.

WWW is back, but this time their plans seem completely random, ranging from driving animals in a zoo berserk to a phony tournament. Lan and MegaMan must figure out what the WWW is up to and stop them. Along the way, they will learn some shocking secrets involving their family, SciLab, the Undernet, and the Net itself.

This game introduced the Navi Customizer and further refined game mechanics.

Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun and Blue Moon[]

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Mega Man Battle Network 4 Red Sun promo art.

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Mega Man Battle Network 4 Blue Moon promo art.

As the world's scientists secretly scramble to stop a meteor that threatens to destroy the Earth, Lan and MegaMan enter a series of tournaments in hopes of proving their abilities. However, Nebula, a new criminal organization, has been spreading an alluring power that threatens a Navi's very soul. Can MegaMan resist the temptation of the dark power?

Battle Network 4 greatly changed the series, abandoning the art style and basic game system of the first three games in favor of an all new one. It introduced Double Souls and the Karma system, as well as more extensive version differences.

Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team ProtoMan and Team Colonel[]

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Mega Man Battle Network 5 Team ProtoMan promo art.

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Mega Man Battle Network 5 Team Colonel promo art.

Intending to spread its dark influence again, Nebula has seized control of several areas of the Net. Lan and MegaMan have been recruited to join an elite team of Navis with the goal of liberating the Net. MegaMan must learn to work with both new faces and certain former foes and rivals in order to save the day. This game expands on Battle Network 4's Dark Chips, rebalances basic game mechanics, and introduces Chaos Unisons and Liberation Missions. Unfortunately, just like its predecessor, legitimate E-Reader bonuses are Japan only.

A remake for the DS, Double Team DS, was later released, expanding on the Team mechanic with features such as the Party Customizer and Navi Assist.

Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Gregar and Cybeast Falzar[]

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Mega Man Battle Network 6 promo art.

The final game of the Battle Network series has Lan and his family move to Central Town. But, despite the new environment, their old foe the WWW shows up, this time with the goal of awakening the legendary Cybeasts that rampaged through the Net years ago. MegaMan manages to capture one of these beasts in a last ditch attempt to stop it, but now he must face both WWW and the beast inside him. This game introduced the Cross System and Beast Out and Beast Over, and also revamped much of the customizable features of the series.

Side games[]

Mega Man Network Transmission[]

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Mega Man Network Transmission promo art.

Taking place just a month after Mega Man Battle Network,[5] Lan and MegaMan try to track down the mysterious and destructive "Zero Virus" that has been infecting Navis and causing them to go crazy. As they do so, they meet both old and new faces, as well as a remnant of WWW.

The only Battle Network game to be on a home console, Network Transmission removes Battle Network's overworld and random encounter system in favor of the platforming style the Mega Man series is known for.

Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge[]

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Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge promo art.

A side game taking place after Mega Man Battle Network 3. For the first time players can choose to play as other characters besides Lan Hikari. Whatever character chosen will compete in a series of tournaments, eventually escalating to either a battle against Lan or (if the player chooses Lan) Lan's rival Eugene Chaud.

Battle Chip Challenge is markedly different from other Battle Network games, with the total removal of movement, a complete restructuring of the folder and chip system, and a cast of characters from the three previous GBA games.


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PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS ABOUT MATERIAL THAT HAS NOT BEEN LOCALIZED OR DUBBED OUTSIDE OF JAPAN OR OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES, AND USES THE ORIGINAL TERMS AND NAMES.
Yamato Man

Rockman.EXE Phantom of Network[]

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A mobile game that features Netto and Rockman battling Cache.

Rockman.EXE Legend of Network[]

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A second mobile game featuring Netto and Rockman battling Nobody.

Spin-off games[]

Rockman EXE 4.5 Real Operation[]

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Rockman EXE 4.5 Real Operation promo art.

In this Japan only release, the player can choose a NetNavi from a sizable cast of characters to play the game as. However, unlike other games where the player has full control over their Navi, this time the Navi will move on its own while the player simply selects attacks to use. This was done to simulate what actually operating would feel like.

This game was created to expand the special Operation Battle mode from Rockman EXE4, which could've only been accessed through the Battle Chip Gate.


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END OF UNLOCALIZED MATERIAL.

Collections[]

X8NavigatorAlertIconEdit This section requires expansion.

Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team DS[]

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Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team DS promo art.

Both version of Mega Man Battle Network 5 were collected onto a DS cartridge with added features.

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection[]

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Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection promo art.

The six mainline games along with any alternate versions were released in two collections.

Other media[]

Anime[]

Main article: MegaMan NT Warrior

The games lent themselves to anime adaptations. The English language version, known as MegaMan NT Warrior, has many edits resulting from censorchip. The first season is very loosely based on the first two games with few story events in common. It also takes some cues from the third Battle Network game such as the PET designs, the jack-in sequence and the tournament concept but with only a few of its cast and none of the plot-relevant characters introduced in the game appear. The series has spawned four sequels, Axess, Stream, Beast, and Beast+. Axess is loosely based on the fourth Battle Network games, Stream is loosely based on the fourth and fifth Battle Network games (the latter due to the prominence Liberation team members), with some Battle Network 3 elements. Beast has shown fairly heavy influences from the sixth Battle Network game(s).

Though Beast was half the length of the previous series, another series premiered after it called Beast+, taking elements and characters from Network Transmission such as the existence of Zero. At this point, the series had become part of the Oha Coliseum programming block in Japan, taking up only a 10 minute time-slot. Beast+ focused on the more obscure, left-over elements from the games that were previously ignored, such as Transmission and the Japan-only mobile game, Phantom of the Network. The twenty-sixth episode of Beast+ marked the series finale, and an anime based on Mega Man Star Force took its place immediately afterwards.

Manga[]

The MegaMan NT Warrior manga authored by Ryo Takamisaki was serialized in Japan's Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic and later published in thirteen volumes between 2002-2006. The manga was published in English by VIZ Media between 2004-2008, and retains its right to left format of reading. Following suit with the conclusion of the Mega Man Battle Network games, the manga officially ended at Volume 13. The manga was also published in Brazil by Conrad between 2005-2006, but it was canceled after six volumes (equivalent to three volumes of the original, as each volume had three chapters).

Other manga in the series include Battle Story Rockman.EXE, Shuugeki On-Air!! Shooting Star Rockmeen!, and eight 4 koma shorts.

Gallery[]

External links[]

References[]

  1. Tweet from Yasuma ロックマンエグゼ開発中、チームで参考作品として話題にしてたもの ●マトリックス Pから絶対見ろと言われ見た ●デジモン映画 チームみんなで会社で鑑賞した●シャーマンキング キャラデザと絵柄の良さとか ●GBCの遊戯王 研究と称して対戦したり 2000年頃の空気感が蘇る感じ…たまらんすね
  2. Original text: “ 質問ありがとうございます。エグゼは主にRolandXV1080とそのエクスパンションボードじゃなかったかなーと思います。流星は殆どがメインコンポーザの青木さんセレクションを使っていたので、彼女に聞くのが良いです♪ エグゼは特にGBAのロムカセットで殆ど楽器データに容量が割けなかったので、元もチープな昔の音源のほうが録りやすく編集しやすく使いやすい、と言ったことからいくつかSC-88などからも録ったような気がします。(^^) /English translation
  3. https://corocoro.jp/special/277584/
  4. Reeves, Ben (15 December 2017). Answering Five Big Questions About The Future Of Mega Man.
  5. Mega Man Network Transmission opening.



Alternate dimension, same century (Mega Man) | Next (Mega Man Star Force series)

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