Overview
Mega Man: The Power Battle (known in Japan as Rockman: The Power Battle) is a 2D sci-fi platformer-fighting game developed and released by Capcom for arcades (using both their CP System and CP System II hardware) on September 22, 1995. While the CPS-1 version was released worldwide, the CPS-2 version was mostly released in Japan, with a limited overseas release.
An arcade spin-off of the Mega Man series, The Power Battle focuses solely on the series' signature boss fights, omitting the standard platforming segments entirely. However, much of the gameplay remains the same, and players earn new weapon types on top of their standard arm cannon from defeating Robot Masters (which are more effective against specific bosses). Much of the game's sprites are from Mega Man 7, with characters from earlier entries re-drawn in the same style.
Players can choose from either Mega Man, Proto Man, or Bass, and can play through three "courses": "Mega Man 1~2", "Mega Man 3~6", and "Mega Man 7". Each course includes six Robot Masters to fight against in any order (for a total of 18), followed by fights against a sub-boss and a final confrontation with Dr. Wily. A second player can join-in at any time for co-operative play.
The game received an updated sequel a year later, titled Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters and received an updated handheld port for the Neo Geo Pocket Color as Rockman Battle & Fighters. It was also included in two 2004 compilations: the overseas Mega Man Anniversary Collection and the Japanese Rockman Power Battle Fighters.
Gameplay
Mega Man: The Power Battle has three playable characters: Mega Man, Proto Man, and Bass. The game also has cooperative play, with two different players fighting against bosses as a team. The game is very similar to other Mega Man games, except there is no stage for the player to traverse. There is merely a boss for the player to defeat to continue. Other than that, the gameplay is largely similar to other Mega Man games. Players can jump and shoot (holding down the shoot button charges the shot, while holding down the jump button does a dash).
When the game begins, the player has the choice between several paths to take. Each path has different Robot Masters from the first seven of the nine Mega Man classic games.
Courses
Mega Man 1~2
This course includes 6 of the 14 Robot Masters from Mega Man and Mega Man 2, with Yellow Devil as the sub-boss (whose special ability splits himself into small pieces that move across the stage).
- Cut Man (DLN-003) - Gives "Rolling Cutter". Weak to "Leaf Shield".
- Guts Man (DLN-004) - Gives "Super Arm". Weak to "Crash Bomb".
- Ice Man (DLN-005) - Gives "Ice Slasher". Weak to "Super Arm".
- Crash Man (DWN-013) - Gives "Crash Bomb". Weak to "Rolling Cutter".
- Heat Man (DWN-015) - Gives "Atomic Fire". Weak to "Ice Slasher".
- Wood Man (DWN-016) - Gives "Leaf Shield". Weak to "Atomic Fire".
Yellow Devil is weak to "Super Arm", while Dr. Wily is weak to "Rolling Cutter".
Mega Man 3~6
This course includes 6 of the 32 Robot Masters from Mega Man 3, Mega Man 4, Mega Man 5, and Mega Man 6, with Yellow Devil as the sub-boss (whose special ability splits himself into miniature Yellow Devils).
- Magnet Man (DWN-018) - Gives "Magnet Missile". Weak to "Dust Crasher".
- Gemini Man (DWN-019) - Gives "Gemini Laser". Weak to "Magnet Missile".
- Dust Man (DWN-030) - Gives "Dust Crasher". Weak to "Plant Barrier".
- Gyro Man (DWN-036) - Gives "Gyro Attack". Weak to "Napalm Bomb".
- Napalm Man (DWN-039) - Gives "Napalm Bomb". Weak to "Gemini Laser".
- Plant Man (DWN-045) - Gives "Plant Barrier". Weak to "Gyro Attack".
Yellow Devil is weak to "Gyro Attack", while Dr. Wily is weak to "Dust Crasher".
Mega Man 7
This course includes 6 of the 8 Robot Masters from Mega Man 7, with VAN Pookin as the sub-boss.
- Freeze Man (DWN-049) - Gives "Freeze Cracker". Weak to "Junk Shield".
- Junk Man (DWN-050) - Gives "Junk Shield". Weak to "Thunder Strike".
- Cloud Man (DWN-052) - Gives "Thunder Strike". Weak to "Burning Wheel".
- Slash Man (DWN-054) - Gives "Slash Claw". Weak to "Freeze Cracker".
- Shade Man (DWN-055) - Gives "Crash Noise". Weak to "Slash Claw".
- Turbo Man (DWN-056) - Gives "Burning Wheel". Weak to "Crash Noise".
VAN Pookin is weak to "Thunder Strike", while Dr. Wily is weak to "Slash Claw".
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the game was released in Japan as Rockman: The Power Battle.
- Title
- Player Select
- Stage Select (Rockman 1-2)
- Stage Staring
- Stage 1 (Napalm Man)
- Stage 2 (Crash Man)
- Stage 3 (Guts Man)
- Stage Select (Rockman 3-6)
- Stage 4 (Gyro Man)
- Stage 5 (Gemini Man)
- Stage 6 (Shadow Man)
- Stage Clear
- You Got a New Weapon
- Stage Select (Rockman 7)
- Stage 7 (Rockman 7)
- Stage 8 (Cloud Man)
- Stage 9 (Slash Man)
- Stage 10 (Freeze Man)
- Stage 11 (Junk Man)
- Stage 12 (Shade Man)
- Stage 13
- Vs. Wily
- Stage: Wily Boss
- Stage: Wily Machine
- Stage: Wily Capsule
- Continue
- Game Over
- Ending - Rockman 1
- Ending - Forte
- Ending - Blues
- Ending - Rockman 2
- S.E. Collection
- Voice Collection
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