Capcom's Mega Man may not be as popular as he once was, but the Blue Bomber has managed to build up a decent legacy over the years. While the many spin-off franchises are inconsistent when it comes to quality, the Classic Mega Man series that started it all tend to fare considerably better.
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With twelve mainline entries dating back three decades, it’s shocking just how good most games in the Classic line-up actually are. None of the main games are fundamentally broken, and there’s a deeper level of polish involved whenever Capcom gets around to funding a mainline Mega Man game.
Updated May 25, 2021, by Jack Pursey: The highly anticipated Mega Man 12 is reportedly still planned to release at some point, though news about the game has been sparse over the years. Thankfully, many of Mega Man's main series releases are still great to play today, as the meticulously crafted gameplay mechanics that Capcom implemented in some of the franchise's best titles have stood the test of time. For anyone looking to revisit some of the series' best games while waiting for Mega Man 12, we have updated this list to add a few additional details, such as release dates and available platforms.
13 Mega Man
- Initial Japanese Release Date: December 1987
- Initial North America Release Date: March 1998
- Available Platforms: NES, PlayStation 1, Android, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
The game that started it all is also the worst. While not a bad game by any means, the original Mega Man has some serious flaws. Its difficulty curve is anything but graceful, it’s too short, and the overall level design is rather hit or miss. Nothing’s terrible, but few stages stand out as all-time greats.
That said, it’s not a particularly bad game. The biggest hurdle is the difficulty, but it’s fun enough once the player realizes what the game wants out of them. More importantly, Mega Man has great bosses and enemies that play well with the Blue Bomber’s weapon set.
12 Mega Man 6
- Initial Japanese Release Date: November 1993
- Initial North America Release Date: March 1994
- Available Platforms: NES, PlayStation 1, Microsoft Windows
In a bubble, Mega Man 6 might be one of the better Mega Man games; if nothing else, it's one of the more “complete” games in the series. The last to be released on the NES, Mega Man 6 essentially serves as a mechanical victory lap for the series, generally being fun enough to play and decently designed.
Unfortunately, Mega Man 6 does little that's new, even if it does most things well. By this point, Mega Man on the NES felt tired. This is to say nothing of the fact that Mega Man 6 came out a month before Mega Man X on the SNES, with the latter being Capcom’s real priority.
11 Mega Man 8
- Initial Japanese Release Date: December 1996
- Initial North America Release Date: January 1997
- Available Platforms: PlayStation 1, Sega Saturn
Mega Man 8 has a great soundtrack and even better visuals. When it comes to presentation, it’s one of the best games in the series, in spite of its awful English voice acting. Unfortunately, Mega Man 8 suffers from something most PS1 Mega Man games suffered from an over-reliance on gimmicks.
More often than not, Mega Man 8 suppresses the traditional Mega Man gameplay. It’s disappointing, considering how gracefully Mega Man X transferred from the Super Nintendo to PlayStation. Mega Man 8 does have a Sega Saturn port, but it’s far more expensive than it’s actually worth. Besides, it’s not like the Saturn version fixes the game design.
10 Mega Man 10
- Initial Japanese Release Date: March 2010
- Initial North America Release Date: March 2010
- Available Platforms: PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
After the surprise burst of quality that was Mega Man 9, hopes were incredibly high for Mega Man 10. The Blue Bomber was back, and he was focused on the basics. Unfortunately, Mega Man 10 is, in many ways, Mega Man 9’s antithesis. Where the latter simply wanted to be a good Mega Man game, the former wants to be memorable.
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Mega Man 10 doesn’t over-rely on gimmicks like Mega Man 8 does, but it puts far too much stock in its set pieces. As a result, the level design suffers, and the game fails to come close to Mega Man 9’s quality. It’s a big shame, since this was the only game to feature Mega Man, Proto Man, and Bass as playable characters.
9 Mega Man 5
- Initial Japanese Release Date: December 1992
- Initial North America Release Date: December 1992
- Available Platforms: NES, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS
Mega Man 5 has some pretty good level design, but it lacks in almost every other area. The Classic series was starting to show its age with its fifth entry, and after Mega Man 4 introduced the Mega Buster, there was really nowhere else to take Mega Man as a character.
Mega Man 5 was left needing to build off what had already existed, which should have made for an incredible game. However, Capcom never really knew what to focus on mechanically. Mega Man 5 a fully competent Mega Man game, but it never excels as well as it should.
8 Mega Man & Bass
- Initial Japanese Release Date: April 1998
- Initial North America Release Date: March 2003
- Available Platforms: Super Famicom, Game Boy Advance
Mega Man & Bass’ Game Boy Advance port effectively killed the game’s reputation. With a cropped screen and sluggish controls, the GBA version is a nightmare to play and makes an already difficult game even harder. It’s a pity that this is the version that came west, because the Super Famicom original is considerably better.
Both Mega Man and Bass play differently enough to warrant two playthroughs. The fact that there's a world map of sorts and that the Robot Masters branch off in different paths leads to some interesting balancing. The game also features a database with information on every character in the Classic series up to that point. In everything but name, it’s the real Mega Man 9.
7 Mega Man 3
- Initial Japanese Release Date: September 1990
- Initial North America Release Date: November 1990
- Available Platforms: NES, PlayStation 1, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U
Mega Man 3 is an amazing game with some lackluster pacing issues. Doc Robot is an interesting concept, but his design is bland, and having to find him multiple times is tedious. Moreover, Mega Man 3’s second half, in general, can feel like padding at times. Other than that, though, it’s an airtight game.
Well-designed levels, some of the best bosses in the series, and a great weapon set give Mega Man 3 a lot of value. While Doc Robot can be annoying and his presence doesn’t add anything too meaningful, he does lengthen a good game in a clever way.
6 Mega Man 7
- Initial Japanese Release Date: March 1995
- Initial North America Release Date: September 1995
- Available Platforms: SNES, Microsoft Windows
The first Classic entry on the Super Nintendo and the only Classic SNES game to come west, Mega Man 7 doesn’t get the respect that it deserves. While it introduced many ideas that would end up plaguing Mega Man 8, it pulls off its concepts well. The game even takes some design elements from Mega Man X, emphasizing exploration and armor pieces.
Mega Man 7 is an all-around good game with great visuals and great music. Its levels are well thought out, the game is well-paced, and the difficulty curve isn’t a nightmare. It’s definitely jarring going straight from Mega Man 6 to Mega Man 7, and not necessarily in a good way, but MM7 stands well enough on its own.
5 Mega Man Powered Up
- Initial Japanese Release Date: March 2006
- Initial North America Release Date: March 2006
- Available Platforms: PlayStation Portable
Mega Man Powered Up is a remake of the first game in the series. Like the original game, Powered Up tasks players with stopping Dr. Wily, though there are a few notable changes. Along with the significantly improved visuals, Powered Up implements a new challenge mode, as well as a level creator mode.
Mega Man Powered Up was well-received by fans and critics, exemplified by its 82 critic score and 8.7 user score on Metacritic. Unfortunately, the positive critical performance didn't equal a positive commercial performance, meaning that the planned Mega Man Powered Up 2 was canceled.
4 Mega Man 2
- Initial Japanese Release Date: December 1998
- Initial North America Release Date: June 1989
- Available Platforms: NES, PlayStation 1, iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows
Considered by many to be the most iconic Mega Man game, Mega Man 2 solidified the series’ legacy. This is predominantly thanks to the Eight Robot Masters, no Score system, a Password system, and really tight levels. Unsurprisingly, the game shows its age today, and it is often a bit too easy in terms of difficulty, but it’s hard to deny Mega Man 2’s quality.
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Furthermore, the soundtrack and stages really are top-notch. The weapon set is also great, though the fact that Metal Blade decimates anyone and anything really neuters the value of every other weapon. Still, the game is well designed otherwise, and Mega Man 2 is perhaps the most fun to just sit down and play.
3 Mega Man 4
- Initial Japanese Release Date: December 1991
- Initial North America Release Date: January 1992
- Available Platforms: NES, PlayStation 1, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
The real NES Classic Mega Man, Mega Man 4 is by far the best of the bunch. The introduction of the Mega Buster may have forever trivialized moment-to-moment gameplay (for some), but its contributions absolutely cannot be ignored. It made Mega Man stronger, and it made his enemies tougher to deal with.
Mega Man 4 plays like Capcom at their best. They look back on the best elements of the first three games and bring them to life around one new mechanic. Mega Man 5 and 6 would struggle to keep Mega Man 4’s momentum, but MM4 is too tight a game to ignore.
2 Mega Man 11
- Initial Japanese Release Date: October 2018
- Initial North America Release Date: October 2018
- Available Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Out of nowhere, Mega Man 11 proved that Capcom still had it in them. Created by a team of developers who grew up fans of the franchise, Mega Man 11 acts as a soft reboot of sorts for the series. It has new priorities, all of which serve to modernize the Mega Man formula without straying too far.
The game itself has some of the best-designed levels in the franchise, not just the Classic series. The new weapons are all creative and fun to use, the soundtrack is catchy, and the Gear system is far and away the coolest mechanic to grace the Classic series. Mega Man has never felt more modern and fresh.
1 Mega Man 9
- Initial Japanese Release Date: September 2008
- Initial North America Release Date: September 2008
- Available Platforms: PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
It really cannot be stressed just how good of a game Mega Man 9 is. Not only does it look back on its predecessors for inspiration, but it also avoids being derivative and instead creates an identity of its own. In many respects, it's Mega Man 2’s natural successor, treating itself as a mechanical third game with only the concepts introduced in the second.
This isn’t that interesting of a concept, but it’s executed so well that it’s impossible not to see the value in this style of game design. Mega Man 9 really did feel like a resurgence for the series, arguably more so than Mega Man 11 currently does.