Mega Man is a 1987 platformer developed and published by Capcom. While it was originally developed as a NES exclusive, it eventually made its way to the PlayStation in 1999, as well as modern smartphones in 2017.
The legacy of Mega Man is more defined by what it laid the foundations for, as opposed to the game it was. Critics praised the game massively, but it wasn’t until its sequels expanded and improved upon its ideas that it became truly appreciated. This is the case with its commercial performance too, with its sequels proving to be far bigger hits than the original Mega Man.
Mega Man Premise
©Screenshot from Mega Man.
Mega Man is unique in that while the game has six main levels, you can tackle them in any order you’d like, each culminating with their own unique boss fight against its designated Robot Master. Defeating each Robot Master allows Mega Man to take their unique weapon, having it for himself to use throughout the rest of the game. This creates a great feeling of progression and power creep throughout Mega Man. Each Robot Master has their own unique weakness though, making it advisable to complete the levels in a specific order.
After you’ve managed to clear the six main levels, a secret seventh level is unlocked. This sees you face off against all of the bosses all over again, and is by far the longest level in the game. This is the culmination of the story, which sees you confront the evil Doctor Wily one last time.
For every enemy defeated in Mega Man, you gain score; the more awarded, the more difficult the enemy is. Strangely, your score has no tangible benefit in-game, so is purely a visual addition.
Mega Man Main Characters
©Screenshot from Mega Man.
The lore of the Mega Man series has become increasingly complex over the years, with new characters being introduced with each new iteration. Going back to the original game is a refreshing change of pace, with just a few main characters to speak of.
- Mega Man: Mega Man is the protagonist of the game. Formerly a lab assistant named Rock, he volunteers for a science experiment to be transformed into Mega Man. Now, he has dedicated himself to protecting humanity.
- Doctor Thomas Light: Doctor Thomas Light is a scientist who created Mega Man as a means to fight against Doctor Wily’s evil forces.
- Doctor Albert W. Wily: Doctor Albert W. Wily is the main antagonist of the game. He is the scientific rival to Doctor Light, looking to conquer the world using a robot army.
On top of the characters above, the game also has several bosses, robots repurposed by Doctor Wily to help him take over the world. These are:
- Cut Man
- Guts Man
- Ice Man
- Bomb Man
- Fire Man
- Elec Man
Mega Man Titles in the Series
©Screenshot from Mega Man.
Mega Man remains one of the most iconic names in all of gaming, with a history spanning back all the way to 1987. It isn’t just a legacy series, either – the games remain immensely popular, and even the new releases continue to perform strongly for Capcom.
The benefit of Mega Man‘s longevity can’t be understated. While fans of the series continue to enjoy new games, Capcom has remained committed to remastering older titles for a new generation to enjoy all over again. What is perhaps most impressive is how the gameplay has continued to evolve. It still resembles what a Mega Man game is supposed to be, while not remaining stagnant to the point of losing player interest.
With the franchise name still holding a ton of value among players, don’t expect to see the end of Mega Man any time soon.
The History of Mega Man
- Mega Man (1987)
- Mega Man 2 (1988)
- Mega Man 3 (1990)
- Mega Man: Dr Wily’s Revenge (1991)
- Mega Man 4 (1991)
- Mega Man 5 (1992)
- Mega Man 6 (1993)
- Mega Man X (1993)
- Mega Man Soccer (1994)
- Mega Man: The Wily Wars (1994)
- Mega Man X2 (1994)
- Mega Man 7 (1995)
- Mega Man: The Power Battle (1995)
- Mega Man X3 (1995)
- Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (1996)
- Mega Man 8 (1996)
- Mega Man: Battle & Chase (1997)
- Mega Man X4 (1997)
- Mega Man Legends (1997)
- Mega Man & Bass (1998)
- Mega Man X5 (2000)
- Mega Man Xtreme (2000)
- Mega Man Legends 2 (2000)
- Mega Man Xtreme 2 (2001)
- Mega Man X6 (2001)
- Mega Man Battle Network (2001)
- Mega Man Battle Network 2 (2001)
- Mega Man Zero (2002)
- Mega Man Battle Network 3 (2002)
- Mega Man X7 (2003)
- Mega Man Zero 2 (2003)
- Mega Man Network Transmission (2003)
- Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge (2003)
- Mega Man Battle Network 4 (2003)
- Mega Man Anniversary Collection (2004)
- Mega Man X: Command Mission (2004)
- Mega Man X8 (2004)
- Mega Man Zero 3 (2004)
- Mega Man Battle Network 5 (2004)
- Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (2005)
- Mega Man Zero 4 (2005)
- Mega Man Battle Network 6 (2005)
- Mega Man Powered Up (2006)
- Mega Man X Collection (2006)
- Mega Man ZX (2006)
- Mega Man Star Force (2006)
- Mega Man Star Force 2 (2007)
- Mega Man ZX Advent (2007)
- Mega Man 9 (2008)
- Mega Man Star Force 3 (2008)
- Mega Man 10 (2010)
- Mega Man Zero Collection (2010)
- Street Fighter x Mega Man (2012)
- Mega Man Legacy Collection (2015)
- Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 (2017)
- Mega Man 11 (2018)
- Mega Man X Legacy Collection (2018)
- Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 (2018)
- Mega Man X DIVE (2020)
- Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection (2020)
- Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (2023)
Mega Man Cheat Codes
©Screenshot from Mega Man.
Sadly, the original Mega Man did not feature any cheat codes out of the box. It’s actually the exception in this regard, with many NES games of the era featuring cheats or passwords that players could enter to get an advantage.
That doesn’t mean all hope is lost, though. If you play the NES version on an emulator, the game has a ton of Game Genie codes that you can enter instead via the Cheats section of your chosen program. Again, this will only work on the NES version, so make sure that you’re entering them on that, rather than the PlayStation / mobile versions.
Mega Man Game Genie Cheats
| Cheat Code | Cheat Code Effect |
|---|---|
| XTXLONEK AGOUONLL | Enemies will always drop big energy refills. |
| XTXLONEK YLOUONLU | Enemies will always drop big weapon refills. |
| XTXLONEK PGOUONLL | Enemies will always drop lives. |
| XTXLONEK GLOUONLU | Enemies will always drop red pellets. |
| XTXLONEK TLOUONLU | Enemies will always drop small energy refills. |
| XTXLONEK ILOUONLU | Enemies will always drop small weapon refills. |
| NYVKKALV | Gives you 255 lives. |
| SZSKPZVG | Gives you infinite lives. |
| LTSPLAZA | Gives you 99 lives. |
| OSKIEE | Makes it so there are a lot less enemies. |
| ENSZKZEI | Enemies slow down when directly beside you. |
| NYASUZ | Some enemies take longer to start moving, others are missing completely, and others are frozen. |
| AUGUST | Most enemies have a lot less health, but some will have more. |
| PAKOPA | Allows you to start the game with 6,666,666 points. |
| TOOULT | When you defeat a boss, you’ll receive a random weapon. |
| NYNOLKGO | Gives you 255 maximum life/weapon energy. |
| ALNOLKGO | Gives you 56 maximum life energy. |
| NZSXIXYT | You now blink 1.5x longer after being hit. |
| VISXIXYV | You now blink 2x longer after being hit. |
| NYSXIXYV | You now blink 2.3x longer after being hit. |
| ATOKPXOZ AZSPPXGG | You can still take damage, although you’ll never die, even when your health hits zero. |
| AOSSYNPO APOSKEPO | Gives you invincibility against spikes. |
| VVXXAPSZ | Makes you completely invincible. |
| SXUPPPVG TTSXIXYV | Makes you invisible upon hit. |
| NYXOIOGO | Allows you to start with 255 health. |
| ALXOIOGO | Allows you to start with 56 energy. |
| OTKZZZSV ZAKZLXGA | You will now take slightly less damage. |
| OTKZZZSV PAKZLXGA | You will now take much less damage. |
| VYXOXENN | You can now climb down ladders faster. |
| PENOAYAA | You can now climb up ladders faster. |
| AZTOOG | You can now jump to a height of around half the screen. |
| GOUOTSAP SOEPGIVP VEEPLSPZ | You can now jump in mid-air. |
| YAOOYTGA | Gives you a mega-jump. |
| EVEPVTEY ETEOETEY | You can now walk through walls. |
| TULIAN | You can now walk through breakable blocks. |
| OXSLEEPV AUSLOEAZ | You always get maximum points for shooting super villains. |
| YEXYIUGP | Makes bosses have 1/3 health. |
| TEXYIUGO | Makes bosses have half health. |
| GZVKEPSA | Disables boss invincibility after hit. |
| PIUIZSTO | Enables Gameboy Mode (black and white). |
| LAOSXZGP | Guardians now have 3 HP. |
| ASKUKPEL | Guts Man Level green rail platforms will no longer drop. |
| SZKZGZSA | Gives you infinite energy. |
| EINKLGEY | Removes all audio from the game. |
| ELNPLZEP | Removes all music from the game, leaving only sound effects. |
| AVVXLPSZ | Makes it so that only supervillains can harm you. |
| PIKKLA | Enables rapid fire. |
| APNIZLAL | Removes the health bar and the score. |
| LEULETIE | Allows you to select the Guts Man level to view the ending of the game. |
| PAKPTA | Allows you to skip the title screen. |
| EUXLOTEP | Some enemies will fall through the floor. |
| AASPLAZA | You can start the game with one life. |
| IASPLAZA | You can start the game with six lives. |
| AASPLAZE | You can start the game with nine lives. |
| OZKPGXOK | You will wrap to the top of the screen if you fall into a pit. |
Mega Man Cheat Code FAQs
©Screenshot from Mega Man.
What is the Invincibility Cheat For Mega Man?
To become invincible in Mega Man, you need to use the cheat code “VVXXAPSZ.” in your emulator as a Game Genie cheat code. This will ensure that you can’t die, no matter how much damage you take from enemies.
What is the Infinite Lives Cheat For Mega Man?
To get infinite lives in Mega Man, you need to use the cheat code “SZSKPZVG” in your emulator as a Game Genie cheat code. This will make sure that no matter how many times you die, you’ll always get another chance at life.
Does Mega Man Have Achievements?
Not quite. The original versions of the game didn’t, but the Mega Man Legacy Collection has a selection of achievements, with several of them relevant to the first Mega Man.
We’ve picked out the achievements in the game that are relevant to Mega Man.
| Achievement Name | Achievement Description |
|---|---|
| Rock and Roll | Stop Dr. Wily’s plans and complete the original Mega Man. |
| Bronze x1 | Earn 1 bronze medal by completing a Challenge. |
| Bronze x10 | Earn 10 bronze medals by completing Challenges. |
| Bronze x25 | Earn 25 bronze medals by completing Challenges. |
| Bronze x50 | Earn 50 bronze medals by completing Challenges. |
| Silver x1 | Earn 1 silver medal by completing a Challenge. |
| Silver x10 | Earn 10 silver medals by completing Challenges. |
| Silver x25 | Earn 25 silver medals by completing Challenges. |
| Silver x50 | Earn 50 silver medals by completing Challenges. |
| Gold x1 | Earn 1 gold medal by completing a Challenge. |
| Gold x10 | Earn 10 gold medals by completing Challenges. |
| Gold x25 | Earn 25 gold medals by completing Challenges. |
| Gold x50 | Earn 50 gold medals by completing Challenges. |
| Dr. Wily Forever | Complete the Dr. Wily Forever Challenge. |
| All You Need is Mega Buster | Complete any Challenge marked with “NO ITEMS.” |
| All Appearing Blcoks | Complete the “ALL APPEARING BLOCKS” Challenge. |
| Bring Them All On! | Complete the “ALL ROBOT RUSH” Challenge. |
| Unstoppable | Complete the “ALL ROBOT RUSH (NO ITEMS)” Challenge. |
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot from Mega Man..