The sequel to the RPG spin-off series in the Mega Man universe, Mega Man Legends 2 would initially arrive on the PlayStation in the spring of 2000. Carrying over much of the gameplay from the original, MML2 is another full-3D action-RPG in which players control a new Mega Man as he travels from island to island exploring ruins in search of treasure. The Legends series is important in that its games are the first full-3D titles in the Mega Man universe. Additionally, Legends‘ success and cult following would prompt Capcom to produce another RPG Mega Man spin-off via the Battle Network series.
Development on Legends 2 began almost immediately after the first game’s launch, with the Legends spin-off The Misadventures of Tron Bonne including a demo of Legends 2 in 1999. After the game’s initial Japanese launch, a North American localization arrived in fall 2000, with PC versions and a PlayStation Portable re-release arriving later. While Mega Man Legends 2 received a much higher critical reception in comparison to its predecessor, its sales were similarly average. To date, estimates of the game’s sales across all platforms place it at fewer than 200,000 units. However, Mega Man Legends 2 and its predecessor have a devoted cult following and are each considered two overlooked classics in the PS1 library.
Mega Man Legends 2 Premise
©Mega Man Legends 2 gameplay screenshot – Original
The story of Mega Man Legends 2 picks up not long after the events of the first game, with Mega Man and Roll back home with her grandfather Barrel. When Barrel watches a press conference about the search for the Mother Lode, a mysterious treasure said to provide limitless energy, he spots a woman who appears to be Roll’s mother. This woman, Matilda, warns that the search for the Mother Lode will bring grave misfortune, prompting Roll and Mega Man to investigate, eventually leading them to the planet Elysium. There, Mega Man comes face-to-face with an automaton set on eliminating all organic life as a means to start over.
Like in the first Mega Man Legends, players control the iconic Mega Man as he makes his way from one set of ruins to the next in search of treasure. Completing missions opens up the available islands and ruins for Mega Man to investigate, and collecting treasures allows his partner, Roll, to upgrade his equipment and armor. Unlike the mainline Mega Man games, Legends and its sequel take place in full 3D and feature gameplay similar to other 3D action-adventure games of the era. There are some light RPG elements such as interacting with NPCs, improving and upgrading equipment, and freeform, non-linear exploration.
New to Legends 2 are specific environmental factors that change how much damage Mega Man receives and how he traverses through the game’s environments. The inclusion of underwater areas changes the way Mega Man handles, and new equipable parts make Mega Man immune to certain types of damage.
Mega Man Legends 2 Main Characters
©Mega Man Legends 2 gameplay screenshot – Original
As a sequel to the original, Mega Man Legends 2 reintroduces several characters that players of the first game will be familiar with. In addition to Mega Man Volnutt (formerly Mega Man Trigger), Roll, Data, and Barrel all show up again as Mega Man searches for the legendary Mother Lode treasure. Tron Bonne and the other pirates also make an appearance, along with their many Servbots. Though the game initially places Tron Bonne and the pirates as the main antagonists, a more sinister plot involving the ancient Sera and her assistant Geetz shows them to be the game’s true villains. The main characters in Mega Man Legends 2 include:
- Mega Man Volnutt: An automaton raised by Roll’s grandfather, Barrel, Mega Man is the hero of Mega Man Legends and an aspiring treasure hunter. Rumors of the Mother Lode, a mysterious and legendary treasure, lead Mega Man to venture to the planet Elysium.
- Roll: Roll is Mega Man’s closest friend and a machine expert, using her abilities and knowledge to assist the hero throughout his journey and upgrade his equipment.
- Tron Bonne: Tron is the mischievous leader of a group of sky pirates along with her siblings, Teisel and Bon. Together, the pirates act as a thorn in Mega Man’s side as he searches for a legendary treasure.
- Sera: The Mother Unit that rules over Elysium, Sera is an ancient automaton and the main villain of Mega Man Legends 2. Her goal is to activate the Carbon Reinitialization Program, wiping out all organic life on Elysium and replacing them with clones.
Games in the Mega Man Legends Series
The Mega Man Legends series is unique in that it’s the only traditional JRPG spin-off within the Mega Man franchise. While there are other RPG-adjacent Mega Man games (such as the Battle Network series and its connected titles), these are tactical RPG games that take place in an alternate universe. The Legends series are more old-school JRPG games (similar to titles like Dragon Quest) that take place in the main Mega Man continuity. The success of the first game and its sequel were modest, but the games do have a substantial cult following. A planned third entry in the series would begin development around 2007, even getting an official announcement in 2010 for the 3DS. Unfortunately, Mega Man Legends 3 was canceled roughly a year later in 2011. Games in the Mega Man Legends series include:
- Mega Man Legends (Nintendo 64, PC, PlayStation, PSP, 1997)
- Mega Man Legends 2 (PC, PlayStation, PSP, 2000)
- Mega Man Legends 3 (Nintendo 3DS, cancelled)
Mega Man Legends 2 Cheats & Secrets
Like many other PS1-era RPGs, there are plenty of discoverable secrets for players to find in Mega Man Legends 2. Additionally, the game has a wide variety of available Game Shark codes that make the game significantly easier.
Mega Man Legends 2 Debug Menu & Codes
Interestingly, Mega Man Legends 2 has a debug menu players can access in the NTSC version. Once players gain access to the Debug Menu, there are several codes they can enter to change gameplay.
Accessing Debug Menu
To access the Debug Menu in Mega Man Legends 2, players will need to have two controllers plugged into their PlayStation. On Controller 2, press Triangle + Circle to bring up some text. If done correctly, you will see the word “PAGE” appear in the top right of the screen. Hold Select and use the D-Pad on Controller 2 to navigate through different Debug Menu options. There are 30 different “Pages” to navigate through, each with different options for players to use. Of interest is Page 25, which allows players to modify their Zenny amount (in-game currency).
Debug Menu Codes
Use Controller 2 to enter any of the following codes after accessing the Debug Menu.
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| Hold L2 | Freezes gameplay while held |
| Hold R2 | Pans camera away from Mega Man |
| Hold L1 | Slows down game by 50% while held |
| Press all four Shoulder Buttons (L1, R1, L2, R2) | Doubles gameplay speed (press again to turn off) |
Debug Menu Stage Select
While in the Debug Menu and with the game paused, press Select on Controller 1 to see some options pop up regarding the current stage. Players can change their stage, the area they’re in, the scenario, and the player character from this menu.
Mega Man Legends 2 Unlockables
Beating Mega Man Legends 2 while meeting certain conditions unlocks some bonuses for subsequent playthroughs. These include different appearances for Mega Man and some additional difficulty modes.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Dark Mega Man | Head to Calbania Island and kick the pig until both Mega Man and the pig become darker. |
| White Mega Man | Donate 1 million Zenny to the church to have Mega Man become white. |
| Easy Difficulty | Beat the game while earning any License |
| Hard Difficulty | Beat the game earning an A-Class License or better |
| Very Hard Difficulty | Beat the game with an S-Class License |
Mega Man Legends 2 Secrets
Music From Mega Man Legends
There are two locations in Mega Man Legends 2 where players can hear music from the original Mega Man Legends — the Manda Island Ruins and the Nino Island Digout.
Fire Buster Quickly
Players can fire their Buster quickly without upgrading their Rapid using a handy trick. While firing the Buster, repeatedly and quickly tap Up on the D-Pad to shoot faster.
Weapon Upgrade Discounts
Players can earn a 10% discount on all weapon upgrades by gifting three specific items to Roll. Buy the Stuffed Doll, Cushion, and Model Ship from the General Store. Give these items to Roll to receive the discount from then on.
Mega Man Legends 2 Game Shark Cheat Codes
Players with a PlayStation and a Game Shark device can use any of the following codes for Mega Man Legends 2. Alternatively, players using an emulator can enter any of the following codes into the emulator’s “Cheat” menu. Note that some codes require a Game Shark 2.2 or higher.
General Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Infinite Health | 8008C120 0200 |
| Max Health | 8008C122 0200 |
| Infinite Zenny | 8009C820 FFFF |
| Max Zenny | 8009C820 967F 8009C822 0098 |
| Infinite Time (Diggers Test) | 8009C910 1517 |
| Infinite Water Pressure (To Put Out Flames) | 8008C24A 0100 |
| Poisoned by Little Slugs Wears Off Very Quickly | 8008C168 0000 |
| Have All Buster Parts (Requires Game Shark 2.2 or higher) | 50001F01 0001 3008C25C 0001 |
| Time is Always 00:00:00 | 8009C818 0000 8009C81A 0000 |
| Press L2 + X For Moon Jump (Requires Game Shark 2.2 or higher) | E009BEF9 0041 8008C0EA FF20 |
| Equipped Helmet Modifier | 3008C252 00?? |
| Equipped Shoes Modifier | 3008C253 00?? |
| Equipped Armor Modifier | 3008C254 00?? |
| Equipped Buster Part 1 Modifier | 3008C258 00?? |
| Equipped Buster Part 2 Modifier | 3008C259 00?? |
Buster Part Item Slot Codes
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Slot 1 | 3008C25C 00?? |
| Slot 2 | 3008C25D 00?? |
| Slot 3 | 3008C25E 00?? |
| Slot 4 | 3008C25F 00?? |
| Slot 5 | 3008C260 00?? |
| Slot 6 | 3008C261 00?? |
| Slot 7 | 3008C262 00?? |
| Slot 8 | 3008C263 00?? |
| Slot 9 | 3008C264 00?? |
| Slot 10 | 3008C265 00?? |
| Slot 11 | 3008C266 00?? |
| Slot 12 | 3008C267 00?? |
| Slot 13 | 3008C268 00?? |
| Slot 14 | 3008C269 00?? |
| Slot 15 | 3008C26A 00?? |
| Slot 16 | 3008C26B 00?? |
| Slot 17 | 3008C26C 00?? |
| Slot 18 | 3008C26D 00?? |
| Slot 19 | 3008C26E 00?? |
| Slot 20 | 3008C26F 00?? |
| Slot 21 | 3008C270 00?? |
| Slot 22 | 3008C271 00?? |
| Slot 23 | 3008C272 00?? |
| Slot 24 | 3008C273 00?? |
| Slot 25 | 3008C274 00?? |
| Slot 26 | 3008C275 00?? |
| Slot 27 | 3008C276 00?? |
| Slot 28 | 3008C277 00?? |
| Slot 29 | 3008C278 00?? |
| Slot 30 | 3008C279 00?? |
| Slot 31 | 3008C27A 00?? |
Helmet Modifier Code Values
| 00 – Nothing 00 – Nothing 01 – Normal Helmet 02 – Padded Helmet 03 – Makes Mega Man an Unknown Female Character (can cause the game to glitch) |
Armor Modifier Code Values
| 00 – Nothing 01 – Normal Armor 02 – Padded Armor 03 – Padded Armor Omega 04 – Link Armor 05 – Link Armor Omega 06 – Kevlar Armor 07 – Kevlar Armor Omega |
Shoe Modifier Code Values
| 00 – Nothing 01 – Jet Skates 02 – Hydrojets 03 – Asbestos Shoes 04 – Cleated Shoes 05 – Hover Shoes 06 – Makes Mega Man Roll (can cause the game to glitch) |
Buster Part Modifier Code Values
| 00 – Nothing 01 – Power Raiser 02 – Power Raiser Alpha 03 – Power Raiser Omega 04 – Turbo Charger 05 – Turbo Charger Alpha 06 – Turbo Charger Omega 07 – Range Booster 08 – Range Booster Alpha 09 – Range Booster Omega 0A – Rapid Fire 0B – Rapid Fire Alpha 0C – Rapid Fire Omega 0D – Blaster Unit 0E – Buster Unit 0F – Power Blaster 10 – Sniper Unit 11 – Autofire Unit 12 – Blaster Unit Omega 13 – Buster Unit Omega 14 – Power Blaster Omega 15 – Sniper Unit Omega 16 – Autofire Unit Omega 17 – Upgrade Pack 18 – Booster Pack 19 – Energizer Pack 1A – Upgrade Pack Omega 1B – Booster Pack Omega 1C – Energizer Pack Omega 1D – Accessory Pack 1E – Accessory Pack Alpha 1F – Accessory Pack Omega |
Mega Man Legends 2 Cheat FAQs
What makes the Homing Missile special in Mega Man Legends 2?
The Homing Missile is one of the only weapons in the game that players can upgrade to receive infinite ammo. That, along with the weapon’s early availability and decent power, make the Homing Missile an essential part of any player’s arsenal.
How long to beat Mega Man Legends 2?
As far as RPGs go, Mega Man Legends 2 is fairly short. Players can expect to spend roughly 11 hours to complete the game. Those hoping to 100% the game and see/do everything will spend about 22-25 hours on average.
Who is the final boss of Mega Man Legends 2?
The final boss and main antagonist of Mega Man Legends 2 is Sera.
How does Mega Man Legends 2 end?
The story of the game concludes with Mega Man defeating Elysium’s Mother Unit (Sera) and Roll and other characters working together to build a rocket to rescue Mega Man. This sets up the series for a 3rd entry that would ultimately get canceled after partial development.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Mega Man Legends 2 Steam header.