Battle routine, set. Execute! Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection.

In the fall of 2001, Mega Man Battle Network wasn’t anywhere on my radar. I was way too focused on restoring light to the world in Golden Sun. Similarly, as the years continued, I was focused on something else as later installments in the Battle Network series were released. It’s important to note that I’ve been a fan of Mega Man since the Nintendo days. So, there has always been some interest in learning more about this spinoff series. It’s just that other games took precedent. Plus, with there being so many games in the series, I figured it would be too much hassle to try to start from scratch and work my way up to the most current title. Luckily, the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection takes care of a good chunk of that. This latest collection from Capcom grants you access to Mega Man Battle Network through Mega Man Battle Network 6. Some added features and perks were thrown in to make it the perfect way for newbies like me to get acquainted with the series and for longtime fans to jump right into their favorite entry.

I won’t be reviewing each game individually. This is a collection, so I’ll be discussing things at a higher level to hopefully give readers a better of idea of what’s in store. The games take place in the year 20XX where the Net has become humanity’s primary means of everyday life. Citizens are are able to “jack in/out” to/from the Net with mini-computers called Network Navigators. Dubbed NetNavis for short, nearly everything that has circuitry can be jacked into and explored with someone’s digital navigator. Players take control of Lan Hikari and his NetNavi, Mega Man. Most days, Lan enjoys being a kid and hanging with his friends both on and offline. But other times, Lan and Mega Man have to jack into the Net to stop nasty forces that are attempting to hijack the world from the inside out. Each game has a unique plot but usually keeps the same cast of characters. For a Mega Man game, the stories are well written and move at speedy paces. I was surprised at how quickly I became invested with Lan’s world, adventures, and surroundings. They can be goofy, cheesy, and there are some questionable translation issues, but the points get across in a fun way.

You’ll take control of Lan and move him throughout the non-Net areas. You’ll be able to chat with other townsfolks, explore your surroundings, and other typical RPG stuff. When you jack into the Net, you’ll take control of Mega Man. The dungeons in Battle Network are windy corridors and mazes that oftentimes require a map; something I was not expecting with a game that had such a youthful look. As Mega Man travels through the Net, he’ll fight viruses (many of which are from the original Mega Man games) and Robot Masters. Battles take place on a 3×3 grid. Before engaging combat, you’ll have a selection of chips to install. These are preloaded by you outside of combat. Chips include cannons, mattocks, swords, birds, meteors…really the list is endless. Once your chips are selected, the action begins. The goal is to move Mega Man around the grid quickly while effectively using your chips. You can also use your Mega Buster but it’s not nearly as powerful, at least at first. Once a meter at the top of the screen refills, you can reload Mega Man with new chips. Combat ends when all viruses are destroyed. In some installments, you can customize Mega Man with different bonus effects and unlock powered-up forms.

Of course, there’s more to combat than what’s been mentioned above. Hopefully what’s described is enough to get a general idea of it. It was the one aspect of MMBN that I was always the most curious about. While the encounter rate can be a bit frequent, combat is a lot of fun on the whole. One thing that I do want to point out is that it can range from super easy to super challenging. Bosses do not play around. Since Mega Man doesn’t level up with experience points, it’s important to always come prepared with the right set of chips. Mega Man’s HP and Buster will increase only when you find certain items. The good news is that those that wish to just experience the story can do so with Buster Max Mode. It makes short work of all enemies, but even with this crutch it’s important to get ready for some challenging fights due to some bosses having shields, gimmicks, and ridiculously high powerful attacks that can take up multiple panels.

The sprite work in this collection is delicious. I love the isometric, crisp, and colorful presentation. The game might be set in the future but there’s a sense of familiarity and warmth to every location. Combat is another shining area since the enemy variety is so vast and there are plenty of chips to watch activate. As repetitive as combat can get sometimes, it’s still satisfying to watch your enemies explode into nothingness. One of the bigger surprises was the music. The Game Boy Advance doesn’t have the best sound quality, but the music in this series is sure to have you tapping your toes along to the tunes. They’re upbeat, peppy, and fit right in with the massive library of classic Mega Man tunes.

So far, I’ve been through two of the available titles in the collection. Going through the motions to get to the end didn’t take long. Going through the motions to earn any achievements or trophies didn’t take long, either. Going through the motions to get every chip in every title? That’s an entirely different story. Each game has a plethora of chips to collect. This will be a completionists sweet dream or worst nightmare. Obviously, I won’t be partaking in these endeavors but I appreciate them being available for those that can’t get enough. It’s too soon to tell which of these games will be my favorite, but ultimately, I’m thrilled that I have the chance to figure it out. I never thought a collection like this would happen. If you’re new to this sub-series or a longtime fan, then you owe it to yourself to jack in and check it out.

Overall, 8.5/10: Unique battles, tons of customization, and an entirely new world filled with fun personalities wrapped up in one collection. Sprinkle on some extra features for good measure and we have another great collection of Mega Man games.