The game's official US name, according to Nintendo Power, is "Mega Man Battle Network." Also, Nintendo Power stated that in the game you will play the role of Netto, "a computer operative who works with a cyber version of Mega Man to stop crime."

Last updated: 01/22/2001 by Mike Sklens

The Game has been renamed "Battle Network Mega Man EXE." The name change could reflect a few things. It could just be changed to define that this is not your normal Mega Man game. In this game, Mega Man will be fighting in a "network" of sorts. On the other hand, it could imply some sort of multiplayer aspect of the game. The battles are card based which means the game would lend itself very well to head to head combat. Or, it could mean that the game will take advantage of the Mobile GB Adaptor, for battles or perhaps trading different cards. Still, we're pretty sure it's just a clarification of the game's genre.

Last updated: 01/12/2001

Capcom has been making Mega Man games since the days of the NES. In fact, Mega Man was the first Capcom franchise made specifically for a console. The original series spans 9 games, some of which were sadly only released in Japan. The Mega Man X series is very true to the original, but is set in a far-flung future world populated with different characters including an "all new" Mega Man and with animals as bosses instead of "men."

Recently, the series has branched out into the adventure genre with games like Mega Man Legends (which will soon appear on N64 as Mega Man 64). Here again, an all-new different Mega Man was introduced along with a world that, unlike the X series, had almost nothing tying it to the world of the original Mega Man series. Still, gameplay at the heart was the same, platform shooting, albeit 3D. Despite various incarnations, the Mega Man series has mostly stayed the same throughout its history. It's been a platform shooter almost all of it's life, save Mega Man Soccer. However, with Mega Man EXE, Capcom seems to be once again taking the franchise onto another road. Mega Man EXE is in all essence an RPG with strategy and card battle elements.

Mega Man EXE has a heavy RPG element. Mega Man, in his new "jump suit meets riot gear" (thanks Max) outfit will be running around encountering all kinds of crazy stuff. It should be noted that you do not play as the blue bomber himself. Instead you are playing as a kid who has Mega Man as a sort of virtual pet. In the screen shots provided, it appears that when the character sees an oven gone crazy he "downloads" Mega Man into the oven in order to fight off the baddies inside that are making it go haywire.

If you look at the art from the game you can see Mega Man in his new threads and you can also see Dr. Wiley, the classic villain from the original Mega Man series. These aren't the only original characters in the game, as Woodman and other classic bosses are featured on cards and their weapons can apparently be utilized against enemies as super attacks. Additionally, those zany little hard hat baddies will be making an appearance in the game also, though it is not known what role they will play.

Since the game is an RPG, we can expect a good story. I once remember an episode of the Mega Man cartoon where Dr. Wiley sent out a virus that infected household appliances and they appliances turned on their owners and followed Wiley. From the screen shots we've seen, this plot looks like it could very well parallel Mega Man EXE. That would certainly make for an off beat title.

Due to the fact that this game is far of the established Mega Man path, there is a chance that it may not see a US release. But with Mega Man as the star, it would put a driving force behind the game to sell it in the states. We should hope for the best and hope Capcom delivers with this stellar looking title.