(1.1) January 18, 2007 - Finally fixed the FAQ so that it references a better
strategy for the wall cannon boss in Dr. Wily's Castle, thanks to constant
prodding on the part of readers.
(1.0) June 6, 2004 - Added information to the table of contents and made other
minor alterations throughout before posting to HonestGamers.com.
001. The Basics
002. Flash Man
003. Quick Man
004. Metal Man
005. Bubble Man
006. Wood Man
007. Air Man
008. Crash Man
009. Heat Man
010. Dr. Wily's Castle
011. Stage One
012. Stage Two
013. Stage Three
014. Stage Four
015. Stage Five
016. Stage Six
017. Conclusion
018. Acknowledgements
019. Copyright Concerns
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As is true of any NES title in the Mega Man franchise, you'll begin by
choosing which of the robot masters you wish to tackle first. There are
eight this time around, and the order is more optional than ever. It's good
fun to try them in any order (and you should do so if you play through
multiple times), but for now I recommend the order indicated in this
guide. You'll have an easier time adapting to the game that way,
particularly if you've played none of the series previously.
Also, the order outlined will help you achieve the special weapons that make
the whole adventure simpler. Different bosses fall more easily to different
attacks. For the purposes of this guide, I'll be assuming you're playing on
'Normal' difficulty. The strategies are the same either way.
In general, note that special weapons typically are used only in boss
encounters, with the exception of the Metal Blade ability. This will truly
be your friend, and will allow you to easily cut through most enemies in the
game. The guide will advise you to tackle him early on for that
reason. When you have that ability equipped, many enemies will drop the
items that refill your special weapons gauge. Also, it depletes slowly. Not
only that, but you can easily fire multiple shots in any of eight
directions. It's a truly wonderful weapon.
If you ever find yourself running short on special weapons, most every stage
will allow you to easily refill by providing places were simple, one-shot
enemies re-spawn constantly. Just move back and forth, taking them out and
filling up your weapon as necessary. You'll do just fine.
New to this title also are energy tanks. You can carry up to four at a time,
though you really shouldn't need them until the last portions of Dr. Wily's
Castle. There are around 8 energy tanks in the game.
Got the basics down? Good. Let's get cracking!
==============
002. Flash Man
==============
This stage is the perfect starting point, whether you're a Mega Man pro or
just taking your first step as the blue bomber. The stage is a sparkly blue
one, with mostly simple enemies until the very end. Most of the difficult
foes can be avoided, or fall to a few shots from the standard arm cannon.
Begin by heading to the right along the ledge. There's no threat until you
reach the end. Below, you'll see a red-hued robot shooting regular shots at
the base of the ledge where you stand. Drop down between shots. Even if you
take a hit, it won't do much damage. Once you land, immediately let loose
with a barrage of shots. When that robot is toast, proceed to the right
along the lowest level. You'll want to move quickly, as the tier above you
hosts two more of the red-colored robots. The won't hit you with their shots
by default, for the most part, but if you stop to smell the roses, they'll
change the arc of their shots and give it a good effort.
Beyond those robots, you'll find a ledge to jump to, where there's another
red robot. Take him out quickly, then hop up another level and continue to
the right. You'll drop down to the lower portion of the screen again, so
keep moving until you come to the wall, then jump back up toward the left and
take out the red robot that waits there. Now hop back to the right and drop
down the pit.
When you land, look left and be prepared to shoot the giant mech a robot is
riding. It will take around five or six shots to destroy the machine, and
you'll probably want to make small hops as you shoot to avoid any shots it
might fire. Avoid contact, as a direct blow will do quite a bit of damage to
your life meter. When you shoot the mechanical legs enough, the machine will
explode and its rider will then fall to your level. This guy carries a
shield, and will only be weak when he has turned to fire at you. When he
does, hit him with three quick shots, and be prepared to hop over each of the
shots he himself fires. He'll then shield himself again. When he's firing
next, three more shots should finish the job you started.
Now that you've done that, drop down the pit to the left and hold left
against the wall until you land on the ledge. Shoot the red robot to your
right, then drop down the left pit yet again. When you land, walk left and
drop down that pit. It's a long fall, but hold left until you land and see a
marching pillar column to your right. Jump so that when you shoot, your
bullets hit the face. With this guy out of commission, drop down the pit
just to the right.
At this juncture, you'll be near the top of the screen, on a set of small
platforms with another of the leggy robot mechs below. You have two
opportunities worth your consideration. The first is to hop across the gaps
and fall down the right of the two pits (don't fall down the left one, or
you'll have to fight more enemies and miss out on the opportunity to grab an
energy tank). If you're low on life, you may prefer the second option, which
is to hop quickly to the right side of the screen, fall along the wall, and
land in the tiny hole with an energy refill. If you choose this method, you
should then quickly turn left, take out the robot mech, then his rider. The
good news is that as long as you stay in that groove, you won't have to worry
about dodging the smaller robot's fire (though until you've taken out the
mech, its shots pose a threat).
Either way, you should end up dropping down the right of the two pits on this
screen, as referenced previously. Now, walk to the right and notice more of
the mech robots below. There are two of them that you have avoided by taking
the route I outlined. You can thank me later. When you reach the end of the
first ledge you're on, you'll see a series of single-block ledges. The gaps
are wide, so practice your jumping skills to get all the way across to the
opposite ledge, where you will find an energy tank. Below, you'll see a
ledge with another mech robot. This one, you'll soon have to fight.
Once you've retrieved the energy tank, head back left, then drop down to the
lower level. Walk to the right, hop onto the ledge, and sidle to the
right. Defeat the robot and rider (be careful not to get knocked back by
enemy shots, as this may result in causing another mech to appear when you
head back right), and from there you can take a long leap to the right to
pass through the gate leading to the level's robot master.
---------
Flash Man
---------
Your first robot boss encounter will be a piece of cake. His primary
weakness is the bubble lead, which you don't have yet if you're following
this guide strictly. Regular arm cannon fire works smashingly,
however. Just stand near the gate where you start, jumping and shooting for
all you're worth. He'll likely fall to your shots before he even gets close
enough to touch you. If not, be ready to switch sides of the screen.
When you hop a lot, Flash Man will pull out his special attack, a move that
freezes you where you are so he can take a few shots at you with his own arm
cannon. This will only happen during extended fights, for the most
part. So, if you've followed the strategy in the previous paragraph, it's a
likely non-issue.
If you do have to hop around a lot, at least you have the ledges at various
elevations working in your favor. During an extended fight, contact is
almost inevitable, so be prepared. When you win, you'll gain his time freeze
ability, as well as the special weapon.
Password: A-2, C-1,2,4,5, D-3, E-1,2,3
==============
003. Quick Man
==============
With your new special ability in hand, it's time next to face Quick Man's
deviously constructed stage. For newer players, this is one of the hardest
parts of the game, but it'll be no sweat if you keep a cool head.
From the start, use your platform item (number three) to ride the wall to the
left up to a ledge where a 1-up icon rests. With that collected, go ahead
and drop down the pit at the center of the room. In the next screen, short
red stations send out projectiles. You'll want to avoid the shots as you
cross over the two small recesses and continue, though it's hard to do so.
Once you drop down the pit on the left side of that screen, you'll want to
head to the pit on the right side of the screen to drop down that, as
well. Before you do, pause to catch your breath. The next section is one of
the two difficult portions of the stage. In the coming corridors, beams will
quickly flash across the screen in set areas. Getting caught by one of those
is instant death. You'll have to move with the speed of a fleeing gazelle to
avoid them, and you'll likely need to memorize their positions.
Fall into the first screen and hold left as you do so. Descend the steps
quickly, and fall down the gap on the left side of the screen. Now as you
continue falling through this screen, hold to the right. You'll fall down to
the next screen, where you should hold right yet again. However, note the
narrow ledge near the bottom. You will likely land on it briefly. When you
do, walk right far enough so that you immediately fall off it, and drop down
into the next screen. Now hold slightly left and you'll land on a ledge next
to another 1-up icon, which you of course want to collect. Drop left from
that ledge to collect the game's second energy tank. You'll likely want it
for the boss encounter at the end of this stage.
Now that you have made it this far, drop down the pit to the left side of the
screen, and you're past the first (and easiest) of the stage's two beam
gauntlets.
The area in which you now find yourself should be simple by comparison. As
you move to the right, the screen will darken. There are basically two sets
of block pyramids here, so just hop and climb to the right. No pits to worry
about, just three flame-tossing enemies. Take them out with your arm cannon
shots and proceed until the room lightens and you see a pit to your
right. Time to take another breath; you're at the second of the stage's
gauntlets.
At this point, I should mention that your time-freezing move will pause the
beams. However, it feels cheap to use it, and you'll really only want to use
it if no other choice presents itself. This is because the special weapon
also works great on the stage boss, and you'll have to refill the meter with
difficult robot encounters at the bottom of the shaft if you use it during
the descent.
When you're read, drop down the first pit and hold left. You'll have to work
your way around a small ledge there, to drop down the center of the screen
before beams strike. As you fall down through the next screen, aim first at
the center so you fall through a gap onto a ledge, then run quickly along the
left so that you fall down to another ledge, then from there into open space.
As you fall, return Mega Man to the center of the screen so he falls
through another opening, then immediately hold left. You'll land on a wide
ledge, so drop down off its left side, and now hold to the right as you fall
down yet another screen. Descend the set of ledges leading to the right,
then immediately head back left as you fall down another screen. Hold left
so that Mega Man is positioned around a third of the way from the screen's
left side. He'll fall past some pointless power-ups, which is just fine,
into the next screen. Immediately, head right to drop down to another ledge,
then left to drop down from there before a beam strikes. As you fall now,
aim for just right of the screen's center, to fall through a final
screen. When you land, quickly run left and drop down the pit on that
screen's left side, to safety. You've survived the second gauntlet.
The stage is now almost over. You now should proceed to the right, past more
of the mech robots familiar to you from the Flash Man stage. If you've
tackled this stage later in the game, note that Air Man's special tornado
attack will take out the mechs in one hit! As you likely don't have that
ability, however, just use your normal arm cannon fire. Past two of these
mech machines, you'll find the gate leading to the stage boss.
---------
Quick Man
---------
This fiend is quite difficult, but you can make things simpler by starting
with Flash Man's special attack. The best trick is to start toward the
right after immediately falling, then let Quick Man jump toward you. He jump
has a high arc that will carry him over your head. As he is descending and
about to land, choose that moment to use the time freeze attack. This will
drain around 1/2 of Quick Man's life, right from the start.
As an added bonus, you can safely cross the screen while the freeze drains
the robot's life, then turn so that you're facing him from behind. Now, as
soon as the time freeze is completely drained, switch to your standard arm
cannon and finish your attack as he crosses the screen to try and hit you.
Quick Man darts quickly about the screen, true to his name. If he gets back
to where you are on the right side of the screen, keep moving back and forth
to make yourself a hard target. When he jumps into the air, he'll likely
toss some boomerangs toward you diagonally, so be prepared to jump
those. Also, be prepared to take some damage from physical contact with the
devious robot master. It's nearly inevitable. However, you'll soon find
yourself victorious if you keep up the rapid firing. Stay focused and you'll
win the battle and Quick Man's boomerang attack.
Password: A-3, C-1,2,3,5, D-4, E-2,3,4
==============
004. Metal Man
==============
The lair Metal Man inhabits is a factory filled with conveyor belts, steel
traps, and gear-riding clowns. It's a rather cool place and there are two
energy tanks for the taking, as well as numerous simple enemies.
Begin your assault on this stage by heading to the right and hopping over the
narrow gap to the right. When you land, be prepared to push against the
belt, which wants you to head left and fall into the pit you just
crossed. Press to the right and you'll grab the stage's first energy
tank. Now head back left, then wrap your way back around to the upper
conveyer belt.
This new belt is the first of several that pass beneath a series of spiked,
steel traps. Pay careful attention to which direction the belts are pushing
as you proceed (you can see arrows at the end of each belt that let you know
which direction of movement is encouraged and which is not). If you must, be
ready to make small hops both to get in the grooves beneath the traps, and to
pass onto the next belt. The traps fall quickly when you get near, but then
recede slowly. Only when a trap is receding should you attempt to pass
through.
Beyond the steel traps and another pit, you'll find what may appear to be
safe ground. It's not. As you continue to the right, metallic pods
vertically cross the area, rising out of the floors or descending from the
ceilings. A few shots will take out any of these, and they frequently leave
behind weapon refills, energy capsules, and even the occasional 1-up icon in
their wake. You'll have to move slowly toward the right, hop up onto a
conveyer belt, and continue onward while still more of the pods assault you.
Once you're past the pods, you'll head right through a narrow corridor and
find a series of conveyer belts that work as a staircase of sorts. From the
top, you can use item two if you have it and ride over to another ledge with
a 1-up icon, or you can just take a flying leap to the belt below and to the
right. Continue right and drop down that pit.
You're now at the stage's halfway point.
Drop down the left pit on this screen, then head right while keeping an eye
toward the air above. You should soon see a circular gear resting in mid-
air. As you approach, a clown will drop and roll it toward you. Take out
the gear first and the clown will fall to his doom. If you can, hit the
clown with some shots too, in case a valuable item is left behind. As you
proceed to the right, you'll encounter several more of the clown enemies, as
well as some of those stone columns with the faces. Take them out as is
comfortable, until you find yourself on a high ledge overlooking a wide pit.
From this ledge, a long jump will carry you over to the far ledge, but you
may also notice there's an energy tank in the recess below. I don't bother
with this energy tank anymore, though you may prefer to do differently. If
you want it, go ahead and drop down to collect it, but know that you'll now
lose a life trying to cross that wide gap, unless you have item two (you only
will if you've already completed Air Man's stage).
Either way, we'll assume you have made it across the pit. From there, you'll
have to avoid three spring-like enemies in the next area. These devious
fellows move at a snail's pace unless they are touching the same platform as
Mega Man. At that point, they race quite quickly toward you, and upon impact
will do quite a bit of damage. Hop them carefully and continue to the right
until you find the gate leading to the robot boss.
---------
Metal Man
---------
At home in a room with a single conveyer belt, Metal Man owns his
domain. However, you have the boomerang gleaned from Quick Man, so this
encounter can be over almost as soon as it begins. Three or four hits from
the boomerang will quickly put Metal Man out of condition.
Meanwhile, Metal Man himself will be attacking. He leaps repeatedly into the
air and hurls metal blades your way. The conveyer belt on the floor will
also be pushing you one direction or another. Watch for the screen to flash,
which indicates that the conveyer belt has switched direction. Get too close
to Metal Man and he'll leap over your head to the other side of the room,
then chuck blades from afar yet again. It's an easy encounter with the
boomerang, or even with the arm cannon. When you win, the useful metal
blades will be yours.
Password: A-4, B-3, C-2,3,4, D-1,5, E-3,5
===============
005. Bubble Man
===============
A roaring waterfall serves as the main backdrop for this stage. Mega Man
will race along in front of it, then drop down to its base for some
underwater encounters. This is one of my favorite stages in the series
history, and it also happens to be a piece of cake now that you've acquired
Metal Man's blades.
Start by heading to the right. You're on a series of wide, white ledges, and
the only enemies are giant frogs that sound out little versions of themselves
to attack. They send three at a time, and will send more whenever those
first three are out of commission (either because you've shot them, or
because they foolishly leapt to their own doom). Metal blades work wonders
here, and you can even throw them diagonally if necessary. When you leap to
the fifth and final ledge, press quickly to the right, even though you'll
likely take a hit. This is preferable to standing along the edge and taking
a hit from a miniature frog that knocks you backward off the ledge and to
your death.
When you've taken out the third and final frog, continue on to a series of
red-colored ledges. They look almost like logs floating against the
backdrop. Hop quickly across them in one set of jumps. If you hesitate,
you'll end up falling to your death; the ledges can only sustain your weight
for the merest fraction of a second (though it is possible to quickly hop
across the whole set of them without causing even one of them to fall, if
you're particularly light-footed).
Once you've crossed that series of jumps, you'll have no choice but to
continue right, then drop down to the next screen below. The hermit crabs
here are actually taken out most easily with arm cannon shots. Hit them with
metal blade shots and you'll have to use multiple hits. If you have the
metal blade still equipped (and you likely should), avoiding them is almost
easier. They don't move very quickly.
Beyond the first screen of hermit crabs, you'll drop down to another, then
another. This one happens to be underwater. Note that when Mega Man is
underwater, a normal jump carries him to the very top of the screen! This is
important to keep in mind at all times, as you'll find in a moment. Drop
down to the next screen and head to the right. The ceiling is now lined with
spiked barbs. Just brushing them kills Mega Man instantly, so pay careful
attention to how hard you tap the 'A' button as you head to the right.
The first hazard you'll come to (other than the spikes) is a giant lantern
fish that sends out squid. You can kill any of the squid with a single shot
from the metal blades you're packing, but the fish itself is only vulnerable
if struck in the lantern. Hit it with five or six metal blades and the giant
fish will explode, allowing you to proceed.
Next you must navigate a series of ledges, while robotic jellyfish rain down
from above. They aren't your main concern, however. Instead, you should
continue to take note of the spikes. Because the ledges vary in elevation,
the safest technique is to cross the various ones, drop into a recess, then
tackle the next ledge. If you attempt them one at a time, you'll do
better. Trying to drop diagonally from one ledge to a shorter one just ahead
usually ends up with Mega Man brushing against a spike and heading back to
the stage's checkpoint, just before the lantern fish.
Speaking of the lantern fish, you'll encounter one just beyond the jellyfish,
after dropping through a narrow, spike-lined area. The strategy here is the
same as before, with the added hazard of spikes to the left. You should do
just fine if you focus, and beyond the second fish you'll find two more of
the giant frogs. Their little minions swim, now that they're underwater, but
the battle technique is mostly the same.
Past the frogs, you finally emerge from the dangerous water, and are back at
the waterfall. It's still easy to die, however, as you cross a final series
of ledges. The problem here is that crabs are falling from the sky. Wait
for them to fall and quickly take them out with metal blades before hopping
from one ledge to the next, or you may very well end up knocked into a
bottomless pit. Across this series of ledges and gaps, you'll find the gate
leading to the area's robot master.
----------
Bubble Man
----------
With a fish net behind him and spikes lining the ceiling, Bubble Man must
feel pretty confident. Shake that confidence with a few shots from Quick
Man's boomerang. Around six shots will do him in, as he glides around the
screen sending bubbly harpoons at Mega Man.
If you're using the arm cannon instead of the boomerang, note that you'll
want to jump in the air slightly after Bubble Man makes a leap, so that all
his shots pass over your head but you get in some shots of your own. It will
take quite a few shots from the arm cannon, but the battle is still quite
simple. Alternatively, you can use the metal blades and throw them
diagonally as your nemesis glides about the area. They work almost as well
as the boomerang. When you win the encounter, you'll get one of the most
important items in the game, the bubble lead.
Password: A-4, B-3, C-2,3,4 D-4,5, E-3,5
=============
006. Wood Man
=============
Massive trees and a series of caves that overlook a vast canopy of forest are
the highlights in the stage Wood Man calls his home. You'll also want to
look for leaping ostriches and giant wolves.
Before you encounter those beasts, though, you'll begin by heading right past
a set of bats and rabid rabbits. The bats cannot be hurt while they are
hanging like balls from the tree limbs, but the minute they swoop down to
attack, they're fair game. Have the metal blades ready and toss them
diagonally if appropriate, or get below a descending bat and send your shots
to the sky. The rabbits are a threat of more concern, as they hop toward
you and will toss the occasional carrot. You can leap the carrot, but a
better tactic is to send a flurry of blades toward the rabbits before they
get the chance to launch a proper attack.
Past the bats and rabbits is a ladder. Descend it quickly (you can jump
partway down to manage a swift drop, which is a time-saving tactic I
employ). You're now in a room with more of the bats, so drop down to their
level and take them out with more metal blades when they expose
themselves. You can now drop down a pit to the left, into a room with the
first of three giant wolves.
These guys are trickier than you might suppose, and the last thing you want
to do is stand at the base of the ladder; the wolf on the right side of the
screen will send an inverted arc of flame that will toast Mega Man. Instead,
work right and drop down to a level even with the wolf (you may also hop and
throw your blades downward at an angle). About five or six metal blades will
spell the end of Mr. Wolf.
There are two more to follow, in the succeeding two rooms. You'll have less
room to work with at this point, but should still be able to make the
trek. Just remember that when the wolf spews his flame, you can jump from
the left of the first of the fire, and land so that it has passed underneath
you. Repeat this technique a few times, tossing a blade or two at each leap,
and you'll do just fine.
Beyond the three wolves is a ladder leading up to a room with more bats, then
another passage that leads to ledges overlooking the forest. As you head to
the right, mechanical apes will latch themselves to the ledges just in front
of you. Quickly throw metal blades down at them. About three hits should
take out any apes that happen to appear. If you don't move quickly, the
beasts will leap up to your level and cause you damage.
While this section may sound simple, you also need to watch for the birds
overhead, which toss their eggs downward like bombs. If these strike a
ledge, they burst and a flock of angry baby birds will fly toward Mega Man,
so you want to hit bird and eggs with your blades in time to avert such a
disaster. When you cross over this set of ledges, there's yet another ladder
to descend.
Climb down that and you're in the first of three rooms with the mechanical
rabbits. As always, move forward and throw your blades downward at an angle
to take care of them before they can counter with carrots. When you pass
those three rooms, you're on the forest floor once more. This time, the threat
comes from ostrich-shaped robots that prance toward you. I haven't
experimented enough to find a weapon that harms them, but that's just
fine. Move forward in short spurts, pausing to stand still when a bird
approaches. If you stay in place and paused quickly enough, the foes will
jump directly over your head when they come within range, and you won't take
any damage at all. Continue past the birds and you'll reach the gate leading
to the robot master of this area.
--------
Wood Man
--------
When a robot lives in a hollowed out stump, you know he's going to be
cranky. Wood Man is one such robot. When you enter, he'll toss leaves up to
the ceiling while another set encircles him and protects him from your
firepower. He'll then toss that bunch at you and the leaves on the ceiling
will descend as he hops toward you. It's hard to avoid the falling leaves,
so instead focus your energies on metal blade shots.
You can hit him with one barrage that will take down most of his life before
he repeats the same pattern again. Just repeat what you did before until you
are able to finish him off with a second set of metal blades. It's a fairly
easy encounter.
Password: A-4, B-3, C-2,4, D-4,5, E-1,3,5
============
007. Air Man
============
Nestled in the clouds high above the city is the chamber Air Man uses for his
base. Since there's really not a proper pathway, you'll be relying on giant
gremlin heads and the occasional bit of scaffolding to pass through the
area. You'll even hitch a ride on some chariots!
Start the breathtaking trek by heading right along the gray
scaffolding. When you near its edge, the first of several gremlin heads will
appear. These giant robot forms are rather difficult if you wish to avoid
damage. On either side, horns will rise and fall, and a leap at the wrong
moment can damage Mega Man slightly. Worse, it may dump him off solid
footing and cause him to plunge to his death. Not a pretty picture. To
avoid this unfortunate fate, you might want to wait until a given set of
horns has just about finished receding. The only problem is that there are
other miniature forms popping out of tubes on the side of each head, so
you're almost better off making a mad dash for it with only occasional
pauses. It's your call. Either way, the metal blade is invaluable.
When you get past the first five gremlin heads, the stage grants you a
reprieve in the form of a thrilling set of leaps from chariots. Robots ride
these, naturally, and throw bolts of lightning. Take them out before that
chance arises with some well-timed metal blade shots, diagonally or
otherwise. The chariots move in circular paths, and you have to take out
robots before it's safe to leap from one to the next. If you mess up and a
leap is no longer safe, the chariot to the right may not immediately want to
appear. If this happens, step out on the far left side of your current
chariot, so that your toe barely remains on safe footing. When it completes
a full, circular revolution, the enemy to the right should reappear and
you'll have another chance.
Cross over the skies by way of chariot and you'll come to more
scaffolding. Here, birds attack by dropping their eggs as you push to the
right. Metal blades again are a joy, and you may even get some weapon
refills as you go. Push against the far right and you'll find a drop
obscured by the clouds. In the screen below, you can use your metal blades
to take out the short, red stations and the projectiles they create. Then
head to the far left, where clouds obscure another drop to the screen below.
Once you land, head to the right once more, using two more of the giant
gremlin heads to make the crossing to another series of ledges. A hazard
here is the set of enemies in the area. A giant robot sends out gusts of air
that will blow you back off a ledge if you're not careful. Three metal
blades will disable each of those, but you have to watch out for more of the
kamikaze birds in the meantime. Press onward along this series of ledges and
you will soon come to the gate that leads to this stage's boss encounter.
-------
Air Man
-------
As blowhards go, Air Man is the worst. He's also one of the tougher robot
masters. When the fight begins, he'll immediately start gusting, and you'll
have to push against his breath just to get within range. He also sends out
miniature cyclones in what appears to be random formation, and you should hop
over these once they break free of his gusts and fly toward you.
The problem is that the minute one set of gusts is gone, Air Man will send
another. Get too close to him-within striking distance, that is-and he'll
hop over to the other side of the screen. Thus, you'll have to attack from
medium range. Fortunately, the air tornadoes that strike you don't do a
terrible amount of damage, so you can keep crossing over them to get in your
attack. And what is it that you use to attack? Why, the leaf shield, of
course!
The trick to using that weapon effectively is to make sure you're walking
toward Air Man as you press the 'B' button to deploy the barrier. This will
cause the leaves to go flying in that direction with only the slightest of
delays. It's slightly slower than an arm cannon shot, meaning that you have
to work quickly. However, two successful hits from this weapon will send Air
Man to the scrap heap. You'll get not only his air tornadoes as a reward,
but also item two, a rocket jet you can use to cross over the wide gaps that
lie ahead.
Password: A-4, B-1,3, C-2,4, D-4, E-1,3,5
==============
008. Crash Man
==============
While I'm not sure quite what it is Crash Man uses as his lair, there's no
denying that it looks cool. Coppery pipes and bulbous orange containers form
platforms leading so high into the sky that the atmosphere loses its color
into the murky blackness that hides Crash Man's chamber.
Begin your ascent by making sure you have metal blades equipped. They're
perhaps never more useful than they are in this stage, and you'll be using
them constantly. Quickly take out the three robots patrolling the air above
you, and head up the ladders. Those enemies re-spawn indefinitely, thanks to
the pipes, so only defeat them if they get near enough to knock you from
ladders.
In the next area, head to your right past some hardhat enemies. They are
only vulnerable when they lift the lids to fire three-way shots, so you might
take a small amount of damage when defeating each of these. Beyond is a
ladder leading to the first of three rooms with mechanical lifts.
Here, somewhere off-screen, more pipes generate an endless stream of the
robots. Your goal in each of these three screens is to reach the ladder in
the top corner without being knocked from your perch. While you can switch
to the leaf shield to accomplish this task, it's more fun to move about with
metal blades serving as your protection. Either way, you shouldn't have much
trouble getting to the top of this series of rooms if you keep your wits
about you.
Once you're on level ground again, proceed to the right and take out the
moving stone column. Regular arm cannon shots seem simpler here, though a
metal blade can do the job just as well if it is aimed properly. Climb the
ladder beyond and you'll ascend a few screens to the top. Here, you can look
to the left and see another hardhat enemy resting on a ledge. If you try to
actually shoot it when it is exposed, its return fire is likely to knock you
off the ledge (not fatal, thankfully) and you'll have to climb again. An
easier tactic is to simply hop quickly across the ledges so that your second
hop takes you to the ladder over the enemy's head while its shots pass
underneath you.
At the top of that ledge is more even ground, with two ladders and a
hardhat. Take out the hardhat, then climb up the left of the two
ladders. The next few screens can be a pain in the butt because there are
birds that constantly bombard you with eggs, which then burst and send out
flocks of miniature, mechanical birds. Metal blades again can save the day,
though you may still take a few hits if you're careless. What you want to do
as you're climbing is to keep to the left. Keep ascending and you'll soon
come to a ledge with an energy tank.
If you skipped the second energy tank in Metal Man's stage and got all the
others without using any of them on previous boss encounters, you should now
have four energy tanks in your possession. Now, you should see that the
ledge allowing you to proceed is to your upper right, and you can't quite
reach it with a normal jump. Rather than climbing back down the ladders to
take the other branch, set out item number two to the left to serve as a
ledge. Hop quickly to it, then back up to the right. You should reach the
ledge if you do it right (note that item number two should be set high enough
off the ground to serve as a genuine step, but not so high that you can't
reach it with a hop from the ground).
Once you're up on that ledge, it's a simple walk to the right past some
robots that rain down from the sky (metal blades take them out quickly, so
you can recharge life and weapons energy if desired) to the gate that leads
to this stage's robot master!
---------
Crash Man
---------
If you don't have any special weapons, this guy can be tough as
nails. However, you do have the correct weapon if you've been following this
guide.
Crash Man jumps all around the room, tossing his crash bombs. They do a lot
of damage if they connect, and it's also going to hurt if you touch the
robot's body. Your best chance is to end the battle quickly. The best way
to do this is with the air tornadoes you got from Air Man. In fact, two
direct hits will put an end to Crash Man's evil ways. Your reward is the
super-useful crash bomb. Only one more robot master remains before the
arduous assault on Dr. Wily himself!
Password: A-5, B-2,4, C-3,5, D-4,5, E-2,4
=============
009. Heat Man
=============
At the end of a long, flame soaked sewer system, you'll find Heat Man. It's
the level navigation that is the issue.
Start by heading to the right, as always. You'll need to hop from platform
to platform, avoiding the lava flow between them. Monsters will be dropping
from the ceiling as you progress, but you can easily take out each of those
with shots from the metal blade. There also are more of the robots that look
like miniature trash cans. These are produced by the numerous black holes
that dot the wall behind this portion of the level.
Work to the right and you'll soon come to a series of brick columns rising
from the lava. The number of black holes and enemies here quite naturally
increases, so you'll have to take out opponents, quickly hop to the next
ledge, and repeat as necessary to get across the molten soup. Note that if
you are bumped by an enemy and knocked into the lava, you may be able to jump
out before your temporary invulnerability wears off. If not, consider
yourself dead; touching the lava while not immune is fatal.
When the lava ends, the stone ledges do not. You'll have to cross several
more that hang over a bottomless pit, before at last you can make a long leap
to safer ground. There are more of the springy enemies here, so watch for
them as you climb some ledges and proceed to the right, where a ladder will
lead you down to the room below.
Here, the notorious appearing/disappearing blocks from the original Mega Man
make their appearance. It's easy, though, and you'll move past this just
fine if you are patient. Start by standing on the second brick from the wall
(the one on which the ladder rests is the first). When a block appears to
your upper left, hop onto it, then immediately hop straight up. If you time
it right, a new brick will appear beneath you. You'll be standing on it, and
from there you should wait a brief moment before jumping left, where the
room's third brick will appear for a time. From there, you can jump over to
another ledge, then descend that ladder.
The next room is another lengthy chamber with more of the bricks, as well as
the garbage can enemies. Patience is again a necessity. Head slowly to the
right. The columns here have destructible walls at their base, if you want
to go that route. A simpler method is to just use the
disappearing/reappearing blocks to scale them. However, you'll have to risk
several bottomless pits along the way. Time your jumps poorly and a block
might suddenly occupy the same space as Mega Man, at which point you'll land
back in the soup. Take your time to plan the jumps and this section is a
piece of cake.
Once you get past the potentially dangerous columns, you're almost through
the stage. Hop over some pits to the right, and continue along until you see
a spring-like enemy racing toward you. Hop up to the ledge, then proceed
along it while the springy fellow passes below.
Now you have a choice. You can use disappearing/reappearing blocks in the
area to make a long crossing over first solid ground, then lava. Or, you can
drop down to the ground below and proceed to the right, to a short gray wall
overlooking the lava. Once at that wall, you can then use item two and
safely fly over all the lava, over the bottomless pit beyond, and to safe
ground. I recommend the latter, unless you just want to challenge yourself
(and it is quite the challenge).
Once you're over the lava and the bottomless pit, you can press to the right
and then descend a ladder, to a room with one of the mech robots. Take out
his legs with an air tornado shot, then defeat the rider. Continue left,
down the ladder, and you'll at last find yourself at the gate to the last of
the eight robot masters. Whew!
--------
Heat Man
--------
Though he's a bit hot under the collar, Heat Man still shouldn't present much
of a challenge if you counter with the bubble lead.
When he first appears, Heat Man will throw a set of flame columns that rise
from the ground. It usually lands between you and he, so you'll have to leap
it (and likely take damage) to have any chance at a clear shot. If Heat Man
doesn't start blazing at this point, quickly hit him with the bubble
lead. However, you should prepare to jump if he blazes, as he'll soon be
flashing across the screen, impervious to your attacks.
The battle ends when you've managed to break through his defenses and hit him
three times with the bubble lead. Your rewards, if you've been following
this guide, are the fire attack, item one (a useful platform item you'll have
to use in the next stage), and a glimpse at Dr. Wily as he wiggles his
eyebrows and flees to his castle.
Password: A-5, B-2,4, C-1,3,5, D-4,5, E-2
======================
010. Dr. Wily's Castle
======================
Well, you've finally made it to the mad doctor's hideout. You've done well
to defeat all eight of the robots, but your journey is not yet over. You're
perhaps two thirds of the way, with the worst yet to come.
There are a total of six stages in this final leg of your journey. You do
not get to choose the order in which you tackle these last stages, and each
of them will put your knowledge of the weapons you possess to the test. By
now, you should have four full energy tanks (if not, feel free to use the
password referenced above after the walkthrough for Heat Man's stage, as it
takes you to this point in the game with the four tanks). There also are
more tanks in the castle itself.
Because the game does not generate passwords for these final areas, you'll
have to tackle them all at once. Be sure to conserve your energy tanks as
directed in this guide. You'll need them for the final few areas. With that
said, let's get down to business!
==============
011. Stage One
==============
The first stage of the castle is a good warm-up for what is to come. Begin
by equipping the metal blade weapon and heading to the right. The birds
you've no doubt come to love will zip across the screen above, dropping their
eggs, so be prepared to nip that problem in the bud with some diagonal blade
shots. You'll soon come to a short, stone tower, and the easiest way to
scale it is to use item three. Hop on board, ride up the wall, then keep
moving.
There are plenty of hardhat enemies just beyond, so take those out as
appropriate and move on until you've reached a second surveillance
tower. Scale this wall, as well. On the other side, there's a station that
generates projectiles, so use a metal blade to take those out and fill up on
any necessary life and special weapons energy.
When that is tended to, turn your attention to the stone wall at your
right. Use item three again to scale this, and then climb the ladder that
leads up into the next screen. You will now be near one of the shielded
soldiers, so exercise caution as you take him out while avoiding his
shots. Even if you suffer a little damage, you should be fine.
The ladder on the right side of that screen leads to yet another armored
guard, whom you should take out as you did the one previously. The next
ladder takes you up to solid ground, and another of the springy
monsters. Hop it as it makes its rapid approach, then go to the wall and
climb the next ladder to its top.
You now will find yourself looking out to the left, over a pit. There's a
ladder in the upper left hand corner, but reaching it can prove
difficult. Switch to item one. Now, you will need to hop out using three of
the ledges to reach the ladder, without falling too short or gaining too much
elevation. If you create a ledge, then jump, then create a ledge, then jump,
and repeat, there's a good chance you'll get too high and bump your head just
short of grabbing the ladder. Instead, press 'A' and 'B' simultaneously as
you make three swift jumps to the left. You'll arrive at the ladder with
plenty of head room to spare.
When you climb to the top of the ladder, the stage is almost over. Head
right along the lengthy ledge, cross along two longer ledges, and ahead
you'll see a series of single gray blocks suspended over space. Start
crossing those and you'll find yourself in the midst of a boss battle.
----------
The Dragon
----------
As Mega Man works to cross the wide, bottomless pit leading to the right, the
game will slow slightly and a huge monster will rise from the depths behind
him. Now Mega Man must move carefully while the screen continues to
scroll. If he moves too quickly, the next portion of safe footing will not
be in place when he leaps. If he moves slowly, the dragon will bump him or
his ledge into the abyss.
Keep hopping along to the right, until you come to a series of ledges. You
want to hop first to the top of those three, then fire your arm cannon shots
at the dragon's eyes as it rises to your level. Keep shooting, and watch for
the fireball it breathes in your direction. Be sure to hop that. If it
bumps you back, hopefully you'll still be able to land on the next ledge just
below you and to the right, from which you can continue firing. However, you
will want to return to the upper ledge when it is safe to do so, just to keep
that safety net.
Fire enough shots at his eyes and the dragon will begin to flash, then
explode. The first boss is done for, but there are many more to go.
==============
012. Stage Two
==============
The second level picks things up a notch due to the number of ways Mega Man
can die an instant, grisly death. From the start, have him head right along
the descending ledges. There are more enemies that fall from above, so the
metal blades are a good safety precaution in this area. You should move
quickly.
When you reach the end of the ledges, you'll find that a long bed of spikes
lines the path ahead. Switch to item two and use it to ride across this
hazard. As you do so, hold the 'up' button on the controller. You'll be
watching for a set of ladders. Ignore the first one and instead press the
'A' button as you pass beneath the second one. With 'up' also held on the
controller, this is an easy jump to the ladder, which Mega Man will start
climbing.
Once he reaches the top of the ladder, have him walk to the right and collect
the castle's first energy tank, then descend the ladder to another ledge
where a 1-up icon rests. Continue down past the series of ladders, and you
can refill the special weapon energy for item two as you go. You'll also
encounter some red robots that shoot bullets, so take them out quickly with
metal blades.
In this area, you should also see destructible walls that prevent you from
snagging another 1-up icon and yet another energy tank. Use the crash bombs
to break through and collect that bounty, if desired. From that screen,
descend the ladder and you'll find yourself hanging over a bed of
spikes. Drop and aim toward the right, and you'll fall through an opening to
the safety of a narrow tunnel that waits below.
Proceed along the tunnel, and you'll find more of the metal pods familiar from
Metal Man's stage. Though you can run back and forth here to collect
special weapon energy and even 1-up icons (which appear with reasonable
frequency), you may prefer simply to press onward, to the block wall that
lies beyond. You must scale this with item three, and be sure that you do
not let the steel trap hit you at the top. From there, continue along the
corridor, dodging the steel traps that will try and crush you.
The space between each of these traps is quite narrow, and one trick that
seems to work for me is to run between them, then hop when I'm in one of the
openings so I don't accidentally run too far and hit the next trap. It's
risky business, but you want to conserve your energy for the boss encounter
not far beyond.
When you reach the end of this next passage, a ladder leads down to the next
room. Here, there are a few blocks suspended over two more beds of
spikes. Use the blocks to reach the opening, then drop down through it to
the next room below, which has still more spikes. There are more blocks
here, as well as an energy capsule resting on a nearby ledge. If you need
to, you can use item one to reach that energy refill before dropping through
the next gap to face the stage's boss.
--------------
Crumbling Wall
--------------
For this boss encounter, you will find yourself in a small room. You may
notice that it is comprised of pink blocks. Soon, you will see that two of
these break away at a time, fly to the center of the screen, and form a
speedy little robot that will crash into you for some serious damage.
Quickly switch to the metal blade if it's not already equipped, and try to
stay near the bottom center of the screen. This gives you the most time to
react to wherever the tiles may break away from the walls. They follow a
pattern, which you'll soon get down, but it's not a pattern that can be
usefully described in a walkthrough such as this one. Just know that you
need to be ready to avoid tiles from low along both walls, midway up both
walls, the top portion of both walls, and from the left and right sides of
the floors.
As you defeat more of the flying tile robots, they'll begin to move more
speedily. Therefore, it's important that you be ready to not only avoid them
as they're being created, but also to hit them with some metal blade shots
the minute they've been created. There's no way to speed up this
battle. Victory depends on your ability to react quickly and, perhaps, the
use of a single energy tank (if you feel you really need it, though you
shouldn't). After all, you'll be able to replace that energy tank in the
next stage.
================
013. Stage Three
================
Though this stage is quite short, to the point where there's no checkpoint at
the middle, you would do well to not expect a walk in the park. From the
ledge where you appear at the start, walk off it to the right, and press
against that wall so that as you fall into the next room, you land on a
single-block ledge nearby. From here, you can use crash bombs to destroy a
twin set of barriers that blocks the castle's final energy tank. If you have
all four energy tanks already, of course, you needn't waste your time.
From the hole where the energy tank rests, go ahead and jump back out to the
block, then to the next block that hangs in the air to its left. Walk off
that block and make a straight drop down through the next screen, and to the
screen below that. You should land nicely on a ledge between two spike-
filled pits.
There are more spike-lined pits to the right, with ledges between, and you'll
need to cross over the ledges and head to the right. Note that you're
underwater, so remember your jumps carry you further than normal. When you
see pits that do not have spikes lining them, beware. Giant fish will leap
out of these pits if you get to close. Good jumps will carry you over those
monsters.
Beyond the pits of spikes, there's a low ceiling with more spikes ling
it. Continue along that path and you'll soon come to a steep drop ahead,
with spikes lining either side. When you fall through that opening, you want
to be lined up with the middle of the passage, or you'll hit unseen spikes in
the next screen. As you fall into the next screen, you'll want to snake your
way through another series of spikes, so that you're again at the center when
you drop into yet another spike-lined screen. From here, just fall straight
down until you land on a ledge, then loop around those ledges and spikes and
drop down the left side of the screen, to the bottom of the passage. Walk
right and you'll be able to jump out of the water at last.
From this new ledge, drop down to face a hallway with more of the red,
bullet-firing robots. They should almost be a relief by now, and shortly
thereafter is the gate leading to this stage's boss.
---------
Bulldozer
---------
This cheerful looking dozer is not as friendly as he might at first
seem. When he rolls onto the scene, jump onto the tip of his upper deck, out
of range of his smashing fists, and from there jump into the air and start
throwing quick boomerangs at his head. A few shots to the face will put the
machine out of commission, but there are complications.
For one, jumping into the air from a moving dozer is difficult in that your
safe landing may change position. So be careful that you land correctly, and
don't fall into a fist on the way down or let it roll into you. Also, the
dozer sends hardhat enemies out of its mouth, and they make things
difficult. However, if you were quick on the offensive right from the start
of the battle, you'll probably be watching the dozer explode before it gets
much of a chance to try anything fancy. Not really a difficult battle.
===============
014. Stage Four
===============
Of all the stages in the game, this is the one that irritates me most. It
seems most people agree, too. The first half is a set of trick ledges, while
the second is a complicated ride on rails that leads to an enemy I always
lose one life battling.
To begin, make sure your crash bomb meter is full. If not, grab the two
refills nearby. When that's done, climb the ladder directly overhead. At
the top, you'll fight a hardhat enemy, then climb yet another ladder. In
this screen, some of the floors are not so solid as they seem. Climb up to
about midlevel, then jump to the ladder that leads up to the next
screen. Yet again, the footing is not solid. You'll pass right through some
of the ledges if you try to walk on them. Either keep trying until you
figure out which ledges are safe and which ones aren't (a fall isn't fatal,
just irritating), or use item two and fly over those blocks to the ladder
that leads to the next screen.
When you reach this screen, walk across the (thankfully) solid footing at the
lower level, and climb the ladder up to the bridge leading over the bed of
spikes. There's false footing here, too. You can either run toward the
ladder and jump when you're sure Mega Man can reach it (the false floor is
just to the right of the ladder), or you can use item two again and fly to
safety.
Climb that ladder into the next room and-you guessed it-you'll find even more
false footing. Note that on this screen, you can cross to about the halfway
point on the second ledge up, then use item one to create a platform and ride
it up through the false floor to the ledge above (to determine the location
of the false floor, just hop until you find the ceiling you can pass
through). By riding that ledge, you can reach more solid footing and grab
the castle's last energy tank, if you need it. Otherwise, just climb the
ladder on the left side of the screen, up to the next screen.
At last, you're done with the false footing, and at the level's midway
checkpoint.
From here, walk to the right, where a ladder descends to a series of four
rooms with lifts. You'll want to have the metal blades equipped, if you
don't already. In the first room, wait for it to pass beneath the ladder
and start its upward climb. You can now safely drop down. Ride the lift
until you can jump and reach the ladder on the screen's lower left corner,
then climb down it so that you're hanging over the pit of spikes in the next
room.
Now you should wait until a straight drop will allow you to land on this
ledge. Ride it toward the right side of the screen, but be prepared to jump
up to the first outcropping. If you try and ride the platform all the way
through, other ledges will knock you away. From your new vantage point, wait
until the moving platform passes through the narrow opening, then hop back on
it. Ride it for a short moment, then from there jump to the right. Drop off
that ledge to the next ladder, and descend it into the next room.
This third lift room is one of the easier ones. Hang on the ladder until the
lift is below, then drop down to ride it for a moment. When you near the
short, block wall, you'll have to hop onto it briefly, then from there back
to the moving platform as it takes you down to the point where you can drop
through the opening.
You're now on a ledge in the final room with moving platforms. Walk over to
the edge of that ledge, and drop down to the moving platform as soon as it is
in position. From there, hop immediately to the single block to the left,
over the spikes. Now you have two options. The first is to wait until the
platform moves around so its positioned about halfway between you and the
ladder, then jump to the platform and from there to the ladder. Otherwise,
you can use item two.
When you reach the safety of the ladder, switch to the air tornado and drop
to the room below. You're now in a long passage with three shielded robots,
two of which are riding robots. Take them out one at a time, as per normal,
and you'll finally come to the gate that leads to the stage's guardian.
------------
Wall Cannons
------------
The room in which you find yourself is filled with cannons mounted on the
wall. The only thing that will harm them is your crash bomb. Unfortunately,
most of the cannons are also blocked by walls. These walls can be destroyed by
crash cannon shots, but there just isn't enough energy in your tank to do both
in one round, even if your meter starts out full.
You have two options here. For years, I would follow the first of the two
options. However, you should learn from my stupidity and follow the second.
Here are both options, outlined in their full glory:
1) The first time you reach the bosses, take out each of the walls, then let
the cannons kill you. When you reappear earlier in the stage, backtrack to
fill up your special weapon energy again, then re-attempt the cannons. This
time, you'll have plenty of firepower to take them all out (the walls won't
have reappeared).
2) Use your platform item to ride up over the walls (while avoiding cannon
shots) and take out only the cannons with your shots. This will save you the
time of attempting the boss with two lives. It's particularly useful if you
arrive at the cannons, only to find that you're down to your last life. Who
wants to go back and refill your special weapon meter, anyway?
Like I said, the second option is superior to the one I followed for years.
Use the first option only if you have difficulty with the second and are
patient. Also, you can apparently avoid damage from the cannon fire if you
rapidly pause and unpause the game just as they are firing. You will blink and
the shots will go through you, according to one reader (sorry, I don't remember
who). I actually haven't tested this theory, but I figured it was worth
mentioning since someone took the time to e-mail me about it.
===============
015. Stage Five
===============
This stage is extremely short, and should be rather simple for you. There's
no screen scrolling, as battle consists of one screen at a time.
You start in a central room, with glowing panels lining the outer
side. There are eight of them, and each leads to a boss battle with one of
the eight robot masters you've already defeated. They fall just as easily
now as they did before. The best order to tackle them seems to be as
follows:
[1] [8]
[2] [7]
[3][4][5][6]
As you defeat each robot, a large energy capsule will be left behind to
restore any damage you may have taken. You should be able to blow through
all eight robots with only minimal damage taken. One note: use the metal
blade when fighting Metal Man (yes, his own weapon) and you will take him
down with only one hit.
When you have defeated all eight of the robot masters, a new portal will
appear directly overhead, and you can enter it to fight Dr. Wily.
--------
Dr. Wily
--------
If you've played Mega Man, this attack should be familiar. You're on the
left side of the screen, and Dr. Wily is on the right, piloting a giant
spacecraft. You should be able to tell where he's sitting, by guessing at
the approximate cockpit location. It's pretty obvious. That location is
where you should aim your shots.
Whenever I fight him, I just use metal blades. I believe I recall crash
bombs doing fair damage, as well, but they take longer to detonate. Once you
have hit his spacecraft enough times in the cockpit, the shield covering it
will shatter. You're still not done, however. Instead, you must continue
striking the same area.
About halfway through the battle, at the point where the shield falls away,
you'll have to work harder to dodge all the projectiles. They bounce along
like beach balls, but they hurt a lot more when they connect! If you need to
use an energy tank, feel free to do so. It shouldn't take more than one to
survive this particular battle. When the ship explodes, you'll know you're
almost done.
Amidst the explosions and bursts of light, Dr. Wily manages to escape yet
again, in his private pod, and the castle's final level appears.
==============
016. Stage Six
==============
After such a great adventure, it all comes down to this. Dr. Wily's true lab
is hidden deep within the rock crater. After a long fall down a tunnel
shaft, you'll have to venture to the right along a hallway dripping acidic
ooze.
If any of the drops touch you, they do quite a bit of damage. For the most
part, they're in single or double formation. Just wait for a drop to spatter
against the rock, then move forward. There are two sets of three droplets,
and in these cases, you have to move at an even speed once the first drop
falls. It's not hard if you're patient. At the end of the corridor, there's
a gate that leads to the final encounter.
--------
Dr. Wily
--------
At last, you've truly made it to the game's boss. When you enter, you'll see
what looks like Dr. Wily emerging from a space pod. However, the body
morphs. Suddenly, you're fighting what can only be described as a skeletal
alien with a giant green booger over its head.
Throughout the fight, gravity will be working against you, though it's not
possible to see which way things are blowing because the whole room is dark,
aside from your glowing rival. Just push against the gravity until you get
within range, then jump and toss the bubble lead weapon. Be careful not to
waste your shots. Also, try to avoid contact when possible. Touching the
alien form damages you a great deal. Hopefully, you still have two energy
tanks left, just in case.
After about twelve shots with the bubble lead, Dr. Wily will be
finished. Time to enjoy the ending and closing credits.
===============
017. Conclusion
===============
And there you have it. Mega Man 2 is concluded, the credits rolling. But is
the journey really over? Sadly, yes. However, you can still go back and
play through again.
There are some great ways to challenge yourself. For example, how many of
the stages can you play through without taking a hit? Can you beat each of
the stages without the use of any special weapons or energy tanks? It's
always fun to try tackling the robots in different order, too, and to
experiment with techniques other than those outlined in this guide. Also,
there are numerous passwords available on this site that will allow you to
just goof off and have fun. The journey may well be over, but it's one worth
taking again and again...
Thanks for reading this guide! I played through each level as I wrote this,
and I think that shows in the way the guide is written. The passwords
provided are mine, too. About fifty million people wrote me to mention
alternate strategies for the wall cannon area, but there were too many to
credit and so I'm afraid I can't give anyone a moment of glory. Other than
that, everything in the guide came from my own mind. Go, me!
Copyright 2004 Jason Venter
This may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other
web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a
violation of copyright.
