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//version 2.0// //updated 12-17-2012//
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============ MEGA MAN 4 ===========
== (ROCKMAN 4: ARATANARU YABO!!) ==
========= STRATEGY GUIDE ==========
======= written by NeoChozo =======
====== www.themmnetwork.com/ ======
===================================
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Welcome to the Mega Man Network walkthrough and strategy guide for MEGA
MAN 4, the third title in CAPCOM's original MEGA MAN series. This text
document covers all of the stage guides and other pertinent information
for completing this title. Use the index below as a reference guide,
and visit Mega Man Network's MEGA MAN games section for more informat-
ion on this game as well as information and walkthroughs for the other
games in the series.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
== CONTENTS ==
==============
1. Introduction
2. About This Game
3. The Story So Far
4. Recommended Order
5. Weapons and Items
6. Walkthrough
A. Toad Man's Stage
B. Bright Man's Stage
C. Pharaoh Man's Stage
D. Ring Man's Stage
E. Dust Man's Stage
F. Skull Man's Stage
G. Dive Man's Stage
H. Drill Man's Stage
I. Cossack Citadel, Stage 1
J. Cossack Citadel, Stage 2
K. Cossack Citadel, Stage 3
L. Cossack Citadel, Stage 4
M. Skull Castle-4, Stage 1
N. Skull Castle-4, Stage 2
O. Skull Castle-4, Stage 3
P. Skull Castle-4, Stage 4
7. Item Locations
8. Secrets and Tips
9. Legal
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===================
== 1. INTRODUCTION:
===================
MEGA MAN 4 was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), though the
title has been ported to numerous other platforms over the years, including the
PlayStation (PSX), PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation Store (PSS), the Xbox
(MXB), the GameCube (GCN), and more recently, the Wii Virtual Console (WVC).
Refer to the setup manual for more detailed information on your individual
platform.
======================
== 2. ABOUT THIS GAME:
======================
MEGA MAN 4 follows less than a year after the release of MEGA MAN 3, and for
the most part is pretty much the same thing you've come to expect from the last
three titles. For only the second time in the series, you actually have a co-
herent plot that follows through the game, and in fact is the first time that
an actual story sequence has shown Rock's conversion into Mega Man.
MEGA MAN 4 adds a few new features to the gameplay, much like how MEGA MAN 3
gave you the power to slide and the Rush Adapters. This time, you have the MEGA
BUSTER, an upgrade to your Arm Cannon that allows you to store energy by hold-
ing the Attack button for a more powerful blast. Secondly, while you still get
the Rush Adapters, there are two more power-up items to be found - the Balloon
and the Wire Adapters. Finally, the "extra stages" that were introduced in the
previous game are replaced here by another set of fortress levels, specifically
Dr. Cossack's Citadel, as a way of moving the plot forward. Other than that,
it's the standard "defeat eight Robot Masters before moving to the end stages"
formula, and your classic style 2D sidescrolling Mega Man action.
=======================
== 3. THE STORY SO FAR:
=======================
It is the year 20XX... Mega Man, champion of peace, has ended Dr. Wily's plans
to use the large peace-keeping robot named Gamma as an instrument for his third
attempt at conquering the world. Mega Man only escaped the destruction when his
mysterious brother, Proto Man, rescued him, but as far as everyone else is con-
cerned, Dr. Wily was caught in the blast and is presumed dead.
A year later, Mega Man and Dr. Light receive a letter from the unknown Russian
roboticist, Dr. Mikhail Cossack. Dr. Cossack claims he has created new Robot
Masters and sent them with a single mission: destroy Mega Man, to prove that HE
is the world's foremost expert in robotic engineering.
With the safety of the world at stake once again and a price on his head this
time, Mega Man heads to the battlefield once again to put a stop to this new
enemy's ambition to take over the world.
========================
== 4. RECOMMENDED ORDER:
========================
Like all of its predecessors, you'll face eight Robot Masters in any order of
your choice before advancing to the second half of the game. Each Robot Master
is weak to another's weapon, so the order proceeds in a "loop" pattern. You'll
use a weapon on another Robot Master and then use that weapon on another, and
so on until the loop is complete. Of course you can tackle the Robot Masters in
any order you wish, but this one is the easiest to follow.
BOSS WEAKNESS WEAPON OBTAINED
==== ======== ===============
Toad Man Mega Buster/Drill Bomb Rain Flush
Bright Man Rain Flush Flash Stopper
Pharaoh Man Flash Stopper Pharaoh Shot
Ring Man Pharaoh Shot Ring Boomerang
Dust Man Ring Boomerang Dust Crusher
Skull Man Dust Crusher Skull Barrier
Dive Man Skull Barrier/Mega Buster Dive Missile
Drill Man Dive Missile/Mega Buster Drill Bomb
NOTE: Like previous MEGA MAN games, some of the names differ in translation
(though the weapon names remain the same). If you are using this walkthrough
for the Japanese version, ROCKMAN 4, the name differences are as follows:
Proto Man - Blues
Dr. Light - Dr. Right
The Robot Master names remain the same, except for the "-man" convention; i.e.
Toad Man is Toadman, Bright Man is Brightman, and so on. Additionally, the Jap-
anese version has a subtitle, "A New Ambition!!", that is not found in the
North American version.
========================
== 5. WEAPONS AND ITEMS:
========================
Each defeated Robot Master yields another weapon to your arsenal. These weapons
are useful for more than just defeating more bosses, so experiment with the
weapons a bit and you might have an easier time.
WEAPONS
=======
1. MEGA BUSTER
Mega Man's standard weapon can be charged up for a more powerful blast.
The longer you hold down the button, the larger the blast will be. You can
only have three standard plasma blasts on the screen at one time, though.
- CHARGE LEVEL 1 (flashing blue): Small yellow blast with regular bullet.
- CHARGE LEVEL 2 (flashing blue & green): Larger blue and white blast.
2. RAIN FLUSH
Gained from Toad Man, this weapon allows you to fire a small orb into the
air that will create a torrent of acid rain for about three seconds.
3. FLASH STOPPER
Gained from Bright Man, this Time Stopper copy freezes the action, except
it also allows you to fire your Arm Cannon while it's active.
4. PHARAOH SHOT
Gained from Pharaoh Man, this weapon allows you to hurl balls of fire for-
ward. You can charge this up as well for a much more powerful version.
5. RING BOOMERANG
Gained from Ring Man, this weapon allows you to throw a small boomerang
out, which will then return to you. If you catch an item in the ring's
path, you can also grab the item and return it to you.
6. DUST CRUSHER
Gained from Dust Man, this weapon allows you to fire a compacted cube of
garbage as a forward projectile.
7. SKULL BARRIER
Gained from Skull Man, this Shield variant surrounds you with rotating
skulls.
8. DIVE MISSILE
Gained from Dive Man, these slow-moving missiles will home in on metal
objects (so basically any enemy in the game).
9. DRILL BOMB
Gained from Drill Man, this weapon allows you to fire timed bombs that
will attach to objects and then detonate. You can also detonate it in mid-
flight.
POWER-UP ITEMS
==============
1. ENERGY TANKS
These are portable LE storage units that will refill your LE meter in a
pinch. You can carry up to nine of these items, and you will find them
scattered throughout stages.
2. BALLOON ADAPTER
This is found in PHARAOH MAN's stage. This is similar to the Item-1 from
MEGA MAN 2, in that you can create up to three balloon platforms for vert-
ical ascents.
3. WIRE ADAPTER
This item is found in DIVE MAN's stage. This deploys a small grappling
hook that can latch onto surfaces and help to pull you up.
RUSH ADAPTERS
=============
1. RUSH COIL
You will begin the game with this. Just like MEGA MAN 3, jump on Rush's
back and he'll deploy a small springboard to help you reach higher areas.
2. RUSH MARINE
This is earned by defeating TOAD MAN. Just like MEGA MAN 3, use it under-
water and Rush turns into a small submarine.
3. RUSH JET
This is earned by defeating DRILL MAN. Not as useful as MEGA MAN 3's ver-
sion, this time Rush becomes a jet sled that will constantly move forward,
though you can control his ascent and descent with the D-Pad.
==================
== 6. WALKTHROUGH:
==================
The game walkthrough itself is broken into segments that comprise the "stages"
of the game. Each stage walkthrough will take you through that stage, past the
Robot Master, and go over any backtracking that needs to be done through prev-
ious levels as a result of acquiring a new item before moving onto the next
stage. The walkthrough will begin at the first recommended stage.
6A: TOAD MAN'S STAGE
=====================
Start off heading to the right. You'll run into a few flying birds, but don't
bother with them right now, just slide under them and try to avoid their
little birds that follow you. Shoot the red umbrella robots to get them out
of the way, and proceed to the pitfall at the end. Fall down into the sewer
area and ride the water current, firing at any enemies clinging to the ceil-
ing or ones that are lurking in the water. After a bit, you'll have to leap
from platform to platform, but this won't be any real problem to you as long
as you keep up with the currents. Drop down two more levels to challenge a
mini-boss.
MINI-BOSS BATTLE: SEWER SNAIL
-----------------------------
This mini-boss can't be hurt if its eyes are closed, so you have to wait.
Have your Buster charged and wait. Sometimes the eyes will fly out at you,
which you can slide under, or it will toss a bomb from its back, which you
can jump away from. Hit its eyes enough times and it will explode.
Once you've defeated it, move on more to the right past some more water curr-
ents. At the next drop, you'll go down two levels and challenge the same mini
boss a second time. Use the same tactics, except be wary of the water current
trying to carry you away. Defeat this one and go to the right to reach the
last area, which involves some precise jumping over platform segments while
fish and other enemies leap out trying to hurt you. Don't let yourself fall
onto the spike traps, and make it across to reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: TOAD MAN
---------------------
Toad Man is the epitome of easy, so long as you don't give him a chance to
use any of his attacks. If you want a challenge, though, just let him do
his thing. Know his basic attacks and how to defend and you'll have an easy
time.
1. RAIN FLUSH: When he flashes and shakes his body like a belly dancer,
he'll call down his burst of acid rain. This attack does a lot of damage
and cannot be avoided.
2. JUMPING: He jumps around a lot, and inflicts a lot of damage if he
strikes you.
3. ARM CANNON: He will occasionally supplement his attacks with regular old
Buster fire.
Don't bother charging the Mega Buster here, just concentrate more on rapid-
firing at Toad Man. Every time you hit him, Toad Man will jump over you,
so slide under him, turn and repeat. Slide, turn and fire...over and over
again until you bring this Robot Master to his knees.
Toad Man's destruction gives you the Rain Flush and the RUSH MARINE ADAPTER.
Head back to the Stage Select and select Bright Man's stage next.
6B: BRIGHT MAN'S STAGE
======================
This stage will be a bit haphazard due to the lights going off and on, but
once you get the hang of it, it won't be so bad. The first part of the stage
requires that you dodge the red robots (shooting them turns out the lights)
or shooting them and then firing on the green robots (which will restore the
power) while leaping across some pretty large gaps. After you clear this
first section, you'll ride a grasshopper robot across a huge spike pit. Be
sure to jump off as it leaps off the edge, or you'll go down with it. Climb
the ladder and use your Mega Buster to destroy the giant red robot at the top
of the little staircase. Climb up the next ladder, defeat the green spinning
robots and head through the small passage to a split in the path. Go down and
cross the swinging platforms to an ENERGY TANK, then use Rush Coil to get
back across. Climb back up and head right some more until you reach the sec-
ond grasshopper section. This one has new totem pole enemies in the way, so
rapid fire your Arm Cannon to destroy them, and make sure you watch the hopp-
ers so you know when to switch rides. At the end, climb the ladder and head
up to the top area where you have to ride across some more swinging rail
platforms while dodging the red power robots. Successfully cross this gap to
reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: BRIGHT MAN
-----------------------
Bright Man is pretty unpredictable, but just keep on the move to avoid his
attacks. Know what he uses to attack you and how to defend against it, and
this battle will be over quickly.
1. FLASH STOPPER: When his lightbulb flashes, he'll freeze the action and
fire at you. Try to be hit by his Arm Cannon, as you'll be hurting if he
jumps and hits you.
2. JUMPING: He'll leap around his lair trying to go over you or hit you
dead on.
3. ARM CANNON: He will fire his Arm Cannon in high, low, and middle bursts,
seemingly at random. Try to just jump over these if you can.
While you can deal massive damage to him with the Rain Flush, things can
get a bit difficult due to the delay between the time you fire and the time
the Flush actually takes effect - time during which Bright Man can freeze
you, shoot you, or otherwise deal some hefty damage to you. Try to watch
his pattern of movement and react accordingly to fire off your Rain Flush
attacks when he's not busy doing anything else to defeat him. Also keep in
mind that your Rain Flush WE is proportional to his LE, so you only have
enough energy to defeat him - don't waste your shots.
With Bright Man's lights out, you'll earn his Flash Stopper. Return to the
Stage Select and head for Pharaoh Man's stage.
6C: PHARAOH MAN'S STAGE
=======================
This desert-themed stage is a bit difficult for the first part. Start off
crossing the large sandpits while avoiding the green vacuum-like enemies and
red firefly robots that drop energy bullets. Leap from stone ledge to ledge
until you reach a hole leading down.
BALLOON ADAPTER
---------------
Use Rush Coil to bounce yourself across the hole and continue making your
way across another sandpit while avoiding the same enemies. At the end, you
will find the Balloon Adapter sitting on a ledge.
If you grab the Adapter, you skip part of the stage and teleport directly to
the midpoint. Dropping down the hole normally, however, takes you through a
winding area with Bubble Bats and mummies that emerge from rotating coffins
in the walls. As they appear, they hurl their heads at you, but can easily
be defeated with the Mega Buster. Get past them and use Rush Coil at the end
to grab the ENERGY TANK before dropping down to the midpoint of the level,
which is where you end up if you take the path to the Balloon Adapter. Head
through the enemy-free area to the right where you'll find more Bubble Bats
and spike traps. Here there are some floating platforms that you need to use
to ride over the spikes, but be careful because they shoot at you in a horiz-
ontal fashion. Use them to cross the spikes where you'll deal with another
group of mummy robots. Defeat them and move on down to the bottom level, then
cross some more of the spike pits on the balloon platforms until you reach
the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: PHARAOH MAN
------------------------
Pharaoh Man is very fast, and utilizes a number of moves that can quickly
deplete your LE if you aren't careful. He has a bit of a pattern, though,
so know his attacks and this battle should be easier.
1. PHARAOH SHOT: He'll throw small fireballs at you.
2. PHARAOH WAVE: His more powerful version is a large horizontal wave of
fire that will fly across the screen.
3. ARM CANNON: He uses this while jumping around, and can fire multiple
shots in different directions.
Have the Flash Stopper ready and set it off just as Pharaoh Man completes
his second jump. Whenever you use it, you want him to be at ground level,
not in the air, so as he's frozen, you can just rapid-fire your Arm Cannon.
Keep rapidly hitting Attack so that when the Flash Stopper wears off, you
can just use it again. Keep hitting him over and over and this battle will
be a cinch. Of course, if you want a challenge, try him with the Mega Bust-
er; he's much more fun.
Pharaoh Man's destruction rewards you with the chargeable Pharaoh Shot. Now
return to the Stage Select and take on Ring Man.
6D: RING MAN'S STAGE
====================
There's at least one aggravating stage in every game. To start off, it is
full of laser beams that will drop you if you aren't careful. Second, the
enemies just appear in very inopportune places. Now that you know what to
expect, start off going up. The rainbow-colored beams will vanish going away
from you, depending on which side you're on, they can go left to right or
right to left. Take out the multiple cannons on your way up. Midway through,
you'll encounter some some Saturn Spinners. take out some more cannons and
go up and over to fight a mini-boss.
MINI-BOSS BATTLE: HIPPO LAUNCHER
--------------------------------
This robot is suspended in the air on a platform that you can shoot down.
What complicates things is the missiles that it fires while you're trying
to shoot. For a much easier time, use the Rain Flush after it launches its
missiles, and maybe you will pick up some WE at the same time. Four or five
Rain Flushes should finish it off.
Continue on to the right after defeating the Hippo Launcher and you'll find a
large expanse with Saturn Spinners and laser beams. Traverse carefully; once
you're back to solid ground, run back and forth to respawn one of the Saturn
Spinners and refill any lost LE or Rain Flush WE. Drop down the pit at the
end to face another mini-boss
MINI-BOSS BATTLE: RING TOSSER
-----------------------------
This one will protect itself with rings, and can only be damaged when it
tosses them out. Try to get a timing pattern down so you can strike it as
it throws the rings out, and you'll beat it. Stay far away and lightly hop
so the rings won't hit you.
Continue on the downward path and you'll re-fight the Hippo Launcher. Defeat
it and go to the right to reach a ladder going up. Use Rush Coil to get up
there to meet Eddie, who will drop an item for you from Dr. Light. Drop back
down and go right to face some armored tanks, and then you'll reach some more
beams, but these are striped. These will always disappear right to left, so
it's a bit trickier maneuvering on them. Clear this Saturn-infested area, and
go down the ladder. Immediately slide left to avoid getting dropped into the
spikes, and go down the next ladder, then destroy one more Ring Tosser and
head all the way to the right to reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: RING MAN
---------------------
Ring Man can actually be pretty difficult to defeat. His attacks cause
extreme amounts of damage to you, so for the most part you have to outlast
him. Know his attacks and how he'll use them to make this fight easier.
1. RING BOOMERANG: He'll fire his boomerang as a starting move, but beware
because it will fly off screen, then loop back to hit you a second time.
Jumping over this is your best option.
2. RUN AND JUMP: He moves extremely fast, and can easily smash into you
while you are busy trying to dodge his Ring Boomerang.
Use the Pharaoh Shot and try your best to charge it up so as to deal max
damage. What makes this difficult is that if he's not firing his Boomerang,
he's running or jumping at you, and sometimes he's doing all of them at the
same time. Five charged hits with the Pharaoh Shot will take him out, but
you may find yourself resorting to just using regular shots while dodging
his Boomerangs.
Ring Man's destruction rewards you with his Ring Boomerang. Return to the
Stage Select and head next to Dust Man's stage.
6E: DUST MAN'S STAGE
====================
Dust Man's junk factory is a nice breather after the hectic pace of Ring Man's
stage. You will start off to the right and jump over the Shield Attacker that
comes flying at you. Shoot when its back is to you, and move on. Move along,
destroying the enemies as you go, and be careful of the robots that come
flying out of pits. At the end, drop down and grab the large LE refill at the
left, then drop and make your way to the right. As you make progress to the
right here, you'll fight a giant stomping robot, then as you move forward a
bit more, red blocks will start forming across the expansive spike pit. As
you move across the blocks, you'll be assaulted by copter robots. Destroy
them as quickly as you can since they follow you relentlessly. At the end,
climb up the ladder and meet up with Eddie, then head up some more. This next
section is a giant trash compactor area. Destroy the Mettools in hiding and
make your way through the safe sections. You'll soon reach junk-filled areas
that you have to shoot your way through. Make it easy on yourself and scroll
back and forth so you don't get crushed. This especially comes in handy for
the last one, where some very fast sliding is required. Clear the compactor
area, head right some more, defeat a giant red ball shooting robot, and head
up some more. The last area is just a straight path to the boss gate. Along
the way you'll fight another red stomper robot. Take him out and you'll reach
the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: DUST MAN
---------------------
Dust Man is pretty easy to take down with the Ring Boomerang, but don't
think that he won't be counterattacking. Know his attack pattern and this
battle will be easier.
1. DUST CRUSHER: He will fire a cubed piece of garbage from the shooter
atop his head. Jumping over this is best, but it will split and ricochet
around the room.
2. DUST BUSTER: He is invincible when he uses this, but he turns the shoot-
er atop his head into a giant vacuum and pulls you towards him.
3. ARM CANNON: Of course, he is also armed with a trusty plasma cannon, so
you can expect small bursts of fire from this as well.
Slide away from his vacuum and hit him with the Ring Boomerang when you are
close to him, and the Mega Buster if you're farther away. He'll also jump
away if you get too close, but this doesn't add to any sort of challenge.
Just be mindful of the Ring Boomerang's extremely limited range.
After Dust Man's defeat, you'll gain the Dust Crusher. Now return to the
Stage Select and head next for Skull Man's stage.
6F: SKULL MAN'S STAGE
=====================
For some reason, Skull Man's stage remains one of my favorite levels. Start
off heading to the right as you take out the green robots that toss the red
balls (you can slide to dodge the bouncing balls, or just shoot them). Wind
up through the short maze and drop down to fight some more green robots and
some sky spinner ones as well. Head to the ladder at the end and climb up.
Take out the Bone Joe and climb up some more. This next part is just a horiz-
ontal stretch filled with Bubble Bats and some more Shield Attackers. Elimin-
ate them and climb the ladder at the end to reach Eddie. Collect whatever he
gives you and go up some more. Here, head right and take the third path while
defeating the scattered Shield Attackers to reach an ENERGY TANK, then go
back and continue climbing up the ladder. You'll run into some more armored
robots here, but these are stationary and shoot bullets in arcs at you. Shoot
them down, and take out the green caterpillars that drop from the ceiling as
well. Head along the upper path and drop down at the end. Use the Balloon
Adapter to create a platform so you can head left and reach another ENERGY
TANK, then head to the right and use the slide to get to your starting ledge
where you used the Balloon Adapter. Go to the right and climb down the ladder
and keep going down and to the right to reach another outdoor segment with
sky spinners and Bone Joes. Remember that the Joes can only be destroyed by
charged shots, normal ones will only collapse their skeletons (and let them
re-form). Eliminate all of them and grab the small LE refills up top if you
need it, then you'll reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: SKULL MAN
----------------------
Reminiscent of Metal Man, if you enter this room and do nothing, Skull Man
will do the same and just stare at you for a while. It's nothing useful,
but it's sort of funny to watch the standoff. Anyway, Skull Man will not
attack until you make the first move. Know what attacks he'll use and this
battle will be easier.
1. SKULL BARRIER: He'll shield himself from your attacks with his barrier
of rotating skulls. Fortunately he won't throw this at you.
2. RAMMING: He likes to run very fast right at you, and this is very diff-
icult to avoid if he has the Skull Barrier active.
3. ARM CANNON: Yes, he has an Arm Cannon weapon, too, and he uses it quite
liberally.
His first attack is usually to leap, so use this to your advantage and you
can score a few hits early with the Dust Crusher. Skull Man moves incredib
ly fast, so close-range attacks are best, though you may trade hits. Be
careful of the Skull Barrier, as he will usually try to ram into you. If
you need to, use an Energy Tank you got earlier, and keep hammering away
with the Dust Crusher to bring him down.
Skull Man's destruction gives you the Skull Barrier. Return to the Stage Se-
lect and head to Dive Man's stage.
6G: DIVE MAN'S STAGE
====================
Dive Man's stage starts out similar to the last leg of Toad Man's level.
Avoid the jumping fish and the spikes while moving right, and watch out for
the new AquaMets. They have flippers, and are a bit harder to hit. Keep mov-
ing right, jumping over the moving mines and you'll encounter the mini-boss.
MINI-BOSS: ROBO-WHALE
---------------------
This mini-boss uses depth charges and large missiles as its primary attack.
Jump over the missiles and stand between the depth charges while resisting
its attempts to pull you in, and fire away with the Mega Buster to easily
defeat this mini-boss.
Head past another AquaMet and a few more moving mines, then climb the ladder.
Head left over the gap to reach Eddie, then go up some more. Deal with the
red jumper robot, then go right and down. Go down some more to reach another
water section, only this time, the water level goes up and down. Maneuver
through the sea of mines while dodging/attacking the stingrays and you'll
eventually meet up with another whale mini-boss. Dispatch it as you did the
first one, and continue to the right afterwards.
WIRE ADAPTER
------------
After defeating the second Robo-Whale, you'll find a pit in the ground.
Drop down it and thread your way through the spike-lined walls to reach the
bottom where the Adapter sits. After grabbing it, you'll teleport back to
the mid-point, so re-fight your way to the pit.
Continue on past the pit leading to the Wire Adapter, and the water level
will start rising and falling again, so deal with the stingrays and the
scattered time bombs through this treacherous area. There are spikes you def-
initely have to watch out for, so to make your time easier, get up close to
the bombs to set them off so as to clear them from your path. Thread some
more time bombs and stingrays in the next area to reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: DIVE MAN
---------------------
Dive Man can be a bit of a pain, but if you are quicker than he is, you can
easily finish this battle. Know what his attack patterns will be and you'll
be better equipped for this fight.
1. DIVE MISSILE: He will fire out a few homing missiles that can be taken
out with your Mega Buster.
2. DIVE SPIN: He will transform intoa a sub and charge at you. You can see
this attack coming, and usually you will be able to jump over it.
Normally, you'd want to stay far away from a boss with a ramming attack,
but the Skull Barrier requires you to be up close. This tactic can be a bit
dangerous since it gives you almost no time to dodge his ramming move. A
better option is to stay far away and use charged Mega Buster shots. You
can destroy his Dive Missiles this way, too, leaving his Dive Spin as the
only attack you even need to watch for. When he uses it, jump high and go
to the other side, and just dodge whatever spin he uses next, and resume
firing with your Buster.
Dive Man's demise gives rewards you with the Dive Missile. Return to the
Stage Select and head to the final Robot Master, Drill Man.
6H: DRILL MAN'S STAGE
=====================
Drill Man's area is a bit more difficult than the last few stages, but at
this point in the game, you can handle most anything that comes your way.
Start off heading to the right and you'll encounter some Mettools and hover-
ing copter bladers. Eliminate them, climb the ladder to fight a giant red
stomper robot, and go up some more. Head right, defeating more Mettools and
copters, then drop down to a few rooms filled with spikes and Bubble Bats.
Maneuver through them, grab the 1-Up if you wish, and continue heading down.
Here, go right through a semi-hazardous spike-filled section while fighting
off a few more copter robots, then climb the ladder at the top. You'll find a
room with three cannon enemies; eliminate them and go up the next ladder. Use
your new Wire Adapter here or Rush Coil to grab the ENERGY TANK high on the
left, then head right to engage some blue rotating armored tanks. Kill them
and head into the next area. This next part is filled with spinner robots and
chutes that drop rock chunks. The rocks can hurt you when they break apart,
so try to destroy them before they hit the ground. The last stretch is a bit
trickier, as it's filled with switches you must trigger in order to make the
ground appear. Just make sure you jump when it's clear to, and you should
have no troubles reaching the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: DRILL MAN
----------------------
Drill Man is weak to the Dive Missile, insofar as it is his "recommended"
weakness. However, it can be sometimes hard to hit with, and overall, the
charged Mega Buster does more damage. Be familiar with Drill Man's attack
patterns to make this fight easier.
1. DRILL DIVE: He jumps and drills into the ground, making it unpredictable
to know where he will pop back up. He will usually be near you, so just
keep moving so you don't get hit.
2. JUMPING: He jumps around a lot, making it harder to hit him, but he can
also try to land on you.
3. DRILL BOMB: His final attack fires drill shaped charges at you. He will
almost always detonate these early to inflict extra damage.
Now once again, the Dive Missile hurts him, but it's very hard to actually
hit him because the stupid missiles like to whirl around a bit instead of
just going to the target. Instead, use the charged Mega Buster. Wait until
he surfaces, hit him, then go on the move and only fire when he's chasing
you, since your attacks will reflect off of his Drill Bombs, which you
don't want to get hit with. Slide under the jumps and keep attacking to
defeat him.
Conquering Drill Man gives you his Drill Bomb and the RUSH JET ADAPTER, and
completes the eight Robot Masters. Make sure you have all of the adapters,
enough extra lives, and as many Energy Tanks as you can get. Once you select
to go to the Cossack Citadel, you have to finish the game without taking a
break.
6I: COSSACK CITADEL, STAGE 1
============================
The first part of this stage takes place outside in the icy wilderness of...
Russia, I suppose. This first part is covered in ice and snow, making your
initial progress a bit difficult. From the start, slide to the left to grab
the hidden ENERGY TANK, then start making your way to the right through the
deep snow and iced ledges, defeating the coil springs as you go. At the end
of this section, you'll reach a ladder. Climb up it, take out the rotator ro-
bots and head to the next level of the Citadel. More incessant slippery
platforming awaits you here, as do many Bone Joes and robots flying out of
pits. Move through here carefully, and use Rush Jet to cross the rather long
gap. Mega Man can make it on his own, but you run the risk of getting hit by
the Bone Joe or the enemies that spin out of the pit, so use Rush and fly
over him. Start climbing the ladder. Use Rush Coil (not the Balloon Adapt-
er...not yet) to get up the next two levels. When you reach the set of four
ladders, hang off the bottom-most point of the ladder and start creating
Balloons to head to the rightmost ladder (alternatively, you can time it with
Rush Jet so you don't get hit by the clamp traps that are on the ladders).
The other ones contain powerups, but they're too dangerous to attempt climb-
ing. Make it successfully to the right-most ladder while not getting knocked
off by the clamp traps, and climb up to reach a stomper robot. Defeat it and
you'll reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: BUTTERFLY MECHA
----------------------------
This gigantic machine hovers in the air in a up-and-down pattern and fires
various energy shots at you - some large, some are in a spread pattern.
What you want to watch out for most is the drill on its bottom section - it
can drill holes in the floor and restrict your ability to move. Jump up and
fire with the Dust Crusher when you are able to, and stay away so you don't
get drilled on. You have as much time to defeat this boss as the boss takes
to drill completely through the floor, so be quick about it.
Defeating the Butterfly Mecha advances you to the second area of Cossack Cit-
adel. Try to save Energy Tanks for boss fights only, as there aren't a lot
found in the stages.
6J: COSSACK CITADEL, STAGE 2
============================
This stage is mostly vertical, and is pretty easy to get through. Start off
going to the right-hand ladder and defeat the two enemies in the next room.
Use the available large WE for your Dust Crusher or Rush Jet, and move up the
next ladder. Grab the next large WE to keep refilling weapons, and head to
the right. You can use the Skull dispenser to refill any other life or weap-
ons, too. When finished, use Rush Jet to fly across the long spike pit, and
grab the refills along the way. At the end, climb the ladder, and maneuver
across the blocks that have spines on two sides. Watch their patterns so you
know when it's safe to jump, and make it across to the next ladder. Repeat
this in the next room, and climb to the top. Here, take out a Bubble Bat and
use Rush Coil to reach another WE refill. Keep going to the right, defeating
more armored tanks and Bubble Bats. At the end you will find another ladder;
climb up and grab the available refills. Continue your ascent through the
next few rooms, grab the extra life with Rush Coil at the very top if needed,
and you'll reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: PLATFORM MECHA
---------------------------
This boss fight is pretty interesting. The machine itself is made up of
three distinct parts that cycle through the room at varying speeds. Your
ultimate goal is to get inside and fire at the crystal orb. However, you
have to get past its defenses first. If the platforms are going at either
fast or somewhat medium speed, you need to keep sliding under them. Once it
moves slowly, hop onto the bottom platform and slide to get inside the
middle section. At this point, it will solidify into a single machine and
begin firing. Use the moving ledges inside to reach the top, then fire the
Dust Crusher or the charged Mega Buster at the orb. You can probably hit it
twice per round, but you might end up trading hits. Once the machine separ-
ates, jump down and slide to get out - DO NOT get pinned or you will take
major damage. Wait for the cycle to repeat, and do this as many times as
needed to beat it.
Defeating the Platform Mecha advances you to the second area of Cossack Cit-
adel. Remember to save Energy Tanks for boss fights only. Most of these boss-
es are fairly easy, but you need to be prepared.
6K: COSSACK CITADEL, STAGE 3
============================
This stage features auto-scrolling segments, something that is new to a Mega
Man game. Start off to the right as you clear a suspended platforming area.
There are small robots that circle some platforms and some shielded tanks,
but try to stick to the upper path to grab the large WE refills as you go. At
the end, you'll face another red stomper robot. Defeat it and head to the
ladder. Climb up and you'll have to cross two more short ledges with small
blade robots going back and forth. Use the Flash Stopper to freeze them and
jump across - you will probably get hit, but this method works. Go up the
next ladder and you'll come to another, tougher, auto-scrolling area, The
cannons and platform-tracer enemies are gone, but Saturn Spinners and rising
platforms will take their place. Use the Rain Flush to get rid of some of the
Saturn Spinners as you leap from ledge to ledge. At the end, leap to the last
one, and let it ride all the way down. It may look like you're not going to
make it, but you'll have the room. Try to use the Ring Boomerang to grab the
ENERGY TANK on your way down. Once you slide to the clear, head to the right
to reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: WALL MECHA
-----------------------
This is a two-part battle. Part of the floor will fall out, leaving only
three small platforms for you to stand on; the rest of the room is covered
with spikes. The first Wall Mecha will mostly stick to the ceiling, moving
back and forth while occasionally firing energy bullets. Jump and hit it
with the Drill Bomb to inflict damage, and try detonating the Bombs right
before impact to cause extra damage. Once you've destroyed the first one, a
second one will enter from the lower-right gate and begin to circle the
room's perimeter. This second one is faster and uses different attacks, but
it still moves in the same pattern. Use the Drill Bomb on it as well, and
you'll soon deplete this machine's LE meter.
Defeating the Wall Mecha will advance you to the final area of Cossack Cit-
adel.
6L: COSSACK CITADEL, STAGE 4
============================
The final stage here is pretty short, but has a loop halfway through that can
make it seem longer. From the start, drop down through the passageway and
grab the large WE you find to refill needed special weapons. Drop down into
the next area, defeat the armored cannons and use the Drill Bomb to score an
ENERGY TANK. Continue down, take out the red stomper and continue to the
right. Just past the platform-circling enemies will be a ladder and what
looks like a path off to the right. Climb up the ladder to reach the area
where the path splits.
* PATH BRANCH - SHORTCUT *
Take out the Bubble Bats in this room first, then use the Wire Adapter to
reach the ceiling through a narrow passage. Go to the right and drop down
into the next area, using the Drill Bomb along the way for another ENERGY
TANK. Continue to the right and you will find the main path again.
* PATH BRANCH - REGULAR ROUTE *
With such a nice shortcut, one might wonder why you want to take the longer
route, especially considering this is one gigantic loop that just places
you pretty much below where you're starting. This route takes you up and
back to the outside, then back inside, and contains a lot more enemies.
There is really no benefit to this path at all. Eventually you will reach
the connecting point back to the main path, which is right where the short-
cut takes you.
The paths reconnect here. Head to the right, sliding to avoid colliding with
the platform tracing robots. Drop down to the next area and use the Skull
Droppers to refill any more WE or LE, and you'll reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: COSSACK CATCHER
----------------------------
Dr. Cossack's machine is incredibly simple to defeat. Use the Dust Crusher
and just fire at the claw part since its the lowest point. Hitting any part
of the Catcher will do, but this is easiest. Keep moving left to right,
sliding when you're in grabbing range, and keep firing. Dr. Cossack will
just go back and forth attempting to pick you up (a move which takes out
25% of your LE), but he will usually fail at it. Keep up your attack with
the Dust Crusher and you'll win with little effort.
Just as you're about to deliver the finishing blow, you'll hear that familiar
whistle... Proto Man shows up with... a little girl? The girl, named Kalinka
Cossack, begs you to stop, and explains that the very-alive Dr. Wily kidnapp-
ed her and held her for ransom unless her father cooperated with Wily. Proto
Man leaves, allowing Dr. Cossack to reunite with his daughter.
But Dr. Wily shows up as well, seething that Proto Man has decided to assist
you instead, and vows to "break you". He leaves, and you'll follow him to a
brand-new Skull Castle.
6M: SKULL CASTLE-4, STAGE 1
===========================
The first level of Wily's Castle starts vertically. Start climbing up dealing
with the enemies you come across until you reach the top. Here you'll start
dealing with tons upon tons of Mettools (actually, they are the only enemy
you will face in this stage) as you make your way to the right. Be sure to
grab the ENERGY TANK before you drop down, then fall into a short underwater
section lined with spikes. Carefully maneuver through this section and get to
the ladder at the right, then climb back up into a room with a set of vanish-
ing blocks. Learn the pattern and move onto the next room, which has a bit of
a difficult pattern (just use Rush Jet if you have sufficient room) to get to
the ladder and head up to the top. Proceed through this last section of the
stage, grabbing the second ENERGY TANK before heading to the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: MOMMA METTOOL
--------------------------
The name may be funny, but this boss can put the hurt on if you're not
careful. This gigantic Mettool will attack mostly by jumping and stomping
on the ground. If you stay too far away from it, it will charge across the
room, too, but you can prevent this attack by staying relatively close. For
the most part, you'll only need to deal with the earthquake that results
from its jump, and take out up to four regular Mettools that will appear.
Shoot its eye whenever it opens it with the charged Mega Buster, and slide
under its jumps, and you'll defeat it without much hassle.
Surviving this battle advances you to the second area of Skull Castle. Remem-
ber, try to keep your Energy Tanks as a last option. There aren't too many
scattered through these levels.
6N: SKULL CASTLE-4, STAGE 2
===========================
This stage is also fairly short. Start off by sliding through the third chan-
nel, as the others will drop you in the spike trap below. Leap over the next
vertical spike trap and climb down the ladder. Eliminate the copter robots
and thread your way between the spikes on the way down. Once you land on
solid ground, take out the enemies and use the Balloon Adapter to reach the
ENERGY TANK at the top right if you need it. Drop down through the spikes
again and eliminate the caterpillars along this upper path. Get to the end,
and use Rush Jet to fly to the ladder. Eddie waits up here, so slide to him,
then take the right-hand ladder. Thread through the winding maze, and head up
top. Head to the right defeating the mummies, then climb the ladder at the
far end. Destroy the Bubble Bats, then use Rush Coil to reach the right-hand
ladder. Climb all the way up, defeat whatever comes out of the Skull dispens-
ers, then slide to the ladder. Go up, defeat the red pea shooter robot, and
hop along the small ledges. Do the same for another section, defeat another
shooter, and you'll reach the boss gate.
BOSS BATTLE: CANNON MECH
------------------------
This large boss may look difficult, but it's really not. Equip the Ring
Boomerang and use the arcing platforms in the room to reach the top so you
can launch your attacks at its forehead crystal. You have to aim carefully
or else your attacks will simply bounce off of its armor. This mech will
use a variety of fire blasts, bouncing spheres, and energy bullets, but you
will only need to hit it six times to destroy it. Don't fear using one of
your Energy Tanks here, as you'll immediately get another one in the next
area.
Surviving this battle advances you to the third area of Skull Castle. Remem-
ber, try to keep your Energy Tanks as a last option. There aren't too many
scattered through these levels.
6O: SKULL CASTLE-4, STAGE 3
===========================
This is mostly just a vertical drop down to the portal area. Start off by
collecting the ENERGY TANK, the two large WE refills and the extra life, then
head down and take out a couple of Shield Attackers. The next room has more
small WE refills. Grab them and drop to the next room. As you continue your
way down, you'll take on a couple spinning enemies and another Shield Attack-
er, but at the end you'll reach a gate. Head inside to reach a portal. Take
it and you'll go to a long tunnel that eventually leads to the room where
you'll re-fight the Robot Masters. Something you may want to consider here is
tackling the hardest Robot Masters (Ring Man and Dive Man) with a full LE
meter after taking out easy ones that you can get through without sustaining
damage. You can use the Drill Bomb to easily eliminate Toad Man, too - you'll
still have enough WE left to beat Wily. Below is the approximate layout of
the room. All portals are marked, and the [] icons represent ledges.
____________________________
| |
| |
|DRILL WILY PHARAOH|
|____ ____ ____|
| |
|BRIGHT RING|
|____ [] [] ____|
| [] [] |
|SKULL DIVE TOAD DUST|
|____ ____ ____ ____|
| |
|__________________________|
After every rematch with a Robot Master, you'll receive a large LE refill.
The last forms of Dr. Wily aren't exactly difficult, so if you find yourself
using Energy Tanks here, don't fret too much. Once you have defeated all
eight, the ninth portal leading to Dr. Wily will appear.
BOSS BATTLE: WILY MACHINE-4, PHASE 1
------------------------------------
This battle takes place in two parts. The starting form is pretty easy.
Just fire your charged Buster at the mouth of the skull while avoiding his
three energy bursts. Slide away from the first one, then turn and slide in
to avoid the next two, and jump to fire a charged shot. Slide away again,
then slide back and repeat your attack. Keep doing this until this form has
been defeated.
BOSS BATTLE: WILY MACHINE-4, PHASE 2
------------------------------------
Once the shielding has been destroyed, you'll tackle the rest of the Wily
Machine. This form is a little bit tougher, since there is no break in his
firing pattern. The trick here is to use the Drill Bomb and detonate the
bomb on the crystal near Wily's head. Every attack will bounce off if you
hit him directly, so you need to detonate the bomb early so the explosion
damages him. Stay to the left while doing your best to avoid his barrage of
fire, and don't hesitate to use your Energy Tanks to survive.
Finishing this area advances you to the last area of Skull Castle. This final
area will take you to the last battle against Dr. Wily. Make sure you have a
couple of Energy Tanks in reserve, just in case things don't go your way.
6P: SKULL CASTLE-4, STAGE 4
===========================
The final stage is very short. Just drop down the tunnel to reach the final
hallway. Use the caterpillar robots here to refill at a minimum your Pharaoh
Shot. No other weapons are essential for the final battle, but you want this
one filled up just in case the special trick doesn't work for you. At the end
of the hallway, you'll reach the gate that leads directly to Wily.
BOSS BATTLE: WILY SHIP
----------------------
Like most of his ship forms, this is pretty standard fare. Dr. Wily uses
the regular disappearing/reappearing routine, but this time he pretty much
telegraphs his appearances with flashing lights. The only attacks he uses
to damage you are his standard energy orbs, but these go down and trace
along the floor, so you have to jump over them to avoid being hit. Your
best bet is to use the Pharaoh Shot and charge it up. There is a trick here
that allows you to continuously use this weapon without using WE. Charge
the weapon so you get the orb over your head; use this to hit Wily when he
disappears or reappears since you can still hurt him even if you can't see
him. Jump around a bit to try and score extra hits, too. WITHOUT letting go
of your Attack button, open your subscreen and return to the game, all
while still holding down Attack. Your Pharaoh Shot will charge again, and
you won't use any WE. Keep doing this over and over; about six or so hits
are required to defeat him.
Dr. Wily is defeated... again. And he begs for his life... again. But he
takes advantage of his castle's self-destruct to escape through a door. As
the castle begins to explode, Mega Man starts to leave. You'll then see Wily
escape, and Mega Man will teleport away just as the castle explodes into a
skull-shaped cloud. Afterwards, Mega Man rides on top of the train through
the city to reach Dr. Light's lab, where sister Roll and Rush greet him as he
arrives. Hopefully Roll brought the Starbucks.
=====================
== 7. ITEM LOCATIONS:
=====================
All of the game's items are individually listed within the walkthrough segments
themselves, but here is an abbreviated listing of the items for quick refer-
ence, separated by each item's category.
POWER-UP ITEMS
==============
1. BALLOON ADAPTER
This is in PHARAOH MAN's stage. A little way into the stage, you'll find
a pit that leads to the rest of the stage. Use Rush Coil to bounce over to
the other side, and traverse more quicksand to reach this Adapter.
2. WIRE ADAPTER
This is in DIVE MAN's stage. After the second Robo-Whale, you'll find a
path that goes down. Drop into it and thread the spike-lined corridors to
reach the Adapter at the bottom.
RUSH ADAPTERS
=============
1. RUSH MARINE
You'll earn this by defeating TOAD MAN.
2. RUSH JET
You'll earn this by defeating DRILL MAN.
=======================
== 8. SECRETS AND TIPS:
=======================
MEGA MAN 4 has a few things here and there that count as extras in the game.
There aren't a lot, but they're worth checking out.
1. EASY LE/WE REFILLS
If you need refills, a good way to get them is to use the Pharaoh Shot and
find an area where you can get multiple enemies to respawn without you
leaving (such as the Hippo mini-boss in Ring Man's stage). Charge it up
and let the enemies collide into your fireball and grab whatever items
they drop.
2. EASY ENERGY TANKS
If you need to restock these, go to Skull Man's stage. There are two in
the stage by themselves, and sometimes you'll score one from Eddie.
3. PHARAOH SHOT TRICKS
The Pharaoh Shot has a few useful tricks to it besides what you'd expect:
- While bosses are doing their pre-fight animation, you can charge the
weapon up - something that you can't do with the Mega Buster.
- You can use the charged version without consuming any WE. Charge up and
hit an object with it and don't let go of the Attack button. Press Start
to go to the subscreen, then return to the game, all without letting go
of your Attack button. The weapon will then charge up again and not take
any WE from you. This way you can defeat bosses weak to it without ever
depleting your supply! This might otherwise count as a glitch if the
same exact feature wasn't present in MEGA MAN IV.
4. FINAL PASSWORD
Unlike MEGA MAN 3, the best password in this game will only take you as
far as defeating the eight Robot Masters. As if that wasn't bad enough,
this game's passwords won't save Energy Tanks either. This password will,
however, give you all weapons and the adapters.
A1, A4, B5, E2, F1, F3
============
== 9. LEGAL:
============
This walkthrough must always be shown in full form, unaltered, with credit giv-
en to the author, and a link to Mega Man Network (
http://www.themmnetwork.com/)
must be provided. You are free to use this for personal use, but if you wish
to host it on another website, you must e-mail me first with a request for per-
mission. Copyright (C) 2012 Timothy Jones (NeoChozo). Some rights reserved.
All rights, including the copyrights of game, scenario, music and program are
Copyright (C) Capcom Co., Ltd.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
