Released by Capcom in 1987 for the NES, Mega Man is the inaugural entry in the legendary action-platformer franchise. This tough-as-nails classic introduces the series’ defining mechanics: allowing players to tackle its six initial stages in any order and granting the weapon of each defeated Robot Master to use against the others.
How to Play
Your goal is to guide the titular hero through six treacherous levels, defeat the rogue Robot Masters, and storm Dr. Wily’s fortress. The default NES controls apply: use the D-pad to move, press A to jump, and B to fire the Mega Buster. Press Start to pause the game and switch between your acquired weapons. When playing in the browser, these are mapped to the arrow keys for movement, Z or X for jumping and shooting, and Enter for Start.
Tips
- Exploit weaknesses: Each Robot Master is vulnerable to another’s weapon. For example, Cut Man is weak to Guts Man’s Super Arm, while Elec Man is highly susceptible to Cut Man’s Rolling Cutter.
- Find the Magnet Beam: Hidden in Elec Man’s stage (you’ll need the Super Arm to reach it), the Magnet Beam creates temporary platforms that are essential for surviving some of the game’s brutal platforming sections.
- Watch your step: The original game features unique physics where Mega Man maintains slight momentum after you stop moving, so be extra careful when making precise landings near spikes.
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