GENRE
	RPG
	DEVELOPER
	Capcom Production Studio 2
	PUBLISHER
	Capcom
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	CONNECTIVITY
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Six has not been a fortuitous number for Mega Man. Mega Man 6, while a respectable game, was also somewhat unremarkable, and many wondered why it was released on the NES as opposed to going 16-bit. It’s really easy to bash Mega Man X6, but there’s no need to be overly cruel. As the first Mega Man spinoff to reach a sixth installment this millenium, did Mega Man Battle Network 6 have a chance of avoiding mediocrity?

visuals

There’s no easy way to say this, so let’s just get it out in the open: If you’ve played any of the earlier games in the series, you basically already know what either version of Mega Man Battle Network 6 looks like. The only major difference is that the character portraits which appear alongside text boxes have been redrawn, but only someone intimately familiar with the series would recognize this.

As always, Lan Hikari’s physical world appears like a suburban utopia filled with cotton candy, while MegaMan.EXE’s virtual one echoes a shimmery Tron-like version of reality. The sprite-based characters and worlds are strongly reminiscent of those seen on the Super NES and can evoke quite a feeling of nostalgia in older gamers.

audio

After re-using or re-mixing the same background music in the first few games of the series, Capcom has finally produced some new tunes for Battle Network 6, which is appropriate considering its new setting. However, some of the themes aren’t quite as catchy as those used in previous titles. The sound effects, conversely, are pretty much completely recycled. The game’s audio does its job, but this is one title where turning the sound down completely won’t adversely affect the experience.

gameplay

There have been six Battle Network games released in the past five years, not including different versions of individual entries and the side stories like Mega Man Network Transmission. Looks like MegaMan.EXE is giving Tony Hawk and John Madden a run for their money. If there’s one thing that’s sure about a game series with annual installments (technically, slightly more often than “annual,” but that’ll do for right now), it’s that multiple entries can be released without any major changes to the core gameplay.

That’s certainly true in this instance. So what’s new? The story, in this case, is the biggest change of pace. Lan’s father gets a job out of town, and he and his family relocate to Cyber City, which is the capital of Net progress around the world. This means that pretty much every recurring character from the series is either absent or relegated to the background, and that can be somewhat jarring for series fans.

The traditional random virus battles across the Net return in full force, and, like always, operator Lan must send Mega Man battle chips in order to combat the evil programs. The basics of battle haven’t changed; what has changed is the new Cross system, which allows Mega Man to combine his powers with a different Net Navi-- which Navis are available depend on which version of the game is being played. In addition, Mega Man can enter Beast Mode (again, this is determined by whether Cybeast Falzar or Cybeast Gregar is in the system), which greatly enhances his powers, but also takes a toll on Mega Man’s well-being. Mega Man can combine both abilities to enter Beast Cross mode, but this takes a huge toll on him and leaves him completely weakened afterward.

Outside of battle, the story progresses as Lan performs fetch quests for NPCs and tries to fix out-of-control machinery. And, as expected, someone very evil is trying to ruin things for the Netopian society. Collecting rare battle chips and Navi programs can keep players occupied in addition to following the main quest, and can have rewards, as well.

multiplayer

Mega Man Battle Network 6 lets two players square off with a GBA Link Cable, with the Navi of their choice (different Navis are available in each version of the Game). There are three different Netbattling modes, and players can also trade battle chips or programs with one another.

overall

So, bad news first: There isn’t a lot new going on here. Nearly every aspect of the game has been done before in previous titles in the series, and the fact that the game was produced for the GBA instead of the up-and-coming DS is a bit of a head-scratcher.

What’s the good news? Well, despite the relative sameness that abounds, the truth is that the formula still works. Virus busting and Netbattles are still entertaining enough to keep the player interested in the game, and the Cross and Beast systems can give veteran players different things to do in combat.

6.9/10