Spoilers ahead for the Mega Man Battle Network franchiseMega Man is one of Capcom's most popular franchises. The android had always been characterized by his difficult platformers, but this briefly changed with Mega Man Battle Network. With the arrival of the Game Boy Advance, the Mega Man saga was transformed into a series of turn-based RPGs.
The Mega Man Battle Network series had 10 mainline installments in total, as well as several spin-offs, which were collectively published between 2001 and 2009. Like Game Freak's Pokemon series, Battle Network's third, fourth, fifth, and sixth entries each had two versions each that help make up those 10 main installments. On April 14, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, a compilation of the Game Boy Advance titles, will release for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch - but spin-offs will not be included in the collection. Before that happens, it might be worth knowing how the Battle Network timeline lays out.
Mega Man Battle Network Imagines a Modern Version of Capcom's Hero
The Mega Man Battle Network series is not a continuation of the classic saga's timeline, but instead takes place in a sort of alternate timeline. It imagines a near future where technology has advanced greatly, and the Internet is integrated into every electronic device in existence. The world is divided into two different levels: the real world where humans interact with each other and various devices, and a cyber world known as the Net where almost every electronic device has been connected.
Most people own a Personal Exploration Terminal that acts as their email, cell phone, and hacking device. These can be customized with a Net Navi, a semi-human personality that can do anything their owner desires within the Net. The series introduces fans to Lan Hikari, a fifth grader who is the son of one of the time period's greatest researchers - the inventor of Net Navis. Lan has his own Net Navi called MegaMan.EXE, who is essentially a stylized, modern version of Capcom's original hero. Together, the two protagonists cooperate to fight hackers and viruses.
How Lan and Mega Man's Journey Plays Out
In the first installment of Battle Network, peace in Lan's hometown is shattered when electronic devices mysteriously go haywire thanks to interference by a group called the World Three (WWW). Mega Man and Lan decide to attack the problem from both the real world and the digital world, and in the process Lan discovers that his Navi, Mega Man, is actually his twin brother, Hub. When Hub was a baby, he was infected with a disease called HBD that had no known cure, so Dr. Hikari uploaded Hub's consciousness into a computer.
In the second game, a network mafia known as Gospel emerges. After many trials, Lan and Mega Man discover a boy named Sean who seems to be the source of the problem, but by Battle Network 3 the WWW returns with old and new enemies at their side. Lan and Mega Man must take on Dr. Wily and Bass to stop the uprising of the old Internet, known as Alpha.
A new enemy appears in Battle Network 4 and Battle Network 5: Dr. Regal, the son of Dr. Wily. This man decides to use his father's old technology to spread evil, but Lan and Mega Man team up with other skilled Navis and Operators to stop his evil plans. Finally, the climax of the Battle Network series comes in installment six when Lan moves to Cyber City. Two powerful Cybeasts have awoken from a deep slumber and threaten to destroy the entire network as the WWW returns for one last fight. It is Lan and Mega Man's duty to protect their loved ones and the worlds they inhabit. Players will be able to once again join them on that journey in-full after Capcom's all-encompassing collection releases.
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection will release on April 14 for PC, PS4, and Switch.
