Top-10 Most Neglected Robot Masters

This is my final Robot Masters list. Despite all the robot masters featured on prior lists, there were loads that I would have wanted to have featured on those lists but couldn’t because I tried giving each game equal weight or because these masters didn’t quite qualify for each list. This list doesn’t include any Robot Masters that received honourable mentions, but is indeed the list intended for those robot masters who just barely missed making it on to my top-10s.

10. Crash Man

The Mega Man 2 Robot Masters really didn’t get to shine that much which was in part me trying not to favour this game, partially because most fans already know the roster so well and also in part that many of the lists looked at such specific attributes.

Crash Man definitely falls into a category of Robot Masters who is memorable and instantly recognisable based on the game he’s in, but not quirky or outstanding enough to quite make it on to any of my lists. However, the Mega Man 2 roster over-all is so solid that I felt I needed to really give him some recognition and therefore the lowest spot on this list is sufficient. There really isn’t much to Crash Man, he’s essentially Bomb Man 2.0, but more lethal.

I think the most interesting aspect of Crash Man is that he is actually known by two different names. In the Mega Man II Game Boy game his name was oddly mistranslated as Clash Man. This of course is due to transliteration issues with the R/L sounds in Japanese, but funny enough, some people actually prefer Clash Man as this robot’s name. I have, however, and always will call him Crash Man.

9. Solar Man

I really have given Mega Man 10’s roster a hard time, excluding them from pretty much all but two lists, but there is one other Robot Master from the roster that really bears discussing in a positive light, besides Sheep Man. That’s Solar Man. The very simplified character designs of MM10’s Robot Masters made many of them very plain and dumb-looking but one master with whom I thought this simplistic approach actually worked with was Solar Man.

He really does have a classic, quirky quality you see in old Robot Masters like Air Man, Spark Man and Needle Man. His name is a bit odd, but at least it’s memorable. He’s also one of the hardest bosses unless you use Pump Man’s weapon, then he’s a total pussy. And in Mega Man 10’s otherwise bland and unmemorable soundtrack I actually thought Solar Man’s theme kicked massive ass. The aggressive beat actually made it sound more appropriate for the Mega Man X series, but at any rate easily one of the best tracks from the game.

Solar Man was however really hard to bring up on any list without forcing him on there. I may have considered giving him an honourable mention somewhere down the line, but it just never occurred to me. At least now I can give him a shout-out because he’s certainly bad ass enough to have owned it.

8. Hornet Man

Hornet Man landed in a very uncomfortable spot between two lists, which is why I couldn’t include him on either. However, his name immediately stuck with me and his odd design instantly made him one of my favourites. But unfortunately I ended up neglecting him on a constant basis in favour of Galaxy Man and Splash Woman.

Hornet Man had one of the oddest themes for a level and he himself is shaped like a bunch of honeycombs. Yet, he has that serious face which actually, oddly enough, makes him quite bad-ass. And I definitely did have flashbacks to Blast Hornet from Mega Man X3, which might have been another reason why I really liked him.

This was the main problem with him. He’s quirky yet cool and because of that I couldn’t really comfortably fit him on either of my top-10s concerning the coolest and the quirkiest Robot Masters. However, he’s one of my personal favourites from Mega Man 9 and truly deserved to be put on here since I neglected him so badly.

7. Flame Man

I brought Flame Man up a couple of times in collusion with other Robot Masters from Mega Man 6 but once again could never find a good spot for him in any of the lists. Like Hornet Man, I think he’s both cool and quirky, but not enough of either to have made those lists. What makes Flame Man worth bringing up though is that like Tomahawk Man, he’s one of the Robot Masters where the MM6 roster gets almost borderline racist.

The turban, the pointy slippers, the oil-pools that are ignited by malicious robots… yeah, we get it, Flame Man is from the Middle-East. It’s not that I’m particularly sensitive to this PC stuff but there were times I was wondering if it would honestly reflect badly on me for having him in any of my top-10s. At the same time I wondered if it would reflect badly on me not to have him any of my top-10s.

With that, it’s easy to see why Flame Man then finally got neglected. But I’m gonna be honest, I think he’s just really badass. He’s also one of the most interesting Robot Masters and that’s why I wanted to have him on this list.

6. Shade Man

While not really my favourite Robot Master from Mega Man 7, I think Shade Man is worth discussing. I mean he’s a robot-vampire after-all. And with lists which have previously included robot mermaids and centaurs, I think Shade Man should have complemented these fairytale inspired Robot Masters in his design. But I could never find a spot on any of my Top-10s where I was comfortable putting him on there.

People may have noticed that Mega Man 7 in general was rather low-priority game on most of the top-10s and I never had a burning urge to include more than one master from this game on any of my lists. When Freeze Man seemed to crop up for the second time on my coolest robot masters list, I briefly contemplated replacing him with Shade Man. But both his facial design and colour-scheme just didn’t say “cool” as clearly as Freeze Man’s design (pun totally not intended).

Shade Man is interesting, I can’t off the top of my head name another Robot Master with wings, but I think another thing that weighted against him in the end is that I’m just not that big of a vampire fan. I mean yes, I love Dracula (Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Frank Langella and Gary Oldman) but vampires in general are just not my thing.

5. Dust Man

I don’t think you can honestly top Dust Man in the sympathy department. His name is literally only one step away from being mud, just add water *rim shot*. Dust Man comes from a long line of quirky Robot Masters in Mega Man 4, but perhaps because I wanted to feature Mega Man 6’s masters more prominently, which most people aren’t as familiar with, Dust Man just got sort of neglected and left off to the sidelines.

I feel bad because I really like him a lot. He’s one of the first Robot Masters I remember from playing Mega Man for the first time, along with Ring Man and Pharaoh Man. Plus, he just looks so pathetic with his giant box-head which shoots rubbish at people.

However, I think Junk Man also wasn’t quite quirky or cute enough to make any of the top-10s and this is another thing that weighted against him. But I just really love this Robot Master, so I honestly think he deserves a shout-out and certainly a spot in the top-5 due to his sheer likeability.

4. Junk Man

One Mega Man 7 Robot Master that I definitely feel bad for not having on my lists is Junk Man. In essence, he’s Dust Man 2.0 but perhaps not as sympathetic. Still, he’s definitely one of the most original looking of any of the Robot Masters which is why it’s such a shame I didn’t have a chance to showcase him on any of the lists.

The quirky expression alone makes him very distinct. He’s probably the only hulking Robot Master with a human-looking chin which alone makes him quite unique. Also, he actually looks like he’s made of scrap-metal which is just really cool in my view.

I can’t honestly give a reason for why Junk Man didn’t feature prominently on any of my lists. I guess I just forgot about him, because otherwise I think he would have gotten an honourable mention on the quirkiest Robot Masters top-10. For this reason, I think he deserves a spot in the top-5.

3. Wood Man

I really do feel sorry for Wood Man. He’s yet another Mega Man 2 Robot Master who I really wanted to include in one of the top-10s but each time he simply didn’t make the cut. Wood Man is definitely an iconic Robot Master from the game. He’s a robot made of wood which alone makes him interesting. Also, I just like it when they make chubby-ass robot masters because they’re always very memorable for some reason.

Despite his silly and cartoonish appearance, Wood Man is actually pretty annoying boss to fight, especially on Difficult mode. However, he has one of the best stages and stage themes from his respective game which just made me want to include him even more. However, he wasn’t really quirky enough to make the Quirkiest Robot Masters list. He’s essentially what Plant Man would be if he wasn’t such a pansy *rim shot*.

My favourite appearance ever by Wood Man was in the Mega Man cartoon episode The Mysterious Island of Dr. Wily where he delivered probably the single funniest line from that episode: “Welcome to your doom, jerk heads!”

2. Guts Man

I really, really feel sorry for Guts Man. Since the first Mega Man game only had a roster of six Robot Masters, you would have thought I could have found some way to feature every single of the Robot Masters in one list or another. The Cutest Robot Masters list was definitely designed to give the missing MM1 Robot Masters a shout-out and even Fire Man got an honourable mention on the Coolest Robot Masters list.

Guts Man is just really hard to dress up in words. The guy is the prototype of every hulking Robot Master from every other game. He doesn’t technically even have a power, he’s just physically stronger than everyone else. But I do love him. He and Cut Man together found their way to my Top-10 Cartoon Duos list and I wish I could have had him with Cut Man on the first Top-10. But I promised myself I wasn’t going to cheat on any of the top-10s since there were so many opportunities. Sadly, Gutsy missed them all.

Guts Man is a really iconic Robot Master, so I guess he technically doesn’t deserve too much of a shout-out since most Mega Man fans know who he is. But I really like him (especially in the Mega Man cartoon series) which is why I feel bad that I wasn’t able to squeeze him into any of the lists.

1. Flash Man

Not just the most neglected Robot Master from Mega Man 2 on my lists, but just generally speaking. Many people know Flash Man’s level. Many fans consider his stage theme as one of the all-time greats, as do I. How is it possible that Flash Man missed every chance to appear not only in the Captain N episode The Big Game (which featured all the other Robot Masters from Mega Man 2) but also in the Mega Man cartoon series?

I think this is the inherent problem with being the time-stopping boss in any Mega Man game. Flash Man really hasn’t got any other notable characteristics except a bitchin’ rapid-fire rate on his plasma-gun. He’s weak against the best weapon in the game, the Metal Blades, which makes him easily the Robot Master most fans defeat as their second pick. Also, he’s kinda cool looking but not as quirky and perhaps not as memorable as his followers, Bright Man and Centaur Man.

However, I love him. Flash Man is one of the iconic Robot Masters from this respective game and I couldn’t imagine Mega Man 2 without him. But try as I might, it seems Flash Man never gets a break. He is truly deserving of the number-1 spot on this list. At least you now have recognition for something, Flash Man.

Top-10 Cutest Robot Masters

Last time we looked at the coolest Robot Masters and today I’ll be looking at the cutest Robot Masters from each of the games. Mega Man 5 and 6 are not present this time around as they have been featured so extensively on prior lists. And Mega Man 8 of course will not be featured, again, because I haven’t played it.

This time the honourable mention goes to Galaxy Man. He is definitely cute enough that I would have wanted to have him in the list, but he was already in my over-all top-10 and he topped the list of the quirkiest Robot Masters, just so we’d have more unique entries on this list, I felt that he shouldn’t be on it.

This is my second-to-last Robot Master list and in the final list we’ll finally shine a light on all the Robot Masters that have been neglected so far but who I feel deserve a shout-out…

10. Heat Man

Okay, so Heat Man made my Bottom-10 of Worst Robot Masters. However, it might have come through that I included him somewhat begrudgingly, because as lame and dopey looking as Heat Man may be, he is actually kinda endearing and cute as well.

The pudgy face, the sleepy cartoon eyes and his tiny stature just all make Heat Man very sympathetic. Sure, his fire-powers are quite impressive but beyond that, he really just looks like a guy dressed up as a lighter.

Heat Man belongs into a group of Robot Masters whom I consider “dumb-looking but likeable”. Added to this, I think Heat Man just complements the Robot Master roster of Mega Man 2 to such a degree that I just had to have him in this list.

9. Slash Man

Even though this (bizarrely) hairy, jungle-dwelling Robot Master appears to be yet another Wolverine rip-off, I really like Slash Man for some reason. He just comes off as bizarrely sympathetic, especially once you fry or freeze him up using other Robot Masters’ weapons.

Plus, in-game he looks like he’s trying to be a tough-guy, but I just find it hard to really think of him that way. I mean even his level seems like a robotisized version of Jurassic Park, so he kinda comes off a bit more cartoony than anything else. His attack pattern is definitely kinda odd, with that red gunk that he uses to neutralise Mega Man.

Slash Man isn’t quite the most adorable Robot Master, but I felt that he needed to be showcased because he is one of those oddly cute bosses from a Mega Man game. Also, I didn’t want to have Spring Man on another list and I thought Slash Man deserved a shot out.

8. Sheep Man

Sheep Man is another Robot Master who receives a lot of criticism for some odd reason. I haven’t had Mega Man 10’s Robot Masters on many of my lists, but Sheep Man definitely deserves to be on here. He’s a frickin’ sheep! Have you ever seen sheep in real life? They’re fluffy and cute!

Also, I just like Sheep Man for his quirky design and attack pattern. He actually turns into clouds and then unleashes lighting-bolts at Mega Man. There’s not that many electrical robot masters that I would consider cute and loveable, but Sheep Man definitely does look the part.

One thing I kinda don’t get is why Sheep Man has such a serious look on his face. He’s cute but not adorable in the same sense as some of the other Robot Masters on this list.

7. Bomb Man

Mega Man 1 hasn’t had a lot of prominence on prior top-10s, so this time around we get to showcase quite a few of the cartoony and cute Robot Masters from this game. And I really did have to start with Bomb Man. He is definitely one of the most unique-looking Robot Masters, but still he didn’t quite make the cut for my Top-10 Quirkiest Robot Masters list.

However, he is definitely distinct looking. I don’t know what’s up with his face, but he looks like a Koopa Troopa who decided to join Wily’s robot army. He’s a pudgy guy with a bottomless reserve of cartoon bombs. That’s just precious! Not to mention he even has a sweet-ass Mohawk.

However, while Bomb Man definitely is one of the most loveable Robot Masters from the bunch, he didn’t quite have chops to make it into the top-5 and there are at least two other Robot Masters from the same game who I thought were even cuter.

6. Cloud Man

Another Mega Man 7 Robot Master, I really felt this list would not be complete without him. Cloud Man is just such an odd, dopey-looking and pudgy little guy with no legs who flies around on a cloud (or at least his torso seems to generate something that looks like a cloud).

Cloud Man’s powers are quite impressive and even a little frightening as he is able to control the weather and shoot lightning bolts. However, whenever I use Burst Man’s weapon against him and he falls to the ground helpless, I just feel incredibly sorry for him. Plus, his level has probably one of the cheeriest theme songs of any Mega Man level.

Cloud Man is definitely deserving of the spot in the middle of the list, but he isn’t perhaps so hopelessly adorable that I’d be willing to put him in the top-5.

5. Bubble Man

Here’s a familiar face from the top-10. How could I not have Bubble Man in my top-5? He’s one of the most iconic Robot Masters for me and a face I instantly associate with Mega Man 2. Not only that, out of the game’s extremely memorable and solid Robot Master roster, he’s just a personal favourite of mine.

Bubble Man’s adorableness is a combination of numerous things. First, there’s just his name. Bubbles aren’t exactly threatening and in fact bring to mind many a childish thing (unless we’re talking about Bubble Bath Babes for the NES). Secondly, Bubble Man wears frickin’ scuba-gear and diving glasses which is just down right sweet. Also, I think almost any robot-master with flippers is gonna grab your attention.

When we add the fact that despite his bubbly attacks, his boss-fight and level are two of my favourite things from Mega Man 2, you can see why I like Bubble Man so much that I’d want to have him in the top-5.

4. Splash Woman

Are you really surprised? Splash Woman is definitely cute, perhaps more in that girlish way than anything else. I mean, she’s a mermaid after all. I just really love her design: that little wave-thingy in her helmet, the conch shell shoulder-pads, even her trident.

For some people Splash Woman was a slight disappointment since she didn’t appear that special compared to prior Robot Masters, but I felt she fit the bill fine. She added gender variety but didn’t get special treatment from Mega Man 9’s production crew. Some, of course, hated the fact that dirty Splash Woman fan-art hit the internet within minutes of her being announced in the game, but I think Mega Man fans now know what Sonic fans must feel like whenever Sega unveils a new female character.

I desperately wanted Splash Woman in the top-10, but she got left off in favour of Galaxy Man and even on the quirkiest Robot Masters list she didn’t quite reach the top-5. However, here I think her position is both appropriate and justified.

3. Cut Man

Of course Cut Man had to be up here, since he already made the top-10. Cut Man can truly be considered iconic to the franchise. He’s appeared several times outside of his initial game appearance and, for me, he’s actually one of the first things that always comes to mind from the series. Plus, for being the weakest boss from the first game he’s just really endearing.

Like Bomb Man, Cut Man just has a very unique look. I mean his head is just a big red ball, in essence. That’s just really adorable. And he appears to have a giant pair of scissors stuck on his head which is also just really hilarious-looking. Cut Man might have very well made it on to the Quirkiest Robot Masters list, but honestly, I think he belongs here.

Cut Man is just a beloved figure from the franchise and I never get tired of him. As mentioned before, I especially like him in the Mega Man cartoon series and was seriously creeped out by his appearance in Captain N, but in almost any incarnation, I just find him adorable.

2. Bright Man

Bright Man has certainly basked a lot in the spot-light for these lists *rim shot*. Of course this pudgy bulb-head was also going to make this list. He is just easily the most sympathetic looking Robot from Mega Man 4’s already quirky and goofy looking roster of Robot Masters.

Bright Man is really, in my eyes, Mega Man 4’s equivalent of Cut Man. He’s a bizarre looking, pudgy, sort of weak Robot Master – but one who you instantly associate with the game he’s in. In other words, I consider Bright Man iconic and that’s high praise for a guy who looks like he has a light-bulb on his head. But as I’ve mentioned before, he’s definitely my favourite of Robot Masters with stuff on top of their heads.

Ring Man’s ring? Kinda cool. Cut Man’s blades? Adorable but not as awesome. Flame Man’s turban? More racist, than funny. Quick Man’s boomerang? Cool but nothing special. Top Man’s top? Just really dumb. Bright Man and his light-bulb? God fucking yes, I love that light-bulb.

1. Ice Man

I think Ice Man is the winner by default. He pretty much laid down the standard for almost everyone else on this list. He’s the cutest robot in a game filled with cute, cartoony robots. The winter hood, the gigantic eyes… my god, Ice Man could give Kirby, Yoshi and even Pikachu a run for their money in the cuteness department.

Ice Man’s level is one of my least favourite levels of all time and generally, ice-based robot masters just aren’t as much fun as the rest. Freeze Man and Ice Man are the exceptions. Freeze Man is cool as fuck, Ice Man is just too adorable for words. In fact, if I had put his Mega Man Powered Up version up here, I’m sure my head would have exploded.

Ice Man is the Master of Cuteness in Mega Man and the obvious number-1 choice.

Top-10 Coolest Robot Masters

This time around I bring you the ten Robot Masters which I think are, simply put, the coolest looking. When I did my top-10 favourites, I tried to keep it varied and also tried not to favour any particular game, which meant that I avoided picking simply the coolest Robot Masters from each game. However, this time, it’s all about appearances pure and simple.

However, there are just a ton of cool Robot Masters and this is why it was kinda hard to pick the absolute coolest ones from each game. As a result, there are no less than three honourable mentions this time around. I struggled for a while whether to have Elec or Fire Man on the list and in the end I decided that the original fire-master deserved an honourable mention. There wasn’t enough room on the list for two Robot Masters from Mega Man 4, so unfortunately Skull Man got left off the list. However, he is just incredibly cool-looking so I think he definitely deserves a shout-out. And finally, Mega Man 9 didn’t have any extremely cool looking Robot Masters, but I did quite like the sleek and simple design of Tornado Man, which hearkened back to the classic Robot Masters of the old days. So just because Mega Man 9 isn’t represented on the list, I thought he deserved an honourable mention as well.

And of course Mega Man 8 and 10 are not featured for obvious reasons…

10. Elec Man

Alright, if we have to start from somewhere, might as well start with the Robot Master who originally defined cool in Mega Man games, Electric Man from Mega Man 1. It really was a tough call between him and Fire Man, both of whom I consider iconic and memorable, but Elec Man is perhaps just a tad more cool than Fire Man, his colour-scheme for one is a lot more memorable.

Elec Man’s design was easily the sleekest of the first game’s otherwise quite cartoony designs. Some may note a similarity between Elec Man and Wolverine’s costumes, which in my view is not a bad thing at all. Also, Elec Man is a bad-ass mothafucka who can pretty much kill you in two or three hits.

However, I think he has been out-cooled quite a few times in future games which is why he only gets spot-10 on the list, but certainly it has been earned.

9. Freeze Man

A familiar face from the Top-10, since Freeze Man made it there on sheer coolness, it would be rather hypocritical of me not to include him on this list as well. Ironically, most of the ice-themed robot masters have never been particularly cool-looking, but Freeze Man definitely breaks the mould in this regard.

Some may speculate why other Robot Masters from Mega Man 7 didn’t make it on here like Shade Man and Slash Man. While Shade Man is sort of cool, being a robot-vampire, I think his silly coloration just makes him appear more cartoony than anything. Slash Man, despite his Wolverine claws, doesn’t really appear cool to me as much as sort of cute and fuzzy.

And as mentioned before, Freeze Man has probably my single favourite ice level from any Mega Man game, which is a plus because as a rule I hate the ice-levels in most Mega Man games.

8. Yamato Man

One thing the Mega Man 6 Robot Master roster is not… boring. Weird and quirky definitely fit the bill as well, but the key word is interesting. And while some of the Robot Masters from that game can appear almost borderline racist, at least Capcom showed that the Japanese are not afraid of making fun of themselves.

Enter Yamato Man the Robot Samurai. I mean he has the duds, the staff and every single time I see him, I feel like saying: “This is no place for a mighty warrior!” (That’s a Teen Girl Squad/Homestar Runner reference, go check it out)

Not everyone may agree on Yamato Man’s coolness, but I think he just rocks his unique oriental stylings really well and he certainly has one of the most unique names of any Robot Master I can think of. But I do think there are other Robot Masters that have him beat in the coolness department.

7. Wave Man

Although I really like the roster of Robot Masters in Mega Man 5, it was hard for me to decide which of the masters really qualified as cool. I was teetering between putting Gyro or Crystal Man on the list, but then it occurred to me that you don’t need to be sleek in order to be cool. In that regard, one of my favourite unique, cool designs from this game had to go to Wave Man.

Wave Man appears as if he should be Bubble Man 2.0, but he is actually his own unique boss. He’s another Robot with scuba-gear, but he carries it off with much more confidence than Bubble Man. The guy is wearing a frickin’ crown! And for some reason I’ve always dug his harpoon.

Not only that, Wave Man has one of my favourite levels in Mega Man 5 which is also pretty darn cool. He’s not quite as memorable as some of the other robots on the list, but my personal favourite.

6. Quick Man

The picks from Mega Man 2 for this list were almost ridiculously easy. Quick Man was an obvious pick. Just look at him. He’s sleek, he’s fast and he uses deadly homing boomerangs as weapons. Quick Man is one slick mothafucka and no mistake.

However, I’ve always had a conflicted relationship with Quick Man. Sure, I like him fine now, but for the longest time I really hated him and his stage in Mega Man 2. Both were severely anxiety inducing, with the instant death lasers and Quick Man himself being one of the harder bosses in the game. Your only solace was that his lacking AI might sometimes give you the necessary edge in a boss-fight.

But it’s a no brainer to have Quick Man on here, but childhood traumas caused by his stage are still strong enough for me not wanting to put him in the top-5.

5. Snake Man

Here’s one classic Mega Man 3 master who I really wanted to have in the top-10, but couldn’t because there was no room for him. However, now that I got a second chance, of course, I had to have him in the top-5 for this list. Snake Man is just sleek as all hell. Even his facial expression is incredibly smug.

Plus, need I remind you that this Robot Master lines his entire level in snake-skin. That’s sort of creepy but also kinda cool and definitely the reason why I remember him so well. Even in his boss-fight, he’s cool as fuck and takes his time strolling back and forth the battle arena. His weapon is a little weak, yeah, but I still think he’s just hella cool.

Snake Man is an animal themed Robot Master who just totally owns and inhabits his persona. He’s one of my all time favourites from Mega Man 3 and definitely deserves his spot in the top-5.

4. Knight Man

Yet another familiar face from the Top-10. I’ve already explained why I think Knight Man is so awesome so it’s really hard for me to think of any more reasons why he deserves to be up here. One thing perhaps which I never understood about the robot construction competition in Mega Man 6 was who were all the other contestants that participated? And who were so awesome that they built Knight Man? The British?

Not to mention that his level is a frickin’ castle rigged with high-tech death-traps, so somebody really went through a lot of trouble to make sure Knight Man had the most bad-ass milieu of all the other robots in the competition. And where the heck was Dr. Cossack when this whole thing was going on? Then again, that might have lead to the creation of the most offensive Robot Master of all time: Vodka Man.

So yeah, Spartan style helmet, medieval suit of armour, shield and spiky ball of death. These are the awesome things Knight Man is made of. ‘Nuff said.

3. Pharaoh Man

Once again, yet another familiar face from the Top-10, it’s becoming kind of hard to come up with funny stuff to say about Pharaoh Man since I already listed all his cool attributes in the top-10. Pharaoh Man is just the crowning example that you can have a bizarrely named Robot Master and have him look awesome.

As I mentioned before, it’s sort of odd how well science fiction and Ancient Egypt come together so seamlessly. Just look at Star-Gate or Gamma Ray’s Somewhere Out in Space album. Maybe it’s just that Egyptians are so inherently cool that once you combine it with something else awesome, it becomes extra cool.

And now I feel like I’m already repeating my original description of Knight Man who already is on this list, so let’s just move along…

2. Shadow Man

This is another Mega Man 3 Robot Master I’ve been wanting to highlight and for an obvious reason. He is, no doubt, the favourite of almost anyone who’s played Mega Man 3. His name is awesome, his level has frickin’ lava and did I already mention… he’s a fucking ninja.

Yes, Shadow Man certainly peeks the coolness meter in almost all of his attributes. He even dresses like a ninja, a robot-ninja. As we’ve established before, the way to making awesome Robot Masters is by combining them with something that is already super-awesome. He even throws shurikens as a weapon which is pretty damn awesome.

So why isn’t Shadow Man number-1? Only one reason: his weakness… is the frickin’ Top Spin (refer back to the Bottom-10 Worst Robot Masters list).

1. Metal Man

I guess it wasn’t a big surprise that my favourite Robot Master would also be number-1 on this list as well. Because any way you look at it, Metal Man is just incredibly cool.

He looks cool, I like the red and yellow coloration, the blades and the face-mask. His name is cool, in fact, it’s positively fuckin’ metal. And he uses circular-saw blades as weapons. I have not seen anything that awesome outside Commando with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Metal Man is in fact so cool that I like him in spite of the fact that he’s the easiest boss in Mega Man 2. And of course, like I mentioned before, he has one of my favourite levels, my favourite stage theme and the best Master Weapon in the whole game.

Metal Man is the epitome of coolness in the Mega Man series, no questions asked.

Top-10 Quirkiest Robot Masters

It’s time for more Robot Master goodness. Today I’m listing what I think are the quirkiest Robot Masters from the Mega Man series. For this list I simply collected what I thought were the weirdest, funniest, oddest, most unique… well, in a word quirkiest Robot Masters from each game. Mega Man 6 is rather prominent in this list and once again Mega Man 8 is not present since I never played it. The Mega Man 1 roster is also unfortunately not present, but they will be on a later Top-10, I promise.

An honourable mention is also in order. Mega Man 2 is absent from this list although initially I was going to include Air Man on it. The reason for why he just barely missed the list was because of a last second addition, but the goofy fan-mouthed robot is definitely one of my favourites from Mega Man 2, so the very least he deserves is a shout-out.

Let’s get ooooooon with the list…

10. Spring Man

As established previously, Spring Man gathers a lot of hatred from Mega Man fans but I personally like him. I mean look at the guy, he’s goofy as all hell. And that’s what I like about him. Sure he might look like Slinky Dog’s bastard son, but at least he also looks like a robot (unlike fucking Pump Man).

Also, I quite like his level for the cheery music and toyish feel, though bouncing around on the springs was giving me some unfortunate flashbacks to the Casino Night levels in Sonic-games. Plus, I’d personally be frightened of a robot that can stretch its arms to come and get me, but the fact that the guy’s head is also on a spring makes him more cartoony than menacing.

On the last list, I did point out that as a general rule, you shouldn’t use children’s playthings (tops, balls) as inspiration for your bosses, but I think Spring Man is both silly and threatening enough to walk the line without crossing it. Plus, they do use springs for things other than just slinkies.

9. Blizzard Man

There were several masters from Mega Man 6 who I wanted to feature on the list and this is the first one. The thing to remember is that the Robot Masters in MM6 weren’t built by Dr. Wily but submitted into a robot-construction contest from around the world. And for some reason, I always imagine that Blizzard Man was constructed by the Swedish (because as a Finn, I know we’re not this funny).

It’s a robot with a pair of skis and a winter-cap. How cool (pun not intended) is that? Every time I see Blizzard Man I get a warm cosy feeling inside. I even get it just from the thought, that someone loved snow and skiing so much that they would put frickin’ skis and a snow-cap on a robot.

However, Blizzard man’s quirkiness doesn’t really extend beyond being a skiing robot, which is why I didn’t want to put him too high on the list, but I definitely wanted to showcase him just because of the utterly Nordic feel I get from looking at him (which makes it such a shame that Mega Man 6 was never released in Europe). Ja eikun mäkeen!

8. Charge Man

As should be evident from the last two lists, my opinion of vehicle-based Robot Masters teeters slightly here and there. Charge Man, however has always been one of my favourites in this regard. I consider him a sort of evil counterpart of Thomas the Tank-Engine.

In Mega Man 5’s reasonably colourful roster of Robot Master, Charge Man really does stand out. He’s shaped like a train, his stage is actually on a train and, as everyone who’s played Mega Man 4 knows, Mega Man rides trains all the time (though on the roof since he’s too fucking cheap to actually buy a ticket). In Charge Man’s case, I think his train-like appearance is justified.

His name is a verb meaning forceful forward-moving motion. What else could he possibly be shaped like, besides a train? However, he’s not nearly as quirky as some of the other masters coming up.

7. Centaur Man

Centaur Man is quite simply the most uniquely formed Robot Master ever. Half-Man, Half-Horse, All Robot, that’s the best combination for a boss based on Greek mythology I’ve ever seen or heard. I don’t know why, but I just have a soft-spot for video-game centaurs, like Motaro from Mortal Kombat.

However, as cool and quirky of a robot master as he is, not too many people seem to like Centaur Man. Okay, he has a water-level, even though he’s not a water-themed Robot which is kinda weird. And essentially he’s just Flash Man 3.0 which is kind of weird.

However, Centaur Man’s look is positively iconic. He’s another Robot Master who I instantly associate with Mega Man 6. And no matter what anyone says, he is definitely one of the most unique looking Robot Masters in the Mega Man rosters.

6. Splash Woman

Mega Man 9 had a couple of really good, quirky ones and Splash Woman is already a quirk in that she is, in fact, the first female Robot Mistress in history. That alone should have earned her a spot in my top-10, but at least I can give her recognition in this list. Why? Because she’s a frickin’ mermaid!

Mermaids are proof that you don’t need legs to be sexy. Splash Woman however, is what I like to call “classy hot”, but I think her aquatic feel also makes her stand-out amongst the many water-themed Robot Masters from the series. She also had a bitchin’ stage theme song and definitely one of my favourite water-levels from a Mega Man game (though nothing tops Bubble Man for me personally).

Splash Woman seemed like the perfect complementary addition on this half of the list to Centaur Man which is why I decided to include her at the last minute. She is definitely unique, but not quirky enough to make it onto the Top-5.

5. Bright Man

This guy was already in my Top-10, but I have to say that Bright Man just tops every single “I got something stuck on my head”-type Robot Master in my book. At the risk of repeating myself, he’s just a pudgy guy with a light-bulb stuck to his head, but I get a warm feeling from seeing him every time.

He’s just a really endearing character and one I identify instantly with Mega Man 4. Bright Man beat out Dust Man, Drill Man, Ring Man and even Skull Man to make it on this list (though Skull Man is perhaps more scary than quirky). Interestingly he’s also Flash Man 2.0, which means I have two incarnations of time-stopper master, but not the original himself. Maybe Flash Man will make my top-10 of most underappreciated Robot Masters…

In the meanwhile the pudgy bulb-head from Russia reigns supreme over the number-5 spot, because as funny as I find him, there are four Robots who I think are even weirder.

4. Tomahawk Man

Tomahawk and Flame Man are where the Mega Man 6 roster starts to turn borderline racist, but you know what, I really like Tomahawk Man for some reason. At least when Capcom decides to depict a stereotypical Native American, they give you the whole package: feather headgear, war-paint, a loincloth (for a robot, yeah) and what does Tomahawk Man use as his weapons? Fucking Tomahawks… Fucking A!

I seriously just love Tomahawk Man’s stage in Mega Man 6. Maybe, I just have a soft-spot for Westerns but I love the cowboy-bots blasting away with their six-shooter, the classic western sounding stage-theme and the blazing sun in the background. Tomahawk Man just gets every Western cliché right which is why it’s just a joy to go fighting with him.

I think Tomahawk Man is certainly bizarre enough of warrant a spot in the top-5, but I do think other Robot Masters can best him in the sheer quirkiness department.

3. Spark Man

Lo and behold, another familiar face from my Top-10. Spark Man really is just one of my all-time favourite Robot Masters and he’s quirky as hell too. As mentioned before, he’s one of the few Robot Masters who really does look Robotic. He doesn’t have a traditionally shaped torso and his gigantic electrode arms just put his entire body out of proportion.

You can just tell that Spark Man was originally designed to be a part of a power-company’s electrical equipment. He certainly looks the part more than Elec Man from Mega Man 1. I think Spark Man just set the standard too high for future electricity themed Robot Masters that they simply don’t compare. When I think of an electrical Robot Master, I think of him.

Plug Man from Mega Man 9 would have come pretty close, but I still can’t take his name seriously and it leads to a lot of disgusting images in my head.

2. Toad Man

One of the all-time goofiest looking Robot Masters ever, Toad Man may not look threatening but he’ll certainly attract your attention the minute you see him. I mean, what can I say? The guy looks like he was devoured by a giant frog. He’s another iconic face from Mega Man 4 and as much as I love Bright Man, Toad Man does take the cake for being the weirdest looking Robot Master from that game.

Toad Man’s level is also quite unique with running water-falls (in sewers, so you know its poo-water that Mega Man is running through) and through the storm which makes jumping difficult. Also, Toad Man’s attack is probably the strangest ever. He does a little dance and causes rain to fall down which hurts Mega Man. Shouldn’t that be Tomahawk Man’s attack (no wait, that actually would be racist)?

In summation, Toad Man is just frickin’ weird and I love him. He’s pretty dang hard to beat in the quirkiness department, so who could possibly do it.

1. Galaxy Man

This little tyke from Mega Man 9 is one of the most delightfully weird things to have come out of the newer titles of the series. Sure, he’s just a flying-saucer with legs, but the thing I love best about him is that he actually looks like a robot.

He’s got strange little antennae, arms and legs, but no face. He only has two little eyes with no pupils and not even a suggestion of a human face. Yet, he still waves his hands around and acts goofy which just makes him really adorable. And as mentioned in the Top-10, he had my favourite level in Mega Man 9.

Galaxy Man is the unquestionable winner because no other Robot Master really quite looks like him… well, maybe Astro Man from Mega Man 8, but I still think Galaxy Man is cuter and more quirky looking (Astro Man looks like a rip-off of the robot from Lost in Space).

Bottom-10 Worst Robot Masters

It’s time to list my least favourite Robot Masters from the Mega Man games. Though I love the Robot Masters to death, there are some that are just plain stupid and/or pathetic. Either it’s their power, their name or their look. Something about them that just makes them pathetic adversaries for Mega Man to fight.

There are no Robot Masters from Mega Man 1 or 5 this time, because I honestly like that selection of Robot Masters from those games so much and of course there aren’t any from Mega Man 8, as explained on the prior list.

Mega Man 10, however, is featured in abundance and I feel deservedly. However, one guy you’re not gonna be seeing here is Sheep Man. Honestly, Sheepy has received much more hatred than he deserves, since A.) he’s not that dumb-looking and B.) his appearance, name and persona display more creativity than most of the other Robot Masters from Mega Man 10 combined. Leave Sheep Man alone!! =’(

But let’s get started now.

10. Heat Man

I do honestly love the Robot Master roster from Mega Man 2, but if there is one Master who stands out for being kinda lame, I think it has to be Heat Man .Just look at the guy, he seems like the temp for Zippo cigarette-lighter company who ended up doing street-level promotion in a sweaty and smelly costume.

Heat Man literally looks like he’s just wearing a cigarette lighter. However, I’m only having him as number-10, because while I think he looks stupid, I actually feel sort of sorry for him. He’s the second fire-themed Robot Master from the series and it was only through sheer tough luck that he got stuck with such a crappy design.

His boss-fight is actually kinda fun, if easy, and I even kinda dig his level theme music, but the level itself, I always save until I have Item-2 so I can skip most of it.

9. Nitro Man

Our first pick from Mega Man 10, Nitro Man is a robot that turns into a motorcycle to rip shit up. For some reason though I always feel like calling him “bicycle boy” (that’s a Full Throttle reference, go check it out). I feel oddly conflicted about his design, since he appears to be another vehicle based Robot Master, yet his name makes him sound like another bomb-themed robot-master and I think he’s also a bit of a fire-guy too…

Well, Nitro Man’s design isn’t too bad, though it displays a common aspect with many other Mega Man 10 Robot Masters which I’ll talk about in a bit. His transformation into a motorcycle is also kinda neat and an obvious throw-back to Turbo Man from Mega Man 7 (who turned into a race-car).

Nitro Man gets off easy because I don’t really hate his design nearly as much as I hate his level which was by far one of the most frustrating in Mega Man 10. Hell! Based on that, he should have been called Trucker Man or, personally, I think he should have been calledBikeMan.That’s another thing common with a lot of the MM10 Robot Masters, most of their names don’t make any sense.

8. Burst Man

People tend to hate on Spring Man from Mega Man 7, but if you ask me, the most annoying Robot Master from that game is unquestionably Burst Man.In essence, he’s Bubble Man 2.0, but not as much fun. Firstly, his design isn’t really anything special. Secondly, he’s a water-themed Robot Master whose fight doesn’t take place underwater (which is lame but not terrible) and his fighting arena is a veritable death-trap.

He can blow bubbles to push you up and around, the sides of the stage make you fly straight into him and just like Bubble Man, the roof of his arena is lined with spikes. The most cheap-ass and annoying technique at his disposal is trapping Mega Man in a bubble and causing him to fly up into the frickin’ spikes.

I just flat-out hate Burst Man. I would rather fight Bubble Man a hundred times than fight him even once.

7. Concrete Man

Mega Man 9’s roster of Robot Masters was pretty good, but there was one that stuck out like a sore thumb for me from the very start. Concrete Man looks like the lovechild son of Guts and Stone Man. Rarely do we see this much lack of effort from Capcom in their design of a Robot Masters.

Concrete Man looks like a generic hulk from the series. His name is lame. His coloration isn’t much better. I just have no words to describe how utterly disappointed I was to see a boss like this in Mega Man 9. Magma Man was generic, but okay. Plug Man had a horrible name, but he looked the part. Concrete Man has no redeeming or memorable qualities.

However, Concrete Man’s level was actually a lot of fun and for that I’m willing to let him out of the Bottom-5. Concrete Man isn’t a bad Robot Master because he’s horrible-looking or too difficult, he’s just plain old generic.

6. Pump Man

Pump Man just looks plain ridiculous. At least his name is pretty darn accurate, but what kind of a design is this for a Robot Master? An old-timey water-pump? Maybe if Pump Man was the mascot for a charity program to build wells in Africa, I could forgive him, but there is just one word for this sort of enemy designing… plain old retarded.

The big issue with the general level of design of the Robot Masters in Mega Man 10 was that Capcom apparently just took whatever everyday items they could find and turned them into bad-guys in a video-game. And don’t get me wrong, that sort of a thing can work for some games, but if there is a Robot Master in a Mega Man game that’s just [inanimate object] with legs, I expect to see one or two, but not an entire roster based on that principle.

Capcom, I know that after nine games you might be running out of steam for good Robot Master designs, but you could at least start by making them appear like robots… and not fucking water-pumps.

5. Dive Man

Another Robot Master design that doesn’t always work out in my view is making a Robot Master into a vehicle. Turbo Man’s a car and that’s okay, Gyro Man is a helicopter and that’s okay, Charge Man is a locomotive and that’s okay, Galaxy Man is a space-ship and that’s okay. However, a submarine was just stretching it a bit too much. I honestly don’t know what to say… Dive Man just looks plain awkward.

Maybe it’s the name, it just doesn’t have the same sort of staying power as other Mega Man 4 Robot Masters like Pharaoh Man, Ring Man, Drill Man or Dust Man.Maybe if he was called Sub Man it could have worked. Or maybe U-Man. The problem, more precisely however, is that watercraft is generally just not cool. Sailors are cool. Pirates are cool. A submarine can be cool but only when it’s avoiding depth-charges and shooting torpedoes (well at least Dive Man does the latter).

Dive Man isn’t so much bad as he is just plain disappointing. Hell, Mega Man 4 is one of few Mega Man games to have two water-themed Robot Masters and I honestly think Toad Man looks better than him. But at least his level is fun and his boss-fight is underwater… that’s at least something.

4. Strike Man

Dumbest name ever… why not Pitch Man… or Glove Man… or Catcher Man… or Ball Man… or Bat Man (I mean they already had Aqua Man). There really isn’t much to say about this guy. He’s such a bad Robot Master that I can’t even remember his name half the time. Baseball Man is just one of the absolute dumbest ideas for a boss I’ve seen.

I mean okay, if Capcom wanted a baseball themed level in their game this badly, they could have come up with just a generic sports-themed Robot Masters. It would have still been retarded but only moderately less so than what they came up for Balls Man over-here. I mean for Christ’s sake! It’s just a baseball with a pair of legs, arms and eyes.

This is lazy Robot Master designing at its finest. His attack pattern rips off Armoured Armadillo from Mega Man X and his level was probably my least favourite in Mega Man 10. Bat Man, why must you disappoint me so…

3. Plant Man

As has been addressed in the past, Mega Man 6’s roster of Robot Masters is just pretty damn weird. The one robot who receives almost near-universal derision from this game is Plant Man. And I do have to agree. He looks like Mansy the Half-Man, Half-Pansy (that’s a Conan O’Brien reference, go check it out).

I mean what can be said about Plant Man that hasn’t been said. Flower and Plant-based bosses in Mega Man games can generally go one of two ways. Either you end up with something pretty cool, like Wood Man (Mega Man 2) or Axl Rose (Mega Man X6), or something pretty lame, like Wire Sponge (Mega Man X2, and yes I know sponges are actually a type of animal – still looks like a fucking vegetable to me).

The only reason I’m not putting Plant Man any higher is that his level is actually kinda cool and I like his theme music.

2. Blade Man

It’s when I saw this Robot Master in Mega Man 10 that I honestly felt like throwing my arms up in the air and saying “I give up”. They might as well just have called him Knife Man .Even though his design has his arms being a pair of sabres, in the game he looks like three purple butter-knives glued together with legs and a pair of eyes.

The guy’s head is a frickin’ sword! You don’t do that sort of stuff unless this was a parody of a Mega Man game, which it honestly begins to feel like the further you look at the roster of characters. And may I also remind people that he appears to be a rip-off of both Slash Man (Mega Man 7) and Neon Tiger (Mega Man X3). Except Slash Man and Neon Tiger are both respectably pretty challenging bosses, Blade Man is a fucking wuss.

I hate Blade Man’s design and boss fight so much that I was willing to put him this high on the list, regardless of the fact that I actually liked his level. Sure, it was a pretty damn difficult level, but it was actually kinda fun. Blade Man just plain sucks…

1. Top Man

I think it goes without saying that Top Man is the all-time least threatening Mega Man boss. He’s a dreidle for God’s sake! As a general rule you shouldn’t try turning children’s playthings into boss characters in your games. Yeah, Top Man does suck, but I kinda like him in spite of that – maybe it’s just the fact that he’s an old Robot Master who sucks.

Okay, so his boss-fight is sort of respectable, but he’s just way too easy to beat. But his level and even his theme music are actually pretty good. It’s actually his Master Weapon that people remember perhaps more vividly than the boss himself: the Top Spin. A frickin’ pirouette which doesn’t appear to do anything outside of your fight with Shadow Man and of course, you can use it on the final boss-fight to win instantly.

Top Man is one of the weakest and dumbest looking Robot Masters in history and he more or less set the standard for all crappy Robot Masters since. Like I said, I don’t really hate him that much, but I haven’t been deluded into thinking that he doesn’t suck… because he does… a lot…

Peace out!

My Top-10 Favourite Robot Masters

So today I wanted to present my Top-10 favourite Robot Masters from the Mega Man series. Making this list was really hard because I wanted to be as impartial to any one roster of Robot Masters and as a result I ended up making quite a few lists which I will be posting over the next few days.

One honourable mention was in order because she didn’t make it on to the list but is definitely worth bringing up: Splash Woman, the first and still the only female Robot Master in the group. She didn’t make the cut but I do have to bring her up just to point out to Capcom that if they ever get around to doing Mega Man 11, we need more Robot Masters like her and less like the ones you made for 10.

You will also notice two games are notably absent from the list which are Mega Man 8 and 10. I decided to be fair and exclude any games I haven’t played and this is why Mega Man 8 got left out, because it’s not fair comparing Robot Masters from a game I haven’t played. Number 10 was left out for more obvious reasons, the fact that the whole Robot Master line-up for that game was extremely uncreative and boring. However, they will feature very prominently in my up-coming Bottom-10 of the worst Robot Masters…

10. Galaxy Man

Mega Man 9’s roster of Robot Masters wasn’t anything spectacular but there were a few really nice ones. However, I think Galaxy Man was easily my favourite. For one, he’s just flying saucer with legs, but really quirky and cute in that sense.

His attack pattern was definitely ripped off from Gravity Beetle from Mega Man X3, but at least he’s memorable and his level was quite simply my favourite from Mega Man 9.

Galaxy Man just has a nice, funny and unique quality about him that makes him stand out. It was difficult for me to choose between him and Splash Woman, but I think the fact that Galaxy Man is the most robot-like of all the Robot Masters on this list helped in my decision.

9. Freeze Man

Mega Man 7 did have quite a nice and colourful set of Robot Masters, but for some odd reason Freeze Man just stands out amongst them all. Sure, when it comes to the ice-themed Robot Masters, Ice Man from Mega Man 1 is most people’s favourites, but honestly no ice master from the Mega Man games has ever looked particularly cool (pun totally not intended).

But then we have Freeze Man. He just looks like a slick mothafucka. He’s got the face-mask, the stance and even a weird purple boomerang thingy on his forehead. Also, while I usually hate the ice levels in Mega Man games, Freeze Man’s has always been fun to play for some reason. In fact his level is even quite Christmas-y with its cheery background music and all, which even clashes a bit with his image, but he also enters the stage by breaking out of an ice crystal which is pretty darn cool (pun still not intended).

However, I do hate that he’s a Robot Master you have to fight by using a shield weapon, which is to say that you have to run into him to make it work. But Freeze Man gives me the chills in a good way and that’s why he’s on the list (okay, that was intentional).

8. Bubble Man

Mega Man 2 has by far my favourite roster of Robot Masters and I had to restrain myself from including too many names on the list. However, one who I thought definitely deserved a shout-out was the scuba-gear wearing master of the deep.

Bubble Man is just an iconic boss for me. I can’t think of Mega Man 2, without thinking about him. He has one of the best levels, best level themes and his boss-fight is also extremely fun, whether or not you have the Metal Blades. Also, Bubble Man is here to represent, since the point of this top-10 is to show that you don’t have to be the coolest Robot Master in your game to be a big hit with me.

Bubble Man isn’t quite the immortal figure of the franchise as some of the other Robot Masters on here, but I do believe he deserves recognition. Plus, I just find it hilarious that a robot would need scuba-gear.

7. Bright Man

Speaking of quirky Robot Masters, Mega Man 4 was just loaded with them. However, amongst the quirky my personal favourite has always been Bright Man.This is just a pudgy guy with a frickin’ light-bulb on his head, but that’s what makes him stand out for me.

Now technically, Bright Man is just Flash Man 2.0, meaning that he’s the time-stopping boss from Mega Man 4, but I honestly don’t care that he has one of the easier boss-fights from the game. His level is one of the stand outs for me and I just can’t help thinking of Mega Man 4 without thinking of him.

So yeah, Bright Man might not be the outwardly most interesting Robot Master, but I just really like him.

6. Cut Man

I hate myself for not leaving room on the list for two Robot Masters from Mega Man 1, but if I only get to pick one, then Cut Man is the obvious choice. He’s just the mischievous-looking type and he may be the easiest boss from the first game, but he is definitely an icon of the franchise and no mistake.

With his big, round and red head and the cut-blades atop his noggin which he uses as his weapons, Cut Man is just a really endearing figure. I particularly enjoyed him in the Mega Man Cartoon Series where he was always making cheesy jokes about cutting stuff and laughing like he thought they were comedy gold. So my love for this Robot Master goes well beyond just the game in which he appears in.

Cut Man just barely missed the cut (heh, heh) when it came to picking my Top-5, but the following picks are truly my favourite Masters. So sorry Cutsie, it was just a sheer (heh, heh) impossibility for you to make it. And I should really cut it out with the scissor jokes. (ugh)

5. Knight Man

Mega Man 6’s roster can only be described as plain weird… and even vaguely racist. Knight Man, however, stands out. The fact that he’s a robot knight is just super awesome. How do you get “super awesome”? Simple, you take one awesome thing (robots) and combine them with another awesome thing (knights) and you get super awesome. Refer to the mathematical formula below…

Awesome + Awesome = Super Awesome

You know what else is awesome? Knight Man’s stage and stage theme. He’s a robot wearing a medieval suit of armour, a shield and his attack is a spiky ball of death. I don’t know why, I just a have a thing for spiky balls of death. I especially dig the vaguely Greek design of Knight Man’s helmet.

He certainly has earned his spot in the Top-5, but there are four more Robot Masters I like even better.

4. Pharaoh Man

Mega Man 4 was the first Mega Man game I ever played and one Robot Master who was instantly scratched into the back of my mind from this game was the oddly namedPharaohMan.Sci-Fi and Ancient Egypt make for a rather odd couple, but whenever these two decide to get intimate with one-another, the end results are usually surprisingly awesome.

Pharaoh Man might have been my very first favourite Robot Master and I think he’s still really cool. Let’s think about it, he’s a mummy which is essentially a type of zombie, a robot and frickin’ Pharaoh or a King. Why did Powerslave start playing in my head all of a sudden?

If you want a really cool appearance by Pharaoh Man, check out his brief cameo in the Mega Man cartoon episode Electric Nightmare. A robot-zombie, disco master, King ofEgyptis more than enough credentials to make it in my top-5, but let’s move on to even bigger fish.

3. Spark Man

Spark Man is also another Robot Master whom I remember distinctly from the first time I played Mega Man 3. I mean, yeah, he’s on the cover but also I remember even finding him a tad scary with his long electrode arms which made his whole body sort of disproportionate. In fact, that’s the reason he’s in the top-5. Out of the classic NES Robot Masters, he’s the most robot-like.

In addition, he’s quite a challenging boss and has probably one of my all time favourite stages from any Mega Man game. Sure, now looking at him, he does appear a tad goofy, but he looks so different from any other Robot Master. I mean, what the heck is that sparky thing on his head? Why does he have a mouth on the menu but not his in-game sprite?

Spark Man is one of those Robot Masters that I consider iconic and, out of Mega Man 3’s pretty strong roster, he definitely stands out the most for me.

2. Gravity Man

Gravity Man is another damn goofy looking Robot Master who I really like. His boss-fight is definitely the most unique in the series that I know of, if not necessarily the most challenging. His design is so weird too, but that’s what makes him awesome.

Mega Man 5 is my favourite Mega Man game and picking a definite favourite Robot Master was pretty darn difficult. However, I think Gravity Man had the whole package: the best stage in the game, a catchy theme song and a memorable boss fight. Not much else you could ask for.

His power is also fun in a sadistic way, where you can send enemies falling towards the sky. That’s the stuff nightmares are made of. I really do believe Gravity Man deserves to be this high for being just super cool.

1. Metal Man

Kind of an obvious pick, but Metal Man has always just been my favourite Robot Master. Sure, he’s kinda weak and the easiest boss from Mega Man 2, but I don’t think you can honestly beat a guy who throws circular saw blades as weapon. Plus, Metal Man at least looks awesome which is another reason I like him.

Naturally, he has one of my favourite stages and my favourite stage-theme from Mega Man 2 by far. And of course, the Metal Blades are the single most useful weapon in any Mega Man game, against not only the majority of enemies in the game but a majority of the other Robot Masters as well.

Over-all, it’s may even be the image of Metal Man that I like even better than just the fact that he’s in Mega Man 2. He’s the very definition of cool and no Robot Master can ever usurp him as my favourite. Hard rockin’ heavy metal!

My Top-9 Sonic Characters

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of my favourite game-series and it has a lot of cool characters. So I wanted to make a top-10 list of my favourite Sonic characters, but I ran into a problem. I wanted to emphasize characters from the actual games rather than the cartoons and the comics. However, after I’d come up with my pick of nine favourite characters I drew a blank.

It would have been easy for me to just pick the missing characters from one of the Sonic cartoons, but then that would have been missing the point I originally set out for this list. So, instead a top-9 it shall be…

9. Dr. Robotnik a.k.a. Eggman

Robotnik really is Sonic’s equivalent to Bowser. I just can’t imagine a Sonic game without him. Also, he has a sort of classic video-game villain feel and he certainly has a panache for turning innocent woodland creatures into robots. And personally, I don’t care whether you call him Robotnik or Eggman, either one is fine by me.

However, I couldn’t have Eggman much higher on the list because, as a villain, he’s quite pathetic. He always comes up with the most ludicrous schemes to take out Sonic that always backfire and his giant death-machines are always designed with some crippling weakness which Sonic will always take advantage of.

You may think this is a trait shared by many other video-game mad scientists, but in Robotnik’s case, these weaknesses seem almost comically intentional. Hell, I even devoted a top-10 to his most pathetic boss fights, so I think that says quite a lot. He definitely deserves to be on the list, but not any higher than this.

8. Amy Rose

I don’t think any other Sonic-character divides opinions as much as Amy Rose. People both love and hate her. I myself do like her to a degree and even think she’s an iconic figure of the franchise. I will also admit that she can be an annoying bitch at times.

Firstly, her crush on Sonic is an endearing trait and I do like it about her – but in certain instances it does start to get frustratingly stupid. Secondly, where Amy deserves major cred in my view is that she’s a female video-game character who went from being just another damsel-in-distress to being an active player in the plots of future Sonic-games.

And thirdly, she uses a giant hammer as a weapon. I just find that endlessly amusing for
some reason.

7. Tikal

Poor Tikal, this innocent Echidna girl from the past made her first appearance in Sonic Adventure. All Tikal ever wanted was for the Chao’s to be left alone to live in peace, but her ass-hat of a father wanted the power of the Master Emerald for himself and caused a massacre of Chao’s which eventually might have lead to the deaths of pretty much most Echidnas (and the creation of Chaos).

Tikal is just a tragic and sympathetic figure and I really feel sorry for her on the over-all.

She’s somehow managed to make more appearances in other Sonic-games, though I don’t really understand how. However, I liked her enough on the back of Sonic Adventure to include her on the list.

6. Shadow the Hedgehog

What can I say? I like doppelgangers. And although Sonic has perhaps had more than his fair share of them, I think Shadow actually was a pretty badass character when he first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2. He really seemed to be, for the very first time, a truly threatening opponent for Sonic to face.

Of course, later it turns out that he’s just misguided and misunderstood and more of an anti-hero than a villain. I did think it was a little stupid when they decided to give him a gun for his own solo game, but for some reason Shadow just seems like the type of guy who could actually pull that kind of a thing of.

He may not be to everyone’s liking, but I think that’s true for almost any Sonic character. Point is, I think he kicks ass and that’s why I had him on the list.

5. E-102 Gamma

Another Sonic Adventure debutant. Gamma was a robot who went renegade and wanted to free his brethren from Robotnik’s control. A single encounter with Amy Rose was enough to convince him on this path, which is another reason why I like Amy so much, because she actually inspired this character.

Personality wise, Gamma is quite a blank page but then again, he’s just a bird trapped inside a robot body. Gamma’s side-story was easily the most touching in Sonic Adventure and this is why the guy ranks so high on my list.

Gamma, we salute you.

4. Knuckles the Echidna

I just really like Knuckles for some reason. He’s just a badass who doesn’t take shit from anyone. He’s another figure who appeared villainous but later turned out to be heroic and simply mislead by Robotnik. He’s quite serious and all, but I like the fact that he’s such a stout fellow.

Having said that, Knuckles can be quite gullible. How else can you explain him getting tricked by Robotnik for a second time in Sonic Adventure. His lacking sense of humour may also turn off some because he does seem to go through life taking everything at face value.

However, I really like playing as him in almost any Sonic game and there’s an odd appeal about the guy. Also, he’s got some bitchin’ dreadlocks to boot.

3. Rouge the Bat

There aren’t too many Sonic characters you could honestly describe as being hot, but Rouge the Bat sure is. She wears skin-tight clothes and high-heels, of course she’s fucking hot. I also liked how Sonic Adventure 2 also presented her as a female bad guy you could actually play as. That alone made her quite unique in the Sonic series.

She also has an interesting personality and did perhaps later develop into a bit of an anti-hero, much like Shadow. In fact, there even seems to be something going on between her and Shadow, but also her and Knuckles. I won’t so go far as to call her a dirty slut, but it does look kind of suspicious.

There aren’t too many female characters in Sonic games to begin with so if one of them had to make the top-5, Rouge will definitely be my pick.

2. Miles “Tails” Prower

Who doesn’t love Tails, honestly? He’s just super adorable, he has two tails which allow him to fly, he’s a bit of genius and he follows Sonic where ever he goes. I’ve considered him a permanent fixture of the Sonic franchise ever since I first saw him in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Granted, Tails isn’t perhaps the most colourful personality and some of his incarnations are a tad annoying (Sonic the Movie comes to mind), but I always expect to see him whenever I play a Sonic game. He’s like Robotnik in this regard, but I like him better because he’s cute and has a funny name… Miles that is. I mean c’mon, that shit is hilarious.

Tails does truly belong in the top-5 and will always be one of my favourite Sonic characters (no matter how many times they cast him with a horrible voice-actor).

1. Sonic the Hedgehog

Well, this seems like an anti-dramatic pick for number-1, but Sonic is just a classic game character. Period. He has the charm of a Walt Disney-esque animal figure (Mickey Mouse gloves and all), but he’s also got a great attitude and of course… he’s a fucking blue hedgehog that runs at the speed of sound.

Sonic really does have a classic feel and every time I see him, it fills me with a sensation that I’m about to play something fun, fast and exciting. Hell, I even liked Sonic in the craptastic Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, though I think it helped that he was voiced by Jaleel “The Urkel” White, just as he was in the other (and much better) Sonic the Hedgehog animated series by DIC.

There really is no Sonic character who can top the blue hedgehog in my view and I think that’s to be expected. Across all Sonic-fans, he’s probably the only character from the franchise who always gets near universal approval.

My Top-10 Mega Man Games

This is the long belated follow-up to my Top-10 game series list I did a while back. Since I listed my Top-10 Mario Games, I decided it was high time I listed my favourite Mega Man games as well. A few surprise entries are up on this list which should really make it interesting.

I also have to give an honorary mention to Mega Man 4, which was the first Mega Man game I played and a really strong entry in the franchise, but I wanted to focus on these games more which is why it’s not up here. On with the list…

10. Mega Man 7

The Super Nintendo Mega Man title doesn’t receive a lot of love and I think it’s a bit unfair. Firstly, the game isn’t nearly as frustrating as some of the NES games (except for the final boss fight), the soundtrack is lovable and cartoony and they actually tried to have something resembling an actual storyline in this game which is cute (if a tad redundant).

As goofy as the Robot Masters in this one were, I think the game also had excellent level variety and I personally didn’t mind the fact that you could only select from four levels at a time. Other cool features, like the store, in my view made up for that.

Mega Man 7 is a truly underappreciated game from the series and I actually recommend as a first title for the series for those who haven’t played a Mega Man game before. It’s cute, cartoony and just loads of fun.

Left: American cover, Right: European cover

9. Mega Man

The first game is noted by some as being “hard as balls”. And I’m not going to lie, Mega Man 1 is probably the single hardest Mega Man game you could start with on the NES. Having said that, once you’ve mastered the game you can beat it in about a half-hour and that’s where my love-hate relationship with this game stems from.

When I first played it, I hated it and it got me really pissed off because it was so hard, but as time has gone by, not only could I probably beat the game with my eyes closed, I now actually consider it one of my favourite titles from the series. Horrendous cover-art aside, the first Mega Man had a lot of character, a cool roster of Robot Masters and some pretty awesome music.

The game is, however, very frustrating and not always for the right reasons. It is definitely not a first-time Mega Man experience choice, but it’s an awesome game and definitely worth checking out if you want to test out your Mega Man skills.

8. Mega Man 6

Another game from the series that doesn’t quite receive the respect it deserves. Sure, the very ethnically diverse and stereotypical cast of Robot Masters does seem to make Mega Man 6 appear like an after-thought rather than a full-fledged sequel, but the game is actually very well crafted.

The level variety is still great, it’s appropriately challenging and the Rush Adapters were actually a really nifty addition. Plus, the development team clearly put a lot of effort into the game, with many of the levels having hidden secrets and alternate paths to take.

It may not be the brightest star in the franchise, but I think Mega Man 6 just doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. I honestly can’t think of that many sixth instalments of any given franchise that were this solid and still fun to play.

7. Mega Man X3

This game definitely splits opinions in the Mega Man fan-community, but I personally love it. The third MMX game is truly a challenge for those looking to test their skills. Beating a level in this game is an achievement in and of itself, never mind beating the bosses which are all super hard.

Probably more than the gameplay itself, I actually might even love the soundtrack more with its aggressive hard-rocking heavy metal music putting you in the mood to turn those damned Mavericks into scrap-metal. MMX3 is pure heavy metal incarnate.

As should be obvious though, the game is definitely not suited for beginners and you even have to know where to find the air-dash before you can hope to beat some of the levels. It’s the Mega Man game I go to when I want to challenge myself.

6. Mega Man 3

This is a popular favourite and for some very good reasons: a kick-ass selection of Robot Masters, probably the second best soundtrack in the original series, introduction of the slide, Proto Man and Rush all in one. Mega Man 3 just kicks massive ass.

The game is also a lot more fair with its challenge than either of the games preceding it, which is what makes it the perfect game to start with if you’re a Mega Man novice. It also just has some of my favourite levels of the whole franchise like Snake Man, Spark Man, Hard Man and Magnet Man’s levels.

This game is just a joy to play, but I do feel that it’s perhaps a little too easy at times. However, it’s the quintessential pick-up-and-play title from the franchise and therefore deserves to be this high on the list.

5. Mega Man Legends/64

This is a new favourite of mine. If you wanted to play a Mega Man game with a story in 3D, look no further. Mega Man Legends just instantly won me over with its cartoony, anime-ish look and feel, fun gameplay and sense of adventure.

Though this game is a massive departure from the blue bomber’s origins, you still get that innocent sense of fun you used to and so much more… like really funny cutscenes. The Legends games are an unfortunately underrated and even forgotten series. It sure as hell beats the crap out of that stupid Battle Network series as far as I’m concerned.

So if you want a solid 3D Mega Man title, you really need to pick up and give this game a try.

4. Mega Man: The Wily Wars

Now you may think it unfair to have an anthology package on the list, but Wily Wars is in fact its own self-contained game and not just a 16-bit remake of the first three Mega Man games.

TheWilyToweris a loving homage to all three games, taking their best (and worst) features and creating new excellent levels out of them. It’s actually a shame this game was only released physically inEurope, because I think every die-hard Mega Man fan should try this out, just to see what it’s like to have your free pick of the Master Weapons from the first three Mega Man games.

But before you get to The Wily Tower, you have to beat the 16-bit remakes of the first three Mega Man games and this is actually a lot of fun to do. You get a new fresh look and excellent 16-bit renditions of the classic tunes from these games. This one is a must-try for any serious Mega Man fan.

3. Mega Man 2

Mega Man 2 is a timeless classic and no mistake. It’s the game that turned the franchise into the money-making machine it is. And it’s a damn good game on top of that. Mega Man 2 took everything that was awesome about the first game and fixed the things that weren’t so awesome about it.

With such a timeless Robot Master cast of Metal Man, Flash Man, Wood Man, Crash Man, Quick Man, Bubble Man, Heat Man and Air Man – how could you not love this game? The soundtrack is easily and by far the best in the original series and the level design is tricky and challenging. Plus, the game has probably the best ending animation of the whole series.

However, Mega Man 2 is a very challenging game even on the easier difficulty setting and not necessarily a game I’d recommend as a first from the series. Still, it deserves recognition and it clearly deserves to be in the Top-3 at least.

2. Mega Man X

This game, in one word, is “awesome”.  Mega Man’s darker and more extreme redesign for the Super Nintendo was a massive success and lead to the creation of the second longest running Mega Man franchise. The game that started it all is still probably the best instalment of the whole franchise.

Despite being challenging and far more quick-paced than the classic Mega Man titles, its challenge is fair and it’s a game where you never feel that the game is being cheap and unnecessarily frustrating. Add to that some kick ass graphics and a soundtrack that in my eyes is in fact better than Mega Man 2 and you have yourself a game that is truly just a joy to play.

Mega Man X is just the perfect, fun gaming experience and could potentially be my very favourite Mega Man game, but there is one title that still trumps it in my view.

1. Mega Man 5

I think no other game in the series has come close to matching the level and gameplay variety, as well as the over-all fun-factor of the fifth Mega Man game. It’s simply put the most polished title from the franchise. You have a crapload of different powers to use, the most solid cast of Robot Masters since Mega Man 3 and an extremely memorable soundtrack.

Also, a gripping storyline that had you at the edge of your seat… at least until you realised that this was going to be just a repeat of Mega Man 4’s storyline. Oh well, can’t win them all. But somehow it was just really awesome to see an entire fortress shaped like Proto Man’s helmet.

Plus, the game is super challenging, but I rather think that because the game gives you every tool you could possibly need to beat the game, it’s still a fair challenge. And that’s why it’s my favourite.

Nintendo Backstab the Comic

Click the image to view in full size.

Here’s a little comic I made while I was making The History of Video-Games series for YouTube. It’s a comic interpretation of the infamous Nintendo Backstab which lead to the creation of the Sony PlayStation and Phillips CDi.

To learn more about the Nintendo Back-Stab, click here.

Top-10 Bad Games with Good Music

Here’s a little change from the Maiden blogs, but it’s still within the realm of music.

We all know one don’t we. A game that is mediocre, sub par or even right down awful… but you can’t stop humming the music to yourself because it’s actually pretty catchy. There is nothing more devious than a bad game with a good soundtrack because that’s what makes you come back to it: like a good actor in an Uwe Boll movie or candy corn (that’s a Lewis Black reference in case you don’t get it).

This is just my personal pick and these games aren’t necessarily in order from best to absolute worst, just what I thought of the soundtracks in general.

10. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

While most may not regard Vice City as a “bad” game, for me it was easily the most disappointing title in the GTA Trilogy of GTA3,Vice City and San Andreas. The story was very half-hearted and the latter part of the game is spent gathering money which just got very tiresome after a while. But I’m an 80s fan, so there was actually something I quite liked about the game.

The music has every early-80s hitter from Michael Jackson to Iron Maiden and even Nena with their German protest-pop hit 99 Luftballons. With such excellent 80s one-hit wonders like I Wear My Sunglasses At Night, a hard-core 80s fan like myself should be wholly satisfied.

I’m sort of letting GTA: Vice City off easy on this list. Like I mentioned, the game isn’t really horrible, just mediocre and disappointing and rather ironically I was even a little let down by the lack of variety in the music. There was plenty of rock and pop but not much rap or reggae.

9. Sonic the Hedgehog (MS)

The Master System Sonic was in my view a failed attempt to bring the blue hedgehog to a technologically less sophisticated platform. The gameplay wasn’t horrible, but the game is frustratingly difficult and it essentially lacked the sense of speed and fun from its 16-bit counterpart which is the main reason I dislike the game.

However, the music was actually pretty darn good. The 8-bit rendering of the boss and Green Hill Zone themes were somewhat cute but the game’s original tunes are what actually stand out the best and actually sound really sweet. The second level theme which appears numerous times is quite nice and the map theme is also really good. And that cheery bonus stage theme is also something I do like.

At the same time, they don’t really sound like Sonic music, but the soundtrack is probably the most impressive part of this otherwise very unimpressive game.

8. Batman Forever

Acclaim’s sorry excuse of a movie tie-in was beat-em-up nightmare of Mortal Kombat style digitised graphics and poorly implemented play control. The game just didn’t contain any of the enjoyment you usually get from a beat-em-up and without the manual you wouldn’t even know how to use the special items which just made them entirely pointless.

However, the soundtrack was surprisingly high quality with an eerie and serious sound which would have fit well into a dark and serious video-game. It’s just too bad that the composer for the game’s soundtrack wasted his talent on this mediocre and not at all enjoyable pap.

I actually liked the movie and even I don’t like this game.

7. Yoshi Story

This game was already featured on my Bottom-10 Bad Games by Good Companies. Once again, I stress that Yoshi Story is not a horrible game, just an extremely disappointing sequel, after the 50+ levels of platforming joy-fest known as Yoshi’sIsland.

However, the graphics are excellent and the game is so cute it’ll make your head explode. And the music is just pretty damn catchy. Yoshi Story is one of those games where you know it’s not what you wanted from Yoshi’sIsland’s sequel, but it’s difficult to get angry when the well orchestrated and soothing soundtrack just puts you in such a good mood.

However, Yoshi Story’s soundtrack does land short of being as memorable as that of Yoshi’s Island, probably because the game only has 10 levels and can be beat in about a half-hour, but it certainly fills the qualifications for this list.

6. Dragon’s Lair (NES)

A small games company named Elite took it upon themselves to butcher one of the most novel and intriguing gaming phenomena of the 1980s, when they produced their 8-bit reimagining of animator-guru Don Bluth’s arcade laser disc classic Dragon’s Lair on the NES. The game ranks up there as both one of the hardest and worst games ever made.

However, the music is actually really good. It has melodic variety and depth and even the main theme sticks in your head very effectively. The game really takes full advantage of the NES’s five-channel sound-chip and it’s quite unfortunate that the game is as crappy as it is, since the soundtrack is actually quite excellent.

Not only that, the graphics of the game are also nothing to sneeze at. However, Dragon’s Lair on the NES stands as a testament that just because you can make a game look pretty and sound good, doesn’t mean it’s not a horrible piece of crap.

5. Donkey Kong Land

Another familiar face from Bottom-10 Bad Games by Good Companies list, Rare’s little brother version of Donkey Kong Country on the Game Boy ranks up as one of the most frustratingly ham-handed spin-offs in gaming. But once again, the soundtrack for this one was actually quite solid.

The Game Boy’s sound-chip was admittedly even more primitive than that of the NES, but still the Game Boy has actually been home to some awesome game soundtracks and DKL actually ranks quite high in this regard. Sure, the game reuses a few tracks from DKC, but just like Sonic MS, it’s the game’s original tracks that make it sound so good from the menu themes right to the boss theme, which I think is actually better than any of the boss themes from the DKC games on the SNES.

If DKL didn’t have such a retarded saving system, it could actually be one of my favourite Donkey Kong games… but it’s not…

4. Zelda: Wand of Gamelon

The CDi Zelda games rank up as some of the notorious games in history. Produced by Animation Magic Inc. these games are noted for their haphazardly programmed gameplay, bad, bizarre and at times quite disturbing animated cutscenes as well as some internet meme spawning voice-acting. Another thing the CDi Zeldas also had, quite surprisingly, were some extremely catchy and well produced soundtracks.

Note here, if you’ve been spoiled by Koji “the man” Kondo’s work in such titles as Ocarina of Time, don’t play the Wand of Gamelon expecting some orchestral wonderment, but the main themes are bizarrely catchy in a cheesy 90s pop way with positively popping percussion and even some really nice melody.

Wand of Gamelon may not deserve many hoorahs, apart from being one of the few games where you actually got to play as Zelda, but the soundtrack definitely did kick ass.

3. Fighting Street (Street Fighter)

Capcom’s Street Fighter franchise didn’t really kick off until the second instalment which also singlehandedly popularised the fighting game genre. The first game was doomed into obscurity both in the arcades and on the TurboGrafx-CD where it was released under the jumbled titleFighting   Street.

Street Fighter 1 had broken controls, only moderately impressive graphics for a late-80s arcade title and some laughably bad voice-acting (not to mention you could only play as Ryu). The soundtrack however was excellent, which shouldn’t be too surprising since this is Capcom after all. I quite like Birdy’s and Eagle’s themes but the entire soundtrack is full of variety and surprisingly high in production value.

Of course, it pales in comparison to Street Fighter 2’s soundtrack, but that’s an unfair comparison in more ways than one. Street Fighter 1 is a bad game, but it sure has some sweet-ass music.

2. Sonic 3D

Traveller’s Tales created Sonic 3D in 1996, after Sega themselves failed to produce a 3D Sonic game for their Sega Saturn system. Sonic 3D was in fact just an isometric 2D platformer with pre-rendered 3D sprites, so it wasn’t really a 3D game in any sense of the word.

Not only that, as a Sonic game it was severely mediocre with the gameplay comprising of the player collecting birds (Flickies) to pass the level. The soundtrack however is surprisingly excellent. It’s catchy with well-defined melodies and while playing, you might even be fooled into thinking you’ve picked up a decent game.

All in all, Sonic 3D only has somewhat slippery controls and disorienting level design, but it’s not quite a whole-hearted stinker of a game which is why I’m not gonna make it number-1 on the list. It actually makes it this high on the list on its musical credentials.

1. Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest

Castlevania II was an ambitious attempt by Konami back in the day to do something different with their horror 2D platformer series, which unfortunately turned into an utter failure. A free-roaming 2D action-game just didn’t work with Castlevania’s sluggish control-scheme and especially not with a password system instead of a battery-save feature.

However, Castlevania II has got one major element about it which is truly excellent: the music. Konami’s in-house band, Club Kukeiha, poured their heart out into the melodic, varied and horror inspired soundtrack which still ranks in the top-5 of the most memorable soundtracks from the series with many of its songs becoming enduring classics, heard in many future instalments of the franchise.

Simon’s Quest may not be very good game, but its soundtrack kicks massive ass.