The Top Ten Badass Weapons of Mega Man

From an early age to present day, I’ve played more than my fair share of video games. I love them, and they will forever be my one and only vice. You can call me obsessive, awkward or even a recluse, but I've had time to sit and observe games and the newest wave of gaming trends. One question comes to mind: Why are new aged titles failing to achieve the longevity as some of the retro titles such as Super Metroid, Mario Bros., Final Fantasy, Sonic the Hedgehog, Zelda and Mega man. When I think about the differences, I've noticed classic games have similar traits and I’ve come to this conclusion.

In order for a game to last in the market today, it has to contain four key elements.

1. An easy, identifiable story keeps the player interested. It doesn’t have to be deep or complicated, but it has to be clever enough for the average player to be entertained by it. Flashing graphics and effects are great, but the story is the backbone of every game.

2. Lovable characters. Be them brave heroes, quirky enemies, spunky secondary characters or detestable villains, they have to be loved by players. We need to be able to associate some sort of emotional attachment in order for them to come alive in our eyes.

3. Tight and easy controls can make or break a game. If the game is complicated, or difficult to play, potential fans would quickly gravitate away from a title.

4. A gimmick: something that makes a title standout from the rest. With so many copycats in the market, there needs to be some sort of gimmick. It doesn’t have to be anything over the top, but it does have to make the game seem distinct.

These elements are exactly what have helped retro games like Mega man stand the test of time. It takes a special something for a franchise to stay alive for as long as this one has.

In the future, mankind had grown comfortable living with service robots who perform everyday tasks. Ranging from robots designed to do yard work, cook, clean to those meant to do greater things like exploring desolate climates and constructing buildings. Just when humans had thought the gap between mankind and robotics has been permanently closed, mad scientist, Dr. Wily, who is bent on world domination devised a crooked plan. What if I could manipulate ordinary household robots to turn on their owners and do my bidding? So he set off to work and soon had every robot in his control, except for one.

For one reason or another, Mega man, an ordinary maintenance robot, did not fall victim to Dr. Wily’s vile scheme. Brilliant, Dr. Light, Mega man’s creator, outfits his trusty robot with an arm cannon hoping that he can save the city. Although, clever Dr. Light knows that Mega man will need an edge, and installed special adapters, which he can use to absorb the special skills of his defeated enemies and use them in his own personal arsenal. Thus our brave robot hero launches an all out assault to save the city.

Whether you’re a new player, or a Mega man veteran, the simple jump/shoot controls make the game seemingly easy enough for anyone to pick up. The story is simple enough everyone can follow. Small, brave robot decides to fight his way through dangerous adversaries to take on Dr. Wily and restore peace. Mega man is such a simple guy that you can’t but love him. Of course, the award-winning gimmick is stealing your enemies’ weapon and adding it to your own personal collection, then using it to exploit the weaknesses of your next foe.

These key elements have made the franchise last from the first NES game (1987) to the latest multiple platform entry (2018).

With that said the franchise has built an incredible empire of 11 games, countless weapons and enough spin offs across multiple platforms to build an impressive catalogue. To celebrate, I have compiled a top ten list of the most badass weapons from the Mega man franchise.

For this list, I focused only on the original Mega man series, not including X, Zero or the Battle Network spin offs. While considering each available weapon, I took into account the usefulness of the weapon, accuracy, power and energy efficiency.

10. Yamato Spear

Yamato Spear doesn’t seem like such a badass weapon at first, but as a forward projectile weapon it’s one of the best. Not only does the Yamato Spear pack a powerful punch, the alternating high/low rapid-fire bullet can decimate almost any enemy.

9. Triple Blade

Triple Blade is actually quite impressive as both an offensive and defensive weapon. Triple Blade works by sending out three ultra sharp knives that extends upward from your arm cannon. The arc in which these weapons fly is good enough to move forward taking out multiple enemies as you go, or taking on an approaching onslaught. Thus making Triple Blade a very badass weapon.

8. Crystal Eye

The versatility of the Crystal Eye is what makes it standout as a powerhouse. While not as visually appealing as some weapons not on this list (it looks like Mega man is firing a giant marble) don’t underestimate its power. A full hit from the Crystal Eye can cause some massive damage. Or, if the crystal strikes a wall, it shatters into four smaller orbs that can also hit targets. Not only is the Crystal Eye powerful, but also being able to decide how you use it seems pretty badass to me.

7. Needle Cannon

Many Mega man veterans are going to argue that Yamato Spear and Needle Cannon are exactly the same. While I acknowledge that they are indeed similar, Needle Cannon is more of a badass weapon because of its energy efficiencies. You’ll exhaust your supply of Yamato Spear long before your Needle Cannon tires. Plus, Needle Cannon’s projectiles are fired in a straight line making them a little more precise. In Mega man, precision can mean the difference between life and death. Another standout feature of the Needle Cannon is the rapid-fire capabilities. Unlike most Mega man weaponry, you can fire a continuous volley of shots by holding down the fire button.

6. Dust Cannon

I really like Dust Cannon. It may sound like a useless or ridiculous weapon, but I think that’s what makes it such a badass. Dust Cannon actually hits pretty hard and I use it as my go to weapon when I need a little extra power. On top of everything else, Dust Cannon shatters and sends out four pieces of shrapnel in the directional corners from which it made contact. These smaller pieces almost do the same amount of damage as getting hit by the entire bullet. While it’s not as energy efficient as I’d like, the shrapnel effect helps counter the frustration of a missed shot.

5. Gyro Attack

Gyro Attack is a rather unusual weapon. Mega man fires a spinning propeller at his foes in the hopes that the wicked sharp blades will cut them down to size. What makes Gyro Attack truly special is that you have so much more control over this weapon than most others. Once the bullet is fired you can direct it either up or down before it hits another target. This ensures almost 100% accuracy for those hard to reach enemies. With that said, the only real downfall is its slow movement. If you’re fighting a fast moving enemy you’ll have a tough time. Flying enemies, or low placed ones will be easy prey for Gyro Attack. The power and energy efficiency of Gyro Attack more than make up for this drawback.

4. Gemini Laser

The Gemini Laser isn’t as visually appealing as most of the other weapons available in the Mega man series, but it has a unique ability that trumps several other skills out there. Gemini Laser has the incredible ability to bounce off items and hit out of the way enemies. The ricochet effect depends entirely on the surface in which you originally fired the laser, so it takes a little bit of skill, but that makes it all the more deadly. Use it to your advantage when it comes to diffusing Dr. Wily’s clever tricks.

3. Flame Sword

A sword of flames that can decimate anything in its path? Impossible you say? Not so in the world of Mega man. The Flame Sword is a high-energy column of fire that extends directly from the barrel of the arm cannon. There are very few foes that can withstand a slash from this deadly weapon, thus making it a brutal device. It’s a powerhouse as an offensive weapon, but when it comes to defense it can hold its own. My only real wish is that it would consume energy at a lower rate.

Skip to the boss fight to catch a small glimpse of Flame Swords amazing capabilities.

2. Ring Boomerang

Ring Boomerang is one of the lamest sounding weapons in the entire Mega man universe, but that is exactly why you shouldn’t judge it too harshly. A fierce gold ring extends from your cannon and then returns to you if your attack fails to connect, hence the name. Ring Boomerang is a great defensive weapon since it comes back for a second chance hit if you miss the first time. Its quick discharge makes it one of the best reactive weapons in the entire series. Not only does it give you the most bang for you buck, it is also a powerhouse, heavily damaging most bosses.

1. Metal Blade

Metal Blade takes the spot of the most badass weapon in the Mega man series. Being able to fire in any direction while moving or standing still makes you a walking death bringer. Metal Blade not only has the best energy consumption rate, but it can take out the toughest of foes with only a few hits. Even Metal Man, the boss who owns Metal Blade is instantly destroyed by a single shot from his own weapon. If that doesn’t say Badass, then I don’t know what else does.