Mega Man (1987 video game)
| Mega Man | |
|---|---|
Japanese cover art by Keiji Inafune | |
| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Director(s) | Akira Kitamura |
| Producer(s) | Takashi Nishiyama |
| Programmer(s) | Nobuyuki Matsushima |
| Artist(s) |
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| Composer(s) | Manami Matsumae |
| Series | Mega Man |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action, platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is a 1987 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The first installment in the Mega Man franchise and the original video game series, Mega Man was produced by a small team specifically for the home console market, a first for Capcom, which up until that point focused on arcade video games. It was directed by Akira Kitamura, with Nobuyuki Matsushima as lead programmer.
The game follows the humanoid robot and player-character Mega Man and his quest to save the world from the mad scientist Dr. Wily and the six "Robot Masters" under his control. Mega Man's nonlinear gameplay lets the player choose the order in which to complete its initial six stages. Each culminates in a boss battle against one of the Robot Masters that awards the player-character a unique weapon. Part of the strategy of the game is that the player must carefully choose the order in which to tackle the stages so that they can earn the weapons that will be most useful for future stages.
Critics praised Mega Man for its overall design. Mega Man established many of the gameplay, story, and graphical conventions that would define the ensuing sequels, subseries, and spin-offs in the Mega Man franchise. The game has since been re-released in game compilations such as Mega Man Legacy Collection, ported to mobile phones, and become a part of console emulation services. A sequel, Mega Man 2, was released the following year. A remake with 3D graphics, titled Mega Man Powered Up, was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2006.