Mega Man: The Evolution of Capcom's Iconic Blue Bomber

The Origins of Mega Man

Mega Man, known as Rockman (ロックマン, Rokkuman) in Japan (referencing the phrase "Rock 'n' Roll"), is a character in video games created by Keiji Inafune. He is the subject of what has been called the Mega Man Classic series, developed by Capcom in 1987^{[citation needed]}. Since then, he has become one of the company's original main characters and remains one of the most recognizable icons in the video game industry^{[citation needed]}. Having appeared on several game consoles since the Nintendo Entertainment System, Mega Man has a large audience of players, and his games continue to evolve with the ever-changing hardware demands of current game consoles.

The Fictional Universe and Series Expansion

The Mega Man fictional universe can be divided into seven categories, each featuring different variations and incarnations of the heroic boy robot. Although "Mega Man" or "Rockman" is usually the name used to describe only the original Mega Man Classic series, it can be used less specifically to mean the whole series of works of fiction about Mega Man, or the group of main characters so named.

Several series have emerged over time, each continuing the mythology of Mega Man in a particular way, such as:

• Mega Man X
• Mega Man Legends
• Mega Man Battle Network

Additionally, several animated series based on the character have been produced in the United States and Japan, as well as toys, comics, and collectible figures available both in and outside of Japan.

The Battle Against Dr. Wily

Mega Man's role in the original story is to fight against the mad scientist Dr. Wily and his ever-growing army of robots to prevent him from dominating the planet using their own special abilities against them^{[citation needed]}. Using the Mega Buster cannon arm and his ability to copy the special weapons of defeated rival robots, Mega Man must travel the world and traverse harsh environments in order to end the threat of Wily. With the help of his creator, Dr. Light, and his robot friends, the ultimate goal of Mega Man is to one day achieve "lasting peace"^{[citation needed]}.

Naming and Musical References

Although originally the names "Mighty Kid" and "Knuckle Kid" were proposed, Capcom eventually chose "Rockman" as Mega Man's Japanese alias; the name "Rainbow Man" was also proposed because of his ability to change color. The word "Rock" in his name refers to the genre rock and roll, intended to work together with his "sister" robot, Roll. Such references to musical genres are present in various other characters created by Keiji Inafune, such as Blues (known as Proto Man). Additionally, the original Mega Man games feature a game mechanic of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to defeat some enemies.