Rockman Battle & Fighters
Encyclopedia
is a fighting game
in the Mega Man series of video games. It was only released in Japan
on the SNK
Neo Geo Pocket Color
handheld system. It is a portable version of the two arcade game
fighting game
s Mega Man: The Power Battle
, and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
. The game involves choosing one of four characters and fighting through a series of boss battles.
similar to the two arcade
titles Mega Man: The Power Battle
, and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
. Playing as one of four characters (Mega Man
, Proto Man, Bass, and Duo), the player chooses between three sets of boss battles with various Robot Masters from the series. The battles are fought linearly in any order, and after each boss is defeated, a special weapon is added to the player's arsenal. Each boss is weak to one specific weapon, so the player is encouraged to strategize the order in which the bosses are faced. Two players can use a link cable to fight one another.
stated, "I really enjoyed this one. Boss encounters have always been one of the big perks of the Mega Man series, and porting over not one, but two arcade games in the same package was a stroke of good fortune. I wish there was a little more to do with the link cable, but this is a fine little action game for one of the best 'dead' portable game systems out there." Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com
did not recommend the game, but found it to be a "a fun (and cute) portable diversion".
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
in the Mega Man series of video games. It was only released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on the SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
Neo Geo Pocket Color
Neo Geo Pocket Color
The Neo Geo Pocket Color , is a 16-bit colour handheld game console by SNK. It was the last console they produced in the Neo Geo family...
handheld system. It is a portable version of the two arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
s Mega Man: The Power Battle
Mega Man: The Power Battle
Mega Man: The Power Battle, known in Japan as , is an arcade video game and a spin-off title for the Mega Man series. It was released in Japan in 1995 and was followed by a sequel, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, the following year...
, and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, known in Japan as , is an arcade video game, released in Japan in 1996 as a fighting game in the Mega Man series of games. It is the direct sequel to Mega Man: The Power Battle released the previous year...
. The game involves choosing one of four characters and fighting through a series of boss battles.
Gameplay
Rockman Battle & Fighters is a fighting gameFighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
similar to the two arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
titles Mega Man: The Power Battle
Mega Man: The Power Battle
Mega Man: The Power Battle, known in Japan as , is an arcade video game and a spin-off title for the Mega Man series. It was released in Japan in 1995 and was followed by a sequel, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, the following year...
, and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, known in Japan as , is an arcade video game, released in Japan in 1996 as a fighting game in the Mega Man series of games. It is the direct sequel to Mega Man: The Power Battle released the previous year...
. Playing as one of four characters (Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
, Proto Man, Bass, and Duo), the player chooses between three sets of boss battles with various Robot Masters from the series. The battles are fought linearly in any order, and after each boss is defeated, a special weapon is added to the player's arsenal. Each boss is weak to one specific weapon, so the player is encouraged to strategize the order in which the bosses are faced. Two players can use a link cable to fight one another.
Reception
Critical reception for Rockman Battle & Fighters has been mixed. Colin Williamson of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
stated, "I really enjoyed this one. Boss encounters have always been one of the big perks of the Mega Man series, and porting over not one, but two arcade games in the same package was a stroke of good fortune. I wish there was a little more to do with the link cable, but this is a fine little action game for one of the best 'dead' portable game systems out there." Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
did not recommend the game, but found it to be a "a fun (and cute) portable diversion".