Six Robot Masters, no set order. Each boss you beat became a weapon in your hands. In 1987, that design was unusual.
Mega Man arrived in 1987 with a structural decision that most action games of its era avoided: no required sequence. Six Robot Masters — Cut Man, Guts Man, Ice Man, Bomb Man, Fire Man, Elec Man — could be challenged in any order the player chose. Clearing a boss awarded its weapon, which could then be used against other bosses. The game rewarded players who discovered which weapon worked best against which opponent, but did not require that knowledge to proceed. A player who fought every boss in a suboptimal order could still complete the game.
The original Mega Man sold approximately 50,000 copies in Japan — figures that Capcom internally considered a failure. The series was in danger of ending with its first entry. What kept it alive was a team that believed in the design enough to build a sequel on personal time, after hours, without management approval — the game that would become Mega Man 2 and sell over 1.5 million copies, establishing the franchise as one of Capcom's most important properties.
The character's visual design underwent revision during development; Keiji Inafune, later credited as the franchise's creator, has said he refined an existing design rather than originating it. What Capcom brought to market in 1987 was the product of a small team working at the margin of the company's attention, on a design idea original enough to have become a template — the weapon-inheritance, stage-select format that Mega Man sequels would use for decades, and that other games would borrow without attribution.
What I liked most about this one was choosing my own next opponent. It was hard, and somehow I could keep at it. There are not many games I played all the way to the end.
The people who made it had almost no choice at all. The hero is blue not because anyone preferred it, but because blue carried the widest range of shades the Famicom could produce. Keiji Inafune has told that story himself. He disliked the idea when it was first put to him.
A child playing it knew nothing about palettes. The blue was simply, undeniably cool, and nobody needed to know why it was blue.
A wider choice does not always produce a better answer. Sometimes the answer that lasts is the one made after the choices ran out.
About this game
Mega Man (Rockman, 1987) is Capcom's first game designed exclusively for a home console — a deliberate break from the company's arcade-first strategy. Developed by a team of six people directed by Akira Kitamura, with character design by Keiji Inafune, it placed an android hero against six Robot Masters, each with a distinct weapon that could be stolen and used against others. That weapon-inheritance mechanic — choose your order, exploit weaknesses — became the foundation of the entire series. The six-person team shipped a game that would run for thirty years.
Key Features
Six Robot Masters selectable in any order — Cut Man, Guts Man, Ice Man, Bomb Man, Fire Man, Elec Man. Defeating a Robot Master grants his weapon for use in subsequent stages. Weapon weaknesses create a recommended order, but players choose freely. Precise jumping and shooting mechanics with demanding platforming sections. Dr. Wily's fortress as the final multi-stage gauntlet. The Magnet Beam item — a platform projector that opens otherwise impossible passages.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Mega Man was designed by a team of six at Capcom — this was Capcom's first game created exclusively for a home console, departing from the company's arcade-first development model. Keiji Inafune, credited as "Inafking," designed and illustrated nearly all characters and enemies. The Japanese version shipped December 17, 1987; North America followed twelve days later on December 29. The game sold modestly at launch — initial reception was quiet. It was the sequels, Mega Man 2 (1988) and Mega Man 3 (1990), that turned the franchise into one of Capcom's defining properties. But the first game established the complete mechanical vocabulary: stage selection, weapon acquisition, weakness chains.
Tricks & Tales
The hero is blue for a technical reason, not an artistic one. Keiji Inafune told Play magazine in 2004, and said the same thing on stage at PAX Prime in 2013, that blue carried more shades than any other colour in the Famicom's palette of roughly fifty-six. More shades meant a helmet, an arm and a boot could be told apart on a sprite that small. By Inafune's own account he disliked the idea when it was first put to him, and the rest of the team argued him round on exactly that point.
The infamous North American box art — Mega Man in blue pajamas with a handgun — became one of gaming's most discussed cover designs. The original Japanese box art is entirely different, showing the robot in action pose. Keiji Inafune has stated he was not responsible for the NA cover. The game's composer, Manami Matsumae, was composing for a major release for the first time — her Elec Man stage theme is considered one of the finest tracks in 8-bit music history. The game was one of the first to popularise non-linear stage selection on the Famicom, though it was not the absolute first.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The Japanese Famicom version (Rockman) and the North American NES version (Mega Man) are functionally identical in gameplay. The name, box art, and manual are entirely different between regions. The NES version is notably rarer in complete condition (CIB) due to lower production numbers than the Japanese Famicom version. Famicom cartridge requires a 60-to-72-pin adapter for NES play.
Maintenance Tips
Standard Famicom cartridge edge connector cleaning: isopropyl alcohol (90%+) on a cotton swab, allow to fully dry. The game has no battery save — test by completing a stage and verifying the password system works correctly. Complete-in-box (CIB) Famicom Rockman cartridges with original manual are increasingly collectible. The NES CIB version is rarer and commands a premium.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Mega Man copies regularly.
Will this Japanese Famicom cartridge work on a North American Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)?
No, not without an adapter. The Famicom uses a 60-pin edge connector while the NES uses a 72-pin connector with a physically different form factor — the two are incompatible at the cartridge slot level. Third-party adapters exist that bridge the pin difference and allow Famicom cartridges to run in a NES. On a Japanese Famicom, NES cartridges face the same incompatibility in reverse. To play Japanese Famicom software, you need a Japanese Famicom, a Famicom-compatible clone console, or a NES fitted with an appropriate adapter.
How should I clean a Famicom cartridge to ensure reliable play?
Apply 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab and gently wipe the gold-plated PCB edge contacts on the base of the cartridge. Never blow into the cartridge — breath moisture accelerates contact corrosion over time. If cleaning is needed inside, Famicom cartridges use 3.8mm security game bit screws (not standard Phillips); a security bit screwdriver is required to open the shell without damage. Note that most Famicom boot failures originate in the 60-pin console slot rather than the cartridge itself — cleaning the console slot contacts separately with a contact cleaning tool is often the more effective fix.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Mega Man
A short checklist for buying a used Famicom cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese Famicom cartridge with a 60-pin connector; a North American NES uses a 72-pin slot, so it will not fit directly.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Confirm it is genuine, not a reproduction
Sought-after titles are targets for reproduction boards with replacement labels.
Ask for a photo of the circuit board and look for factory markings. Favour a shop with a licensed second-hand dealer permit (古物商) — by law its stock has a traceable origin, your simplest guard against fakes.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Mega Man sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
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